Scan barcode
A review by kfriend
Ruthless Traitor by Heather Long
4.0
Like the silks that our heroine Emerysn once spun herself in, our story is increasingly tangled- a marvel that is artful, beautiful, mesmerizing, and also cuttingly dangerous. Book one brought all the provocative, evasive, disorienting charisma, and book 2 was about establishing the foundational relationship dynamics, finding the fragile but intense connections between these characters. And Ruthless Traitor capitalizes on both of those foundations, dealing us an immersive, emotively tinged glimpse into the baggage weighing each of these characters down. This is the beginning of being submerged in the Vandals’ pain, in the myriad of tragedies, traumas, and decisions that have torn them apart inside but brought them together as a family. A family seemingly unbreakable, but at a crossroads as context and motivations have shifted.
The puzzle has only gotten more complicated - in fact, we don't even have all the pieces. But this book is about giving us some important ones, pieces that help us better understand this motley crue.
The Vandals world is such a complex tapestry of secrets, lies, half truths, and misdirection- and quite honestly, Heather is a creative genius to create a story so intricate, complicated, and dynamically rich. And I’m impressed how she keeps up with it all- every detail, every moment big and small are part of a broader narrative, one being told in both the past and the present. It’s quite a storytelling fete- and one she’s achieving brilliantly. Even more so, the characters themselves are complicated mosaics, intensely layered individuals whose identities we have to understand in so many parallels. Not only are we steadily chipping away at who they are in the present, as they expose their vulnerability to one another and their secrets slowly come to the surface, but we’re also trying to separate their vandal persona from their true heart- all while trying to discover who they were in the past, too.
The narrative approach, the past and present ping pong, is a powerful and thoughtful way for us to truly immerse ourselves in each of them. The past continues to be purposefully enigmatic- an impressionistic dip into the essence of our characters in moments critical to who they are in the present. Moments that have shaped their loyalty and connection to each other, moments that have added weight to the heavy baggage they all carry, and most important, moments that interconnect them in purpose in ways we don’t yet fully understand, but feel so intensely. All while we’re trying to make sense of the jaw dropping revelations Emersyn is grappling with as the result of the prodigal return of the near mythical Raptor- as well as her ever changing, deepening relationships with the Vandals crew, something that Raptor’s presence also unsettles. Even the writing styles have a contrasting flair - the past carries that enigmatic atmospheric paralipsis approach, each a vignette that feels both isolating and focused. While the present is full of emotive meta-immersions focused on their interconnections, and exploding with emotional drama. The approach, while brilliant, does cause the present day plot to at times feel like it lacks momentum- we get very little answered, and have a lot more questions- but it does help us more deeply mire ourselves in the psyche of each of these deliciously mysterious, magnetically charismatic characters. Their story, their actions, the broader puzzle might still be a mystery to us, but the nature of their hearts, and the weight that each of them carry is increasingly less opaque- which further invests us in the glimmers of vulnerability and transparency we see transpiring in the present day as each battle their loyalty to Raptor, to themselves, and to Emersyn. And even if we’re impatient for the romance, or the secrets, to unfold before us- Heather has warned us to buckle up- this is a long series, and these characters have a lot of suffering to do before they find healing. And Ruthless Traitor is about digging deep in that suffering- understanding just how deeply they are all wounded, and just how earth shattering it is that they’ve all chosen to deviate from the plan when it comes to Emersyn.
I will continue to shout just how novel and unique this story is. This is the work of an artist-an author who is painting a story with careful and intentional choices, each brushstroke meticulously placed. So the plot thickens, and thickens some more- and Heather is still priming the canvas in a lot of ways. We have more questions than answers- even about our characters, even about who the harem will be still, and even still about our beautifully broken heroine. Just when we think we know her, just when we feel like we’ve finally found the center of her mind, she does something that not only shocks us, but will completely change the direction of this story. Her journey to power, to healing and freedom has only just begun- and I have a feeling the next few chapters are going to be heartbreakingly challenging for all of these characters. I’m not sure my heart can take it- but I need answers, and I’m ready to watch these Vandals show us the depths of their fight.
The puzzle has only gotten more complicated - in fact, we don't even have all the pieces. But this book is about giving us some important ones, pieces that help us better understand this motley crue.
The Vandals world is such a complex tapestry of secrets, lies, half truths, and misdirection- and quite honestly, Heather is a creative genius to create a story so intricate, complicated, and dynamically rich. And I’m impressed how she keeps up with it all- every detail, every moment big and small are part of a broader narrative, one being told in both the past and the present. It’s quite a storytelling fete- and one she’s achieving brilliantly. Even more so, the characters themselves are complicated mosaics, intensely layered individuals whose identities we have to understand in so many parallels. Not only are we steadily chipping away at who they are in the present, as they expose their vulnerability to one another and their secrets slowly come to the surface, but we’re also trying to separate their vandal persona from their true heart- all while trying to discover who they were in the past, too.
The narrative approach, the past and present ping pong, is a powerful and thoughtful way for us to truly immerse ourselves in each of them. The past continues to be purposefully enigmatic- an impressionistic dip into the essence of our characters in moments critical to who they are in the present. Moments that have shaped their loyalty and connection to each other, moments that have added weight to the heavy baggage they all carry, and most important, moments that interconnect them in purpose in ways we don’t yet fully understand, but feel so intensely. All while we’re trying to make sense of the jaw dropping revelations Emersyn is grappling with as the result of the prodigal return of the near mythical Raptor- as well as her ever changing, deepening relationships with the Vandals crew, something that Raptor’s presence also unsettles. Even the writing styles have a contrasting flair - the past carries that enigmatic atmospheric paralipsis approach, each a vignette that feels both isolating and focused. While the present is full of emotive meta-immersions focused on their interconnections, and exploding with emotional drama. The approach, while brilliant, does cause the present day plot to at times feel like it lacks momentum- we get very little answered, and have a lot more questions- but it does help us more deeply mire ourselves in the psyche of each of these deliciously mysterious, magnetically charismatic characters. Their story, their actions, the broader puzzle might still be a mystery to us, but the nature of their hearts, and the weight that each of them carry is increasingly less opaque- which further invests us in the glimmers of vulnerability and transparency we see transpiring in the present day as each battle their loyalty to Raptor, to themselves, and to Emersyn. And even if we’re impatient for the romance, or the secrets, to unfold before us- Heather has warned us to buckle up- this is a long series, and these characters have a lot of suffering to do before they find healing. And Ruthless Traitor is about digging deep in that suffering- understanding just how deeply they are all wounded, and just how earth shattering it is that they’ve all chosen to deviate from the plan when it comes to Emersyn.
I will continue to shout just how novel and unique this story is. This is the work of an artist-an author who is painting a story with careful and intentional choices, each brushstroke meticulously placed. So the plot thickens, and thickens some more- and Heather is still priming the canvas in a lot of ways. We have more questions than answers- even about our characters, even about who the harem will be still, and even still about our beautifully broken heroine. Just when we think we know her, just when we feel like we’ve finally found the center of her mind, she does something that not only shocks us, but will completely change the direction of this story. Her journey to power, to healing and freedom has only just begun- and I have a feeling the next few chapters are going to be heartbreakingly challenging for all of these characters. I’m not sure my heart can take it- but I need answers, and I’m ready to watch these Vandals show us the depths of their fight.