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Tales of Wonder and Woe #2
A Tale Told By Traitors
Set sail into the swoony, pulse-pounding, high-stakes second installment in the TALES OF WONDER AND WOE, a series of sequential standalones each focusing on a new romantic fantasy adventure!
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LIONYRA VARA is not who she seems.
A humble immigrant baker living in Mithra-Sha, Lio hides a bitter she is truly the sole inheritor of the ruling regime in the neighboring country of Amere-Del. And now, against her will, Lio is going back—to the land of her worst fears and lifelong nightmares.
And she won’t be going the life of her oldest friend hangs in the same cruel balance. Their only hope for freedom is to outwit the people who seek to enslave them to the fate they left behind.
But to do it, they must first find their way back to each other.
RYKER KASSIAN is a man caught between desperation and redemption.
A legendary pirate swimming in insurmountable debt, Ryker sees only one way to slip the noose for himself and his beloved by offering the runaway Delina as a ransom for a lofty sum. But when the lost heir offers him a chance at something more—by helping her hunt down her missing friend—Ryker seizes the opportunity without a second thought.
It might be his only chance to fix everything he’s broken…and save his crew from slaughter.
As their hunt takes them to hidden pirate cities, sinister port towns, and the treacherous heart of Amere-Del where revolution threatens to ignite, all of their secrets and schemes collide. Backed against the tenuous balance of an impending civil war, Lio and Ryker have no choice but to confront the bitter truths they’ve fled from, the causes they’ve betrayed, the schemes for their destruction…and a rising attraction they both deny.
And with a ruthless regime seeking both their heads, they must choose which side of the line they stand on—whether they remain enemies divided, or become allies in the fight to shape their own destinies.
-
LIONYRA VARA is not who she seems.
A humble immigrant baker living in Mithra-Sha, Lio hides a bitter she is truly the sole inheritor of the ruling regime in the neighboring country of Amere-Del. And now, against her will, Lio is going back—to the land of her worst fears and lifelong nightmares.
And she won’t be going the life of her oldest friend hangs in the same cruel balance. Their only hope for freedom is to outwit the people who seek to enslave them to the fate they left behind.
But to do it, they must first find their way back to each other.
RYKER KASSIAN is a man caught between desperation and redemption.
A legendary pirate swimming in insurmountable debt, Ryker sees only one way to slip the noose for himself and his beloved by offering the runaway Delina as a ransom for a lofty sum. But when the lost heir offers him a chance at something more—by helping her hunt down her missing friend—Ryker seizes the opportunity without a second thought.
It might be his only chance to fix everything he’s broken…and save his crew from slaughter.
As their hunt takes them to hidden pirate cities, sinister port towns, and the treacherous heart of Amere-Del where revolution threatens to ignite, all of their secrets and schemes collide. Backed against the tenuous balance of an impending civil war, Lio and Ryker have no choice but to confront the bitter truths they’ve fled from, the causes they’ve betrayed, the schemes for their destruction…and a rising attraction they both deny.
And with a ruthless regime seeking both their heads, they must choose which side of the line they stand on—whether they remain enemies divided, or become allies in the fight to shape their own destinies.
651 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2024
About the author
Renee Dugan
25 books195 followersRenee Dugan is an Indiana-based fantasy author who grew up reading fantasy books, chasing stray cats, and writing stories full of dashing heroes and evil masterminds.
Now with over a decade of professional editing, administrative work, and writing every spare second under her belt, she has authored THE CHAOS CIRCUS, a portal fantasy novel, and THE STARCHASER SAGA, an epic high fantasy series.
Living with her husband, son, and not-so-stray cats in the magical Midwest, she continues to explore new worlds and spends her time in this one encouraging and helping other writers on their journey to fulfilling their dreams.
Now with over a decade of professional editing, administrative work, and writing every spare second under her belt, she has authored THE CHAOS CIRCUS, a portal fantasy novel, and THE STARCHASER SAGA, an epic high fantasy series.
Living with her husband, son, and not-so-stray cats in the magical Midwest, she continues to explore new worlds and spends her time in this one encouraging and helping other writers on their journey to fulfilling their dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
November 2, 2024
4.5 / 5.0 stars
wow. wow. wow.
i needed a couple days to write this because of how much i felt. i wanted to gather all my thoughts and emotions.
ok so when i first started reading, i did not really know what to expect. i went in completely blind and was caught off guard that it did not immediately pick off from where the first book left off, but as i read more, i was so impressed by this new story and the point of views. the new (and old characters) we meet and grieve, the relationships that flourish and end too soon, all the nerve wracking tension and breathtaking plot twists. it all captivated me from the start.
bash and lio were so different. and despite being captor and captive, they were still so endearing. i rooted for them the entire time and fell in love with them, with their strengths and especially their weaknesses, the more i read. i fell in love with their friends, the sailors and pirates. i grieved with them and wanted nothing more than for them to be free and live their lives together.
this was such an amazing adventure. i laughed, swooned, cried, got angry, felt so much of everything. this was yet another phenomenal story and showcases renee dugan’s writing skills and excellence. never once was i bored, leaving me blown away with this great second installment. i cannot wait to see what’s next for this fantastical world and beloved characters.
special thanks to NetGalley and to R. Dugan (author) for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
wow. wow. wow.
i needed a couple days to write this because of how much i felt. i wanted to gather all my thoughts and emotions.
ok so when i first started reading, i did not really know what to expect. i went in completely blind and was caught off guard that it did not immediately pick off from where the first book left off, but as i read more, i was so impressed by this new story and the point of views. the new (and old characters) we meet and grieve, the relationships that flourish and end too soon, all the nerve wracking tension and breathtaking plot twists. it all captivated me from the start.
Bastyan, the secret ingredient I had not expected … but one that had made the night among the sweetest I could recall in all my life.
bash and lio were so different. and despite being captor and captive, they were still so endearing. i rooted for them the entire time and fell in love with them, with their strengths and especially their weaknesses, the more i read. i fell in love with their friends, the sailors and pirates. i grieved with them and wanted nothing more than for them to be free and live their lives together.
this was such an amazing adventure. i laughed, swooned, cried, got angry, felt so much of everything. this was yet another phenomenal story and showcases renee dugan’s writing skills and excellence. never once was i bored, leaving me blown away with this great second installment. i cannot wait to see what’s next for this fantastical world and beloved characters.
special thanks to NetGalley and to R. Dugan (author) for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2024
ALL THE STARS! 🤩
If you are looking for an epic swashbuckling pirate adventure with a swoony romance, THIS IS IT! Dare I say this is my new favorite Renee Dugan book? I am OBSESSED. 😍
From the very beginning I was hooked on Lionyra’s story. We meet her in the first book of the Tales of Wonder and Woe series, and even though this book stands alone and is a wholly different story, there are nuggets in here that you may want to know reading book 1 first!
I loved the found family aspect of this story and could not get enough of every single crew member. And the romance?? Puddle. I’m a puddle. 🫠😮💨
This was the pirate story I never knew I needed with high stakes, hidden identities, betrayal, heartache, and so much more! It kept me flipping pages and had me in a chokehold the entire time.
Cannot wait for more stories in this world! 👏🏻
Content: kissing
If you are looking for an epic swashbuckling pirate adventure with a swoony romance, THIS IS IT! Dare I say this is my new favorite Renee Dugan book? I am OBSESSED. 😍
From the very beginning I was hooked on Lionyra’s story. We meet her in the first book of the Tales of Wonder and Woe series, and even though this book stands alone and is a wholly different story, there are nuggets in here that you may want to know reading book 1 first!
I loved the found family aspect of this story and could not get enough of every single crew member. And the romance?? Puddle. I’m a puddle. 🫠😮💨
This was the pirate story I never knew I needed with high stakes, hidden identities, betrayal, heartache, and so much more! It kept me flipping pages and had me in a chokehold the entire time.
Cannot wait for more stories in this world! 👏🏻
Content: kissing
July 28, 2024
YES.
This was fantastic. It includes all the wonderful skill that I've come to expect from Renee Dugan's writing. Well developed characters, meaningful relationships, nail biting tension, and a gripping, twisty plot that captivated me from the first page.
I adored the connections made with the first book in this series, and can only hope that the same will be done in upcoming parts of this saga. There's so many characters I want more of! I would love to read about Killian and Tristah's meeting, and how she became who she is.
There's just so much detail and context that brings this story to life. Even though it's a chunky book, it does feel like it warrants its length. It needs it to fully develop each theme, and frankly I was grateful to have more time with Bash and Lio and their gang of misfits.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
This was fantastic. It includes all the wonderful skill that I've come to expect from Renee Dugan's writing. Well developed characters, meaningful relationships, nail biting tension, and a gripping, twisty plot that captivated me from the first page.
I adored the connections made with the first book in this series, and can only hope that the same will be done in upcoming parts of this saga. There's so many characters I want more of! I would love to read about Killian and Tristah's meeting, and how she became who she is.
There's just so much detail and context that brings this story to life. Even though it's a chunky book, it does feel like it warrants its length. It needs it to fully develop each theme, and frankly I was grateful to have more time with Bash and Lio and their gang of misfits.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
July 27, 2024
If there is one thing that can be said about Renee, it’s that she never has a lull in her books. From the time it starts to the time it ends, this book never stops moving. I am out of fingernails to chew on, hair to rip out, and I’m not even sure how many times I used all caps reactions or exclamation points for this book. Like it’s predecessor, Traitors is a book written with beautiful prose and a story that cannot be topped. While this isn’t a love letter to the power of stories, it’s a true tale of how to take your power back, how you’re stronger than you think you are, and that at any point, your past can and will catch up to you. And you better be ready when it does. Eyes wide open. Take power where you can. Ok, Renee, I’m ready for book three. My socks are blown off, AGAIN, and I’m not even mad about it. Not even a little bit. your power back, how you’re stronger than you think you are, and that at any point, your past can and will catch up to you. And you better be ready when it does. Eyes wide open. Take power where you can. Ok, Renee, I’m ready for book three. My socks are blown off, AGAIN, and I’m not even mad about it. Not even a little bit.
January 9, 2026
What an adventurous, well-crafted story 😍 This series deserves more hype, imo. I truly felt immersed in the world. (Will post a review of the whole series after I finish the last book)
October 16, 2024
Thank you to the author for an eARC.
A NEW FAV.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This might be my new favorite book by Renee Dugan. I know the page count seems daunting but I love that this wasn’t split up into a duology. Give me those longer page counts and also give me a full story and this delivered on both counts. I enjoyed being back in this world and getting Lio’s story.
I loved the pirating aspects and all of the hidden identities. The slow burn was incredible and there were definitely some good and swoony moments. And the action was dark and intense. There’s a gruesome angle to this book that I thought fit the pirating theme well. I was clutching my pearls and gasping on the treadmill wondering who was actually going to make it to the end of the book.
I had such an enjoyable time reading this book. I love Renee Dugan’s writing style and the craft that goes into each tale. Lio had an amazing character arc and I was absolutely cheering for her when the final change happened. I loved how strong and supportive Ryker was and how stalwart he became about being in her corner. I am in love with this entire book.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate – high
- Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, loss of life, murder
A NEW FAV.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This might be my new favorite book by Renee Dugan. I know the page count seems daunting but I love that this wasn’t split up into a duology. Give me those longer page counts and also give me a full story and this delivered on both counts. I enjoyed being back in this world and getting Lio’s story.
I loved the pirating aspects and all of the hidden identities. The slow burn was incredible and there were definitely some good and swoony moments. And the action was dark and intense. There’s a gruesome angle to this book that I thought fit the pirating theme well. I was clutching my pearls and gasping on the treadmill wondering who was actually going to make it to the end of the book.
I had such an enjoyable time reading this book. I love Renee Dugan’s writing style and the craft that goes into each tale. Lio had an amazing character arc and I was absolutely cheering for her when the final change happened. I loved how strong and supportive Ryker was and how stalwart he became about being in her corner. I am in love with this entire book.
Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate – high
- Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, loss of life, murder
October 14, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
Y’all. I knew as soon as I was approved for this book that it was going to take me on such an adventure, that I was going to be a different person at the end of it…and I was right.
Renee has a way with words that is untouched by any (most) in this day and age. Her writing is intricate and purposeful, and her characters are full of depth and life.
I fell hard and fast for Lionyra when I first met her in A Story Spun in Scarlet. An immigrant woman who made a name for herself as a prominent bakery owner, Lio was a kind soul to Addie-Cat (if you haven’t met Addie yet, I beg of you to) when she needed a friend. In A Tale Told by Traitors, we finally learn of the secrets Lio has been keeping, of who she was and is to her core.
This story is for folks who love adventures, titillating quests, pirates and love - both the family and romantic kinds. In A Tale Told by Traitors, we come to learn that there is beauty in our strengths forged by our own stubbornness…as well as strength in being soft.
Y’all. I knew as soon as I was approved for this book that it was going to take me on such an adventure, that I was going to be a different person at the end of it…and I was right.
Renee has a way with words that is untouched by any (most) in this day and age. Her writing is intricate and purposeful, and her characters are full of depth and life.
I fell hard and fast for Lionyra when I first met her in A Story Spun in Scarlet. An immigrant woman who made a name for herself as a prominent bakery owner, Lio was a kind soul to Addie-Cat (if you haven’t met Addie yet, I beg of you to) when she needed a friend. In A Tale Told by Traitors, we finally learn of the secrets Lio has been keeping, of who she was and is to her core.
This story is for folks who love adventures, titillating quests, pirates and love - both the family and romantic kinds. In A Tale Told by Traitors, we come to learn that there is beauty in our strengths forged by our own stubbornness…as well as strength in being soft.
August 19, 2024
Renee has done it again and written a high stakes adventure with romance that will make you swoon and twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The characters and the development they have throughout the story is beautiful and written so well.
The pacing builds the story perfectly, and you won't want to put the book down, so prepare to lose sleep.
The thing Renee does so well is flawlessly intertwine messages of redemption, forgiveness, and purpose within the storyline. It adds a lovely touch of depth to the overall narrative.
For an adventure you won't want to escape from and characters you can't help but love and moments such as "Let me tell you a story" pick up this book, you won't be sorry.
This is book 2 in the Tales of Wonder and Woe, though it's not necessary to read A Story Spun in Scarlet first, it will make Traitors all the more enjoyable.
I was lucky to receive an early copy but all my thoughts and opinions are my own, and I excitingly wait for my physical copy i couldn't wait to buy :)
The characters and the development they have throughout the story is beautiful and written so well.
The pacing builds the story perfectly, and you won't want to put the book down, so prepare to lose sleep.
The thing Renee does so well is flawlessly intertwine messages of redemption, forgiveness, and purpose within the storyline. It adds a lovely touch of depth to the overall narrative.
For an adventure you won't want to escape from and characters you can't help but love and moments such as "Let me tell you a story" pick up this book, you won't be sorry.
This is book 2 in the Tales of Wonder and Woe, though it's not necessary to read A Story Spun in Scarlet first, it will make Traitors all the more enjoyable.
I was lucky to receive an early copy but all my thoughts and opinions are my own, and I excitingly wait for my physical copy i couldn't wait to buy :)
October 23, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book. This was a great book with swashbuckling pirates, found families, great characters, and epic adventures! At times, the book lulled some, so it was hard to get through at points, but when it picked up, it really picked up! When the action scenes ocurred, they really made up for the lagging parts. The characters were all very interesting, and you found the main characters to be charming even when there are alternative motives that come to light. The romance was great, and you could see the development of the relationship well throughout the story where it made sense. It is the second book in a series but still considered a standalone. I have not read the first book, but after this, I am definitely interested in reading more by this author!
November 8, 2024
This story is absolutely phenomenal—every page is crafted with gorgeous, lyrical prose that draws you deep into a richly detailed world. The characters are beautifully complex, with a blend of strength and vulnerability that makes them feel so real and relatable. Watching their journeys unfold made me feel all the emotions!
The adventure is packed with unexpected turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end. If I could give this more than five stars, I absolutely would! Renee has truly outdone herself with this phenomenal masterpiece. I am completely blown away!
The Tale Told by Traitors is the second in a series of interconnected standalones, so if you haven’t yet read A Story Spun in Scarlet, I can’t recommend it enough! These books have become some of my favorites of the year.
The adventure is packed with unexpected turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end. If I could give this more than five stars, I absolutely would! Renee has truly outdone herself with this phenomenal masterpiece. I am completely blown away!
The Tale Told by Traitors is the second in a series of interconnected standalones, so if you haven’t yet read A Story Spun in Scarlet, I can’t recommend it enough! These books have become some of my favorites of the year.
December 1, 2024
I’ve never read anything from this author before, but I absolutely love, love, love pirate themed books and I just KNEW I had to pick this up.
At first, it really took me a while to get into the story. It’s clear this author knows how to weave a world. But the complex history, lengthy number of characters (and their name pronunciation) threw me for the first 150 pages or so.
However, the author intricately combines each character story, development and a vivid world and I was sucked in. It’s not often I enjoy a book with romance as a main plot point without it venturing into the adult target audience, however this firmly remained in YA and yet still had me absolutely swooning. Found family is an absolute favourite trope of mine, and this had it in abundance. I could not get enough of these fantastic characters at all. Imagine my delight realising that although this is a standalone, there is an another released before this!
I want to thank NetGalley, Wave Walker Press, and Renee Dugan for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The review is my own opinion and I have given this freely.
At first, it really took me a while to get into the story. It’s clear this author knows how to weave a world. But the complex history, lengthy number of characters (and their name pronunciation) threw me for the first 150 pages or so.
However, the author intricately combines each character story, development and a vivid world and I was sucked in. It’s not often I enjoy a book with romance as a main plot point without it venturing into the adult target audience, however this firmly remained in YA and yet still had me absolutely swooning. Found family is an absolute favourite trope of mine, and this had it in abundance. I could not get enough of these fantastic characters at all. Imagine my delight realising that although this is a standalone, there is an another released before this!
I want to thank NetGalley, Wave Walker Press, and Renee Dugan for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The review is my own opinion and I have given this freely.
July 27, 2024
If there is one thing that can be said about Renee, it’s that she never has a lull in her books. From the time it starts to the time it ends, this book never stops moving. I am out of fingernails to chew on, hair to rip out, and I’m not even sure how many times I used all caps reactions or exclamation points for this book. Like it’s predecessor, Traitors is a book written with beautiful prose and a story that cannot be topped. While this isn’t a love letter to the power of stories, it’s a true tale of how to take your power back, how you’re stronger than you think you are, and that at any point, your past can and will catch up to you. And you better be ready when it does. Eyes wide open. Take power where you can. Ok, Renee, I’m ready for book three. My socks are blown off, AGAIN, and I’m not even mad about it. Not even a little bit. your power back, how you’re stronger than you think you are, and that at any point, your past can and will catch up to you. And you better be ready when it does. Eyes wide open. Take power where you can. Ok, Renee, I’m ready for book three. My socks are blown off, AGAIN, and I’m not even mad about it. Not even a little bit.
December 31, 2024
A Tale Told by Traitors is a story of trust broken and redeemed, treasures rescued and defended, and taut romantic tension to keep you turning those pages. I absolutely adore the main characters, and their love is one to root for! Written with gorgeous lyrical, nautical prose, this tale will completely immerse your imagination in a seafarer's breeze with a captain's wheel creaking in the background. Grab your sea legs and prepare to weigh anchor with Lio and Ryker on a voyage of a lifetime!
September 3, 2024
Another exciting tale on and off the high seas! Renee's prose is some of the best in the industry-- poetic and voicy, heart wrenching and gut twisting. I loved the growth Lio and Bash undergo, and the added loveable, interesting characters in Ryker and Cathan. I'm so grateful we get to read more stories in Amere-Del!
November 3, 2024
I received an ARC of this book and then realized it was #2 in the series. So of course I had to read the first. I enjoyed the first, but this one? I was so excited to learn that this book is from Lio's perspective, as I always wondered what happened to her after Addie fled the city. This gives us Lio's journey while Addie brought back storycrafting. The timelines are simultaneous and interwoven in places, quite well I might add. The story had adventure and romance and pirating. Yes, pirates. I wasn't quite expecting that but I'm here for it. I could see the growth in the author's writing between book 1 and book 2 and enjoyed that, as well. I got the vibe that this writer has some brilliant works to come. The book does set up for a third, hoping to read that. It also ended it quite nicely so it could go either way on whether it continues to a trilogy. Looking forward to finding out. All in all, I quite enjoyed this.
October 28, 2024
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book.
For the first part of the book I was not invested in the story but then BOOM I just couldnt stop reading. I mean, the plot twist was so great it totally blew my mind and the love for this book started then and grew page after page.
I seriously hated the Lyonira the first part of the book but she magically redeemed herself afterwards and I couldnt be more proud of her journey.
There isn´t much to say about Ryker… only that now I have a pirate book boyfriend.
The book was constantly entertaining, specially after the first 30% and it was a really great read for me.
Highly recommended
For the first part of the book I was not invested in the story but then BOOM I just couldnt stop reading. I mean, the plot twist was so great it totally blew my mind and the love for this book started then and grew page after page.
I seriously hated the Lyonira the first part of the book but she magically redeemed herself afterwards and I couldnt be more proud of her journey.
There isn´t much to say about Ryker… only that now I have a pirate book boyfriend.
The book was constantly entertaining, specially after the first 30% and it was a really great read for me.
Highly recommended
April 1, 2025
A beautifully written tale!
It took me a minute to get into this one, only because I was still hung up on the cliffhanger from the 1st book of the Tales of Wonder and Woes. But once I got into it, I was drawn to the characters and the depths of their stories. Definitely one I would recommend.
It took me a minute to get into this one, only because I was still hung up on the cliffhanger from the 1st book of the Tales of Wonder and Woes. But once I got into it, I was drawn to the characters and the depths of their stories. Definitely one I would recommend.
August 14, 2024
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
I somehow missed this was a connected standalone when I requested it lol. Either way, this moved at a pace that was hard to put down and I really enjoyed this.
I somehow missed this was a connected standalone when I requested it lol. Either way, this moved at a pace that was hard to put down and I really enjoyed this.
October 11, 2024
Another epic masterpiece I need to see adapted to the screen. Dugan's writing is already so visually enticing and cinematic that it's easy to envision what you're reading in your head. The cast of characters is so fleshed out and I love how real they all are - they all experience ups and downs, growth, and readers will be able to feel all the feels as they go along for the ride with Lio and Bash.
I really enjoyed this one; it was a great sequel, yet new readers can also jump into this book without having read the first and be fine. Once again the world-building is detailed and impressive and the story filled with plot twists that will make readers squeal.
To sum up, I loved it and will be diving into this author's backlist.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author - all opinions expressed are my own.
I really enjoyed this one; it was a great sequel, yet new readers can also jump into this book without having read the first and be fine. Once again the world-building is detailed and impressive and the story filled with plot twists that will make readers squeal.
To sum up, I loved it and will be diving into this author's backlist.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author - all opinions expressed are my own.
November 21, 2024
If I were 13, this would have become my personality. But reading it as a nearly 30y old, it is a bit cringey.
Thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
October 20, 2024
A Tale Told by Traitors is another exciting adventure in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series. Swashbuckling pirates, assassins, Princess Bride vibes, lots of action, found family and strong ties, this book has it all, making for a very entertaining read.
The world building is wonderfully descriptive, the character development of the new characters so aptly done. The book is a little wordy at points, which took me a while to get through, but over all, this book is exciting and the ending was just so good. And seeing how certain characters’ stories tied in with the characters from A Story Spun in Scarlet was fun to read.
Overall, I am really enjoying this fantasy series and the world created, and can’t wait to read more stories from this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The world building is wonderfully descriptive, the character development of the new characters so aptly done. The book is a little wordy at points, which took me a while to get through, but over all, this book is exciting and the ending was just so good. And seeing how certain characters’ stories tied in with the characters from A Story Spun in Scarlet was fun to read.
Overall, I am really enjoying this fantasy series and the world created, and can’t wait to read more stories from this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2025
I started this series thinking I will only read the first, because I never read anything pirate related. But them I started this one because I loved A Story Spun In Scarlet.
And what can I say, I loved this one even more. It was less magic and mor pirates then the first one. But the Lovestory in this one was beautifully written and I felt everything.
Lyonra is such a strong personality. I love her. I get the feeling she can do anything and it will work out! And Blackhand! What a charming pirate…
I would reccomend this series to everyone! And I can‘t wait for the third book!
And what can I say, I loved this one even more. It was less magic and mor pirates then the first one. But the Lovestory in this one was beautifully written and I felt everything.
Lyonra is such a strong personality. I love her. I get the feeling she can do anything and it will work out! And Blackhand! What a charming pirate…
I would reccomend this series to everyone! And I can‘t wait for the third book!
October 13, 2024
This is a fantasy book about pirates, romance, and treachery. These are all fantastic elements to a story, in my opinion.
Overall, this book just wasn't paced in a way that engaged me, personally, and felt some elements could have been developed better. Regardless, many parts of this book were enjoyable to read.
I will start with the parts I enjoyed. Even though the female main character was definitely 'badass' during many moments in the book, it was nice to see a female protagonist that embraces a path other than that of the warrior, with her love of baking and denounciation of violence. Additionally, I did not predict the plot twist 20% in, and the other developments at 50% were also well thought out.
However, it gets 2 stars from me for a few reasons. It seems to forget that it is a standalone book at times, assuming other readers have read the previous standalone and must therefore be familiar with Addie, who is aluded to randomly in a way that makes little sense for a first time reader. I also think this is why the magic system was not fleshed out in this book or even explained at all.
The world building isn't my favourite, and I had to rely heavily on the map at times. I think that could have been done better. Also, many moments aren't developed enough to have any impact, mainly the deaths of characters who had little relevance other than to show how much of a bad time the FMC was having. The FMC's alias was also revealed before I really knew her actual name, so I spent a lot of the book confused when they kept calling her different names.
Overall, an enjoyable read that I personally am too cynical for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC.
Overall, this book just wasn't paced in a way that engaged me, personally, and felt some elements could have been developed better. Regardless, many parts of this book were enjoyable to read.
I will start with the parts I enjoyed. Even though the female main character was definitely 'badass' during many moments in the book, it was nice to see a female protagonist that embraces a path other than that of the warrior, with her love of baking and denounciation of violence. Additionally, I did not predict the plot twist 20% in, and the other developments at 50% were also well thought out.
However, it gets 2 stars from me for a few reasons. It seems to forget that it is a standalone book at times, assuming other readers have read the previous standalone and must therefore be familiar with Addie, who is aluded to randomly in a way that makes little sense for a first time reader. I also think this is why the magic system was not fleshed out in this book or even explained at all.
The world building isn't my favourite, and I had to rely heavily on the map at times. I think that could have been done better. Also, many moments aren't developed enough to have any impact, mainly the deaths of characters who had little relevance other than to show how much of a bad time the FMC was having. The FMC's alias was also revealed before I really knew her actual name, so I spent a lot of the book confused when they kept calling her different names.
Overall, an enjoyable read that I personally am too cynical for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC.
September 27, 2024
Lionyra Vara has spent years building a quiet life as a baker in the port city of Krylan, and hiding, badly enough that it finally catches up with her: the woman hunting her is Lucretzia Nore, the Del's Own Blade, and the truth Lucretzia drags to the surface is that "Lionyra" is really Alyona Graven, the long-lost heir to the throne of Amere-Del, being hauled home to be married off to a dissident leader as a political peace offering. Aboard the ship carrying her back, she strikes up an easy, unplanned friendship with a deckhand named Bastyan, who turns out to be Ryker Kassian, a pirate captain sailing under a false name specifically to claim her as ransom. What follows is a bargain struck between captor and captive: Lionyra will help Ryker double his payday if he helps her first find Tristah, the decoy and true sister-in-arms she left behind years ago, before Lucretzia can use her as leverage instead.
The search for Tristah pulls both of them through a pirate stronghold built on debt and cruelty, a city simmering with a rebellion led by a masked figure called the Incendiary, and eventually into open war with the Old Salts who profit from misery on every side of Amere-Del's civil unrest. Loyalties shift, disguises come apart, and by the time the trail leads back to the throne itself, the question isn't only whether Lionyra can save the people she's come to love. It's whether the woman she used to be, and the throne she was born into, will let her go.
Character Development
Lionyra/Alyona carries the book's whole emotional architecture, and the book earns that weight. Her governing mantra, repeated at every real turning point ("eyes wide open, take power where you can"), is Lucretzia's own training turned back against her, and that inversion is the character's real engine: everything Alyona was beaten into being, the composure, the calculation, the willingness to act, becomes the toolkit Lionyra uses to save the people Alyona never got to choose for herself. Her arc from soft-spoken baker to a woman willing to poison a tyrant and swallow the same poison as cover is not softened at the edges. She grieves every death her choices cause, including the ones she causes directly, and the book lets that grief sit rather than resolving it neatly.
Ryker Kassian, introduced as the deckhand Bastyan before the reveal that he's Captain Blackhand, gets the book's second full POV, and it's the right call. Seeing the same deception from inside his own head, a boy sold into slavery by his parents who built himself into a pirate captain out of sheer necessity rather than appetite, keeps him from reading as a stock morally-gray love interest. His real conflict isn't whether he loves Lionyra; it's whether he can stop treating people, including her, as debts to be managed rather than as people to be chosen. The moment he actually chooses her over the ransom is earned in stages, not delivered all at once, and his late realization that he's spent the whole book becoming someone his own crew respects more than they ever respected Blackhand is one of the book's most honest character beats.
Tristah Levanthya, Lionyra's childhood decoy, is the book's most interesting structural choice. For most of the novel she's presented, and believed by nearly everyone including her own spymaster, to be the real Delina, and the reveal that she was always the decoy recontextualizes every scene she's had. Her fury at Lionyra for endangering her cause reads as real and earned rather than a manufactured obstacle, and her eventual choice to become Amere-Del's actual ruler, with Lionyra's blessing and Lionyra's staged death clearing the way, gives the book's central sisterhood a genuinely bittersweet, non-romantic ending that most books in this genre wouldn't have the patience for.
Killian Brax ("Ember"), Tristah's spymaster and a Storycrafter whose magic went dark years before the story starts, is drawn with real specificity: a man defined by confinement-phobia and controlled fury who only lets himself feel in front of Tristah. His power's sudden return, tied directly to endings and the stories he tells himself to survive, is thematically tidy without feeling cheap, and his blunt, prickly rapport with Ryker (each openly needling the other while clearly respecting what the other's willing to do for the women they love) is some of the book's best comic relief.
Lucretzia Nore, the Pale Viper, is a genuinely frightening antagonist precisely because her cruelty is procedural rather than theatrical. She doesn't relish violence for its own sake; she treats it as a tool for shaping people, and the book is careful to show exactly how that shaping produced both Lionyra's and Tristah's reflexes for violence, which makes her death at Tristah's hands land as reclamation rather than simple revenge.
Siu and Gydeon Nassar, the Singer's First Mate and healer, anchor the crew's emotional core. Their courtship story, told twice, once as banter and once, devastatingly, as the truth of Siu's abuse under a previous crew and Gydeon's vengeance on her behalf, is one of the book's most effective uses of a "we thought we knew this couple" reveal. Wilkes, a former militar man turned quartermaster, and Klement, Kato, and Kory Drace, three siblings raised by each other after their mother's death, round out a crew that reads as a real found family rather than a roster of quirky sidekicks, which makes Kory's death partway through genuinely painful rather than a plot beat. Camden, the crew's youngest, gives the book its clearest lens on what this life costs even the survivors.
Themes
The book's clearest theme is that identity is something you build, not something you're handed: Lionyra, Alyona, Bastyan, Ryker, and Blackhand are treated as genuinely different people wearing the same body, and the story's real climax isn't a battle, it's Lionyra choosing which of those names to keep. Tied tightly to that is a theme about inherited cruelty and whether it can be redirected rather than simply repeated: Lucretzia's training methods live on in both Lionyra and Tristah's fighting instincts, and the book is honest that neither woman fully escapes that inheritance, only learns to aim it somewhere she's chosen. A third thread, less flashy but genuinely well-developed, is the economics of exploitation: Korsa's pirate debt system and the human trafficking dressed up as crew recruitment give the book's political stakes real texture, connecting Ryker's personal history directly to the systemic cruelty Tristah is trying to dismantle as the Incendiary. Found family versus blood runs under all of it, most explicitly in Tristah and Lionyra's chosen sisterhood, but it's the Drace siblings and the Singer's crew, not just the central pair, who carry that theme through the book's back half.
Writing Style and Effectiveness
Dugan's dual first-person structure, alternating Lionyra's chapters with Ryker's, is the book's strongest formal choice: it lets the central deception land twice, once as betrayal and once as regret, and it means the romance's slow thaw is never one-sided on the page. Ryker's chapters lean into a distinct, salt-cured vernacular ("'ay," "depths," "sweetheart") that's consistently voiced and genuinely differentiates his sections from Lionyra's more introspective, simile-heavy prose. That said, the baking metaphor that defines Lionyra's voice (kneading, folding, batter, dough standing in for nearly every emotional beat she has) is leaned on so constantly that it starts to blunt itself well before the halfway mark; a reader will know exactly what "I pressed my grief into the dough" means the fifth time and the fiftieth. The action sequences, particularly the ship's passage through the Spear Teeth and the multi-front siege on Shadewyle Castle, are genuinely well-choreographed, with clear stakes and legible geography even across a large cast. The book's real structural weakness is its middle third: the extended search through Bashir's gambling dens and safehouses, while thematically purposeful, repeats its own beats (another lead, another dead end, another day of waiting) enough times that momentum stalls before Tristah's reveal reignites it. The sheer number of named side characters who die in quick succession during the Bashir and Korsa sequences (Rhea, Wyst, Kory, Willy, Julas, Frixia, Cook, Henriet, and more) lands as a genuine gut-punch in aggregate, but a few of those deaths happen to characters the book hadn't yet given enough page time to earn the full weight it's asking for.
Conclusion
A Tale Told By Traitors is an ambitious, largely successful epic fantasy romance that trusts its readers with real political stakes, a genuinely earned non-romantic sisterhood at its emotional center, and a dual-POV structure that makes its central romance feel lived-in rather than performed. Its clearest strength is refusing easy answers about identity and inherited violence: Lionyra's path to poisoning a tyrant and Tristah's path to the throne both cost something real, and the book lets both women carry that cost rather than absolving them of it. Its clearest weaknesses are a metaphor that wears out its welcome and a middle section that repeats itself before the plot's second half finds its footing again. Set against other multi-POV epic fantasy romances built around found-family pirate crews and hidden royal identities, it distinguishes itself with a genuinely thoughtful class critique (Korsa's debt economy, the trafficking of orphans and debtors alike) that most books in this exact subgenre don't bother building in, and with an ending confident enough to let its heroine walk away from the throne entirely rather than claim it. It runs long, and it asks for patience through its baggiest stretch, but the payoff at Shadewyle Castle and in the quiet epilogue that follows genuinely earns the length.
Evaluation
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Writing Style: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): a well-executed dual-POV structure and genuinely strong action set pieces, undercut by an overused central metaphor and a baggy middle third
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Lionyra, Ryker, Tristah, and Killian are all genuinely well-drawn with real psychological throughlines; the Drace siblings and the Singer's crew read as a real found family rather than filler
World-Building: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Korsa's debt economy, the Everreach's civil-war stakes, and the Storycraft system give the political backdrop real texture, even where the sheer volume of named cities and factions asks a lot of the reader
Spice Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5): real romantic and physical tension throughout, but the book fades to black before anything explicit; a few passionate scenes, nothing graphic
Trigger warnings: child abuse and forced combat training, graphic torture (including a deliberate finger amputation and repeated whipping), kidnapping, forced/arranged marriage, child trafficking and slavery, execution and mass character death, and a staged public hanging.
Recommended for readers who want their found-family pirate crew fantasy paired with a real political backbone rather than pure escapism, anyone who likes a slow-burn romance told from both sides of the deception, and fans of hidden-royal-identity stories willing to sit with a long, patient middle in exchange for a genuinely earned ending. Less recommended for readers who want their epic fantasy tightly paced throughout; this one asks for real patience through its Bashir stretch before the plot's second half rewards it.
The search for Tristah pulls both of them through a pirate stronghold built on debt and cruelty, a city simmering with a rebellion led by a masked figure called the Incendiary, and eventually into open war with the Old Salts who profit from misery on every side of Amere-Del's civil unrest. Loyalties shift, disguises come apart, and by the time the trail leads back to the throne itself, the question isn't only whether Lionyra can save the people she's come to love. It's whether the woman she used to be, and the throne she was born into, will let her go.
Character Development
Lionyra/Alyona carries the book's whole emotional architecture, and the book earns that weight. Her governing mantra, repeated at every real turning point ("eyes wide open, take power where you can"), is Lucretzia's own training turned back against her, and that inversion is the character's real engine: everything Alyona was beaten into being, the composure, the calculation, the willingness to act, becomes the toolkit Lionyra uses to save the people Alyona never got to choose for herself. Her arc from soft-spoken baker to a woman willing to poison a tyrant and swallow the same poison as cover is not softened at the edges. She grieves every death her choices cause, including the ones she causes directly, and the book lets that grief sit rather than resolving it neatly.
Ryker Kassian, introduced as the deckhand Bastyan before the reveal that he's Captain Blackhand, gets the book's second full POV, and it's the right call. Seeing the same deception from inside his own head, a boy sold into slavery by his parents who built himself into a pirate captain out of sheer necessity rather than appetite, keeps him from reading as a stock morally-gray love interest. His real conflict isn't whether he loves Lionyra; it's whether he can stop treating people, including her, as debts to be managed rather than as people to be chosen. The moment he actually chooses her over the ransom is earned in stages, not delivered all at once, and his late realization that he's spent the whole book becoming someone his own crew respects more than they ever respected Blackhand is one of the book's most honest character beats.
Tristah Levanthya, Lionyra's childhood decoy, is the book's most interesting structural choice. For most of the novel she's presented, and believed by nearly everyone including her own spymaster, to be the real Delina, and the reveal that she was always the decoy recontextualizes every scene she's had. Her fury at Lionyra for endangering her cause reads as real and earned rather than a manufactured obstacle, and her eventual choice to become Amere-Del's actual ruler, with Lionyra's blessing and Lionyra's staged death clearing the way, gives the book's central sisterhood a genuinely bittersweet, non-romantic ending that most books in this genre wouldn't have the patience for.
Killian Brax ("Ember"), Tristah's spymaster and a Storycrafter whose magic went dark years before the story starts, is drawn with real specificity: a man defined by confinement-phobia and controlled fury who only lets himself feel in front of Tristah. His power's sudden return, tied directly to endings and the stories he tells himself to survive, is thematically tidy without feeling cheap, and his blunt, prickly rapport with Ryker (each openly needling the other while clearly respecting what the other's willing to do for the women they love) is some of the book's best comic relief.
Lucretzia Nore, the Pale Viper, is a genuinely frightening antagonist precisely because her cruelty is procedural rather than theatrical. She doesn't relish violence for its own sake; she treats it as a tool for shaping people, and the book is careful to show exactly how that shaping produced both Lionyra's and Tristah's reflexes for violence, which makes her death at Tristah's hands land as reclamation rather than simple revenge.
Siu and Gydeon Nassar, the Singer's First Mate and healer, anchor the crew's emotional core. Their courtship story, told twice, once as banter and once, devastatingly, as the truth of Siu's abuse under a previous crew and Gydeon's vengeance on her behalf, is one of the book's most effective uses of a "we thought we knew this couple" reveal. Wilkes, a former militar man turned quartermaster, and Klement, Kato, and Kory Drace, three siblings raised by each other after their mother's death, round out a crew that reads as a real found family rather than a roster of quirky sidekicks, which makes Kory's death partway through genuinely painful rather than a plot beat. Camden, the crew's youngest, gives the book its clearest lens on what this life costs even the survivors.
Themes
The book's clearest theme is that identity is something you build, not something you're handed: Lionyra, Alyona, Bastyan, Ryker, and Blackhand are treated as genuinely different people wearing the same body, and the story's real climax isn't a battle, it's Lionyra choosing which of those names to keep. Tied tightly to that is a theme about inherited cruelty and whether it can be redirected rather than simply repeated: Lucretzia's training methods live on in both Lionyra and Tristah's fighting instincts, and the book is honest that neither woman fully escapes that inheritance, only learns to aim it somewhere she's chosen. A third thread, less flashy but genuinely well-developed, is the economics of exploitation: Korsa's pirate debt system and the human trafficking dressed up as crew recruitment give the book's political stakes real texture, connecting Ryker's personal history directly to the systemic cruelty Tristah is trying to dismantle as the Incendiary. Found family versus blood runs under all of it, most explicitly in Tristah and Lionyra's chosen sisterhood, but it's the Drace siblings and the Singer's crew, not just the central pair, who carry that theme through the book's back half.
Writing Style and Effectiveness
Dugan's dual first-person structure, alternating Lionyra's chapters with Ryker's, is the book's strongest formal choice: it lets the central deception land twice, once as betrayal and once as regret, and it means the romance's slow thaw is never one-sided on the page. Ryker's chapters lean into a distinct, salt-cured vernacular ("'ay," "depths," "sweetheart") that's consistently voiced and genuinely differentiates his sections from Lionyra's more introspective, simile-heavy prose. That said, the baking metaphor that defines Lionyra's voice (kneading, folding, batter, dough standing in for nearly every emotional beat she has) is leaned on so constantly that it starts to blunt itself well before the halfway mark; a reader will know exactly what "I pressed my grief into the dough" means the fifth time and the fiftieth. The action sequences, particularly the ship's passage through the Spear Teeth and the multi-front siege on Shadewyle Castle, are genuinely well-choreographed, with clear stakes and legible geography even across a large cast. The book's real structural weakness is its middle third: the extended search through Bashir's gambling dens and safehouses, while thematically purposeful, repeats its own beats (another lead, another dead end, another day of waiting) enough times that momentum stalls before Tristah's reveal reignites it. The sheer number of named side characters who die in quick succession during the Bashir and Korsa sequences (Rhea, Wyst, Kory, Willy, Julas, Frixia, Cook, Henriet, and more) lands as a genuine gut-punch in aggregate, but a few of those deaths happen to characters the book hadn't yet given enough page time to earn the full weight it's asking for.
Conclusion
A Tale Told By Traitors is an ambitious, largely successful epic fantasy romance that trusts its readers with real political stakes, a genuinely earned non-romantic sisterhood at its emotional center, and a dual-POV structure that makes its central romance feel lived-in rather than performed. Its clearest strength is refusing easy answers about identity and inherited violence: Lionyra's path to poisoning a tyrant and Tristah's path to the throne both cost something real, and the book lets both women carry that cost rather than absolving them of it. Its clearest weaknesses are a metaphor that wears out its welcome and a middle section that repeats itself before the plot's second half finds its footing again. Set against other multi-POV epic fantasy romances built around found-family pirate crews and hidden royal identities, it distinguishes itself with a genuinely thoughtful class critique (Korsa's debt economy, the trafficking of orphans and debtors alike) that most books in this exact subgenre don't bother building in, and with an ending confident enough to let its heroine walk away from the throne entirely rather than claim it. It runs long, and it asks for patience through its baggiest stretch, but the payoff at Shadewyle Castle and in the quiet epilogue that follows genuinely earns the length.
Evaluation
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Writing Style: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): a well-executed dual-POV structure and genuinely strong action set pieces, undercut by an overused central metaphor and a baggy middle third
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Lionyra, Ryker, Tristah, and Killian are all genuinely well-drawn with real psychological throughlines; the Drace siblings and the Singer's crew read as a real found family rather than filler
World-Building: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Korsa's debt economy, the Everreach's civil-war stakes, and the Storycraft system give the political backdrop real texture, even where the sheer volume of named cities and factions asks a lot of the reader
Spice Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5): real romantic and physical tension throughout, but the book fades to black before anything explicit; a few passionate scenes, nothing graphic
Trigger warnings: child abuse and forced combat training, graphic torture (including a deliberate finger amputation and repeated whipping), kidnapping, forced/arranged marriage, child trafficking and slavery, execution and mass character death, and a staged public hanging.
Recommended for readers who want their found-family pirate crew fantasy paired with a real political backbone rather than pure escapism, anyone who likes a slow-burn romance told from both sides of the deception, and fans of hidden-royal-identity stories willing to sit with a long, patient middle in exchange for a genuinely earned ending. Less recommended for readers who want their epic fantasy tightly paced throughout; this one asks for real patience through its Bashir stretch before the plot's second half rewards it.
March 6, 2025
I'm very at odds with what to think about this book because I was offput by its pacing. I honestly think the book could've been split into three smaller books just to improve the flow of the rising action and it would've benefitted the reading experience. The first 30% of the book was fast and engaging, and the last 30% of the book was fast and engaging. The middle felt like it dragged, but I think being sandwiched between two interesting parts of the story didn't help. I don't think the middle 30% was uninteresting necessarily, but compared to the beginning of the story it felt dull. There are two specific points in the plot which effectively act as mini climaxes and mini resolutions. The rising action of the story had a repeated rise and fall that made it seem like the tension in the story started over. That is why I think the book could've been broken down into smaller ones.
I also despised Ryker's introduction. I felt like Bastyan was a red herring and detracted attention from Ryker. The entire time I was reading the first 30% of the book, I couldn't get into the Lio/Bastyan friendship because I was like, "Isn't it a different MMC mentioned in the blurb?" That all got resolved eventually and I see why things happened the way they did, but I didn't vibe with it.
Some things were left unexplained which undermined the importance of those plot events. For example, when Another less serious example of underexplanation is when Lio makes bread on the first ship. You mean to tell me that a girl who is on a random boat can sneak into the galley at night, use baking ingredients without permission, make MULTIPLE loaves of bread dough, THROWING TWO OUT IN THE PROCESS, and not get in trouble? You also mean to tell me that a BOAT that will SAIL FOR WEEKS ON END would just happen to have ALL the ingredients necessary to bake bread, including eggs, flour, and yeast, instead of living off cured meat and hard tack? What type of boat just HAS flour?? That just didn't make sense to me.
All that being said, I did like the characters and the character development. I especially liked Lio and Tristah's relationship. I feel like FMCs are often "the strong one", the badass girlboss who can always do anything and is always super talented at everything. It was refreshing to have Lio be the FMC, "the weak one" of the two women, because she felt more real. Her character development felt more substantial than many other FMC's these days. Ryker was also cool (eventually lol). He was kinda weird at first and I couldn't figure out his goals, but he grew on me.
I also thought the world building was immense and immersive, if a little confusing. Clearly, a lot of thought was put into this story's world and its people, politics, culture, and magic systems. It is a developed and thoroughly fleshed-out place.
I also despised Ryker's introduction. I felt like Bastyan was a red herring and detracted attention from Ryker. The entire time I was reading the first 30% of the book, I couldn't get into the Lio/Bastyan friendship because I was like, "Isn't it a different MMC mentioned in the blurb?" That all got resolved eventually and I see why things happened the way they did, but I didn't vibe with it.
Some things were left unexplained which undermined the importance of those plot events. For example, when Another less serious example of underexplanation is when Lio makes bread on the first ship. You mean to tell me that a girl who is on a random boat can sneak into the galley at night, use baking ingredients without permission, make MULTIPLE loaves of bread dough, THROWING TWO OUT IN THE PROCESS, and not get in trouble? You also mean to tell me that a BOAT that will SAIL FOR WEEKS ON END would just happen to have ALL the ingredients necessary to bake bread, including eggs, flour, and yeast, instead of living off cured meat and hard tack? What type of boat just HAS flour?? That just didn't make sense to me.
All that being said, I did like the characters and the character development. I especially liked Lio and Tristah's relationship. I feel like FMCs are often "the strong one", the badass girlboss who can always do anything and is always super talented at everything. It was refreshing to have Lio be the FMC, "the weak one" of the two women, because she felt more real. Her character development felt more substantial than many other FMC's these days. Ryker was also cool (eventually lol). He was kinda weird at first and I couldn't figure out his goals, but he grew on me.
I also thought the world building was immense and immersive, if a little confusing. Clearly, a lot of thought was put into this story's world and its people, politics, culture, and magic systems. It is a developed and thoroughly fleshed-out place.
September 8, 2024
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🏴☠️💥 **A Tale Told By Traitors** by Renee Dugan 💥🏴☠️
*Betrayal, revolution, and reluctant allies collide in this gripping fantasy adventure.*
🌟⚔️ **Review:** ⚔️🌟
Renee Dugan’s *A Tale Told By Traitors* is an action-packed, high-stakes fantasy filled with political intrigue, dangerous secrets, and reluctant partnerships. The story follows Lionyra Vara (Lio), a baker hiding a dangerous secret: she is the heir to the ruling regime of Amere-Del, a land she fled from to escape its horrors. Forced to return to her homeland to save her oldest friend, Lio’s journey is one of redemption, survival, and a battle against the forces that seek to control her.
Ryker Kassian, on the other hand, is a pirate with a sinking ship—both literally and metaphorically. Swimming in debt and facing the destruction of his crew, Ryker sees Lio as the key to his salvation, intending to ransom her off for a hefty sum. But when Lio offers a more dangerous and rewarding opportunity, Ryker can’t resist the temptation. What follows is an unpredictable partnership that takes them from pirate cities to revolution-torn lands, all while navigating the growing tension and undeniable attraction between them.
Dugan expertly weaves a tale of layered characters, tense political dynamics, and a simmering romance that never overshadows the high-stakes action. Lio’s struggle with her past and her role as the heir adds depth to her character, while Ryker’s desperation to save his crew provides a compelling contrast to his roguish charm. Their dynamic—two people forced to work together despite their mistrust and hidden agendas—keeps the tension high and the pages turning.
The world-building is rich, with vivid descriptions of pirate cities, sinister port towns, and the treacherous landscape of Amere-Del. As the revolution brews in the background, the stakes rise, forcing Lio and Ryker to confront their past betrayals and decide which side of the line they stand on. The book balances action, political intrigue, and romance with skill, making it a well-rounded and satisfying read.
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🌟 **Highlights:** 🌟
- **Reluctant Allies**: The dynamic between Lio and Ryker is filled with tension, secrets, and a slow-burn attraction that keeps the story engaging.
- **Action-Packed Adventure**: From pirate ships to revolutionary uprisings, the story is brimming with thrilling action and high-stakes drama.
- **Complex World-Building**: The setting of Amere-Del and its surrounding lands is richly detailed, with political factions, treacherous cities, and a brewing civil war.
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💌 **Favorite Quote:**
*"They must choose which side of the line they stand on—whether they remain enemies divided, or become allies in the fight to shape their own destinies."* - This perfectly captures the core of Lio and Ryker’s journey, both as individuals and reluctant partners.
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🌟 **Rating:** 🌟
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This book is perfect for readers who love pirate adventures, reluctant partnerships, and stories filled with political intrigue and revolution. *A Tale Told By Traitors* is an exciting, fast-paced fantasy that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment.
See more reviews at:
Casla Reads
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🏴☠️💥 **A Tale Told By Traitors** by Renee Dugan 💥🏴☠️
*Betrayal, revolution, and reluctant allies collide in this gripping fantasy adventure.*
🌟⚔️ **Review:** ⚔️🌟
Renee Dugan’s *A Tale Told By Traitors* is an action-packed, high-stakes fantasy filled with political intrigue, dangerous secrets, and reluctant partnerships. The story follows Lionyra Vara (Lio), a baker hiding a dangerous secret: she is the heir to the ruling regime of Amere-Del, a land she fled from to escape its horrors. Forced to return to her homeland to save her oldest friend, Lio’s journey is one of redemption, survival, and a battle against the forces that seek to control her.
Ryker Kassian, on the other hand, is a pirate with a sinking ship—both literally and metaphorically. Swimming in debt and facing the destruction of his crew, Ryker sees Lio as the key to his salvation, intending to ransom her off for a hefty sum. But when Lio offers a more dangerous and rewarding opportunity, Ryker can’t resist the temptation. What follows is an unpredictable partnership that takes them from pirate cities to revolution-torn lands, all while navigating the growing tension and undeniable attraction between them.
Dugan expertly weaves a tale of layered characters, tense political dynamics, and a simmering romance that never overshadows the high-stakes action. Lio’s struggle with her past and her role as the heir adds depth to her character, while Ryker’s desperation to save his crew provides a compelling contrast to his roguish charm. Their dynamic—two people forced to work together despite their mistrust and hidden agendas—keeps the tension high and the pages turning.
The world-building is rich, with vivid descriptions of pirate cities, sinister port towns, and the treacherous landscape of Amere-Del. As the revolution brews in the background, the stakes rise, forcing Lio and Ryker to confront their past betrayals and decide which side of the line they stand on. The book balances action, political intrigue, and romance with skill, making it a well-rounded and satisfying read.
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🌟 **Highlights:** 🌟
- **Reluctant Allies**: The dynamic between Lio and Ryker is filled with tension, secrets, and a slow-burn attraction that keeps the story engaging.
- **Action-Packed Adventure**: From pirate ships to revolutionary uprisings, the story is brimming with thrilling action and high-stakes drama.
- **Complex World-Building**: The setting of Amere-Del and its surrounding lands is richly detailed, with political factions, treacherous cities, and a brewing civil war.
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💌 **Favorite Quote:**
*"They must choose which side of the line they stand on—whether they remain enemies divided, or become allies in the fight to shape their own destinies."* - This perfectly captures the core of Lio and Ryker’s journey, both as individuals and reluctant partners.
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🌟 **Rating:** 🌟
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This book is perfect for readers who love pirate adventures, reluctant partnerships, and stories filled with political intrigue and revolution. *A Tale Told By Traitors* is an exciting, fast-paced fantasy that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment.
See more reviews at:
Casla Reads
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November 8, 2024
Lionyra Vara is a humble immigrant baker living in Mithra-Sha, but she is not who she seems. She is the sole inheritor of the ruling regime in the neighbouring country of Amere-Del. She’s been captured and is being forced against her will to return to the land of her worst fears and nightmares. The life of her oldest friend hangs in the balance and their only hope for freedom is to outwit the people who seek to enslave them. Ryker Kassian is a legendary pirate who owes an insurmountable debt and sees the runaway Delina as his chance for ransom to obtain a lofty sum. By helping Lionyra hunt down her missing friend, Ryker seizes this opportunity as his only chance to fix everything he’s broken and protect his crew from death. With a ruthless regime seeking both of their heads, Lionyra and Ryker must choose where they stand as they shape their destinies.
I was surprised when I first began reading this novel that it was 1) not following the same characters as book one and 2) that it was not picking up where book one ended. Once I got over this initial surprise, I was fully invested in what lay before me. It’s an utterly fantastic story.
The writing style in A TALE TOLD BY TRAITORS is beautiful with a descriptive, intricate, and flowing prose. Dugan spins a story that you can’t help but gobble up. I adored that the overarching message, in my opinion, was about taking your own power back.
The characters within this story, both ones we knew from book one and the new ones we encounter here, are well written, filled with depth and unique voices. There are some characters that are less likable than others, but I think that’s the point. I adored the characters Lionyra meets over the course of this story and the relationships she develops with them. The theme of found family is strong here and I couldn’t have been happier for it. I loved Lionyra in A Story Spun in Scarlet (book one), so I adored getting to know her better within her own story. This story is told primarily in Lionyra’s POV but does have a few chapters in Ryker’s which was a nice balance.
The romance is a light touch but so endearing and swoon-worthy with more of an emotional connection than physical.
The plot is a series of adventures that kept me guessing from one moment to the next. It’s evenly paced with a steady level of tension. I adored the ending and will be keeping an eye out for whatever this author will write next!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the author, Renee Dugan, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
I was surprised when I first began reading this novel that it was 1) not following the same characters as book one and 2) that it was not picking up where book one ended. Once I got over this initial surprise, I was fully invested in what lay before me. It’s an utterly fantastic story.
The writing style in A TALE TOLD BY TRAITORS is beautiful with a descriptive, intricate, and flowing prose. Dugan spins a story that you can’t help but gobble up. I adored that the overarching message, in my opinion, was about taking your own power back.
The characters within this story, both ones we knew from book one and the new ones we encounter here, are well written, filled with depth and unique voices. There are some characters that are less likable than others, but I think that’s the point. I adored the characters Lionyra meets over the course of this story and the relationships she develops with them. The theme of found family is strong here and I couldn’t have been happier for it. I loved Lionyra in A Story Spun in Scarlet (book one), so I adored getting to know her better within her own story. This story is told primarily in Lionyra’s POV but does have a few chapters in Ryker’s which was a nice balance.
The romance is a light touch but so endearing and swoon-worthy with more of an emotional connection than physical.
The plot is a series of adventures that kept me guessing from one moment to the next. It’s evenly paced with a steady level of tension. I adored the ending and will be keeping an eye out for whatever this author will write next!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the author, Renee Dugan, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
October 3, 2024
Thank you NetGalley, Wave Walker Press and Renee Dugan for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.
I really did enjoy this book. There are a few things that kept it from being a 5/5 for me, but honestly, they are nitpicky and don’t change how much I enjoyed the book. I didn’t read the first book, so some of the things that bothered me may have been addressed in the first.
The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once it got going, it didn’t stop from there. Mostly, I think the slowness wasn’t a pacing issue but the beginning being very descriptive and wordy. I don’t think this was necessarily a bad thing, it just took a bit for me to get going with the story.
Lio as a character was very intriguing to me. She sometimes would do things that would make me scratch my head, but as I got to know her better, it made sense as there is a character that serves as a foil to her. She definitely has a large amount of growth in some ways, but honestly, to me she just seems like a good person. The life she ran away from was horrifying in its abuse, and you get to see some of that in the present day. Her foil in the book also experienced this same abuse, and I loved seeing how they reacted differently to essentially what was the same life experience.
I absolutely loved Ryker. I loved the few chapters we got from his point of view. He is doing what he thinks is best for his crew/family and is a pirate with a conscience. His family of pirates were also wonderful, and flawed. They felt like real people, living in a real, broken world. Their found family experience was as wonderful as it was heartbreaking.
The magic in this world isn’t really explained well, but this may be an issue for me since I haven’t had a chance to read book 1 yet. It also plays a very small role in the book as a whole. Since the magic wasn’t a big part of the story, I didn’t mind that it was only briefly mentioned or seen.
There is a lot of abuse seen by a large number of characters. But you get to see how they navigate it, how they use their found family for support and how they get their power back. The romance that is present does not overshadow the story, and IMO, well done.
While I enjoyed the plot, I loved the characters. There were a large number of them, but they felt individual and I cared, and worried, about what was going to happen to them next. Have fun reading!
I really did enjoy this book. There are a few things that kept it from being a 5/5 for me, but honestly, they are nitpicky and don’t change how much I enjoyed the book. I didn’t read the first book, so some of the things that bothered me may have been addressed in the first.
The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once it got going, it didn’t stop from there. Mostly, I think the slowness wasn’t a pacing issue but the beginning being very descriptive and wordy. I don’t think this was necessarily a bad thing, it just took a bit for me to get going with the story.
Lio as a character was very intriguing to me. She sometimes would do things that would make me scratch my head, but as I got to know her better, it made sense as there is a character that serves as a foil to her. She definitely has a large amount of growth in some ways, but honestly, to me she just seems like a good person. The life she ran away from was horrifying in its abuse, and you get to see some of that in the present day. Her foil in the book also experienced this same abuse, and I loved seeing how they reacted differently to essentially what was the same life experience.
I absolutely loved Ryker. I loved the few chapters we got from his point of view. He is doing what he thinks is best for his crew/family and is a pirate with a conscience. His family of pirates were also wonderful, and flawed. They felt like real people, living in a real, broken world. Their found family experience was as wonderful as it was heartbreaking.
The magic in this world isn’t really explained well, but this may be an issue for me since I haven’t had a chance to read book 1 yet. It also plays a very small role in the book as a whole. Since the magic wasn’t a big part of the story, I didn’t mind that it was only briefly mentioned or seen.
There is a lot of abuse seen by a large number of characters. But you get to see how they navigate it, how they use their found family for support and how they get their power back. The romance that is present does not overshadow the story, and IMO, well done.
While I enjoyed the plot, I loved the characters. There were a large number of them, but they felt individual and I cared, and worried, about what was going to happen to them next. Have fun reading!
September 23, 2024
Have you ever finshed a book and felt sad that it was over?
Yep. I definitely need time after this one.
It. Was. Epic.
A Tale Told by Traitors follows on from the first book, yet the the story reads, and could be, a standalone in its own right.
There's plenty of nods to the first book, and I was absolutely delighted that we saw more of characters that we meet on the first adventure. New readers could pick this up quite easily.
The story follows Lionyra Vara, a Baker who is not all that she seems and is hiding a past that catches up with her.
Taken against her will, she ends up on a ship, bound to face her worst nightmares. She also, somehow, needs to find someone who shares her past and previous escape before her captor finds them.
Things take a turn when Lionyra falls into the clutches of a pirate captain and his crew.
Lio suddenly becomes a ransom to pay the pirates debt and to save them from slaughter.
But as they make the journey together and relationships grow, it wont be that easy.
New plans are made and paths forged through dangerous pirate territories, navigating through cities and towns were revolution threatens. Danger creeps in like the tide and choices need to be made in order to shape a destiny for not only Lio and the crew, but the country they call home.
Honestly, I'm absolutely in love with The Tales of Wonder amd Woe series generally.
It's beautifully written, layered, wonderfully detailed and the characters grow.
There were plenty of on-the-edge-of -your -seat moments; I've gasped out loud, got teary eyed, (the author managed to break my heart on several occasions, and if a reader can care that much about the characters than that is just great writing) laughed and generally just felt so immersed in this world that I can't wait to go back.
It was like watching many threads come together and pieces fall into place. With a happy number of plot twists to add ti the entertainment.
It's fantasy like this that reminds me why I love to read.
My only regret is that I put pressure on myself to read quicker as this was an arc. I would love to read it for the 1st time again. ♡
Don't read if you want a short fantasy. You will need to buckle up, get feet first into this adventure and let it sweep you away.
I miss the characters already...
Yep. I definitely need time after this one.
It. Was. Epic.
A Tale Told by Traitors follows on from the first book, yet the the story reads, and could be, a standalone in its own right.
There's plenty of nods to the first book, and I was absolutely delighted that we saw more of characters that we meet on the first adventure. New readers could pick this up quite easily.
The story follows Lionyra Vara, a Baker who is not all that she seems and is hiding a past that catches up with her.
Taken against her will, she ends up on a ship, bound to face her worst nightmares. She also, somehow, needs to find someone who shares her past and previous escape before her captor finds them.
Things take a turn when Lionyra falls into the clutches of a pirate captain and his crew.
Lio suddenly becomes a ransom to pay the pirates debt and to save them from slaughter.
But as they make the journey together and relationships grow, it wont be that easy.
New plans are made and paths forged through dangerous pirate territories, navigating through cities and towns were revolution threatens. Danger creeps in like the tide and choices need to be made in order to shape a destiny for not only Lio and the crew, but the country they call home.
Honestly, I'm absolutely in love with The Tales of Wonder amd Woe series generally.
It's beautifully written, layered, wonderfully detailed and the characters grow.
There were plenty of on-the-edge-of -your -seat moments; I've gasped out loud, got teary eyed, (the author managed to break my heart on several occasions, and if a reader can care that much about the characters than that is just great writing) laughed and generally just felt so immersed in this world that I can't wait to go back.
It was like watching many threads come together and pieces fall into place. With a happy number of plot twists to add ti the entertainment.
It's fantasy like this that reminds me why I love to read.
My only regret is that I put pressure on myself to read quicker as this was an arc. I would love to read it for the 1st time again. ♡
Don't read if you want a short fantasy. You will need to buckle up, get feet first into this adventure and let it sweep you away.
I miss the characters already...
September 27, 2024
This review will not go into the specific details of the story and will focus on the overall pacing, World building and characters so people considering buying can have an accurate idea.
(3.5 rounded up)
Pirates, rebellion and a love they'd die for.
This story is the second in the a series of standalones that I have only read this of. This meant that I judged it as a standalone which in many ways I enjoyed but I also found it falling flat.
The MCs are very intresting. Our FMC has a love of baking which is literally thrown into EVERYTHING. Every description is related to food/ baking that slowly became to feel unnecessary and made scenes of action/ tension seem silly.
The MMC was intresting and I enjoyed his POV however it was jarring every time it was introduced because he had approximately 10 of the 80 or so chapters. He had a unique voice and perspective but it added details that weren't generally necessary for the overall plot.
The world has a good premise, rife with tension over a regime that the characters can use to support their goals. The North/South divide was intresting and the magic sounded interesting but other than the name it was very unclear what Storytellers did. From my understanding of this is more the focus of the first book.
The book opens with a large info dump that was a lot to begin with and weighed down the action sequence. The writing is very flowery, throwing a lot of information at you with less action that my eyes then skim the page for. The short chapters make the story paced paced, hooky final lines making you intrested to find what next.
My biggest issue was the nicknames/ alternate names that every single member of this enormous cast of characters had. We met people in the first section we never saw again and yet learnt their names like they were incredibly important as well as the nickname that was generally unrelated to their actual name and hard to keep track of.
The story takes place over the course of months and includes a lot of travelling that gives some context to the world that is explained little past the map. I felt the story would have benefitted from making the setting smaller so the large gaps of time that we skip when travelling etc didn't happen and we could see more of the budding relationships.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
(3.5 rounded up)
Pirates, rebellion and a love they'd die for.
This story is the second in the a series of standalones that I have only read this of. This meant that I judged it as a standalone which in many ways I enjoyed but I also found it falling flat.
The MCs are very intresting. Our FMC has a love of baking which is literally thrown into EVERYTHING. Every description is related to food/ baking that slowly became to feel unnecessary and made scenes of action/ tension seem silly.
The MMC was intresting and I enjoyed his POV however it was jarring every time it was introduced because he had approximately 10 of the 80 or so chapters. He had a unique voice and perspective but it added details that weren't generally necessary for the overall plot.
The world has a good premise, rife with tension over a regime that the characters can use to support their goals. The North/South divide was intresting and the magic sounded interesting but other than the name it was very unclear what Storytellers did. From my understanding of this is more the focus of the first book.
The book opens with a large info dump that was a lot to begin with and weighed down the action sequence. The writing is very flowery, throwing a lot of information at you with less action that my eyes then skim the page for. The short chapters make the story paced paced, hooky final lines making you intrested to find what next.
My biggest issue was the nicknames/ alternate names that every single member of this enormous cast of characters had. We met people in the first section we never saw again and yet learnt their names like they were incredibly important as well as the nickname that was generally unrelated to their actual name and hard to keep track of.
The story takes place over the course of months and includes a lot of travelling that gives some context to the world that is explained little past the map. I felt the story would have benefitted from making the setting smaller so the large gaps of time that we skip when travelling etc didn't happen and we could see more of the budding relationships.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
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