Call Me Traitor

by Everina Maxwell

A thrilling and romantic fantasy adventure from Everina Maxwell, bestselling author of Winter’s Orbit.

En is a weapon.
Battle spells are carved into her skin, she’s trained to work through pain, and she’s magically compelled with loyalty to the archmage. When she's sent on a mission to retrieve a group of infamous traitors from exile in a land of unpredictable and deadly magic, she's forced to team up with a common soldier to have any chance of success, or survival.

Tamol is a disaster.
En isn’t fooled by the soldier’s silver tongue and good looks. Tamol is flighty, cowardly and the worst soldier En has ever met. But she’s also brilliant at magic and kinder than En has any right to expect. When she saves En’s life, it takes everything En has not to start falling for her. That is, until En discovers Tamol is one of the very traitors she seeks.

The empire never forgets.
Years ago, the exiled traitors were just normal students with a vision for a better kingdom. They put their lives on the line fighting for it and lost. So they were exiled to the Far Peninsula to die. But now, the empire discovers the traitors may yet live, and they’ve unearthed something in the wilderness that the archmage will pay any price to get.

But the might of an unforgiving empire isn’t the greatest force in all the land. Something monstrous is living in the Far Peninsula that does not discriminate between soldiers, traitors, and kings.

The future of the empire is unexpectedly in the hands of En and Tamol. At least the perfect soldier would never betray her orders, no matter how much she starts to question her command. Would she?

Call Me Traitor is an enthralling sapphic adventure from academia into exile and beyond.

Everina Maxwell's books have been recommended by NPR, BookRiot, Paste Magazine, and featured in The New York Times "Romantasy: A Starter Pack"!

Expect:
Opposites attract
Assassin falls in love with target
Forbidden love
Found family gone wrong
Slowburn
Dark academia

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Adult, Fiction

480 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication December 1, 2026

Reviews

[C.L. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD THE COVER IS OUT THE TITLE IS OUT!!! I read this book last year (2025, whatever time is) and it was SO GOOD. Split timelines, brainwashed lesbian soldiers and the women who ruin their lives…sweet, sweet betrayal!

Maxwell wrote this book just for me, I swear it.

[tappkalina]

Y'all have no idea how desperate I was for a new Everina Maxwell book.

[Aila Krisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

no i actually hate reading ARCs because I need to talk to someone about how much I loved this book but most people won’t get to read it til december

I went into this with high expectations and it delivered. I cried. I loved this so much. The blurb sounded incredible, so I knew I had to read it and requested the ARC on a whim, I could not believe my luck when I saw I actually got approved for it!

Call Me Traitor is about En and Tamol. En is a war tank, a magically modified super soldier, with runes carved all over her skin, whose only purpose in life is to follow her superior’s commands. She is sent to a remote, desolate peninsula to assist two inept junior mages in apprehending a group of exiled traitors, but soon finds everything going awry when she runs into Tamol. Tamol is one of the traitors En was sent to find, exiled to this hostile landscape at the edge of the world for something she and her friends did years ago, back when they were still students. En and Tamol’s paths never should have crossed, yet they did. Chaos ensues.

This was just a wonderful read all around. I loved how gorgeously atmospheric the setting was and I especially loved the characters in all their chaotic glory. The narrative is definitely more towards the character-driven side, which might not be for everyone, but is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. The characters and their relationships are just so well done and expertly deliver some devastating emotional gut punches throughout the story. The world-building wasn’t the most extensive or detailed, and some questions do go unanswered by the end, but I personally didn’t mind that, because it felt very organic and worked perfectly with the story.

I’m so happy I got to read this early and I already know I’m gonna reread this when my physical copy arrives in December cause my god this was delicious and I want to spend more time with these chaotic queer dumbasses.
----
Many thanks to Tor for the ARC!

[annes_mesmerizing_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Review to come.

[Mari]

I did not know how much I needed Everina Maxwell to write a wlw fantasy book, I feel like life is worth living until October.

[Jenn]

DNF. I've read this author before and liked them, but this one just didn't grab me. Maybe just the wrong time for me. I may revisit in the future.

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have nothing to say except long live lesbians and god bless america. thank you and goodnight.

[Alex Jiménez]

EVERINA MAXWELL YOU WILL ALWAYS BE EXTREMELY FAMOUS TO ME

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very lucky to get my hands on the long-awaited new Everina Maxwell and I liked it a LOT. The absolute monarch of sweet queer pining, slow burn, and complex politics has retained their title. I can’t wait for the rest of you to read this!

[Beanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just how exactly am I meant to focus on literally anything knowing this is forthcoming later this year???


Preorder from!:
- libro.fm
- Bookshop.org
- Kindle

#afiliate links

[Sophie]

this cover is soooooo legend of zelda coded give it to me https://torpublishinggroup.com/call-m...

[Jen]

Officially my most anticipated release!! Will be pre-ordering from my local gay bookstore!!

[Hélène · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5*
I see my favorite author recommend a book. I read the book. I love the book.
WHAT A DELIGHT!!!
(A big thank you to Netgalley and Tor publishing for an e-ARC copy in exchange of an honest review)

I went into this feeling a little bit of trepidation, because I didn't want to put /too many/ expectations on this, but I also really wanted to love it... and love it I did!

First thing first, don't read the summary before you get into this. Or maybe only the first couple of paragraphs, otherwise you'll get spoiled most of the plot. As this isn't a very plot-heavy book - and Everina Maxwell did an amazing job without it being one - it didn't bother me that much, but it might bother you! This story delves into the relationship between Tamol (aka the traitor) and En (a magical supersoldier whose memory regularly gets wiped), as they circle some magical secrets, and that's honestly all you need to know!
I especially adored the dual timelines. The sprinkling of information from the past reports was just enough to keep me intrigued, and one of the driving forces behind the whole story <3

The worldbuilding is perfectly in line with this type of character-driven story: we do get the general informations about factions, but the overall geopolitical climate is more handwaved (why do they even have regiments? Who is the nation fighting?) since it isn't needed to understand the stakes, though I felt it lacked a little bit of atmosphere/culture for me to be 100% immersed in the atmosphere sometimes. However, as soon as we get into the latter half of the story, I was all in! The lost peninsula and its dangers makes for a great background, and I really enjoyed how the author progressively weaved the environment into everything else ~
The magic system is also really fun. Scientifically based, but light enough to be easily understood most of the time, and with very real consequences when something goes wrong. All the info around war-tanks made me both extremely satisfied AND so freaking mad!!!

I ADORED our main characters <3
Tamol is EXQUISITE. A flighty coward with immense power but no sense of control, always trying to deflect things away so as not to get hurt (but also trying to protect her friends so damn much, which, of course, means she DOES get hurt). Her voice during the flashbacks made me buzz in excitment!!! ALSO!!! Adored that she's an unreliable narrator. Man, that's one of my favorite tropes.
I also loved En. I mean, I'm a Winter Soldier superfan, how can I NOT fall in love with someone who's been broken into the perfect weapon? Her being brainwashed DID make her a little bit more distant, however, and I feel like this weighed heavily on the romance, at least in the first half. I rooted for them so damn much in the end, but this didn't quite sweep me off my feet, at least not as much as I wanted it to ><
But they're still absolute disaster lesbians trying to scrape by and survive against a world (and an army) that wants them dead and/or obedient, so of course I couldn't help but love them with all my heart no matter what!

The other traitors are a bit more simplistic in their motivations and personalities, but I feel like the flashbacks established them well enough that, when we finally meet them in the current timeline, every single one of their dynamics made sense. I loooove terrible magical students that are too confident in their abilities/too ingrained in their own ambitions/too blinded by their objectives and research to actually take the reasonable route, potentially destroying themselves in the process.
There were, however, a couple of unresolved plot lines here and there. I feel like Miarin not ever being actually present detracted from the aura the text tried to give her, and not having closure on Lin was a bit frustrating, but now it just makes me hope that we might get a sequel, so I guess it isn't all bad ;)

Prose was EXQUISITE. There are some really hard hitting lines about identity in there, as well as some beautiful descriptions of both magic and the environment around our characters. The narration choices Everina Maxwell made are very clever, and seeing En revert back to very matter of fact sentences after being "aligned" absolutely shattered me.

So, if a couple of things here and there prevented this book from being an absolute favorite, I still had an ABSOLUTE BLAST with this romantic fantasy full of disaster queers and the consequences of their actions. If you're yearning for some women in men's fields (aka making terrible and egotistical decisions) then PLEASE check out these sapphics ~

[AmEricaNo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you’re three pages in, and you already know a book is going to rearrange something in you? What about when a book scratches exactly the itch that you have for storytelling? Over the last few weeks, my girlfriend and I have been talking about what it means to have different tastes. We were both drawn to Call Me Traitor’s premise, but for different reasons. I love stories about people who have had the humanity beaten out of them, while she loves a great fantasy premise with character intrigue.

So why do tastes matter? Because what you’re going to get out of a book is sort of sometimes determined by the expectations (implicit or otherwise) you’re coming in with. I knew that I was going to be into the relationship between Tamol and En, and Call Me Traitor overdelivered on that premise in ways that—frankly—I wasn’t even expecting. For my brain and its…unique tastes, Call Me Traitor has one of those moments when you’re reading a book and come to the slow realization that the author knows exactly where you would want a story to go.

But then I wanted so much more of that thing. I wanted more time to explore it slowly and faithfully, to give it the time it deserves for us (and the characters) to ruminate in these new revelations. But because it’s situated at the 50% mark, we have no time to explore what the characters mean to each other after the revelation. The story is paced in such a way where now is the time it also needs to address several external conflicts that are cascading down on the characters at the same time.

I don’t think Call Me Traitor is a perfect book. I think the last third of the novel struggles with the brilliant pacing and character development that was present in the first half of the story. If my experience with Call Me Traitor was a graph, it would be quickly ascending from zero and then spiking to a ten at about halfway through the novel, before lowering slightly and plateauing at an eight or nine. An eight or nine is still really good and probably one of my favorite reads of 2026, but it’s not the euphoric experience I was having at that halfway point.

But to be honest, I don’t really care. I almost instantly began missing this world with its compelling magic system that reminds me of the bending from the Avatar: The Last Airbender series but darker and more political, and its characters that are complex and nuanced but also so charismatic in the way that they move and speak and understand the world around them. I knew as soon as the post-book depression hit that I would do anything to read more of Everina Maxwell’s work and that I was very, very sad that it was over.

I don’t know if it’s the same for other people, but any story that gives me post-book depression is a masterpiece in my book. Call Me Traitor is joining the ranks of Harrow the Ninth, A Memory Called Empire, and Some Desperate Glory, to name just a few—books that I’m not ready to move on from just yet and might not be for a while. Even if they don’t fully stick the landing on this one, I think Everina Maxwell really cooked up something unique and special (and epic) for their first sapphic novel. I look forward to reading more of their work.

[Budgielifestyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.5 to 4, rounded to a four.

I'll come back with a full review, thank you Everina Maxwell for responding to my "the worst she can say is no" dm for an Arc copy of this book.

--- full review ---

Thank you Everina Maxwell and Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book - i actually screamed when I saw I got it. To begin, typically my reviews are completely spoilered because I just have to rant. I will not be doing that today in the interest of not spoiling.

Call Me Traitor follows the war-tank En, a magically transformed human who can kick magical ass, is forced to obey orders, and also has her memories wiped after every campaign. Winter Soldier just about sums it up. Her story begins on a new campaign, memory wiped with new commanders on a mission to capture or kill the rogue traitors.

Instead, they find Tamol. An exile in the mountains who offers them food that captures En enough for her to “misalign.” Oh wait, she’s actually one of the traitors. Oh shit.

That’s the jist - that’s basically the jist. I am not good at compelling summaries, but I did enjoy this book.

I have been ITCHING for a queer, specifically WLW book, that didn’t feel cliche. I really loved the premise of the book, and when you dive into the pages, you’ll find there is an interesting time jump narration element that made me even more excited. I was heavily invested by the last third of the book and actually finished it in less than two days because I simply needed to know what happened. I really can’t talk about the actual plot line much, but it’s very very interesting. The fantasy element reminds me very heavily of The Owl House. Additionally, the fantastical events in the second half were SO GOD DAMN GOOD I would eat it up every day.

Truthfully speaking, however, this book did fall a little bit short for me because the middle … third of the book felt a little slow and a tiny bit forced. I didn’t grasp why things were happening, and because of the interesting style of narration, I wasn’t fully grasping the romance. Additionally, this book develops many plots, and while they worked throughout the novel, I didn’t fully understand the importance of elements before the book (ex. Elani, gauze, ghosts, memory wiping). I need to reiterate the romance felt lacking in the first half. I really REALLY was not invested. Also, I guessed the “twist” genuinely at the first foreshadow - removed almost all of the supposed suspense of that plot thread.

As Ocean’s Echo #1 fan, I was REALLY trying to adore this book, but I think I only enjoy it. It is 100% worth your while for a queer fantasy with limited romance, and I did find the book much more interesting the the second half. Overall, I do plan to buy a physical copy asap, but the book itself remains at a 3.5-4 star rating.

Now, I’ve been screaming for an Ocean’s Echo sequel since I first read it. This time, I would beg and scream and cry for a prequel of this book. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this, it would be GOOD.

Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU Everina Maxwell for responding to my fangirl dms asking for an ARC.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover for this immediately caught my eye, and I’m glad it did because this is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time.

The book is primarily from the point of view of En, a war-tank (a sort of super soldier with magic) who is on a mission to retrieve a group of traitors. Early on, En and her two commanders come across Tamol, one of the traitors that is pretending to be a soldier, who En ends up having to work with. The other chapters are the transcript of Tamol’s interrogation and explain what happened in the past when Tamol and the other traitors were in college.

En and Tamol are both great characters. They’re both a bit of mystery; Tamol because you never know whether or not she’s telling the truth and En because her memories are mostly wiped between missions. Despite this, her personality always came through in her thoughts, if not her words. Tamol was the opposite, always showing her personality through her sarcasm and banter and jokes, which gave them a fun dynamic.

I only really had one major complaint about the book, which was the use of a word that may have a legitimate meaning, but it is also a racial slur against Chinese people. I am definitely not in that group of people, but it still made me cringe every time I read it. It obviously wasn’t used in that way, but it still made me uncomfortable, especially because it appears eight different times in the book, and I just felt like a word with less baggage could have been used in its place.

My only other issues were that I just never really understood Elani’s hold on the group, and I wish the transcripts had explained this a little better. The other was that I had to read the word “heather” (the plant, not the name) so many times, but that was a small annoyance.

Those are mostly minor issues. Overall, I loved the book, and the best thing about it was En and Tamol’s growing friendship/relationship. War-tanks aren’t exactly supposed to have friends or even feelings, but En is drawn to Tamol and this (among other things) makes her feel broken as a war-tank. These complicated feelings are what makes En such an interesting character, though. Call Me Traitor is also very much a slow burn, which I always prefer in books. I like the anticipation and getting to know the characters as they get to know each other over time rather than just rushing into everything. I also appreciated the fact that it was a fantasy book with romance weaved into it rather than a romance story with bits of fantasy.

I really can’t recommend this book enough, especially if you like fantasy novels at all. I don’t buy a lot of physical books anymore, but I’m definitely planning on buying this one once it’s released so I can put it on my bookshelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Holly Taggart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited about this book coming out that I requested a digital ARC from netgally and Tor. I did not wait to see if an audiobook was coming, I just could not wait. It did take me... a hot minute to read it with my eyeballs, but I really really enjoyed the pleasure of sinking down into my couch, and opening this one up- instead of consuming this while traversing the highways and by ways.


Maxwell did not disappoint! This book, for me is the whole package. It's Romantasy, but it's romantasy that really is a true fantasy. In other words, this is not a romance with a few castles and dragons added in. It really is a solid fantasy, and a solid romance, either could stand without the other. This book will reward fantasy readers with delicious, detailed unique world building, a plot with a bit of a mystery that slowly unravels and reveals itself, and complex characters that are really easy to fall in love with! For romance readers, the world building may seem overly detailed, but the yearning between our two love interests in this slow burn will more than make up for any confusion over the world building. And, it's sapphic.

Now, with out any spoilers- because of course, spoilers are the worst - here's a synopsis.

En is a super soldier imbued with magic and programmed to obey orders no matter the cost. She's sent to support a team that is extracting traitors from a wild, rough area known as the upper peninsula. Things, of course, do not go as planned! She encounters Tamol, who is also a soldier - who's got magic more of less in her soul. Tamol, in direct opposition to En is not programmed for anything, and seems to be the human embodiment of chaos. As events continue to push this unlikely pair together, they discover that together they have greater power. Can En and Tamol stand against all odds? You'll want to read to find out.

Some readers may note that many of Maxwell's books do contain a steady solemn partner and one who's a bit flighty. Despite this similar set up- the story is wholly original and the characters are wildly different than her previous two books- Ocean's Echo and Winter's Orbit. The strength lies in the deep character development that Maxwell creates. She doesn't info dump a tragic story over her character, instead her characters show through actions, and little moments how their life has created each flaw or strength possessed. I felt like I'd recognize not just En and Tamol but a few of the supporting characters as well- if I saw them in line at my local coffee shop.

On top of being a grand adventure, and romantic story, I did take some inspiration that even when one feels weak or damaged, it's still possible to make good choices and uphold what feels right. I think we need more of this in our world. So Cheers to Call Me Traitor being out in the world soon!

[Soro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book almost solely for its beautiful cover (done by Eliot Baum, who's art I am a big fan of!). However, even after being intrigued by the premise, I was afraid I would dislike this story on account of it being a romantasy. I always find that in fantasy stories where romance is the central plot that the world building and actual fantasy elements can fall flat. This book absolutely exceeded my expectations, as it establishes great characters, magic, and then delivers an amazing sapphic romance story on top of all of it.

En, a human weapon, awakens in a land full of dangerous magic with no recent memories. She is informed by young and inexperienced commanders that they are to kill and capture a small group of exiles who have long outlived what they were supposed to. But En's simple task of following orders and casting her deadly magic is muddled when her commanders go out of commission, and she must live with a soldier named Private Tamol, who is secretly one of the traitors she must kill. More truths come to light as the reason behind the group's exile begins to be revealed, and En struggles to remain oblivious to her hidden memories and emotions. When the connection between Tamol and En continues to grow stronger, En must choose who to betray: her magi commanders or a traitor that she has grown to love.

There were a lot of tropes mentioned on the book that I worried wouldn't be done right, such as dark academia, slow burn, and forbidden love, but I personally feel like they were all well incorporated into the story, creating something really unique. I loved all the characters, and I enjoyed how they were all struggling differently with the situations they found themselves in. The dual timeline and point of views were a good idea that was fun to read, but it could get a little confusing at times. I think that both parts of the story were really great, just too different to where I struggled to connect them until the very end. I believe that this story would have made a good duology, with the politics and academia being central to the first book and En's struggle with the traitors in the second.

The magic system was cool and entertaining but not complicated enough to confuse readers. I do think I would like the system more if the book was a little clearer on how it worked, just so there would be more weight to all the experimentation with magic that happens later on. The twist was also super good, I was sure I had it figured out for most of the story only to be very wrong, and I hope other readers will be as surprised as I was. Overall, this was a great book that I can't wait to recommend to fellow fantasy fans, especially those who loved Priory of the Orange Tree that might like something less lore heavy. My only real critque is that there might have been too much good material for just one book!

[Steph.etleslivres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for the e-arc of this book.

In Call Me Traitor we follow a war-tank, an enhanced human form with runes all over their body who’s meant to obey magus on campaigns, called En. War-tanks are designed to be efficient with their magic, which makes them great killing machines. Their memory is whipped out after each campaign so they can focus on the present without emotional attachment.

En is dropped off on a deserted island and finds two magus. Their mission consists of capturing one and killing the other traitors before the 10th regiment arrives. On their trip they encounter Tamol, a last regiment deserter. En finds herself unwillingly stuck with Tamol and together they will find themselves uncovering the Sentry’s (huge mountain of the Island) secret.

I’m hesitating between this was good and this was bad. There are so many things I liked about this book, but also so many that left me unsatisfied.

It’s cute, funny and imaginative. I’d say what I liked the most was definitely the storyline and the imagination. Another strong point is the character’s chemistry and distinct personalities. It’s always interesting to follow a group of fellow students. Elani adoration by the other students made so much sense. Also, how not to fall for the complete disaster who’s Tamol couple with the dutiful En. Has for the psychological evolution of En, I thought it was really well done and considered.

On the downside, this book is very slow and contains not much action up to 40%. The descriptions of the land and the mountain should be majestic but are hard to follow most of the time. Same thing for the magic system which remains frustratingly vague, as well as a lot of other stuff in this book, like the ghosts… which we should definitely have had more of an understanding of.

At the beginning, I also found the characters' conversations to be quite childish.

When I read a book, I like to have a clear understanding of what's happening. Because of this deficiency, this book is unfortunately a miss for me.

[thaliasreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC from Netgalley!!
First of all, I really love the title and cover of this book. I feel that they both really fit the story well and the cover stands out to me as a fantasy reader.
I enjoyed reading this book. The prologue had me hooked. I think the the pacing was good, though there was a couple chapters back to back that were a bit slow. But, that’s understandable given it was world building. I liked that it went back and forth between cosy and chaotic vibes. The story follows both main character's POV, one in the present and one in the past. I found this was a nice way to give background and kept my interest throughout.
The fantasy elements were very interesting to me. I found that the magic system was unique, with the ways magic was used and the consequences of it. I found that the world building wasn’t overwhelming, as it was explained bit by bit.
I really liked the romance aspects. The tension and chemistry between the characters just got better as the story went on. This is more of a slow burn romance, with the plot and romance being fairly equal in the story.
The main characters were both well written and had good development during the book. The side characters were also very interesting and I loved the dynamics between the group.
The main plot twist in this story is one that I suspected from early on. But I didn’t feel that it was too obvious and enjoyed the reveal. So angsty!
Overall, I recommended this book to anyone who loves a romantasy with an interesting magic system and chaotic characters! I think everyone needs to read this as soon as they can!!!

I’m not sure if there will be another book with these characters, but I would be totally up for it!!!

[Saray · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In return for her existence, the archmagi only asked that En was perfect." -Ch. 1 uncorrected copy.

I almost broke my laptop with how fast I was clicking, trying to get this ARC. I wanted to savor this book and space out my reading, but it was just so good that I ate it up in one sitting. Definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads of 2026, I mean, look at the cover! I was instantly attracted to the premise, and the book really delivered. The writing was so cohesive and entrapped you with its immersive world filled with great detail. En and Tamol's story and progressing relationship kept me captive to Call Me Traitor.

The story switches infrequently between the present and transcripts of Tamol's old comrades of the past, leading to the present, explaining events and conversations had as to why they were labeled as traitors. A personal preference, but one of my favorite ways a book can be written.

We follow En, a soldier, otherwise known as war-tanks (basically a person for hire who's trained in magic, battle, and called on for missions). On a specific mission to a land where traitors are dumped, En meets an unfamiliar stranger whom she's instantly bewildered by (cue me screaming, giggling, and kicking my feet). En is a terrific main character. Her chemistry with Tamol is something I cannot get over. Everina Maxwell did a wonderful job writing their connection. Tamol was written with so much life; her sarcastic comments, along with her banter was never too overly done, and I thought it balanced perfectly with En's more serious personality.

The plot is layered with intensity, action, and romance. It was filled with tropes I've read before, but felt so refreshing in this book. A phenomenal read!! And YES, I will be buying the physical book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Heather Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone whose favorite genres are queer sci-fi/fantasy and queer romance, I often find myself weirdly unsatisfied by queer romantasy. Everina Maxwell's Call Me Traitor finally helped me figure out why! It's because I actually prefer the ratio to be more of, like, 3:1 fantasy to romance, and usually it is the opposite. BUT NOT THIS TIME!

Call Me Traitor is first and best of all a brilliantly imagined and frankly terrifying fantasy world where an esteemed professor at a mage college has figure out how to make "war-tanks" out of human mages. Our war-tank is named En, and the only thing she knows how to do is follow orders and not question authority. In fact, she pretty much forgets everything she's experienced in between campaigns due to the constant dark magic tomfoolery her to boss mages keep doing to her brain.

Things get real weird real fast for En when she meets Tamol, one of the traitors exiled to a spooky and dangerous island where En wakes up at the beginning of this book. Tamol makes En feel like she's getting misaligned constantly, maybe even warped, maybe even broken beyond repair — but En is drawn to her in ways she can't even begin to understand. The way Maxwell bends the traditional dual POV we often get in romance novels is masterful.

This is one of those books where I was like "I'm just going to slowly make my way through this and savor the storytelling," but then blitzed through the whole thing in two days because I couldn't put it down. I would REALLY love a second book in this series.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

[bookish.brietto · Rating 4 out of 5]

What starts as a politically tense, high stakes setup pretty quickly turns into something much more personal messy loyalty, trust issues, and characters who feel like they’re constantly one decision away from ruining everything. The character work is 😚💋. Fr the author has such a talent for making relationships feel fragile but intense, like every interaction actually matters. I loved how it balanced vulnerability with suspicion, especially in a world where trust is basically a liability. There’s a quiet kind of tension that just sits with you the whole time.That said, the pacing in the middle did slow down a bit for me. There were moments where I felt like the political parts and internal conflict were circling the same points without really moving things forward, and I caught myself wanting just a little more momentum. It wasn’t enough to pull me out completely, but I did notice it.The dynamic at the center of the story pulled me in hard I loved how it balanced vulnerability with suspicion, especially in a world where trust is basically a liability. There were moments where I felt like thepoltical elements and internal conflict were circling the same points without really moving things forward, and I caught myself wanting just a little more momentum. It wasn’t enough to pull me out completely, but I did notice it. If you want something that leans into relationships, moral tension, and that slow burn emotional damage this absolutely delivers.

[sydney ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an E-Arc of this upcoming release!

3.5 Where this book really shines is how it plays with the scarred self, warped memory, and sorting truth from lies. Key aspects of the narrative were fed to us throughout, and although all of the twists didn’t land, it always felt like there would be more to learn if I just kept reading.

I came in wanting an intense sapphic relationship and I’m pretty sure I got it. Was it completely emotionally resonant? Not really, as probably my biggest hang up with the writing is that the emotions of the characters felt distant. We were told about their relationships to one another rather than shown. I didn’t buy the found family aspect of it all and didn’t latch onto any of the characters’ relationships aside from En’s with Tamol. Having much of the backstory being dispensed by a character who ran as fast as she could from any emotion just didn’t endear me to the people she was supposed to love. But I did believe Tamol’s feelings toward En were real and deep, and that’s good enough for me.

I think this book bit off a little more than it could chew in terms of the setting and world building, but I’m willing to overlook it because the core of the narrative revolved around En’s entrance to the island and the mountain. And since everything that happened before that is lost to her, I cared about it as much as she did, which ended up being very little.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Maxwell for the ARC. I’m still working out how I feel about this one but here’s some initial thoughts. First of all, I think this is a 4.5 rounded up.

The tone was darker than Maxwell’s other novels. Or it was her characteristic tone but felt heavier because this narrative is primarily told from the perspective of a character who has been deeply, deeply traumatized. Despite the darker feeling, Maxwell did a fantastic job with the character journey and the beats of Tamol and En’s discovery of each other. The pairing is what I love from Maxwell, another messy but capable partner paired against the more serious one. Yet, they still feel fresh and not simple trope shells that Maxwell is filling in.

There were definitely slog parts of the novel, though, which is ultimately what kept it from being a 5-star read for me. The first 80 or so pages are a bit of a struggle with certain characters being so infuriatingly stupid that I really wanted to back out. But once you get into the real meat of the narrative, it picks up quickly and those early chapters aren’t wasted narratively speaking, just frustrating. There was also a point where the flashback narrative was explaining things that were already pretty clear from the direction of the main plot, so the final interlude or two did feel like it was breaking up the pacing of the current events for little payoff.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️
Call Me Traitor follows En, a war-tank…. basically a magically enhanced mercenary under the control of a high ranked magus. The mission she is currently on is to find and apprehend the traitors to the crown.
En is basically a one-woman army that has to follow orders or risk a painful mental breakdown.
The war-tank concept was really unique despite finding out how they are created.

Enter Tamol, a bumbling soldier, who gets in the way of En’s mission but ends up connecting with the war-tank.

I enjoyed this book! I love a magical academia story and the plot was very interesting.

The magical and fantasy aspects of this story were really good, but if I’m being honest, there were some things it took me a while to grasp and I felt that I was making up in my head what the magic looked like or acted like. Around 60% in, there is a part that really explained the magic system better and I needed that! I also felt that the romance was lacking- specifically in the first half- the relationship between the characters could’ve been built a little stronger. I really wanted to believe in the love interest, but it just didn’t give enough for me.

For a magical, fantastical academia read, this book checked a lot of boxes! I am truly glad to have been introduced to Everina Maxwell through this book!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Emma Denhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Winter’s Orbit. I’ve read it a number of times. Ocean’s Echo was phenomenal too so when I saw Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell I knew I had to read it.
As always, Everina Maxwell absolutely blew it out of the park. En has to be one of my all time favourite leds. Her journey rediscovering her humanity was both heartbreaking and deeply funny. She got snarkier and more self assured with each chapter and I was intoxicated by it.
Tamol is described as a disaster but I think that’s more how she sees herself. She’s, in fact, a sunshine smartass who is very powerful. Her growing affection for En was so sweet. Tamil does such a wonderful job supporting En in reclaiming personhood.
The world itself seems vast and lived in without being bogged down by details irrelevant to the plot. There is a complicated system of magic allocated only to those rich enough to access it and a political structure with competing factions that reminded me of Rome's Reds, Blues, Greens, and Whites. For much of the story, they are bound to a huge mountain side covered in heather which is one of my favourite planets and such a wonderfully vivid detail.
**This review is based on an e-ARC generously provided to me through Netgalley**

[Alchemisster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a BIG book and the cover art is absolutely gorgeous.

I was instantly drawn into the story and engaged the entire time.

The writing is descriptive but comfortable to read. This is a beautiful world.

The action scenes flow smoothly. The characters are fantastic.

The plot is like a spell. Carefully written, meticulously cast, slowly gathering power until BOOM it hits you. It hurts in places and heals in others and it's just SO good.

Relationships between characters are written well.The romance simmers slowly and when the spice hits it feels natural.

Writing a review without spoilers is tricky but worth it because it would be a shame to spoil this one.

I laughed, I cried, I gasped in horror, I squealed and kicked my feet. I read the last half of the book so fast I'll probably have to go back and reread it. I think it's one of the best books I've read in a while.

I feel like there's more that could be done with this world too. If a second book ever comes out, I'm buying it.

I'm definitely interested in reading more books by Everina Maxwell.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read! Just want I wanted. This story follows En, a war-tank, and Tamol, a traitor. En is a magically supercharged tool of war in the shape of a human woman, and she follows the orders of her supervising Mages. The mages have brought En on a journey to the end of civilization to help them capture a traitor but of course none of that turns out as planned. Tamol has been exiled as a traitor for something she did in her school years, and her story unfolds in bits and pieces as she and En make their way to some sort of truth. In my opinion, this is Everina Maxwells best work yet and I hope we get to read more from her in this deeply emotional style. The thing that sticks in my memory the best from this book is the friendships! This was heavily character driven with a side of interestingly technical magic system and gorgeously harsh landscapes. I adored it, it hurt me, and I want more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchnage for this honest review.

[Venneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just go preorder this now and call this your holiday gift to your future self. I am writing this a half hour after having finished sprinting through the last quarter or so of this book, and this is one you're going to be hearing the community rending their garments about, in a positive kind of way. It's about two women, one who's essentially a magical berserker for hire sent to retrieve a pack of traitors, and the other who used to go to school with her and is low key a disaster soldier but is so frigging kind and lovely. Throw in split timelines, transcripts of interrogations, magic workings as academic problems, the best kind of intrigue, and a plot twist that left me reeling, and I cannot fucking even. This is what I was hoping for from her after reading Winter's Orbit, and digs hard into the best kind of fantasy that I love. Did someone say possibly brainwashed lesbians?? Hell fucking yes.