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Black Crown #1
Traitors of the Black Crown
Three women will betray the black crown. A Knight. A Duchess. A Queen.
Raena Schinen narrowly escaped when the Queen’s guard murdered her entire family. If Raena’s survival is exposed, she’ll be next. For fifteen years Raena has hidden as a male Knight, “Sir Rowan”, consumed by her vengeful desire to assassinate the Queen.
The moment Raena is close enough to exact her revenge, she is unexpectedly exiled to a foreign land. There she serves the common-born Duchess Aven Colby, whose suspicious kinship with the Queen further threatens Raena’s delicate secrets.
Just as they become united in a common goal to curb a looming invasion, unexpected heat and romance blossoms between “Sir Rowan” and Aven. The peril demands they set out on a journey to form clandestine political alliances, risking the Queen’s wrath, and drawing Raena and Aven closer together.
But no one in the kingdom could have imagined the sinister foe rising from below the surface. In order to save themselves and those they love, Raena, Aven, and the Queen must recognize who are the oppressors and who will unite against the Black Crown.
Raena Schinen narrowly escaped when the Queen’s guard murdered her entire family. If Raena’s survival is exposed, she’ll be next. For fifteen years Raena has hidden as a male Knight, “Sir Rowan”, consumed by her vengeful desire to assassinate the Queen.
The moment Raena is close enough to exact her revenge, she is unexpectedly exiled to a foreign land. There she serves the common-born Duchess Aven Colby, whose suspicious kinship with the Queen further threatens Raena’s delicate secrets.
Just as they become united in a common goal to curb a looming invasion, unexpected heat and romance blossoms between “Sir Rowan” and Aven. The peril demands they set out on a journey to form clandestine political alliances, risking the Queen’s wrath, and drawing Raena and Aven closer together.
But no one in the kingdom could have imagined the sinister foe rising from below the surface. In order to save themselves and those they love, Raena, Aven, and the Queen must recognize who are the oppressors and who will unite against the Black Crown.
493 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2021
15 people are currently reading
1487 people want to read
About the author
Cate Pearce
3 books43 followersCate Pearce was homeschooled on a Christmas tree farm in rural Western Washington. At age eight she was fed-up with a plotline on Star Trek TNG so she wrote her own episodes on a Commodore 64. She has been a writer ever since, but only recently decided to share that information with you and the world.
Cate has two children which she delivered at-home with the assistance of saintly midwives. Cate is unapologetic in her fervor for feminism, queerness, and Christian faith. Aside from writing, her "day job" is to prepare organizations for response and recovery from catastrophic disasters. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Cate has two children which she delivered at-home with the assistance of saintly midwives. Cate is unapologetic in her fervor for feminism, queerness, and Christian faith. Aside from writing, her "day job" is to prepare organizations for response and recovery from catastrophic disasters. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
May 29, 2021
dnf @30%?
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc
Well, I don't know actually what to say. I just didn't like it. I had big ass high hopes and expectations. The synopsis looked promising, the cover is wow, and honestly, I was expecting way more of what I got here.
First of all, no, I didn't finish this book, even tho I really wished I would've loved to do it. So, it's not gonna be a review of all. I must admit that after I decided to dnf it, I read Pelumi and Tea's review of this book as well.
Second, I blame my current reading slump and the uni for not let me finish this book as I should have done it before. Idk if in any other moment I would pick it up again and give it another try, or maybe I'll just let things like this because I'm a masochist, but even I know my boundaries (I feel cool using new words from my dictionary, jsjsjs).
The pacing to me was very slow and boring at some parts. The characters were flat and the "plot" was ??? Don't get me wrong, I was like "yai, it looks awesome" but then I got lost in the way. Again, I blame uni and the reading slump for this. The characters were flat and have no personality at all.
I just realized something. Avenna's name. If we take out one 'n', we have left Avena, is the Spanish word for oatmeal, yeah, I'm this weird for things, lmao.
The worldbulding was very inconsistent to me, idk if in the second book this will be better explained than here, and let's hope so (if I ever decide to pick it up again).
Honestly, I don't have a lot to say since I didn't make it to the 50% of the book (perhaps, I would have much to say there), but I didn't like it 'til the part I made it, so, yikes.
Also, Tea made up a good question: who is the asexual character?
It does appear in the book? Anyhow, probably someday I'll know it. But right now, Imma leave it right here.
first review:
just got my arc and hOLY SHIT, THIS LOOKS GOOD!!!
Buddy read with Sofia, Ish, Tea, Pelumi and Lacey!!! <3
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc
Well, I don't know actually what to say. I just didn't like it. I had big ass high hopes and expectations. The synopsis looked promising, the cover is wow, and honestly, I was expecting way more of what I got here.
First of all, no, I didn't finish this book, even tho I really wished I would've loved to do it. So, it's not gonna be a review of all. I must admit that after I decided to dnf it, I read Pelumi and Tea's review of this book as well.
Second, I blame my current reading slump and the uni for not let me finish this book as I should have done it before. Idk if in any other moment I would pick it up again and give it another try, or maybe I'll just let things like this because I'm a masochist, but even I know my boundaries (I feel cool using new words from my dictionary, jsjsjs).
The pacing to me was very slow and boring at some parts. The characters were flat and the "plot" was ??? Don't get me wrong, I was like "yai, it looks awesome" but then I got lost in the way. Again, I blame uni and the reading slump for this. The characters were flat and have no personality at all.
I just realized something. Avenna's name. If we take out one 'n', we have left Avena, is the Spanish word for oatmeal, yeah, I'm this weird for things, lmao.
The worldbulding was very inconsistent to me, idk if in the second book this will be better explained than here, and let's hope so (if I ever decide to pick it up again).
Honestly, I don't have a lot to say since I didn't make it to the 50% of the book (perhaps, I would have much to say there), but I didn't like it 'til the part I made it, so, yikes.
Also, Tea made up a good question: who is the asexual character?
It does appear in the book? Anyhow, probably someday I'll know it. But right now, Imma leave it right here.
first review:
just got my arc and hOLY SHIT, THIS LOOKS GOOD!!!
Buddy read with Sofia, Ish, Tea, Pelumi and Lacey!!! <3
June 9, 2022
Raena Schinen has disguised herself as a knight named Sir Rowan. She spent fifteen years training and hiding with one goal in mind: getting revenge against the queen. Raena's plans get disrupted when she is sent into the service of Duchess Aven Colby.
I enjoyed this book. There are lovable characters, an intriguing plot, and a romance. It gives a mix of politics, history, and action while entwining a romance within it all. The farther into the book you get, the better it gets. There are multiple POVs, so readers get a wide look at the story.
I thought the world-building was amazing. We got so much history without taking away from the plot. All of the characters were wonderfully written, from main characters to side characters. They were all fantastic. Even the characters I didn't like were well written. The villain is so easy to hate. Raena and Aven were amazing main characters. The romance was beautifully done. And I liked that it wasn’t the only story.
At times, the pacing was a bit off. There were times when it seemed to drag a bit, but other times, it felt like it sped through. It didn’t bother me that much though. It was just a little inconsistent at times. And there’s a lot of time spent traveling which might have been the problem for me. But I really enjoyed this book.
The ending left me desperate for answers. Like I’m still confused about things, but I enjoyed it. I cannot wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next. I love this book. I will be reading future books. I have so many thoughts about this book it's impossible to write them all out.
*Thank you Netgalley and Hansen House for this arc. All opinions in this review are my own.*
I enjoyed this book. There are lovable characters, an intriguing plot, and a romance. It gives a mix of politics, history, and action while entwining a romance within it all. The farther into the book you get, the better it gets. There are multiple POVs, so readers get a wide look at the story.
I thought the world-building was amazing. We got so much history without taking away from the plot. All of the characters were wonderfully written, from main characters to side characters. They were all fantastic. Even the characters I didn't like were well written. The villain is so easy to hate. Raena and Aven were amazing main characters. The romance was beautifully done. And I liked that it wasn’t the only story.
At times, the pacing was a bit off. There were times when it seemed to drag a bit, but other times, it felt like it sped through. It didn’t bother me that much though. It was just a little inconsistent at times. And there’s a lot of time spent traveling which might have been the problem for me. But I really enjoyed this book.
The ending left me desperate for answers. Like I’m still confused about things, but I enjoyed it. I cannot wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next. I love this book. I will be reading future books. I have so many thoughts about this book it's impossible to write them all out.
*Thank you Netgalley and Hansen House for this arc. All opinions in this review are my own.*
September 22, 2021
This was a good fantasy story. This was a book I was really excited to read, until I noticed the early reviews. I was seeing all these low stars and DNF’s, so my heart sunk and I went into this read with low expectations, but now I’m sitting here confused because I enjoyed this story. It’s not perfect, and being a debut it has its newbie bumps, but I had a lot of fun with it and I can’t wait for the next book.
After seeing some of early DNF’s, I figured this book was going to start really slow. Luckily, that was not the case at all. Pearce throws us right into the action and immediately we are in a possible life and death situation. I read so much fantasy that I’m use to a real slog in the beginning so this was a treat. I did think overall the world building suffered a bit, not having a slow beginning that the author could try to hide some info-dumps into, but entertainment wise, this was a fun way to start the book.
I do want to mention that this is ADULT fantasy and not YA. I recently read that when a woman author writes fantasy people assume it is YA but when a man does they think its adult fantasy. I’m not going to go into that but I think its food for thought. I love YA fantasy personally, but I enjoyed the change and I appreciated the adult characters. And while this was adult, it is not very explicit in its violence. It is there and people do get hurt and die, but this is not a gory, bloody book. While I’m no kid expert, I think a wide range of ages could read this.
A few people have mentioned that this has a Game of Thrones feel and I have to agree. I would not have been surprised if this started as a fanfic before it was developed into a book. The villain character is one of those over the top ‘mwahaha’ bad guys, who is very Joffrey like, and Queen Zarana, an older version of Cersei, who you love to hate but are also fascinated with. The two main characters were wonderful, but they were a tiny bit wooden at times, so it was hard not to be really interested in the Queen.
There is a romance that is WLW and is really sweet. It might have moved a little fast, but I thought they had genuine chemistry together with good flirty banter. Because the mains are so great, they might have been almost too good together. There wasn’t any conflict or good angsty moments and I was missing that fact. I think Pearce was trying so hard to make likeable characters that she didn’t give them enough faults. But if you want more of a sweeter romance, then it should work for you. The characters do sleep together, but most sex scenes are fade-to-black except for one I remember as only mildly explicit.
I don’t think people will find anything new here, and if you have really high expectations you might be disappointed, but overall this was a good story. This is a case of me not agreeing with the average Goodreads rating, for this book, as it is oddly low. I feel like I read a different book than other people did. It has its issues sure, but it’s entertaining and is a quality debut. I think Pearce is only going to get better and I’m excited to read the sequel.
A copy was given to me for a review.
After seeing some of early DNF’s, I figured this book was going to start really slow. Luckily, that was not the case at all. Pearce throws us right into the action and immediately we are in a possible life and death situation. I read so much fantasy that I’m use to a real slog in the beginning so this was a treat. I did think overall the world building suffered a bit, not having a slow beginning that the author could try to hide some info-dumps into, but entertainment wise, this was a fun way to start the book.
I do want to mention that this is ADULT fantasy and not YA. I recently read that when a woman author writes fantasy people assume it is YA but when a man does they think its adult fantasy. I’m not going to go into that but I think its food for thought. I love YA fantasy personally, but I enjoyed the change and I appreciated the adult characters. And while this was adult, it is not very explicit in its violence. It is there and people do get hurt and die, but this is not a gory, bloody book. While I’m no kid expert, I think a wide range of ages could read this.
A few people have mentioned that this has a Game of Thrones feel and I have to agree. I would not have been surprised if this started as a fanfic before it was developed into a book. The villain character is one of those over the top ‘mwahaha’ bad guys, who is very Joffrey like, and Queen Zarana, an older version of Cersei, who you love to hate but are also fascinated with. The two main characters were wonderful, but they were a tiny bit wooden at times, so it was hard not to be really interested in the Queen.
There is a romance that is WLW and is really sweet. It might have moved a little fast, but I thought they had genuine chemistry together with good flirty banter. Because the mains are so great, they might have been almost too good together. There wasn’t any conflict or good angsty moments and I was missing that fact. I think Pearce was trying so hard to make likeable characters that she didn’t give them enough faults. But if you want more of a sweeter romance, then it should work for you. The characters do sleep together, but most sex scenes are fade-to-black except for one I remember as only mildly explicit.
I don’t think people will find anything new here, and if you have really high expectations you might be disappointed, but overall this was a good story. This is a case of me not agreeing with the average Goodreads rating, for this book, as it is oddly low. I feel like I read a different book than other people did. It has its issues sure, but it’s entertaining and is a quality debut. I think Pearce is only going to get better and I’m excited to read the sequel.
A copy was given to me for a review.
June 22, 2021
OUT OF FIVE
RATING: 3.5
PLOT: 3
WORLDBUILDING: 3
CHARACTERS: 3
ROMANCE: 3
TWISTS: 3.5
Thank you to Netgally and the publishers for my arc
Somewhat Buddy read this with Ale, Sofia, Tea Gericke, Ish and Lacey<33
This might be the worst case of what I wanted vs. what I got, in history
I was bamboozled, duped, taken advantage of, lied to and ohh I hate that!
How dare you give me an amazing blurb and then give me this *gestures at book* this...this...ugh never mind.
I had some really great expectations but unfortunately, I was let down. Pretty badly actually. I mean, after reading this I began to feel like I may have set unrealistic expectations.
All I wanted was:
A great Sapphic romance, with enough yearning and all the slow burn it can offer
Great worldbuilding
Unforgettable characters
Consistent and greatly paced plot....
Is it too much to ask for??
I don't know what exactly ruined the experience for me? Was it the slow and predictable plot or the feeble attempts at foreshadowing or the trashy characters or the instalovey romance??
If you asked me these questions, I really couldn't answer it as I am way too confused to even think it through!
This book which is a retelling of the Shakespearean Twelfth night, follows Raena Schiden, a girl whose family got murdered by the throne under allegations of treason. She alone escapes it with the help of a family friend. She is forced to hide her identity by training as a knight and taking up the identity of a man. She grows to be an outstanding knight, however, she has one major goal....To seek revenge for her family's death and she will stop at nothing to achieve this. Killing the queen who is the source of her sour childhood will be her only vindication.
Because of some awfully pathetic and ridiculous reason, she gets exiled from her kingdom to live in another where she meets Duchhess Avenna, who happens to be the love interest(how convenient huh?). An old enemy lurks and soon a war breaks out!
Many things happen along the line, secrets are exposed, people die, mistakes are made and love blossoms.
Now, who would read this and expect nothing less than an amazing story?? NO ONE!!
So imagine my surprise when I didn't end up loving this as much as I wanted to,
I didn't like the pacing of the plot at all! It was inconsistent, it'll go from really fast in some places to horrendously slow in others. I couldn't keep up! I initially thought it'll follow the revenge plot but nope>>>IT JUST CHANGES CAUSE WHO CARES HUH??
The worldbuilding, what worldbuilding?? I barely understood the world. I didn't get the whole layout and I had some unanswered questions. However, I won't criticize it yet as this is just the first book in the series. I hope it does improve in the second one because I really do want to love this story.
However, the info dumps were unforgivable...ISTG, the author wasnt even subtle. Who casually discusses a genocide during a date?!
Forgive my lack of a love life but even i knew that was sus...
The characters are everything for me in a book but these ones didn't deliver at all! Duchhess Avenna is a MAry sue. Raena Schinden is a Mary sue
Everybody is a MARY SUE!!!(LMAO)
The romance was so pathetic, I almost cried for it. Such a waste of perfect Sapphic romance...
They met each other, what?? Six weeks ago and I'm reading shit like, "I'll die for her." "She's my heart, my love" bitch what????
I don't even make friends in six weeks! It took me two years to talk to my crush and 4 months to make most of my friends so, I don't know where this is coming from tbh...
I don't believe in love at first sight and I don't believe love is as easy as this book makes it look. I'm no love guru but damn, make it a tad bit relatable would you?
This book is not so terrible for a debut but it could have been better.(DISCLAIMER: I lied, its worse!)
I enjoyed the overall reading experience and I'm giving it 3.5 stars because I liked the ending way more than I'll admit I did. Its not the worst thing out there but I must say, WE DESERVE BETTER SAPPHIC FANTASY BOOKS!!
I liked the smutty scenes a bit and I would have preferred if we had more of those. I mean, why else would I endure trashy instalovey romance to not get to read explicit smut scenes??!! If It had more smut this would have been a 4 star read but oh well...
I would recommend this, but if you like Twelfth night, I'm not sure how you'll feel reading this as it shies away from the original idea a bit.
Pre review thoughts
Why am I this excited??? Its fucking Sapphic OMG
EDIT: When your most anticipated read turns out to be trash!
RATING: 3.5
PLOT: 3
WORLDBUILDING: 3
CHARACTERS: 3
ROMANCE: 3
TWISTS: 3.5
Thank you to Netgally and the publishers for my arc
Somewhat Buddy read this with Ale, Sofia, Tea Gericke, Ish and Lacey<33
This might be the worst case of what I wanted vs. what I got, in history
I was bamboozled, duped, taken advantage of, lied to and ohh I hate that!
How dare you give me an amazing blurb and then give me this *gestures at book* this...this...ugh never mind.
I had some really great expectations but unfortunately, I was let down. Pretty badly actually. I mean, after reading this I began to feel like I may have set unrealistic expectations.
All I wanted was:
A great Sapphic romance, with enough yearning and all the slow burn it can offer
Great worldbuilding
Unforgettable characters
Consistent and greatly paced plot....
Is it too much to ask for??
I don't know what exactly ruined the experience for me? Was it the slow and predictable plot or the feeble attempts at foreshadowing or the trashy characters or the instalovey romance??
If you asked me these questions, I really couldn't answer it as I am way too confused to even think it through!
This book which is a retelling of the Shakespearean Twelfth night, follows Raena Schiden, a girl whose family got murdered by the throne under allegations of treason. She alone escapes it with the help of a family friend. She is forced to hide her identity by training as a knight and taking up the identity of a man. She grows to be an outstanding knight, however, she has one major goal....To seek revenge for her family's death and she will stop at nothing to achieve this. Killing the queen who is the source of her sour childhood will be her only vindication.
Because of some awfully pathetic and ridiculous reason, she gets exiled from her kingdom to live in another where she meets Duchhess Avenna, who happens to be the love interest(how convenient huh?). An old enemy lurks and soon a war breaks out!
Many things happen along the line, secrets are exposed, people die, mistakes are made and love blossoms.
Now, who would read this and expect nothing less than an amazing story?? NO ONE!!
So imagine my surprise when I didn't end up loving this as much as I wanted to,
I didn't like the pacing of the plot at all! It was inconsistent, it'll go from really fast in some places to horrendously slow in others. I couldn't keep up! I initially thought it'll follow the revenge plot but nope>>>IT JUST CHANGES CAUSE WHO CARES HUH??
The worldbuilding, what worldbuilding?? I barely understood the world. I didn't get the whole layout and I had some unanswered questions. However, I won't criticize it yet as this is just the first book in the series. I hope it does improve in the second one because I really do want to love this story.
However, the info dumps were unforgivable...ISTG, the author wasnt even subtle. Who casually discusses a genocide during a date?!
Forgive my lack of a love life but even i knew that was sus...
The characters are everything for me in a book but these ones didn't deliver at all! Duchhess Avenna is a MAry sue. Raena Schinden is a Mary sue
Everybody is a MARY SUE!!!(LMAO)
The romance was so pathetic, I almost cried for it. Such a waste of perfect Sapphic romance...
They met each other, what?? Six weeks ago and I'm reading shit like, "I'll die for her." "She's my heart, my love" bitch what????
I don't even make friends in six weeks! It took me two years to talk to my crush and 4 months to make most of my friends so, I don't know where this is coming from tbh...
I don't believe in love at first sight and I don't believe love is as easy as this book makes it look. I'm no love guru but damn, make it a tad bit relatable would you?
This book is not so terrible for a debut but it could have been better.(DISCLAIMER: I lied, its worse!)
I enjoyed the overall reading experience and I'm giving it 3.5 stars because I liked the ending way more than I'll admit I did. Its not the worst thing out there but I must say, WE DESERVE BETTER SAPPHIC FANTASY BOOKS!!
I liked the smutty scenes a bit and I would have preferred if we had more of those. I mean, why else would I endure trashy instalovey romance to not get to read explicit smut scenes??!! If It had more smut this would have been a 4 star read but oh well...
I would recommend this, but if you like Twelfth night, I'm not sure how you'll feel reading this as it shies away from the original idea a bit.
Pre review thoughts
Why am I this excited??? Its fucking Sapphic OMG
EDIT: When your most anticipated read turns out to be trash!
June 3, 2022
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Woman disguised as a knight
✅🆗 Action
✅🆗 F/F romance (with some sexy moments)
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
2.5 stars
Raena Schinen has been living disguised as Sir Rowan for the last decade or so. She spent all these years training and hiding from the crown with one goal in mind: getting revenge. Reana wants to kill the queen and the prince to avenge her own family who was slaughtered on the order of the queen. However, Raena's plans get disrupted when she is punished and sent into the service of Duchess Avenna Colby, far away from the capital. Avenna is intriguing and seems to genuinely care about her people, but Raena must remain on her guard since Avenna also holds a deep love and loyalty for the queen.
I was expecting an action-packed adventure, but this book is more of a slow-paced romance with a few sexy and steamy scenes, some action scenes, and a lot of traveling. My main issue with this book is the very slow pace (that seems even worse with all the neverending traveling), and the plot that is not really a plot. Not much happens in the first part of the book, and even though the second part has more action, I didn't feel really connected to the characters so I didn't really care about what happened to them.
The plot is simple but still has the potential to be intriguing. It mixes politics, fighting, and a cute romance. There are a few different POVs in this book. Some chapters are told from Raena’s perspective, others from Aven, and some are even from the queen of the prince’s point of view. The world-building and history are interesting and well presented.
The author does a good job of providing us with background information without relying on info-dumping. I have to say though that sometimes, mostly in the first half of the book, it felt like the characters were constantly talking about the previous war. It’s fine if it serves as a reference to know the geography and division of the land, but sometimes it was a little too lengthy.
The women in this book are leaders, and Aven is a good leader. She cares about her people and tries to do what’s best for them while dealing with the challenges of being a lowborn woman living in an elitist and patriarchal society. She loves the queen and is very loyal to her, yet she is willing to sacrifice her relationship with the crown if it’s what’s best for her people. I really liked her strength of character and her drive. Raena is also a good character, but I am not as impressed with her as I am with the Duchess. I admire her capacity to move from male to female gender roles depending on the situation and the person she’s with. It was also refreshing to have a book about knights, without too much macho masculinity among the knights. Some of them cried and were not ashamed of it, they even encouraged Sir Rowan to shed some tears and not to keep everything bottled up inside. Overall, the characters were likable, but I didn't find them particularly engaging.
Zander is a good villain, compared to the rest of the characters. He is a spoilt, manipulative, and cruel prince who enjoys cruelty for no reason except that it amuses him. The whole political aspect gets more important in the second half of the book, and we can see how unfit he is to rule.
There are a few details that bothered me though while reading this book. First of all, how is Finn aware of the Prince’s plans in detail when they leave the castle and he secretly meets with Raena? Isn’t he a disgraced knight that the Prince decided to keep in his entourage only to punish him? How and why is he privy to sensitive information? Also, regarding Raena and her whole cross-dressing to pass as a knight… I'm not sure how she can still fool everyone and pretend to be a man after living with them for many months, and many years for some. It may seem like a stupid detail to focus on, but how does she deal with her periods while living with a bunch of men who think that she’s also a man? And how can she ALWAYS remember to pitch her voice low, even when she laughs?!
Overall I was expecting more from Traitors of the Black Crown.
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✅ Woman disguised as a knight
✅🆗 Action
✅🆗 F/F romance (with some sexy moments)
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
2.5 stars
Raena Schinen has been living disguised as Sir Rowan for the last decade or so. She spent all these years training and hiding from the crown with one goal in mind: getting revenge. Reana wants to kill the queen and the prince to avenge her own family who was slaughtered on the order of the queen. However, Raena's plans get disrupted when she is punished and sent into the service of Duchess Avenna Colby, far away from the capital. Avenna is intriguing and seems to genuinely care about her people, but Raena must remain on her guard since Avenna also holds a deep love and loyalty for the queen.
I was expecting an action-packed adventure, but this book is more of a slow-paced romance with a few sexy and steamy scenes, some action scenes, and a lot of traveling. My main issue with this book is the very slow pace (that seems even worse with all the neverending traveling), and the plot that is not really a plot. Not much happens in the first part of the book, and even though the second part has more action, I didn't feel really connected to the characters so I didn't really care about what happened to them.
The plot is simple but still has the potential to be intriguing. It mixes politics, fighting, and a cute romance. There are a few different POVs in this book. Some chapters are told from Raena’s perspective, others from Aven, and some are even from the queen of the prince’s point of view. The world-building and history are interesting and well presented.
The author does a good job of providing us with background information without relying on info-dumping. I have to say though that sometimes, mostly in the first half of the book, it felt like the characters were constantly talking about the previous war. It’s fine if it serves as a reference to know the geography and division of the land, but sometimes it was a little too lengthy.
The women in this book are leaders, and Aven is a good leader. She cares about her people and tries to do what’s best for them while dealing with the challenges of being a lowborn woman living in an elitist and patriarchal society. She loves the queen and is very loyal to her, yet she is willing to sacrifice her relationship with the crown if it’s what’s best for her people. I really liked her strength of character and her drive. Raena is also a good character, but I am not as impressed with her as I am with the Duchess. I admire her capacity to move from male to female gender roles depending on the situation and the person she’s with. It was also refreshing to have a book about knights, without too much macho masculinity among the knights. Some of them cried and were not ashamed of it, they even encouraged Sir Rowan to shed some tears and not to keep everything bottled up inside. Overall, the characters were likable, but I didn't find them particularly engaging.
Zander is a good villain, compared to the rest of the characters. He is a spoilt, manipulative, and cruel prince who enjoys cruelty for no reason except that it amuses him. The whole political aspect gets more important in the second half of the book, and we can see how unfit he is to rule.
There are a few details that bothered me though while reading this book. First of all, how is Finn aware of the Prince’s plans in detail when they leave the castle and he secretly meets with Raena? Isn’t he a disgraced knight that the Prince decided to keep in his entourage only to punish him? How and why is he privy to sensitive information? Also, regarding Raena and her whole cross-dressing to pass as a knight… I'm not sure how she can still fool everyone and pretend to be a man after living with them for many months, and many years for some. It may seem like a stupid detail to focus on, but how does she deal with her periods while living with a bunch of men who think that she’s also a man? And how can she ALWAYS remember to pitch her voice low, even when she laughs?!
Overall I was expecting more from Traitors of the Black Crown.
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July 6, 2021
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2...
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved it!!
Yeah, the beginning was a bit info-dumpy and not sense making, but this turned out to be a very enjoyable read. By the end of this I was just left so punched in the gut, that I just knew I would die waiting for the sequel. Thankfully there was an excerpt for the next book, otherwise I don't know how I would have lived.
Let's start out with the characters. I loved Raena and her POV the most. The whole keeping her identity secret thing was amazing, but she very rarely faces any problems with it, which is surprising to say the least. Is this really the first time that she's gotten injured in her whole life up till now when she couldn't tend to her own wounds? Knowing Raena and the world this is set in, I find this hard to believe.
I did like Aven's POV, but it was mostly in relation to Raena....because these two were more connected than the other and last POV, it was more or less easy to imagine this was the same POV. So, Aven by itself wasn't a very compelling POV for me, but in scenes with Raena, I loved to see the other side of everything that was happening.
Zarana's POV was the most boring in the beginning, and turned out to be the most heartbreaking and viciously satisfying one in the end. In the beginning it just didn't make sense, and I was anyway much more invested in Raena's and Aven's romance, but by the end, I just wanted a) throttle Zarana for her incapability to give the reader a straight answer, and b) kill Zander (though I wanted to kill Zander all the time so this shouldn't count) and shed tears for Zarana's predicament.
Zarana was definitely the character with the most compelling story by the end, with all the answers that we sought, but none of the clearminded-ness we needed with it. I was feeling so torn over Zarana's character, because I could see why she made the decisions she did. I could see why she was the ruthless ruler she was. I could understand her situation, and I could understand her ambition. I just couldn't fault her for having done what she did.
I am a bit saddened by the last decision she took in this book, because I really wanted everything to come out, but I guess now our characters will just have to find out themselves.
Zander. Oh where do I even start. I hated Zander with every fibre of my being, and you can check. It was Umbridge level hate, just to put it in perspective. And I didn't completely like the reason we were given at the end for his twistedness, because it seemed to give the wrong impression that only the well bred could rule, but then we were in Zarana's POV, so who knows what was actually meant.
Let's be clear here, I just didn't care about the plot. Was there even plot? I was there for the romance and the characters. The plot was going on in the background, and I liked it that way. Yeah, I was guessing stuff, sometimes I was right, but since we were given only scraps for plot, we made do with it, and loved the characters and relationships and banter.
I will say this, the romance definitely seemed rushed, but because all the parts were written like different seasons, so it wasn't exactly insta-love? So, really confusing on that front because I'm not a fan of time-skips, but these weren't so bad?
I loved the action scenes, I was always on my toes during those, and I loved the writing, especially for those scenes. There's a whole lot of blood, but I don't know, I really enjoyed the descriptions; I was right there with all of them, fighting for my own life alongside the characters.
One question I have is whether this was even a fantasy? Because I think this was most definitely only fiction? There didn't seem to be any fantasy, unless the Boens and their abilities are part of the fantasy...I don't know, but their didn't seem to be any fantasy in this.
I slightly dislike the way this ended in the sneak peek from the next book, with some tensions regarding Aven's and Raena's romance, but if it means we get some much needed angst (because we definite;y didn't get any from this book on that front), I'll take it.
All in all, an amazing read, and a series I will definitely be continuing! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Mulan-esque reads, sweet romance, confusing plot and POVs, enjoyable characters and does not mind slightly info-dumpy reads.
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved it!!
Yeah, the beginning was a bit info-dumpy and not sense making, but this turned out to be a very enjoyable read. By the end of this I was just left so punched in the gut, that I just knew I would die waiting for the sequel. Thankfully there was an excerpt for the next book, otherwise I don't know how I would have lived.
Let's start out with the characters. I loved Raena and her POV the most. The whole keeping her identity secret thing was amazing, but she very rarely faces any problems with it, which is surprising to say the least. Is this really the first time that she's gotten injured in her whole life up till now when she couldn't tend to her own wounds? Knowing Raena and the world this is set in, I find this hard to believe.
I did like Aven's POV, but it was mostly in relation to Raena....because these two were more connected than the other and last POV, it was more or less easy to imagine this was the same POV. So, Aven by itself wasn't a very compelling POV for me, but in scenes with Raena, I loved to see the other side of everything that was happening.
Zarana's POV was the most boring in the beginning, and turned out to be the most heartbreaking and viciously satisfying one in the end. In the beginning it just didn't make sense, and I was anyway much more invested in Raena's and Aven's romance, but by the end, I just wanted a) throttle Zarana for her incapability to give the reader a straight answer, and b) kill Zander (though I wanted to kill Zander all the time so this shouldn't count) and shed tears for Zarana's predicament.
Zarana was definitely the character with the most compelling story by the end, with all the answers that we sought, but none of the clearminded-ness we needed with it. I was feeling so torn over Zarana's character, because I could see why she made the decisions she did. I could see why she was the ruthless ruler she was. I could understand her situation, and I could understand her ambition. I just couldn't fault her for having done what she did.
I am a bit saddened by the last decision she took in this book, because I really wanted everything to come out, but I guess now our characters will just have to find out themselves.
Zander. Oh where do I even start. I hated Zander with every fibre of my being, and you can check. It was Umbridge level hate, just to put it in perspective. And I didn't completely like the reason we were given at the end for his twistedness, because it seemed to give the wrong impression that only the well bred could rule, but then we were in Zarana's POV, so who knows what was actually meant.
Let's be clear here, I just didn't care about the plot. Was there even plot? I was there for the romance and the characters. The plot was going on in the background, and I liked it that way. Yeah, I was guessing stuff, sometimes I was right, but since we were given only scraps for plot, we made do with it, and loved the characters and relationships and banter.
I will say this, the romance definitely seemed rushed, but because all the parts were written like different seasons, so it wasn't exactly insta-love? So, really confusing on that front because I'm not a fan of time-skips, but these weren't so bad?
I loved the action scenes, I was always on my toes during those, and I loved the writing, especially for those scenes. There's a whole lot of blood, but I don't know, I really enjoyed the descriptions; I was right there with all of them, fighting for my own life alongside the characters.
One question I have is whether this was even a fantasy? Because I think this was most definitely only fiction? There didn't seem to be any fantasy, unless the Boens and their abilities are part of the fantasy...I don't know, but their didn't seem to be any fantasy in this.
I slightly dislike the way this ended in the sneak peek from the next book, with some tensions regarding Aven's and Raena's romance, but if it means we get some much needed angst (because we definite;y didn't get any from this book on that front), I'll take it.
All in all, an amazing read, and a series I will definitely be continuing! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Mulan-esque reads, sweet romance, confusing plot and POVs, enjoyable characters and does not mind slightly info-dumpy reads.
June 28, 2021
3.75 stars. This is the type of story I like. I read some mixed reviews about this book, so I went in without high expectations, but I can only say I was positively surprised, especially considering that this is a debut novel. So, did I like it? Yes. Was it perfect? No. Do I look forward to reading the second book? Absolutely!
The author states that this book is a light retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I’m not familiar with that tale, but the book actually reminded me of Game of Thrones (sans dragons). There are all kinds of different kingdoms, duchy’s, republics (sort of), all with their own traditions and cultures. Most of the storylines are in some way connected to Candor, a kingdom ruled by tyrannical Queen Zarana and her son Zander, who’s soon to be the king. Remember King Joffrey? Well Zander could be his twin. He is an arrogant, sadistic little shit, with far too much power. The political tension is extremely high in the kingdom, noble families are disgruntled, but fear their leaders, there are intrigues, executions and just plain slaughters and wars. The story features many characters, but luckily there are only three POVs (in 3rd person), those of Reana, Aven and Queen Zarana. I like that there were not too many POVs as constant changes in POV tend to pull me out of a story.
Reana’s entire family has been executed by the queen and she has one goal, to kill the queen, followed by her son. In my opinion this is the major storyline of the book. Reana has been living in hiding, disguised as Sir Rowan, building and preparing for her moment of revenge, but almost immediately at the start of the book her plans are disturbed as she is exiled to a duchy ruled by Duchess Aven where a romance between Reana and Aven develops. Before I continue I would like to manage expectations on the romance, the romance is not the main focus of this book (imo) and Reana and Aven are separated during large parts of the book. So, if you are solely in it for a romance with a valiant knight wooing a noble lady you might be disappointed. The romance is a bit fast, but I enjoyed it anyway.
This is an elaborate book, but I’ll try to keep things short.
Worldbuilding: I found that I had some trouble at the start of the book with visualization of the first couple of locations (like the capitol and the castle?) and I also would have appreciated a map at the start of the book. Nevertheless, the worldbuilding improved as the story continued, it was as if the author grew more comfortable with the story and I’m hoping this will continue in the next book(s).
Intrigue: This was the best part of the book for me; politics and secrets that slowly unravel. All the time you feel there is something underlying certain decisions, but you don’t know exactly what. Also, the way the storylines of the various characters are interwoven was very well done.
Characters: There are many characters, some more developed than others. I liked Reana and Aven and there was decent character development, although there could be more, at a certain point the focus shifted towards the action scenes. I hope the characters will continue to grow in the second book and I also wish for some rough edges to their personalities, at times the mains seemed too good to be true. The prince is an over the top villain, but one you can hate with fervor. The queen is a different story, she is more complex and in time you get insights in her reasoning and I liked how this was done. Can you hate a person and feel sorry for them at the same time?
Writing and Pace: I noticed some small inconsistencies in the storyline, like injuries that seemed to be forgotten / miraculously healed, and the pace was fluctuating from time to time. As with a lot of epic fantasy books this book requires patience. Time is needed for worldbuilding and to explain all the relations, but in the end, it payed off.
In summary, this book is not without some (debut) flaws, but I really enjoyed reading it and I recommend reading this book if you like this type of epic storytelling.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The author states that this book is a light retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I’m not familiar with that tale, but the book actually reminded me of Game of Thrones (sans dragons). There are all kinds of different kingdoms, duchy’s, republics (sort of), all with their own traditions and cultures. Most of the storylines are in some way connected to Candor, a kingdom ruled by tyrannical Queen Zarana and her son Zander, who’s soon to be the king. Remember King Joffrey? Well Zander could be his twin. He is an arrogant, sadistic little shit, with far too much power. The political tension is extremely high in the kingdom, noble families are disgruntled, but fear their leaders, there are intrigues, executions and just plain slaughters and wars. The story features many characters, but luckily there are only three POVs (in 3rd person), those of Reana, Aven and Queen Zarana. I like that there were not too many POVs as constant changes in POV tend to pull me out of a story.
Reana’s entire family has been executed by the queen and she has one goal, to kill the queen, followed by her son. In my opinion this is the major storyline of the book. Reana has been living in hiding, disguised as Sir Rowan, building and preparing for her moment of revenge, but almost immediately at the start of the book her plans are disturbed as she is exiled to a duchy ruled by Duchess Aven where a romance between Reana and Aven develops. Before I continue I would like to manage expectations on the romance, the romance is not the main focus of this book (imo) and Reana and Aven are separated during large parts of the book. So, if you are solely in it for a romance with a valiant knight wooing a noble lady you might be disappointed. The romance is a bit fast, but I enjoyed it anyway.
This is an elaborate book, but I’ll try to keep things short.
Worldbuilding: I found that I had some trouble at the start of the book with visualization of the first couple of locations (like the capitol and the castle?) and I also would have appreciated a map at the start of the book. Nevertheless, the worldbuilding improved as the story continued, it was as if the author grew more comfortable with the story and I’m hoping this will continue in the next book(s).
Intrigue: This was the best part of the book for me; politics and secrets that slowly unravel. All the time you feel there is something underlying certain decisions, but you don’t know exactly what. Also, the way the storylines of the various characters are interwoven was very well done.
Characters: There are many characters, some more developed than others. I liked Reana and Aven and there was decent character development, although there could be more, at a certain point the focus shifted towards the action scenes. I hope the characters will continue to grow in the second book and I also wish for some rough edges to their personalities, at times the mains seemed too good to be true. The prince is an over the top villain, but one you can hate with fervor. The queen is a different story, she is more complex and in time you get insights in her reasoning and I liked how this was done. Can you hate a person and feel sorry for them at the same time?
Writing and Pace: I noticed some small inconsistencies in the storyline, like injuries that seemed to be forgotten / miraculously healed, and the pace was fluctuating from time to time. As with a lot of epic fantasy books this book requires patience. Time is needed for worldbuilding and to explain all the relations, but in the end, it payed off.
In summary, this book is not without some (debut) flaws, but I really enjoyed reading it and I recommend reading this book if you like this type of epic storytelling.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2025
DNF at 30%
I've picked this up and put it back down several times because despite having the bones of a good story, one that at times has captivated me, other parts just didn't hold my attention. Other than Rowan's determination to avenger her family I never felt as though I knew or understood what motivated either character and struggled to find any connection to either of them. The writing severely lacked in emotions for my tastes and this left the characters feeling rather wooden and "flat".
I enjoyed the descriptions, the political intrigue, the contrast between Candor and East Shore, and whilst the world building wasn't overly complex it was sufficient to understand the world in which the story was set. I did struggle somewhat with the dialogue, I'm not sure if the author was aiming for it to sound somewhat medieval/historical, but unfortunately I found it to be quite stilted and uninspired.
I didn't dislike the book, but neither did I particularly enjoy it. I don't think I will continue with this series, though I may give the author another chance at some point in the future.
I've picked this up and put it back down several times because despite having the bones of a good story, one that at times has captivated me, other parts just didn't hold my attention. Other than Rowan's determination to avenger her family I never felt as though I knew or understood what motivated either character and struggled to find any connection to either of them. The writing severely lacked in emotions for my tastes and this left the characters feeling rather wooden and "flat".
I enjoyed the descriptions, the political intrigue, the contrast between Candor and East Shore, and whilst the world building wasn't overly complex it was sufficient to understand the world in which the story was set. I did struggle somewhat with the dialogue, I'm not sure if the author was aiming for it to sound somewhat medieval/historical, but unfortunately I found it to be quite stilted and uninspired.
I didn't dislike the book, but neither did I particularly enjoy it. I don't think I will continue with this series, though I may give the author another chance at some point in the future.
May 28, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy Read With: Sophie, Lacey, Ale, Ash, and Pelumi
1.5 Stars, rounded down to 1. The 0.5 extra is because I actually managed to finish the damn thing.
Non-Spoiler Review Section
*slaps top of book* this bad boy can fit so many forgettable side characters in it.
I had to address something early for the meme but I have to be honest, that's not the worst part of the book. Actually it's hard to tell exactly what the worst part of the book is. Is it Raena's random and confusing sexism? Is it the insta-love arc? Is it that the main characters are personality-less voids? Maybe it's the painful misuse of the word fussock or the prevalent pro-coloniser themes in the second half of the book.
The 1-dimensionality of the primary antagonist doesn't help either. I'll dive into these and other components of the book and its questionable origins in the Spoiler Review section but for now let's just run through the general premise.
Raena Schinen is a nobleman's daughter whose entire house was killed when she was a kid, to protect her she was raised as a boy to be a knight by Duke Sylas. Avenna is a butcher's daughter turned duchess whose main character flaw is that she has no discernible character to find a flaw in. Zarana is a queen with poorly executed and exceptionally random dementia, and by exceptionally random I mean it seems to magically turn on and off when the plot requires it.
This book was marketed to me as gay medieval romance with and let me quote from the goodreads popular asked question:
Okay, I can see the lesbian and bisexual because they have a love story but WHERE ARE THE OTHER ONES? Oh are they "not on the page" well guess what if it's not on the page... it's not rep! It's the equivalent of JK Rowling trying to add in representation after the series is done except this author got a neat headstart.
You know what, if the romance was in any way compelling this book might have gotten 2 stars, but it isn't compelling. It's some kind of instalove that makes it look as if this was a much bigger book that had random parts cut out of it, I've read bad fanfiction that went into more detail about the emotions involved in romance and gave me more of a feel for the characters' personalities than this arc. Which makes this even funnier considering this book is meant to be Twelfth Night fanfiction.
As I've already mentioned the side characters are very forgettable and tend to blend together (with the exception of Sir Allyn, my personal favourite character). I can tell character deaths are meant to be meaningful but at the point they occur my eyes are glazed over because I'm tired and want the book to end.
Other than that, the only thing I can tell you is that there are terrible pacing issues. The author will skip forward 100 days in 3 pages and spend 2 chapters on something that's meant to be occur in about 20 minutes. It's all over the place and it's packed with bland and meaningless dialogue that all in all means I have more of a feel for the exact plant species of East Shore and the main exports of Hawk's Keep than the personalities of the actual characters.
There's also some weird sexist dialogue and vibes from characters we're meant to like, so that's not fun.
All in all, 1.5 stars. If you don't mind spoilers then keep reading it ought to be entertaining.
Buddy Read With: Sophie, Lacey, Ale, Ash, and Pelumi
1.5 Stars, rounded down to 1. The 0.5 extra is because I actually managed to finish the damn thing.
Non-Spoiler Review Section
*slaps top of book* this bad boy can fit so many forgettable side characters in it.
I had to address something early for the meme but I have to be honest, that's not the worst part of the book. Actually it's hard to tell exactly what the worst part of the book is. Is it Raena's random and confusing sexism? Is it the insta-love arc? Is it that the main characters are personality-less voids? Maybe it's the painful misuse of the word fussock or the prevalent pro-coloniser themes in the second half of the book.
The 1-dimensionality of the primary antagonist doesn't help either. I'll dive into these and other components of the book and its questionable origins in the Spoiler Review section but for now let's just run through the general premise.
Raena Schinen is a nobleman's daughter whose entire house was killed when she was a kid, to protect her she was raised as a boy to be a knight by Duke Sylas. Avenna is a butcher's daughter turned duchess whose main character flaw is that she has no discernible character to find a flaw in. Zarana is a queen with poorly executed and exceptionally random dementia, and by exceptionally random I mean it seems to magically turn on and off when the plot requires it.
This book was marketed to me as gay medieval romance with and let me quote from the goodreads popular asked question:
Hi, I see Traitors of the Black Crown shelved as LGBT+, could someone tell me what specific rep it will have?
Thanks for asking, Kate!
There are three female main characters (with POVs). 1 is lesbian. 1 is bisexual.
There are also prominent side characters who are LGBT, 1 is asexual.
There is also a prominent character who is bisexual but it's not on-the-page.
Finally, there is an on-the-page F/F romance.
Okay, I can see the lesbian and bisexual because they have a love story but WHERE ARE THE OTHER ONES? Oh are they "not on the page" well guess what if it's not on the page... it's not rep! It's the equivalent of JK Rowling trying to add in representation after the series is done except this author got a neat headstart.
You know what, if the romance was in any way compelling this book might have gotten 2 stars, but it isn't compelling. It's some kind of instalove that makes it look as if this was a much bigger book that had random parts cut out of it, I've read bad fanfiction that went into more detail about the emotions involved in romance and gave me more of a feel for the characters' personalities than this arc. Which makes this even funnier considering this book is meant to be Twelfth Night fanfiction.
As I've already mentioned the side characters are very forgettable and tend to blend together (with the exception of Sir Allyn, my personal favourite character). I can tell character deaths are meant to be meaningful but at the point they occur my eyes are glazed over because I'm tired and want the book to end.
Other than that, the only thing I can tell you is that there are terrible pacing issues. The author will skip forward 100 days in 3 pages and spend 2 chapters on something that's meant to be occur in about 20 minutes. It's all over the place and it's packed with bland and meaningless dialogue that all in all means I have more of a feel for the exact plant species of East Shore and the main exports of Hawk's Keep than the personalities of the actual characters.
There's also some weird sexist dialogue and vibes from characters we're meant to like, so that's not fun.
All in all, 1.5 stars. If you don't mind spoilers then keep reading it ought to be entertaining.
May 29, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Traitors of the Black Crown was such a wild ride! I honestly enjoyed this book so freaking much today. Each twist and turn made this book a page turner for me. It was really hard to put down too.
In it, you will meet Raean. She was such a fun character to read about because she was just a complete bad ass in my eyes. Plus her sarcasm and fierceness just made me love her even more. So when she's pretending to be a Knight name Rowan.. I just knew things were going to be very interesting. Also, her bestie Finn was completely adorable and their bantering was very cute.
Then there's the lovely slow burn romance between Raean and Aven. Oh how I loved these two being together. It was just pure and genuine. Made my heart all happy and shit. I'm hoping I get more from these two in the next book because I will riot if I don't.
It's safe to say that you will get a lot of betrayals throughout this book. The reason why it is easy to accept would be Prince Zander's doing. He's a real pain in the ass. A huge conceited asshole who thinks he's all that and a bag of potato chips. Real charmer.. and I wanted him to die a very painful death after our first meet and greet.
After each horrible decision, made my the prince douche, lots of people die. If you have ever watched an episode of Game of Thrones, or read one of the books, think of that being child's play. Mostly because Prince Zander would sacrifice anyone and everyone in the entire world. It's also safe to assume that shit went downhill quickly once he became King.
In the end, that little cliffhanger gave me some whiplash. It also make sense that the little monster is a fake. Now I'm wondering where the real heir is and I have a few theories as to who it could be. I definitely need the next book now and I can't wait for it to become available!
Traitors of the Black Crown was such a wild ride! I honestly enjoyed this book so freaking much today. Each twist and turn made this book a page turner for me. It was really hard to put down too.
In it, you will meet Raean. She was such a fun character to read about because she was just a complete bad ass in my eyes. Plus her sarcasm and fierceness just made me love her even more. So when she's pretending to be a Knight name Rowan.. I just knew things were going to be very interesting. Also, her bestie Finn was completely adorable and their bantering was very cute.
Then there's the lovely slow burn romance between Raean and Aven. Oh how I loved these two being together. It was just pure and genuine. Made my heart all happy and shit. I'm hoping I get more from these two in the next book because I will riot if I don't.
It's safe to say that you will get a lot of betrayals throughout this book. The reason why it is easy to accept would be Prince Zander's doing. He's a real pain in the ass. A huge conceited asshole who thinks he's all that and a bag of potato chips. Real charmer.. and I wanted him to die a very painful death after our first meet and greet.
After each horrible decision, made my the prince douche, lots of people die. If you have ever watched an episode of Game of Thrones, or read one of the books, think of that being child's play. Mostly because Prince Zander would sacrifice anyone and everyone in the entire world. It's also safe to assume that shit went downhill quickly once he became King.
In the end, that little cliffhanger gave me some whiplash. It also make sense that the little monster is a fake. Now I'm wondering where the real heir is and I have a few theories as to who it could be. I definitely need the next book now and I can't wait for it to become available!
June 8, 2021
Traitors of the Black Crown is an epic tale of kings, queens, knights, treason, loyalty, revenge and duplicity and mole people. And this is only the first book of the series. We follow the main characters the Knight Sir Rowan, Duchess Avenna, and Queen Zarana as forces beyond their control enmeshed their lives.
This was a thrilling read. It brought me back to my early years when I read everything I could about Knights and round tables and dreamed of living in medieval times. The action and tension is brilliantly carried throughout the novel with each major character facing their own peril while still being a part of the complete storyline.
This is an exceptional first novel for Cate Pearse. Her writing captures you from page one, line one. The characters are three dimensional and easily captured in your minds eye. Reading this novel takes you away from your world and into Ms Pearse’s unique medieval one.
5⭐️
This was a thrilling read. It brought me back to my early years when I read everything I could about Knights and round tables and dreamed of living in medieval times. The action and tension is brilliantly carried throughout the novel with each major character facing their own peril while still being a part of the complete storyline.
This is an exceptional first novel for Cate Pearse. Her writing captures you from page one, line one. The characters are three dimensional and easily captured in your minds eye. Reading this novel takes you away from your world and into Ms Pearse’s unique medieval one.
5⭐️
August 21, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: bi mc, lesbian mc
Galley provided by publisher
Perhaps it was fated I would struggle my way through Traitors of the Black Crown. I don’t know what it is, but I lose interest a lot quicker in fantasy novels than I do any other genre and that was… so very quickly the case here. While the concept sounded interesting, not much else of it was to me.
Possibly the biggest issue I had, in terms of enjoyment, was the writing, but since that’s a personal thing, I won’t dwell on it, only say that it was alternatively dry and info-dumpy, and overdramatic. I ended up skimreading fairly early on.
But writing aside, I think I could have liked this more still, if I had felt at all engaged with the plot and characters. Firstly the characters. Not one of them has stuck in my mind, three weeks or so after reading this book. I couldn’t even tell you their names (although, to be fair, this isn’t a wholly unusual phenomenon). Even so, they were somewhat bland during reading too. I get it was supposed to be the whole white knight and princess trope, where they’re both women, but it was just… boring.
Add onto that the feeling that the plot had very little drive to it? I mean, they’re supposedly organising a rebellion, for crying out loud! And yet, I felt like they were just romping around the countryside with no care in the world. Give me some tension at least!
Not to mention the ending, which came out of nowhere, and felt like it made very little sense. (I mean, who even are these people? You didn’t even mention the possibility of their existence before and suddenly there they are?)
Turns out the least of my problems was people using slang like “oi” and “git” and “nah” but no contractions in their speech.
Rep: bi mc, lesbian mc
Galley provided by publisher
Perhaps it was fated I would struggle my way through Traitors of the Black Crown. I don’t know what it is, but I lose interest a lot quicker in fantasy novels than I do any other genre and that was… so very quickly the case here. While the concept sounded interesting, not much else of it was to me.
Possibly the biggest issue I had, in terms of enjoyment, was the writing, but since that’s a personal thing, I won’t dwell on it, only say that it was alternatively dry and info-dumpy, and overdramatic. I ended up skimreading fairly early on.
But writing aside, I think I could have liked this more still, if I had felt at all engaged with the plot and characters. Firstly the characters. Not one of them has stuck in my mind, three weeks or so after reading this book. I couldn’t even tell you their names (although, to be fair, this isn’t a wholly unusual phenomenon). Even so, they were somewhat bland during reading too. I get it was supposed to be the whole white knight and princess trope, where they’re both women, but it was just… boring.
Add onto that the feeling that the plot had very little drive to it? I mean, they’re supposedly organising a rebellion, for crying out loud! And yet, I felt like they were just romping around the countryside with no care in the world. Give me some tension at least!
Not to mention the ending, which came out of nowhere, and felt like it made very little sense. (I mean, who even are these people? You didn’t even mention the possibility of their existence before and suddenly there they are?)
Turns out the least of my problems was people using slang like “oi” and “git” and “nah” but no contractions in their speech.
July 2, 2021
If you've ever wanted to read a book evocative of the Alanna series, but sapphic, and for grownups, this is one to check out! Traitors of the Black Crown scratched a particular itch I was having for a Medieval fantasy story with a woman knight (undercover as a man) and a sapphic romance.
I will say the plot felt a bit unfocused for my tastes, but it was an enjoyable romance and a refreshing world. I'm not sure if I've read a fantasy book yet that relied on evolution rather than magic for key aspects of its world building, but I've been craving that exact kind of fantasy world and was glad to experience it here.
On that note, 👀 if anyone is familiar with more magicless fantasy worlds, please let me know, because I'd like to read more of them!
I will say the plot felt a bit unfocused for my tastes, but it was an enjoyable romance and a refreshing world. I'm not sure if I've read a fantasy book yet that relied on evolution rather than magic for key aspects of its world building, but I've been craving that exact kind of fantasy world and was glad to experience it here.
On that note, 👀 if anyone is familiar with more magicless fantasy worlds, please let me know, because I'd like to read more of them!
March 4, 2024
3.5🌟
Things I liked
The fast paced plot
Entertaining plot
The romance
Things I didn't really like
The writing was simple
The characters were bland
The book was kinda long for what it was
Overall I thought this was fun it's very bingeable and entertaining. I felt very invested in the plot even though it wasn't the most crazy thing I've ever read. I finish it in a day despite it being almost 500 pages so if you have this on your tbr and have an open day I would binge this! My only complaint is the plot and writing felt pretty simple and basic but sometimes you need that!
Things I liked
The fast paced plot
Entertaining plot
The romance
Things I didn't really like
The writing was simple
The characters were bland
The book was kinda long for what it was
Overall I thought this was fun it's very bingeable and entertaining. I felt very invested in the plot even though it wasn't the most crazy thing I've ever read. I finish it in a day despite it being almost 500 pages so if you have this on your tbr and have an open day I would binge this! My only complaint is the plot and writing felt pretty simple and basic but sometimes you need that!
May 25, 2021
WOW oh WOW, a real torrid novel about a stunning female in disguise, living in a mans world. Cate Pearce is a gifted writer with a great imagination and a page turner writing style, it was easy for me to fall in the unique world she created and I loved this novel. Look forward to reading more of her work such a talent TY Dr. Amanda.
July 23, 2021
** I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is the kind of book that you simply cannot put down. Once the plot gets going, there are so many twists and turns that made me keep telling myself "just one more chapter".
The world building is intricate and fascinating. I kind of wish I had a map to track where the characters were, since they move around a considerable amount, and hopefully the published edition will have one. I never felt like the information being provided about the history and lore of the world was dragging down the plot, and Pearce was able to paint a detailed backdrop for the story without taking away from the forward movement of the story.
I ended up really enjoying the romance between , even though I typically disliked insta-attraction and wasn't on board with their sudden desire for each other. Despite this, I think Pearce wrote their relationship beautifully, and I while they were separated I was desperate to see them reunited.
One of my favorite elements of this novel was the presence of dire consequences. We were shown again and again that characters could very much be killed or maimed, and this made moments like even more exciting. The constant threat of a largely inescapable underground force followed the characters throughout their journey to safety, and the previously established risks and consequences made it an edge of your seat read.
I also liked how the plot kept me guessing. I was never sure was going on with Zarana, and kept on modifying my predictions for the inevitable bit twist (which I still got wrong, but I was sort of close). My main criticism is that it does take a bit for the plot to get going, although I think plenty still happens in the first half to keep readers entertained. The competition at the beginning is a great set up to the tone of the novel, and a little after half way through the book the story becomes incredibly action-packed. I wouldn't criticize the intervening period however, as it is still interesting and crucial to setting up the later section.
Now, as is always the case whenever I read an ARC I love, I have to go through the torturous period of waiting for the second book to come when the first one hasn't even been released yet :(
Characters:
Raena/Rowan - knight of Hawk's Keep, masquerading as a man to hide her identity, exiled from Candor and forced into Duchess Avenna's service
Finnley (Finn) - knight of Hawk's Keep, forced into Prince Zander's service
Avenna - widowed Duchess of House Colby
Prince Zander - corrupt, de facto ruler of Candor
Queen Zarana - bedridden queen of Candor, her power is usurped by her son
Lord Sylas - Lord of Hawk's Keep, raised Raenna, Finn's uncle
Guon - knight for House Colby
Lord Henry Schinen - Raena's father,
Lady Islabell (Bell) - close friend of Raena, Lord Sylas' daughter
"Your body is a vessel. You flood the man inside it with pain. Let go of your pain, weep it to the world, and the rivers resume their course."
This is the kind of book that you simply cannot put down. Once the plot gets going, there are so many twists and turns that made me keep telling myself "just one more chapter".
The world building is intricate and fascinating. I kind of wish I had a map to track where the characters were, since they move around a considerable amount, and hopefully the published edition will have one. I never felt like the information being provided about the history and lore of the world was dragging down the plot, and Pearce was able to paint a detailed backdrop for the story without taking away from the forward movement of the story.
I ended up really enjoying the romance between , even though I typically disliked insta-attraction and wasn't on board with their sudden desire for each other. Despite this, I think Pearce wrote their relationship beautifully, and I while they were separated I was desperate to see them reunited.
One of my favorite elements of this novel was the presence of dire consequences. We were shown again and again that characters could very much be killed or maimed, and this made moments like even more exciting. The constant threat of a largely inescapable underground force followed the characters throughout their journey to safety, and the previously established risks and consequences made it an edge of your seat read.
I also liked how the plot kept me guessing. I was never sure was going on with Zarana, and kept on modifying my predictions for the inevitable bit twist (which I still got wrong, but I was sort of close). My main criticism is that it does take a bit for the plot to get going, although I think plenty still happens in the first half to keep readers entertained. The competition at the beginning is a great set up to the tone of the novel, and a little after half way through the book the story becomes incredibly action-packed. I wouldn't criticize the intervening period however, as it is still interesting and crucial to setting up the later section.
Now, as is always the case whenever I read an ARC I love, I have to go through the torturous period of waiting for the second book to come when the first one hasn't even been released yet :(
Characters:
Raena/Rowan - knight of Hawk's Keep, masquerading as a man to hide her identity, exiled from Candor and forced into Duchess Avenna's service
Finnley (Finn) - knight of Hawk's Keep, forced into Prince Zander's service
Avenna - widowed Duchess of House Colby
Prince Zander - corrupt, de facto ruler of Candor
Queen Zarana - bedridden queen of Candor, her power is usurped by her son
Lord Sylas - Lord of Hawk's Keep, raised Raenna, Finn's uncle
Guon - knight for House Colby
Lord Henry Schinen - Raena's father,
Lady Islabell (Bell) - close friend of Raena, Lord Sylas' daughter
June 11, 2021
First of all, thank you so much to Netgalley and Cate Pearce for giving me a chance to read this book.
Wow. Just wow. I loved this. Okay, so it took me over a week to read it, but that was purely down to other things going on in my life. I loved the diversity of the book and all of the characters, minus one (looking at you Zander, you little pissant).
Traitors of the Black Crown follows three main leads - all female (ha, take that men). We have Raena/Rowan the sole survivor of the massacre of her family who only has one thing on her mind. Revenge. Taking on the persona of 'Sir Rowan' a knight, she hopes to bring down the woman who ordered the deaths of her entire family. Queen Zarana. This all goes to hell in a handbasket when she gets herself exiled and into the services of the duchess Avenna - a kindhearted young woman. Raena finds herself drawn to Aven, something she never thought possible for herself.
The Queen is frail, but still a force to be reckoned with. Confined to her bedchambers she sets out to discover the truth behind 'Sir Rowan'. There's something familiar about him and she won't rest until she gets her answers. Zarana also cares deeply for Aven, wishing only for her safety and her happiness, though her son, Prince Zander, takes great joy in tormenting Avenna.
Avenna is in the middle of grieving for her husband when Rowan joins her duchy and, as such, fights her growing feelings for the knight. This is helped by her decision to break away from the crown and their lack of support, even from Queen Zarana and to unite the other duchies.
Traitors of the Black Crown has everything: epic adventure, diversity, lgbt, friends to lovers, betrayal.
If you're a fan of Game of Thrones you will enjoy reading this. Also Prince Zander reminds me a lot of Joffrey Baratheon, so it's no wonder I hate him.
Wow. Just wow. I loved this. Okay, so it took me over a week to read it, but that was purely down to other things going on in my life. I loved the diversity of the book and all of the characters, minus one (looking at you Zander, you little pissant).
Traitors of the Black Crown follows three main leads - all female (ha, take that men). We have Raena/Rowan the sole survivor of the massacre of her family who only has one thing on her mind. Revenge. Taking on the persona of 'Sir Rowan' a knight, she hopes to bring down the woman who ordered the deaths of her entire family. Queen Zarana. This all goes to hell in a handbasket when she gets herself exiled and into the services of the duchess Avenna - a kindhearted young woman. Raena finds herself drawn to Aven, something she never thought possible for herself.
The Queen is frail, but still a force to be reckoned with. Confined to her bedchambers she sets out to discover the truth behind 'Sir Rowan'. There's something familiar about him and she won't rest until she gets her answers. Zarana also cares deeply for Aven, wishing only for her safety and her happiness, though her son, Prince Zander, takes great joy in tormenting Avenna.
Avenna is in the middle of grieving for her husband when Rowan joins her duchy and, as such, fights her growing feelings for the knight. This is helped by her decision to break away from the crown and their lack of support, even from Queen Zarana and to unite the other duchies.
Traitors of the Black Crown has everything: epic adventure, diversity, lgbt, friends to lovers, betrayal.
If you're a fan of Game of Thrones you will enjoy reading this. Also Prince Zander reminds me a lot of Joffrey Baratheon, so it's no wonder I hate him.
September 9, 2021
A banished knight with more than a few secrets captures the heart of a widowed duchess.
***I received a copy of Traitors of the Black Crown by Cate Pierce pre-publication***
Traitors of the Black Crown is my new favorite fantasy series! I loved this book and I can’t wait for the sequel. It’s so much more than the novelty of a F/F story with a cross-dressing knight. The depth of the characters and the rich history draws the reader in immediately and doesn’t let go until the very last word.
Traitors offers lovable characters with relatable flaws, who navigate a wide, wide world. The romance is sexy and sweet. The lead heroines’ dynamic is spot on. Readers won’t be able to get enough of the passionate scenes between Raena and Aven. They also won’t be able to think of blowing out a candle the same, ever again.
One of my favorite things about this book is the historical and politics aspects. There’s definitely a Game of Thrones feel to the whole world. But Traitors offers something that GoT doesn’t. It’s beautifully written without dragging in exposition. The women lead and lead well, while dealing with the challenges of the patriarchy in a realistic way. We get to know and love them without being subjected to the the usually graphic, tragic and emotionally taxing backstories. (That’s not to say they don’t have their fair share of trials. But it’s not exploited for visceral reactions.) The battles and violence are powerfully written, not spent for cheap thrills.
Traitors pushes boundaries with its themes exploring gender identity, sexuality, politics and imperialism. It’s both a breath of fresh air and a deep dive into a world we’ll never forget.
***I received a copy of Traitors of the Black Crown by Cate Pierce pre-publication***
Traitors of the Black Crown is my new favorite fantasy series! I loved this book and I can’t wait for the sequel. It’s so much more than the novelty of a F/F story with a cross-dressing knight. The depth of the characters and the rich history draws the reader in immediately and doesn’t let go until the very last word.
Traitors offers lovable characters with relatable flaws, who navigate a wide, wide world. The romance is sexy and sweet. The lead heroines’ dynamic is spot on. Readers won’t be able to get enough of the passionate scenes between Raena and Aven. They also won’t be able to think of blowing out a candle the same, ever again.
One of my favorite things about this book is the historical and politics aspects. There’s definitely a Game of Thrones feel to the whole world. But Traitors offers something that GoT doesn’t. It’s beautifully written without dragging in exposition. The women lead and lead well, while dealing with the challenges of the patriarchy in a realistic way. We get to know and love them without being subjected to the the usually graphic, tragic and emotionally taxing backstories. (That’s not to say they don’t have their fair share of trials. But it’s not exploited for visceral reactions.) The battles and violence are powerfully written, not spent for cheap thrills.
Traitors pushes boundaries with its themes exploring gender identity, sexuality, politics and imperialism. It’s both a breath of fresh air and a deep dive into a world we’ll never forget.
October 10, 2020
I am halfway through the book and I love it! The world building and the amount of detail that goes into creating the world surrounding the characters is fantastic. Thanks for including a map of the land! The story is compelling and I fee like I am gearing up for a twist soon and can’t wait for it! I love characters that make you root for them and you can get a clear sense of their moral compass and they hat drives them. I feel like this story does that. Even more exciting is knowing after I finish this book, there will be more to read and continue to dive deeper into the story of the characters and their world. It is very well written, captivating, and imaginative. I love this type of adventure and fiction genre but often find that it lacks in its diversity and portrayal of lgbt relationships. This author has managed to provide both and I am excited to go along for this ride!
June 8, 2021
Characters: Brilliant. I was invested in all of them
Plot: OMG THAT ENDING THOUGH. Not super emotional, not even very fulfilling but unexpected and somewhat of a cliffhanger. Half point.
Representation: pansexual, not much else. Loved the romance there was though. Half point.
Would I have it on my shelf: in my kindle library, but not my physical one.
Would I buy it for others: a few others, but I wouldn't go crazy over it.
Overall, a high 3 out of 5. I was invested in the book once I got around to reading it, but I wasn't hungry for it. A good book for fans of medieval historical fiction. Rounded up to 4 stars to account for taste.
Plot: OMG THAT ENDING THOUGH. Not super emotional, not even very fulfilling but unexpected and somewhat of a cliffhanger. Half point.
Representation: pansexual, not much else. Loved the romance there was though. Half point.
Would I have it on my shelf: in my kindle library, but not my physical one.
Would I buy it for others: a few others, but I wouldn't go crazy over it.
Overall, a high 3 out of 5. I was invested in the book once I got around to reading it, but I wasn't hungry for it. A good book for fans of medieval historical fiction. Rounded up to 4 stars to account for taste.
April 22, 2021
Find my reviews at Feminist Quill
Disclaimer 1: I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Disclaimer 2: The below review is based on an ARC and some things may be subject to change prior to publication.
Synopsis: Raena Schinen has spent over a decade in hiding, masquerading as a boy. Just when her revenge against the Queen seems within reach, Raena finds herself contending with the beautiful Duchess Avenna. Aven may end up being Raena’s greatest ally… if it weren’t for her mysterious connection to the Queen.
Ahhh bi/ pan main character, crossdressed knights and WLW romance? What could go wrong?
Not much, as it turns out.
Traitors of the Black Crown is an engaging story set in an interesting world. The history, politics and geography of the book are fascinating in of themselves, and the author does a great job of providing us with background information without relying on exposition or letting things become boring.
The characters navigate a rapidly shifting political landscape, which in itself is fascinating to read about. And along the way, they manage to engage in the most adorable, solid romance of all time.
RAENA AND AVEN HAVE THE MOST ADORABLE CHEMISTRY, ICYMI
Pearce’s treatment of blurred gender lines is also a treat to read about. Raena moves effortlessly from male to female gender roles and vice versa, her identification and presentation at different times depending on the needs of circumstance. I also greatly enjoyed the lack of toxic masculinity among the knights, and the affirmation of her gender at all times as whatever she said it was.
The great many paragraphs (from Aven’s perspective) devoted to describing how ripped Raena is, and how adept she is at bonking people over the head with her sword are the cherries on top of a delectable book.
There are mild issues with the grammar and sentence structure in places. These will probably get fixed by the time the book is ready to publish 🤞🏾. Some aspects of the plot also seemed atypical or out of place, like they were in place to serve an aesthetic rather than advance the plot.
But absolutely none of that is an impediment to the enjoyment of the book. Traitors of the Black Crown knocks it out of the park with this delightful saga, and I’m now eagerly looking forward to book 2.
Disclaimer 1: I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Disclaimer 2: The below review is based on an ARC and some things may be subject to change prior to publication.
She could see and smell the sea, which her heart had missed. It wrapped like a coiling snake through her senses, the salty air kissing her with homesick longing.
Synopsis: Raena Schinen has spent over a decade in hiding, masquerading as a boy. Just when her revenge against the Queen seems within reach, Raena finds herself contending with the beautiful Duchess Avenna. Aven may end up being Raena’s greatest ally… if it weren’t for her mysterious connection to the Queen.
She would come to the conclusion, after much reflection, that she didn’t believe she would love only one type of person exclusively, woman or man.
Ahhh bi/ pan main character, crossdressed knights and WLW romance? What could go wrong?
Not much, as it turns out.
Traitors of the Black Crown is an engaging story set in an interesting world. The history, politics and geography of the book are fascinating in of themselves, and the author does a great job of providing us with background information without relying on exposition or letting things become boring.
The characters navigate a rapidly shifting political landscape, which in itself is fascinating to read about. And along the way, they manage to engage in the most adorable, solid romance of all time.
Aven: “No. No, stupid boy.”
Raena/ Rowan: “Excuse me, Duchess. I’ll have you know I’m simple and ignorant, at best.”
RAENA AND AVEN HAVE THE MOST ADORABLE CHEMISTRY, ICYMI
Pearce’s treatment of blurred gender lines is also a treat to read about. Raena moves effortlessly from male to female gender roles and vice versa, her identification and presentation at different times depending on the needs of circumstance. I also greatly enjoyed the lack of toxic masculinity among the knights, and the affirmation of her gender at all times as whatever she said it was.
The great many paragraphs (from Aven’s perspective) devoted to describing how ripped Raena is, and how adept she is at bonking people over the head with her sword are the cherries on top of a delectable book.
There are mild issues with the grammar and sentence structure in places. These will probably get fixed by the time the book is ready to publish 🤞🏾. Some aspects of the plot also seemed atypical or out of place, like they were in place to serve an aesthetic rather than advance the plot.
But absolutely none of that is an impediment to the enjoyment of the book. Traitors of the Black Crown knocks it out of the park with this delightful saga, and I’m now eagerly looking forward to book 2.
June 11, 2021
Four and a half
Raena and Finn have both survived the massacre of their families and now years later Raena has reinvented herself as the brave knight Rowan. Sent to take part in a tournament they both unwittingly get on the bad side of the Prince which sees these best friends separated and sets Raena on a path to justice and also love.
Honestly I thought this was a stand-alone so I’m more than a little disappointed that I have to wait for the next book to get more answers. Raena is without a doubt very courageous and I loved her interactions with Finn which sadly disappeared as the story unwound. She’s a character of mystery because as much as she believes she knows her antecedents there were inconsistencies surrounding her particularly when it comes to her abilities. Exiled to serve Aven , Raena is far away from the mission she’s set herself of revenge against the tyrannical and murderous Queen. Yet with the kingdom on the brink of war it appears that justice can be served but it’s pretty obvious that so many secrets and lies have been told and this ends not quite on a cliffhanger but definitely leaving the reader with far too many questions.
I did enjoy this although at times I wanted things to speed up. I had guessed at least one very big secret but even that revelation somehow got bogged down with inconsequential waffling about what would happen to the Kingdom. No real explanations about why the Prince is just so thoroughly evil and messed up with an end that felt rushed to me. From comments I’ve read by the author we might get more about Finn in the follow up although for this reader as welcome as that is I sincerely hope there more world building as there are people/ creatures here that really needed a lot more explanation.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Raena and Finn have both survived the massacre of their families and now years later Raena has reinvented herself as the brave knight Rowan. Sent to take part in a tournament they both unwittingly get on the bad side of the Prince which sees these best friends separated and sets Raena on a path to justice and also love.
Honestly I thought this was a stand-alone so I’m more than a little disappointed that I have to wait for the next book to get more answers. Raena is without a doubt very courageous and I loved her interactions with Finn which sadly disappeared as the story unwound. She’s a character of mystery because as much as she believes she knows her antecedents there were inconsistencies surrounding her particularly when it comes to her abilities. Exiled to serve Aven , Raena is far away from the mission she’s set herself of revenge against the tyrannical and murderous Queen. Yet with the kingdom on the brink of war it appears that justice can be served but it’s pretty obvious that so many secrets and lies have been told and this ends not quite on a cliffhanger but definitely leaving the reader with far too many questions.
I did enjoy this although at times I wanted things to speed up. I had guessed at least one very big secret but even that revelation somehow got bogged down with inconsequential waffling about what would happen to the Kingdom. No real explanations about why the Prince is just so thoroughly evil and messed up with an end that felt rushed to me. From comments I’ve read by the author we might get more about Finn in the follow up although for this reader as welcome as that is I sincerely hope there more world building as there are people/ creatures here that really needed a lot more explanation.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
May 2, 2021
This book absolutely delivered on its central premise: I really loved the relationship between "Rowan" and Avenna develop and was incredibly invested right from their first awkward meeting. This is a really solid take on the "girl disguises herself as a male knight to save her life" trope and I really liked how the author handled it, especially with regards to the growing romance with Avenna. The author's created a loveable cast of characters that it's a delight to spend time with (even if some of them, you love to hate) and I adored the slow escalation of the political stakes. Very excited to see where this series goes!
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 17, 2020
I wish I could write a review even half as good as this book! Cate is an incredibly talented writer who had me hooked from the very first chapter of Traitors. The story is told from various characters' points of view, and each character is fleshed out and given depth to their stories. It makes for an interesting and exciting story as a whole, although I must confess I am a bit partial to my favorite characters: Aven and Raena. As someone who is constantly seeking out strong, queer connections between women in the media I consume, this book did not let me down! Traitors of the Black Crown has all the makings of an unforgettable story, and I can't recommend it enough!
June 21, 2021
Probably 2.5 stars, rounded up.
I appreciate being given the chance to read an arc of this book!
I will try to remain fair in rating this, since it is an arc of the author's debut novel, but, on the whole, I found this book to be only “okay” in many regards. But I will begin by going over the things I enjoyed first:
+ Some of the world-building. In particular, I liked the race/creatures (?) known as the Boens. Beings that were driven from their homeland and forced underground to live in darkness, and who return with vengeance to burrow their way to the surface and pull their enemies under? Yeah, I'll admit that they were fascinating and probably my favorite aspect of the world-building. Another bonus is that when they showed up, things often started happening immediately, which lead to some gripping scenes. I would have liked to have learned a little more of how they survived under those initial circumstances when they were driven from their homeland, but I assume that might be explored in later books.
+ Zarana. To me, she was the character with the most personality and goals, and while she wasn't super likeable, I did come to grudgingly admire her over the course of the story. Bonus points for her being a badass older woman!
I wish there were more pluses, but I think a lot of the other aspects would fall under being only “okay”. Unfortunately, that's also the category I'd place the other two POV characters, Raena and Aven, under.
Raena, who is the main protagonist of the story, just never came together for me. I couldn't get a good grasp on who she was as a person, aside from someone desiring to become/remain a knight and bide her time in order to get revenge on Queen Zarana. Raena is exiled very early into the story and doesn't seem all that bothered by it, which seemed at odds with what we know about her up to that point, since it would mean leaving her bestfriend and ambitions behind. After that she just seems to go with the flow of what other people decide for her for a good part of the book.
I know even less about Aven, except that she's very kind and polite and just..."Good". She's a noble, but not really, but she's also super important at the same time?? No offense intended, but I think her main point in the book was to be Raena's love interest and the author was grasping for ways to make her more relevant in addition to that (at least in this book). They were not bad characters by any means, but I can't say that I found either of them very compelling.
Another thing that didn't really come together for me was the plot. I'd say that not until the last third or so does anything resembling a cohesive plot begin to form. There are many separate threads that are laid early on, but they wander far from each other before beginning to stitch themselves into something that feels more connected. Once it did, it was fairly enjoyable, but there were so many moments before where I just wasn't engaged and would become impatient with the book.
---
CW for violence, somewhat graphic death of animals (horses), homophobia, mild sexual content, ableism, past sexual assault (mentioned, not very detailed).
I appreciate being given the chance to read an arc of this book!
I will try to remain fair in rating this, since it is an arc of the author's debut novel, but, on the whole, I found this book to be only “okay” in many regards. But I will begin by going over the things I enjoyed first:
+ Some of the world-building. In particular, I liked the race/creatures (?) known as the Boens. Beings that were driven from their homeland and forced underground to live in darkness, and who return with vengeance to burrow their way to the surface and pull their enemies under? Yeah, I'll admit that they were fascinating and probably my favorite aspect of the world-building. Another bonus is that when they showed up, things often started happening immediately, which lead to some gripping scenes. I would have liked to have learned a little more of how they survived under those initial circumstances when they were driven from their homeland, but I assume that might be explored in later books.
+ Zarana. To me, she was the character with the most personality and goals, and while she wasn't super likeable, I did come to grudgingly admire her over the course of the story. Bonus points for her being a badass older woman!
I wish there were more pluses, but I think a lot of the other aspects would fall under being only “okay”. Unfortunately, that's also the category I'd place the other two POV characters, Raena and Aven, under.
Raena, who is the main protagonist of the story, just never came together for me. I couldn't get a good grasp on who she was as a person, aside from someone desiring to become/remain a knight and bide her time in order to get revenge on Queen Zarana. Raena is exiled very early into the story and doesn't seem all that bothered by it, which seemed at odds with what we know about her up to that point, since it would mean leaving her bestfriend and ambitions behind. After that she just seems to go with the flow of what other people decide for her for a good part of the book.
I know even less about Aven, except that she's very kind and polite and just..."Good". She's a noble, but not really, but she's also super important at the same time?? No offense intended, but I think her main point in the book was to be Raena's love interest and the author was grasping for ways to make her more relevant in addition to that (at least in this book). They were not bad characters by any means, but I can't say that I found either of them very compelling.
Another thing that didn't really come together for me was the plot. I'd say that not until the last third or so does anything resembling a cohesive plot begin to form. There are many separate threads that are laid early on, but they wander far from each other before beginning to stitch themselves into something that feels more connected. Once it did, it was fairly enjoyable, but there were so many moments before where I just wasn't engaged and would become impatient with the book.
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CW for violence, somewhat graphic death of animals (horses), homophobia, mild sexual content, ableism, past sexual assault (mentioned, not very detailed).
June 11, 2021
This review contains NO spoilers.
Summary
This book was an okay read, but not a great read for me. I really loved the premise of it: Raena is a girl forced to masquerade as a boy for the sake of her survival in an empire where her family was murdered. She takes on the persona of a knight and while going through life holds a secret vendetta against the kingdom that she hopes to one day murder the Queen for what happened to her family. Going by the name Rowan, the story begins with her and another knight named Finn taking place in a gruesome competition put on by the crown. The tournament goes awry and Raena finds herself in a new land without anyone she knows and has to ultimately keep up with pretending to be a man.
Plot
This book was so slow at times that I put it down for days (if not weeks!) before I felt the want to finish it. A lot of the details and conversations didn’t only feel pointless, but they also were a little annoying. With this being said, there were several parts that I was excited to read and couldn’t put the book down for. Unfortunately, the slower parts just seemed to overwhelm the rest for me. The plot was not bad, but there were a lot of things that happened that left me with many questions. It just felt almost unfinished in the explanations in a way that it wasn’t meant to.
World-Building
The world-building was definitely lacking in this book. While some places I could see clearly in my mind, most of the cities and countryside explained were just a blur in my mind. I could be wrong, but some parts seemed to almost contradict earlier statements? If you gave me a pencil and asked me to draw even a sliver of this map, I would not be able to.
Characters/Romance
I loved the relationship between Finn and Raena, but there were long lengths of time where he wasn’t mentioned at all. I wish the relationship they had continued in the same way throughout the whole book. It could have made me connect to the characters more. In my opinion, Raena’s character did not really develop a lot. She had a goal from the beginning and was adamant on keeping to it the entire time which isn’t bad, but it is so very predictable. A lot of the conversations (between anyone except Finn and Raena) felt forced which is partly what made it so difficult to get through this book. There was no real spark or event that caught my attention and made me invest in these characters.
I loved the fact that this book has sapphic representation in it, but it just… didn’t live up to my expectations. It could be because I didn’t really feel connected to any of these characters, but the romance is just very simple. It plays out, in my opinion, like most romance novels you can buy anywhere.
Overall
I was disappointed in this book. I initially wanted to read it because of the sapphic representation, but this book was pretty hard to get through. I really gave it several chances, but it is rare for me to put down a book and then not want to pick it up again.
I want to thank Netgalley, Cate Pearce, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.
Summary
This book was an okay read, but not a great read for me. I really loved the premise of it: Raena is a girl forced to masquerade as a boy for the sake of her survival in an empire where her family was murdered. She takes on the persona of a knight and while going through life holds a secret vendetta against the kingdom that she hopes to one day murder the Queen for what happened to her family. Going by the name Rowan, the story begins with her and another knight named Finn taking place in a gruesome competition put on by the crown. The tournament goes awry and Raena finds herself in a new land without anyone she knows and has to ultimately keep up with pretending to be a man.
Plot
This book was so slow at times that I put it down for days (if not weeks!) before I felt the want to finish it. A lot of the details and conversations didn’t only feel pointless, but they also were a little annoying. With this being said, there were several parts that I was excited to read and couldn’t put the book down for. Unfortunately, the slower parts just seemed to overwhelm the rest for me. The plot was not bad, but there were a lot of things that happened that left me with many questions. It just felt almost unfinished in the explanations in a way that it wasn’t meant to.
World-Building
The world-building was definitely lacking in this book. While some places I could see clearly in my mind, most of the cities and countryside explained were just a blur in my mind. I could be wrong, but some parts seemed to almost contradict earlier statements? If you gave me a pencil and asked me to draw even a sliver of this map, I would not be able to.
Characters/Romance
I loved the relationship between Finn and Raena, but there were long lengths of time where he wasn’t mentioned at all. I wish the relationship they had continued in the same way throughout the whole book. It could have made me connect to the characters more. In my opinion, Raena’s character did not really develop a lot. She had a goal from the beginning and was adamant on keeping to it the entire time which isn’t bad, but it is so very predictable. A lot of the conversations (between anyone except Finn and Raena) felt forced which is partly what made it so difficult to get through this book. There was no real spark or event that caught my attention and made me invest in these characters.
I loved the fact that this book has sapphic representation in it, but it just… didn’t live up to my expectations. It could be because I didn’t really feel connected to any of these characters, but the romance is just very simple. It plays out, in my opinion, like most romance novels you can buy anywhere.
Overall
I was disappointed in this book. I initially wanted to read it because of the sapphic representation, but this book was pretty hard to get through. I really gave it several chances, but it is rare for me to put down a book and then not want to pick it up again.
I want to thank Netgalley, Cate Pearce, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.
June 10, 2021
Thank you for the chance of reading an ARC of this book.
So I want to get one thing straight: this was an amazing debut book, it just had a few parts that didn't vibe that well with me (thus it landed on a strong 3.5 rating), but we'll get to that later. I would like to talk about the good parts first.
The world Cate has created is as real as it can be and I think this is one of the books strongest points, the worldbuilding. It is a place with distinct climate, flora and fauna depending on the area (nothing unreal like, in this corner we have winter and over there sits summer), with an exciting history to boot. You can tell how much effort was put in it, so the reader can just step inside and enjoy the view.
Another incredibly strong part of the book was in my opinion the romance and the action. I don't want to spoil anything, but gawd, these parts always made my heart race.
Also there are some amazingly complex characters with so many layers, they bring onions to shame. Yes, I just watched Shrek again recently, how did you guess? But while some characters shone brightly, there was one who stood out like a decrepit building next to nicely renovated houses and that is Zander. Right from the start he was like a cartoon villain, with almost no complexity beyond him being really ugly. He was evil for evil's sake, arrogant and petty, but for no real reason whatsoever. He was the rotten apple in our onion basket, lacking any layers and just stinking up the place.
And while some conversations were above and beyond, some were really dragging on, not really giving the reader anything of value. I understand how some political debates, discussions and negotiations take time, but unless they are cleverly written and part of it can be cut out without harming the story... Then maybe those parts should be trimmed. I know how in real life debates go on forever, but if I'm in the mood for endless drivel, I can always watch our glorious leaders hurl insults at each other in the Parliament/TV.
Lastly the part that knocked this book down from a solid 4 to 3.5, namely the ending. It was just... so meh after all the excitement and action and romance that once I finished the book I actually felt a bit disappointed, I guess. I'm not saying it was bad, but it wasn't good either. It just fell flat on its face and decided to stay there from now on.
To sum it up: Would I recommend this book to f/f fantasy fans? Absolutely! Am I looking forward to the next installment? Most definitely! It was by no means perfect, but it did exceptionally well in some areas that I really commend it for and about 90% of the time I had fun reading it, even if it left a somewhat weird aftertaste in my mouth. Though maybe that was just the onion I ate.
So I want to get one thing straight: this was an amazing debut book, it just had a few parts that didn't vibe that well with me (thus it landed on a strong 3.5 rating), but we'll get to that later. I would like to talk about the good parts first.
The world Cate has created is as real as it can be and I think this is one of the books strongest points, the worldbuilding. It is a place with distinct climate, flora and fauna depending on the area (nothing unreal like, in this corner we have winter and over there sits summer), with an exciting history to boot. You can tell how much effort was put in it, so the reader can just step inside and enjoy the view.
Another incredibly strong part of the book was in my opinion the romance and the action. I don't want to spoil anything, but gawd, these parts always made my heart race.
Also there are some amazingly complex characters with so many layers, they bring onions to shame. Yes, I just watched Shrek again recently, how did you guess? But while some characters shone brightly, there was one who stood out like a decrepit building next to nicely renovated houses and that is Zander. Right from the start he was like a cartoon villain, with almost no complexity beyond him being really ugly. He was evil for evil's sake, arrogant and petty, but for no real reason whatsoever. He was the rotten apple in our onion basket, lacking any layers and just stinking up the place.
And while some conversations were above and beyond, some were really dragging on, not really giving the reader anything of value. I understand how some political debates, discussions and negotiations take time, but unless they are cleverly written and part of it can be cut out without harming the story... Then maybe those parts should be trimmed. I know how in real life debates go on forever, but if I'm in the mood for endless drivel, I can always watch our glorious leaders hurl insults at each other in the Parliament/TV.
Lastly the part that knocked this book down from a solid 4 to 3.5, namely the ending. It was just... so meh after all the excitement and action and romance that once I finished the book I actually felt a bit disappointed, I guess. I'm not saying it was bad, but it wasn't good either. It just fell flat on its face and decided to stay there from now on.
To sum it up: Would I recommend this book to f/f fantasy fans? Absolutely! Am I looking forward to the next installment? Most definitely! It was by no means perfect, but it did exceptionally well in some areas that I really commend it for and about 90% of the time I had fun reading it, even if it left a somewhat weird aftertaste in my mouth. Though maybe that was just the onion I ate.
October 1, 2021
Raena Schinen has a lot of issues, firstly she's not supposed to be alive because everyone believes she perished in a fire along with her entire family and bloodline.
Her second issue stems from the first but has a creative spin in that she can no longer be Raena Schinen so instead, she now goes by Sir Rowan. As if pretending to be a man wasn't enough, Raena now finds herself straying towards the fairer sex when she becomes the knight for Duchess Avanna.
Thirdly, and pay attention because this one is the ultimate doozie, Raena is out for vengeance against her Kingdom's Queen and Prince who arranged the fire in which her entire family perished.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Raena who has lived her life by one simple rule: Never let them get too close and who can blame her? As she is thrust into service for Avenna, and Raena begins craving her touch, the simple truth of her identity could devastate her entire life's purpose. I honestly felt for Raena, her struggles of hiding who she is and what she wants was a torment that I cannot articulate.
Traitors of the Black Crown did have one great lesson after all the battles, lying, conniving, and treachery which is the importance of understanding people's motives, looking beneath the surface for that which lingers untold.
I am truly torn by this novel because despite having a strong LGBTQ representation and an enigmatic main character, I had some issues which were mainly the inconsistency in the writing and plot development. While there was very intricate world-building, there were certain areas that felt stretched and seemed to go on forever without any relevance to the salient points.
Thank you to Hansen House and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Her second issue stems from the first but has a creative spin in that she can no longer be Raena Schinen so instead, she now goes by Sir Rowan. As if pretending to be a man wasn't enough, Raena now finds herself straying towards the fairer sex when she becomes the knight for Duchess Avanna.
Thirdly, and pay attention because this one is the ultimate doozie, Raena is out for vengeance against her Kingdom's Queen and Prince who arranged the fire in which her entire family perished.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Raena who has lived her life by one simple rule: Never let them get too close and who can blame her? As she is thrust into service for Avenna, and Raena begins craving her touch, the simple truth of her identity could devastate her entire life's purpose. I honestly felt for Raena, her struggles of hiding who she is and what she wants was a torment that I cannot articulate.
Traitors of the Black Crown did have one great lesson after all the battles, lying, conniving, and treachery which is the importance of understanding people's motives, looking beneath the surface for that which lingers untold.
I am truly torn by this novel because despite having a strong LGBTQ representation and an enigmatic main character, I had some issues which were mainly the inconsistency in the writing and plot development. While there was very intricate world-building, there were certain areas that felt stretched and seemed to go on forever without any relevance to the salient points.
Thank you to Hansen House and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2021
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this hidden gem!
This is a medieval fantasy book with a lot of political intrigue and little to no magic, which felt like a breeze of fresh air. It has a girl knight undercover and a sapphic romance, wonderful worldbuilding and scenery, epic and well-described battles, complex problems, amazing characters and so much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything and absolutely flew through this book. I loved the writing style, the book was so addictive and beautiful to read. I loved all the characters, they were complex and interesting, it was so fun learning about their past little by little. I loved the romance, you could feel the tension between them, see it in their interactions and thoughts. All the scenery was breathtaking, different castles described in just enough detail to differentiate between them easily. We were told about cultural differences, political systems, history, lore in this fantasy land, but not in too info-dumpy way. One thing that surprised me the most was the author's great attention to detail at all times. The other thing was that in this book they don't use just your typical YA swords, but other medieval weapons as well! I never knew how much I wished to see other weapons in a fantasy book, to see beloved characters wield an axe or a polehammer or poleaxe against some big brute with a warhammer, instead of just swordfighting!
I only have 3 complaints which are in essence actually the same thing - I needed more! The first thing is about the changing between 3 POVs. It was nice and well done, but every time we started following other character, we didn't get to see what the other characters were doing in the meantime, which felt a bit jarring as I wanted to see and experience what everyone was going through at any given moment. Instead of that we saw where the other character was only when the POV changed again and we were briefly told what has happened with them in the mean time. The second complaint is that the story itself could be longer, told in greater detail, contained more scenes. The last thing is that the ending was a bit too abrupt, unsatisfactorily concluded, which felt rushed.
Needless to say, I can't wait to read the sequel!
This is a medieval fantasy book with a lot of political intrigue and little to no magic, which felt like a breeze of fresh air. It has a girl knight undercover and a sapphic romance, wonderful worldbuilding and scenery, epic and well-described battles, complex problems, amazing characters and so much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything and absolutely flew through this book. I loved the writing style, the book was so addictive and beautiful to read. I loved all the characters, they were complex and interesting, it was so fun learning about their past little by little. I loved the romance, you could feel the tension between them, see it in their interactions and thoughts. All the scenery was breathtaking, different castles described in just enough detail to differentiate between them easily. We were told about cultural differences, political systems, history, lore in this fantasy land, but not in too info-dumpy way. One thing that surprised me the most was the author's great attention to detail at all times. The other thing was that in this book they don't use just your typical YA swords, but other medieval weapons as well! I never knew how much I wished to see other weapons in a fantasy book, to see beloved characters wield an axe or a polehammer or poleaxe against some big brute with a warhammer, instead of just swordfighting!
I only have 3 complaints which are in essence actually the same thing - I needed more! The first thing is about the changing between 3 POVs. It was nice and well done, but every time we started following other character, we didn't get to see what the other characters were doing in the meantime, which felt a bit jarring as I wanted to see and experience what everyone was going through at any given moment. Instead of that we saw where the other character was only when the POV changed again and we were briefly told what has happened with them in the mean time. The second complaint is that the story itself could be longer, told in greater detail, contained more scenes. The last thing is that the ending was a bit too abrupt, unsatisfactorily concluded, which felt rushed.
Needless to say, I can't wait to read the sequel!
April 12, 2021
This was a long read, and whilst I had other things to do today, I am all about slow burn queer fantasy and this was fantastic!
Off the bat, its been a long time since I’ve had to put a book down because of the amount of rage I held towards the villain. Zander is incredibly well-written and consequently incredibly easy to hate. His role in the book, and the amount of physical and political power he wields is incredibly frustrating. I would have thrown the book, but if I broke my tablet I wouldn’t have been able to finish it!
Traitors of the Black Crown opens with a series of Trials for Knights of the kingdom, hosted by Zander (who takes great joy in unnecessary cruelty). Despite her best efforts, our protagonist Raena is banished to a foreign Duchy to serve Duchess Avenna (Aven) as political and violent turmoil washes over the land.
I adored Raena, and liked Aven – their character development was both logical AND a slow burn, which I really enjoyed; it made sense and was romantic at the same time, something that other queer romances can struggle to balance. I am all for secret identities and also people falling in love with personalities and their values rather than just because they are queer.
Can I give this 4.75 stars? It’s so so close to 5 (so I’ll round it up!) but I would have loved a map and/or a mini history at the start of this excellent book. A significant amount of character development was rooted in the previous conflict and the areas involved and so, whilst the worldbuilding was excellent and often clearly communicated, it would be good to have something along those lines to introduce the reader.
However, I adored Traitors of the Black Crown, and it physically hurt me to have to put it down to sleep last night, and then I ignored most of my work today (whoops) to finish it. F/F romance, politics and conflict – a definite must-read recommendation for 2021!
My thanks to NetGalley, Hansen House and the brilliant Cate Pearce for this e-ARC!
Off the bat, its been a long time since I’ve had to put a book down because of the amount of rage I held towards the villain. Zander is incredibly well-written and consequently incredibly easy to hate. His role in the book, and the amount of physical and political power he wields is incredibly frustrating. I would have thrown the book, but if I broke my tablet I wouldn’t have been able to finish it!
Traitors of the Black Crown opens with a series of Trials for Knights of the kingdom, hosted by Zander (who takes great joy in unnecessary cruelty). Despite her best efforts, our protagonist Raena is banished to a foreign Duchy to serve Duchess Avenna (Aven) as political and violent turmoil washes over the land.
I adored Raena, and liked Aven – their character development was both logical AND a slow burn, which I really enjoyed; it made sense and was romantic at the same time, something that other queer romances can struggle to balance. I am all for secret identities and also people falling in love with personalities and their values rather than just because they are queer.
Can I give this 4.75 stars? It’s so so close to 5 (so I’ll round it up!) but I would have loved a map and/or a mini history at the start of this excellent book. A significant amount of character development was rooted in the previous conflict and the areas involved and so, whilst the worldbuilding was excellent and often clearly communicated, it would be good to have something along those lines to introduce the reader.
However, I adored Traitors of the Black Crown, and it physically hurt me to have to put it down to sleep last night, and then I ignored most of my work today (whoops) to finish it. F/F romance, politics and conflict – a definite must-read recommendation for 2021!
My thanks to NetGalley, Hansen House and the brilliant Cate Pearce for this e-ARC!
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