Call Me Traitor

by Everina Maxwell

Most Anticipated from BookRiot, BookPage, Goodreads and more.

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

"There are five of them, all with an exile brand on the back of their hand, and every single one of them should be dead. We don’t understand why they’re not."

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 archmagi. 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 archmagi 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 " A Starter Pack"!


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

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books

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

Audible Audio

Expected publication December 1, 2026

Reviews

[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.

[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.

[Maeghan 🦋 semi-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

HUGE thanks to NetGalley & Orbit for a chance to review this arc 🥹 I was really excited for this one!!

Call me traitor follows En, a war weapon, on a mission to retrieve famous traitors. Our second MC is said traitor and she’s so kind & sweet to En that they end up falling for each other.

This novel definitely has the most unique premise. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I couldn’t help being excited for it. Sadly, I did have some execution & structural issues with it. I’m not one of the readers that enjoys following a story I don’t quite follow, and it took a while before it stopped being confusing for me. There’s dual timelines and it did click at some point but the underwhelmingness of it all didn’t help my confusion because I kept snapping out of it.
I read the synopsis before requesting but forgot about it, and when I read it again when I was 30% into the novel ; I did feel that the synopsis gave away so much that none of what happened afterwards was surprising.
It’s very academic in a sci-fi setting, and I would believe this leans heavily into cozy scifi/fantasy because action doesn’t pick up until very later on in the novel and there’s a lot of descriptions and inner monologues. There’s a lot of repetition.
I did like the dynamics between the characters but I wish there would’ve been more depth because it would’ve made the romance more meaningful.

Overall I think this is a beautiful story that will find its readers!!

[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!

[Everina Maxwell]

Hello! Briefly here to add content notes and answer some FAQs!

Is this Romantasy?
My personal opinion: this is not Romantasy. This is a fantasy novel with a strong central relationship that develops into a romance that's vital to the plot, but I would say is fantasy first. It does have romance within it and keeps to the important romance genre rules.
(That Google AI summary currently says this is romantasy is the least of Google AI's crimes, but only because all its other crimes are worse.)

Why do you keep calling this the lesbian winter soldier wizards book?
A) The main character is a living weapon conditioned by her superiors whose brainwashing slowly starts to fail as she encounters things that don't fit what it was designed to tell her, and B) most of the cast are sapphic wizards. Also because one-line pitching is hard and this is the best I've got.

Is this related to your previous books?
No, this one is a new story set in an entirely new universe! It's also fantasy rather than sci-fi.

Are content notes/warnings available?
They are! At my website here: https://everinamaxwell.com/content-wa...

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[annes_mesmerizing_books]

.

[Ash]

[15th oct '26]
GOD IS REAL, BROWN BOOK UK LOVES ME AND I GOT THE ARC!!!! @vaishnavi ily, you really manifested this loll
--------------------------------
[14th oct '26]
LITTLE BROWN BOOK GROUP I KNOW YOU WANT TO GIVE ME AN ARC
maybe sapphic romantasy will be better than straight romantasy!!!!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

En is a war-tank, a battle-forged superhuman crafted with magic and aligned to the archmage. She's sent on a mission to retrieve traitorous exiles from the far reaches of the empire. She stumbles on a soldier (hanging laundry of all things), and later when Tamol saves her life, En is stunned that someone might treat a war-tank like a human, looking to her for orders instead. Only, Tamol is one of the traitors En seeks, and En can't help but finding herself falling for her.

Call Me Traitor starts in the middle of the story in many ways and progresses with two timelines, with En and Tamol in the present and a series of transcripts from Tamol depicting the activities that got her and the other traitors exiled. Everina Maxwell reveals the magic system carefully through the past with the traitors at school and through the experiences of the present. She demonstrates strong craft and detailed worldbuilding that never feels like too much.

The best thing for me about picking up a book by Everina Maxwell is her characters. These are complicated, messy people, all with their own motivations and desires. In the present, En is our primary narrator, in third person, while in the past Tamol is our primary narrator in first person, and yet we get a strong sense of all of the characters, both exiled and dead.

I absolutely loved the romance, loved the magic system, and loved how Maxwell created a messy political situation with some teeth. I was riveted and fully invested in En and Tamol reaching whatever they could make out of an HEA.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Katherine Littrell. If you like to listen to dual timeline books, I recommend the audio, but for some readers, a combination of print and audio may work best.

Thank you to Tor for a print galley and an eARC and MacMillan Audio for an ALC. Call Me Traitor is out 12/1/2026.

[M. Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Everina Maxwell is the champion of chaos gremlin x rule follower dynamic--give me ten more. I loved both main characters but especially En.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

[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.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Note: My apologies if I spell any names incorrectly; I listened to an ALC).

While I had been interested in checking this book out since I heard about it, I had trouble getting into this book via the extended e-preview. Thankfully, it was a much easier listen, thanks to Katherine Littrell’s lovely narration. However, I felt the first quarter chunk with the back and forth between En and Tamol while En was injured and trying to determine Tamol’s command, and then in Tamol’s cabin, went on too long. Similarly, once the story turned to the transcript of Tamol talking about the past, there was too much telling instead of showing, and I wasn’t interested in the other members of the study group. This unfortunately continued for those chapters.

Despite its bleak subject matter, some of the writing is beautiful. “quiescent against the dark gray dusk” was a phrase that caught my attention, and caused me to pause the audiobook to note it for this review.

Overall, I felt this book was too long and could have been streamlined. By 50%, I was listening solely to find out if I had predicted the plot twist correctly. Unfortunately, I had to wait until 75% to find out I was correct. Additionally, the politics and magic system should have been interwoven throughout instead of just in the past timeline in Tamol’s transcript chapters.

I would note that this is NOT a romantasy novel and should not be categorized as such. I would recommend it to those who enjoyed Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske.

Narrator Katherine Littrell is proficient with accents and different voices and tones for each character.

Trigger warnings for war, rebellion, military issues, brainwashing, torture, self harm.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my free ALC! It has not affected my honest review.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Tor Books for the early copy of this GORGEOUS book!!

I was SO excited for this standalone sapphic, dark academia/romantasy (the buzz words really got me LOL). It took me a LONG time to get through this one, as it's a standalone there was a lot of world building to establish, not to mention an entire magic system to parse through. I had a hard time picturing a lot of the action and distinguishing between the past and present timelines, which often discouraged me from picking up the book, because I lowkey felt stupid.

But whenever I could get past that, I did really enjoy my time reading it! En is a war tank built to follow orders, and this particular mission includes catching and killing traitors of the kingdom, including love interest Tamol. They had such sweet moments and it really felt like a true enemies to lovers plot since En was literally made to kill her. The stakes beyond the romance never felt particularly high or clear to me, but generally I had a fun time with this book.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC!

This has such a unique premise, a fascinating and high-stakes plot, and an atmospheric and treacherous setting.

While this is a fantasy, the vibes feel very sci-fi, and there are really interesting political maneuverings in the background of things, and the magic system is distinct and intriguing. While there is also romance, I wouldn't say this is a romantasy or very romance heavy. The romance does play a part in the plot, but I would say the central themes are more around the friendships, power and relationship dynamics amongst the broader group of characters. The characters are all realistic in their personalities, strengths and weakness, and they have motivations that make sense.

I thought this was really well written and enjoyable. I've enjoyed Everina Maxwell's previous sci-fi novels, and this was another winner for me.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't on my radar and I requested it on NetGalley on a whim, so I wasn't sure what to think. However, I really ended up enjoying it. Everything about this novel is great -- interesting characters with good development over the course of the novel, an engaging narrative and worldbuilding, and a twist that, while I did see it coming, I didn't quite get it. I wasn't sure about the romance at first, but the way it was done and how it wrapped up had me twirling my hair and kicking my feet.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[BoetBooks · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

This cover immediately caught my attention - how could it not?!

The magic system was very unique and intriguing to me - did I follow it all completely? No. But, again, I am so feral for unique magic so that was a huge win for me.

I enjoyed En's unique ability to bend the rules that should be unbreakable as a war-tank and the overall concept of what she was built for, which was again another tally for the unique list.

The dual timeline did work for me - however I felt the current timeline dragged more than necessary. I would have loved for the majority of the book to have taken place in the past while the group was in school, making mistakes and developing their relationships. I felt much more engaged in the remaining third of the book, and wanted to be gripped the entire time.

Thank you, Tor, for the advanced copy

[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.

[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!

[Rebekah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have absolutely never read a story quite like Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell. I am fundamentally obsessed with En and Tamol. They are my children. My baby girls. My destructive divas. Call Me Traitor is about a subservient yet extremely deadly super weapon who must go on a mission to capture a group of traitors who have been exiled to a similarly deadly location. En was a monster created, not a monster born. And I loved watching this sarcastic, LOYAL, optimistic despite her unfathomable levels of trauma woman break the chains her government had put on her. And Tamol was an absolute delight wrapped up in a chaotic ADHD mess. You'd think Tamol was the optimistic one on the surface, but her deep mistrust of her society, government, superiors and even friends make her such a complex character. I could not love these two more.

Call Me Traitor follows two timelines: En's POV as she attempts to carry out her mission of capturing traitors and Tamol's POV right after her capture as she is forced to recount the events that lead to her capture.

There were twists I absolutely saw coming, which I think was intentional. You start to understand this story in fits and starts based on clues from both timelines. And even though I knew what the reveals would be. it did not impact my enjoyment of this book whatsoever. Do not under any circumstances ask me how this magic system works though. It was honestly a bit too complex and convoluted, but I was vibing so hard it didn't matter.

Chaotic, toxic lesbians are the only thing that cure my Fantasy Romance slump.

[Alex Jiménez]

EVERINA MAXWELL YOU WILL ALWAYS BE EXTREMELY FAMOUS TO ME

[Bry]

I am so sad to say that I decided to dnf this book at 20%. The premise of this book really captivated my attention and I was expecting to love this book. It turned out to be completely different from what I was expecting. The main reason I decided to dnf is because I was so confused at the beginning of this book, there was literally nothing sticking with me. It did get a bit easier to read but my experience of the beginning of the book affected my feelings towards this book and I just never felt compelled to pick it up. It took me a week to get to this 20% (partly due to me being very busy as well) and I just decided that I didn't want to spend more time with this book and instead move on to other reads. I did not get very far in to the book so maybe my opinions would change if I continued reading, but I don't think I would be giving it a fair chance if I continued it right now since my mind is kind of set on not wanting to pick it up. I might give this book another chance later, especially if I get access to it as an audiobook, maybe another format would change my experience with this book.
Thank you Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the arc copy which i received in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie May · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

For a while in the beginning I was kind of lost on what was going on. I think the vision of this being enemies to lovers falls a little short because the romance takes a little bit of a back seat.

If there was going to be minimal world building and magic system, then this might have been more successful as a novella because there were long stretched with really nothing happening that could have been trimmed up. The characters are great; it’s really a shame the story isn’t more dynamic this could have been 5 stars.

The narrator was unfortunately just fine and may have contributed to the confusion as the voices they use are all kind of similar.

Buy, Borrow, or Pass? I would pass if character driven stories are not for you. There’s really little else besides their interactions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I love a queer normative world that sucks you right in.

I will say I found parts of this to be a bit confusing esp when we add in some other characters… but the heart of the story we are following En and Tamol-two women who must work together under circumstances neither of them thought they would be in.

I found their slow burn love story to be unique, quirky, and so fun! I was giggling through and through. The plot was plotting and overall I really did enjoy myself.

I have not read the authors other work, but if it is like this I will be picking it up!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

[Lisa Weideman · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

A compelling character driven story with an interesting magic system, not too deeply explored. The larger party of characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, or could have been a more minor inclusion and the wrap-up was a bit drawn out; otherwise, beautiful prose and heartfelt exploration of trauma and identity.

[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

[Gretal · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This wasn't entirely what I expected, but it was delicious nonetheless. The worldbuilding/magic system was interesting, and I definitely would read more books in this world. And of course, I loved En and Tamol.

[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!!

[Timea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am immensely grateful to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of one of my most anticipated novels this year. Thank you so much! I am a huge fan of Everina Maxwell's books, especially Winter's Orbit. Needless to say, I was excited.

En is a wartank, created to be faster and more destructive than regular mages. She was also made to be more obedient and without her own will. Her newest mission brings her to a desolate mountain that is covered in the toxic byproduct of a spell gone wrong, which is called gauze. Instead of fighting enemies, she has to hunt down exiled traitors. It shouldn't be too hard, but said traitors are more crafty than anticipated and the gauze makes every step a risk. Then, En encounters the deserted soldier Tamol, who has her own secrets to hide. Secrets that may bring down the mountain and even En's mind.

This new world we are being introduced to is full of mystery and intrigue. En regularly has her memory taken away to focus on being a wartank, and she gives a short and brutal introduction into the magic system. It is only after Tamol's appearance that we find out more about the world, the kingdom we are in, the political background. The constant intrigues that must be happening in the background stay a bit vague, but they are only necessary for the context of the plot in the center stage. It gives a thorough glimpse into a world that feels alive without taking too much away from what is happening.

I especially enjoyed the flashbacks we are getting through Tamol's eyes in between. The unraveling of the backstory, the slow developments and introductions of more side characters and why all of this is important - the past is woven through the present and dials up the suspense. What happened with the traitors? How did they all get exiled and why are they being hunted again now? The way the flashbacks are written not as a narrative text, but as a protocol from Tamol, adds another layer of intrigue and I simply loved trying to find out how much of her story we could trust.

Another strength of the novel is the characters. En is an unusual experience: She has a deadpan view of the world and her place as a mere tool. It is only after meeting Tamol that she begins to show more humanity. This process holds its own tension, because En tries everything to stop it from happening. After all, a wartank is deemed broken when they start having emotions and their own will. It seems impossible for En to suppress her true self, though, even if she is supposed to be an unfeeling magical construct.

Tamol, on the other hand, feels hard to grasp. The reader and En only know that she lies a lot and tries to not get involved in anything. In her memories, she is an ambitious, reckless (and unreliable) student with stark differences to the person from today. She is complicated, but it makes her all the more fascinating. Tamol may not be the most likable character and she struggles a lot with guilt and doing the right thing, but she is written in an authentic, complex way. Even though she tries not to share too much of herself, with time, we can glimpse behind her facade, which makes all the character development even more satisfying.

I have seen this book called a romantasy, which I find inaccurate. There is a romance, yes, but it is more of an afterthought. The main draw between the characters lies in their beginning friendship, trust, and the uncovering of the truth about each other. The way the past affects them even today, the mistakes they have made and their increasingly desperate situations forge a bond between them that is not quite romantic, which makes it even more compelling. It's only at the very end that those feelings intensify into love; a natural and authentic progression.

I couldn't find any major flaws in the book. It may not beat Winter's Orbit as my favorite book (although to be fair, no book other than Winter's Orbit is capable of that), but I still enjoyed myself thoroughly. It is fundamentally different to the other books by the author, so a comparison doesn't make sense anyway. The strong points of Everina Maxwell's writing do carry over: the poetic descriptions, the messy relationships between characters, real emotions. Fans of strong fantasy with women at its center and a focus on human emotions and mysterious magic will have a lot of fun with this one. Five stars from me!