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The Bonegates #3

Traitor Witch

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I’m the prisoner of my enemy.
And boy is she a piece of work.
Queen Pari thinks that if she keeps me in a nice room and well-fed she can manipulate me. As if I’m one of her brain-washed peons.
I’m not about to fall for her ploys, but I don’t make trouble either. I spend my time trying to break free and dig up dirt on the queen.
Until I stumble across a piece of information that flips my world.
As if turns out, everything I thought I knew was a lie . . .
Traitor Witch is book three in The Bonegates Series, a fae epic fantasy series. This series is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Raven Kennedy.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2021

33 people are currently reading
106 people want to read

About the author

Ashley McLeo

62 books715 followers
Ashley lives in the lush and green Pacific Northwest with her husband, their dog, and the house ghost that sometimes makes appearances in her charming, old home.
When she’s not writing urban fantasy and portal fantasy novels she enjoys traveling the world, reading, kicking butt at board games (she recommends Splendor and Dominion), and frequenting taquerias.
For all the latest releases and updates, subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, The Coven, today!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Debbie Eyre.
5,897 reviews116 followers
July 28, 2021
This is a great series and this third book is a fantastic addition! A highly addictive epic fae fantasy series full of secrets, lies and betrayal and once you pick this up you will not be able to put it down! The storyline is entertaining and the battles action packed. We pick up where book two left us with Lana and her sister prisoners of queen pari and this leads to tons of questions that need answering. It’s a fab addition with magic and suspense and I loved it!
785 reviews4 followers
July 29, 2021
Well written and descriptive Fae series, these girls are finding their feet and discovering that all is not as it seems. Start at book one recommended for full effect.
2,996 reviews43 followers
October 20, 2021
This is book three of The Bonegate series and starts up with Lana and her half-sister Crystal both being caught by Queen Pari, after their failed attempt to gain access to the castle in Buyan to assassinate her, whilst her other half siblings and her father’s army lead a diversional battle near the border. They were put in the dungeon for a day then allowed up into normal but warded rooms, so they could not use their magic against anyone. The queen surrounds herself with three ladies in waiting as such, but in reality they are some of her most powerful warriors, all in different areas. One is a powerful ward maker and once they found out what magic the sisters had, was able to ward the whole castle against any ill action from them. Both are wary of Queen Pari at first, as she tries to be friendly towards them and Crystal soon believes what Pari is telling them, about the origins of the battle for the Bonegate and her fight with King Oberon, their father. Lana is determined to believe in her father and distrust every word that Pari says, looking for evidence of the queen’s wrongdoing at every opportunity. That isn’t helped by her being assigned a personal guard for when she wants to journey outside of the castle and the happy state of all the people she sees in the city and ones she manages to speak to. They are nothing like the citizens of Lyonesse, who appear downtrodden and weary, with no access to magic making their lands desolate, as well as the people.
When she gets a surprise visitor to her room, as does Crystal, something that Oberon had informed her wasn’t possible fr someone from the Old Land and without Fae magic, she starts to wonder if he had been telling her the truth. She did find one piece of evidence in the queen’s study, but when her familiar Naela returns with a message from the king himself, it knocked the final nail in the coffin of her belief in her father! She finally realises that everything she and her siblings had been told by their father was a pack of lies. She cannot return to Lyonesse now and even her familiar Naela is threatened with a swift death if seen anywhere in the king’s skies! Meanwhile Finn had returned from the attempted assassination attempt, with the guilt of leaving two of his sisters behind and is desperate to go on a rescue mission for them. But his father isn’t moving very fast and seems reluctant to discuss any rescue. Oberon had been training Lana up as his General and in her absence, Finn thought his father would rely on him more, but he was sadly mistaken. A new magic reveals itself to Finn, coming from his demon side and allowing him to produce shadows shaped as figures, which will obey his every command. He hates the shadows that burn his blood black and seek to escape him all the time, but will soon realise the benefits of having them as he ends up having to spy on his own father’s actions, to seek the truth.
Half of the siblings have managed to escape to Buyan, but the others are still under Oberon’s control, as are the families of the guards who helped them. Some of them know the truth about Oberon and his plans to use the Bonegate to take over the Old Lands, where humans live. If he gets to follow through with his plans, all of their human families will be killed, or used as pawns to control them, as well as the world they all came from being destroyed by this power hungry madman. As a fae he has a long life to plan and execute all of his evil plans against Queen Pari, after she refused to go along with his plans many years ago. Who will side with the queen and the siblings, against the king and his deadly feathered fae and his son Casimir, will be a hard fought battle, with many thinking their allegiance is with the king until they are convinced of the truth. The story isn’t over yet, as an attack occurs in the finale and some are captured, but a key group escape and could cause chaos elsewhere. Pawns have been taken and threats made against them. What one side will be willing to do with them is unclear, but you know it won’t be anything nice! Lana, Finn, the queen and all the rest, won’t rest until they put a stop to Oberon and all his loyal followers, to destroy another world, like he has destroyed Lyonesse, keeping power and magic only for himself and a few trusted people. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series and it seems from the title, that Lana will need to extend her learning about her powers, to become the powerful force she can be, especially against the prince and his father Oberon. I receives an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Profile Image for Book Magic.
289 reviews2 followers
December 8, 2021
This book has it all...

This book (series) has it all romance, family drama, magic, and adventure galore.
*warning may contain spoilers*
Lana and Crystal ( half-sisters) are butting heads once again as they are held prisoner in Queen Pari’s castle. Lana the ever devoted daughter and head of her fathers' army thinks Queen Pari is planning their deaths, while Crystal (3rd in command of the army) thinks the Queen is telling the truth and trying to get King Oberons' children to open their eyes to what is truly happening in their Father’s kingdom?
Meanwhile back at King Oberon's castle Finn(1/2 brother and best friend to Lana) is distraut over having to leave his sisters, but had he not none of his siblings or himself would have made it out alive. He fears the worst, as he awaits his fathers plan for a rescue mission. His frustration leads him to scope around the castle where he finds out the truth about his father the ruthless King Oberon. In a heroic fashion he rushes to gather all his siblings so they might leave and be safe from there maniacal father. Fate has different plans though and he is gorged yet again to leave part of his family behind as he rushes to save the lives of part of his siblings, a few of his guard friends, and himself. Minor fights and battles ensue until its time for the ultimate battle invasion of his fathers land. They hope to free his people once and for all if they can just convince them of the truth of the King they hold so highly. It is then that they find out just how far their father has gone to brainwash his citizens and imprison others with potions and elixirs. They also find out how truly diabolical their father is by the way he uses them and their loved ones against them. They also find our how truly out powered they are as their brother the Crown Prince cam now weird all levels of the light spectrum, all 4 elements, and has a huge dragon as a familiar. This battle may come to an end BUT THE WAR IS FAR FROM OVER!


The books in this series just keep getting better. I can't wait to get the next installment. Do yourself a favor and start the wild ride of a series. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Nancy (The Avid Reader).
3,068 reviews128 followers
July 24, 2021
Crystal and Lana have been taken prisoner by Queen Pari. They are doing everything they can to find a way to escape. They are casing out the castle learning their way around learning where all the exits are. Their search is leading them to question everything they have been told all their lives about the Queen and their Father.

Meanwhile, Finn is also trying to come up with a plan to storm the castle and rescue Crystal and Lana before it is too late. Finn is running into the same things as Crystal on his end. He is also starting to question everything he has been told as well.

Traitor Witch is full of lies, betrayal, and secrets. As truths were revealed I was left wondering who was who and leaving me with lots of questions like who could be trusted and who couldn’t? And was anybody who they claimed to be? Traitor Witch is loaded with plenty of action with battle scene after battle scene. Which I love by the way.

Oh, and did I mention the twists? The twists are surprisingly twisted and huge. I enjoyed all the fighting scenes involving magic. I adore all the characters. I fell in love with all the characters all over again.

I really loved and enjoyed one of their Father’s secrets tremendously. It just put a whole new twist on the story. I can’t wait to read more stories from The Bonegates series/world.

As always I highly recommend Traitor Witch to anyone who loves magic, fantasy, and magical creatures. One-click your copy of Traitor Witch today!
73 reviews1 follower
July 24, 2021
Traitor Witch is the third book in the Bonegates Series. If you have read the first two books then this one is a must read.

The story picks up right where book two ended. Our protagonist, Lana, is now a prisoner of Queen Pari along with her sister Crystal. What will happen to them. Will they be punished, killed or just keep as a prisoner, you’ll have to read the story to find out. I can tell you that things don’t turn out the way you think they will. Secrets will be revealed and the villain of the series is not who you thought it was.

This book also gives the reader a second point of view (POV) from our second protagonist, Finn. Throughout the book the POV changes from Lana to Finn so pay attention. The reader will know who’s POV it is as their name is at the top of each chapter.

This book gives us more battles, more magic, deceit and lies and romance as Lana and Finn finally are able to hook up with the person they love.

In my opinion, this is the best book in the series so far. I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way to late to finish reading. The book doesn’t end in a cliff hanger but it leaves you wanting the story to go on. I guess we’ll just have to wait for book four.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My opinion of the book is my own and was not influenced by anyone.
Profile Image for debturk1970_bookvibes.
1,853 reviews18 followers
July 25, 2021
Betrayed & Heart Sore Or Blinded By Loyalty?💔😭😑🙏👑
A long Wait But Worth It!😎🌈🌹📚
Traitor Witch (The Bonegates Series Book #3)

It's been a bit of a wait since book #2 but it was definitely worth it.😍 I loved reading it in dual POV's. I felt Finn & Lana were an excellent & bold choice too, as siblings & bestfriends, they aren't what you'd usually expect👍

Lana is as stubborn & blinkered as usual in the first part of this story. It drives a wedge between her & everyone around her. She's isolated enough as it is, being a prisoner of Queen Pari, whom she was sent to assassinate!😔 Can the Queen possibly turn Lana to her side??😲

Finn returns from Buyan filled with guilt. He left two sisters behind, he had to, to save many more but the guilt is almost unbearable!😭 His shadows are burning him inside to be used more often, he feels disgust at them but can't keep denying them either. He soon discovers that they're far more useful than he ever knew of could guess!😎

This has a building pace that explodes towards the end.💥 The world building of Faerie is excellent, as ever. My hope for book #4 is the gains in strength of character for Lana stick for good this time.🙏 She comes across as a bit wishy washy other wise!😕 She needs to slide her mantle on & wear it with confidence.👑 Her Father is irredeemable, is his full Fae blood son too? I can't wait for the next book!🌟

Debbie, 1970, UK
Profile Image for Diana Page.
903 reviews16 followers
July 30, 2021
Lana and Crystal ( the 2 half-sisters that can’t stand each other ) are “prisoners “ in Queen Pari’s castle, if being in luxurious rooms and eating amazing food is being held prisoner!! What exactly is happening, is Queen Pari planning their deaths or is she trying to open their eyes to what she s truly happening in their Father’s kingdom ? Finn is beside himself trying to find a way to get both his sisters home to the castle when he over hears and sees things he shouldn’t. Then it’s a mad dash to get to Queen Pari’s Kingdom, with 3 of his siblings and 2 of his guards/friends in tow. There are several fight scenes, twists and come of ages scenes on top of that . Things are not as they seem in their Father’s kingdom and Lana, Crystal and Flynn make plans with some unusual people to storm their Father’s Keep to save the rest of their family as well as the Fae living under their Father’s rule. And by storm they meant sneak attack into the castle’s underground caves carved by the Giants eons ago. Nothing goes as planned and the hits just keep on coming !! To me this is the best of the series by far !! Not only are some things explained, all of those pesky little things you thought about when you read books 1&2 are answered. A few grammar hiccups, but not enough to drag this from it’s 5⭐️ rating. Ashley McLeo has a hit series on n her hands !!
Profile Image for Victoria Golby.
1,702 reviews14 followers
April 22, 2024
A great continuation of the Bonegates series, seen from Lana and Finn's POVs.

Lana and Crystal are now both held prisoner in Queen Peri's castle. But while Crystal has started to see the truth, Lana is still the devoted daughter believing in what their father has told her.

Finn is worrying about having to leave his sisters behind, to save the others and starts to investigate round the castle; in doing so finds out the truth for himself. Can he get to his sisters in time to help them and can they help the people of their father's kingdom?

Some great characters, and no-one is who they seem at first. There are plenty of secrets to be uncovered by Lana and her siblings while they learn about the new land they are living in and the rules and traditions. Friendships are made, tested, lost and renewed and I found I couldn’t put it down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
68 reviews
July 31, 2021
What a twist! Lana and Crystal have been taken prisoner by Queen Pari. They’ve been taught how evil and bad she is, but is she really? Has their father been telling them the truth? The divide between the two sisters widens as one hangs on to their beliefs, and the other seems to be swayed to the other side. Who is right?

Finn is desperately trying to find a way to rescue his sisters from Pari’s evil clutches, but keeps hitting roadblocks. Why aren’t they mounting a mission to bring them back? Or is there a plan in place that he’s not a part of?

Secrets are revealed, the battle is pitched and hard-fought. The reader will spend a lot of time trying to figure out the truth of who is telling the truth, and who is a betrayer. Excellent continuation of the series, and I look forward to the next!
Profile Image for Stan Hutchings.
1,336 reviews21 followers
August 7, 2021
Book 3 starts immediately after 'Assassin Witch' as Lana tests the magic holding her and Crystal captive in Queen Pari's "guest rooms" in Castle Dalir, warded from magic and guarded. Finn has escaped from Castle Dalir by setting loos his demons, which promptly killed all the soldiers surrounding him. Now his demons want to escape from his body. Crystal is entranced by Queen Pari but Lana is still convinced she is evil, despite lack of evidence. Terrible secrets are discovered by Lana. She must rethink her deep convictions and face the truth. Joining with Queen Pari and her army and allies, the siblings attack Castle Dalir, evil King Oberon, Prince Casimir, the Feathered Fae, and their army. Can they defeat the overwhelming might and magic aligned against them? The final outcome awaits in the 4th Book, Illuminator Witch.
Profile Image for Shayay.
2,800 reviews55 followers
July 30, 2021
Third book in this series, so I’d recommend reading the previous books. This one starts right where the last one left off; Lana and Crystal are prisoners of Queen Peri after they went to try to kill her because of things their father told them. Things aren’t exactly as they thought though; secrets and intrigue! There’s POV from Finn as well; he’s trying to find a way to save Lana and Crystal, and he’s dealing with his own problems too. Cool action and suspense, and the overall vibe to the story is interesting. Enjoy the magical elements and the fae world setting. This has been a fun series so far!
Profile Image for Donna.
807 reviews14 followers
August 12, 2021
Traitor Witch(The Bonegates Series Book 3) by Ashley McLeo, Lana is taken prisoner by Queen Pari and intends to not being taken in by her ploys. She then stumbles upon some information and wonders if everything she thought she knew was a lie. This is a great book that I receive via bookfunnel which I am willingly reviewing. I recommend this series that includes all the things that, in my opinion, make a great fantasy. Love this and the other books in the series and looking forward to the next book. This, and the previous books in the series, are available on Amazon.
Profile Image for Kira.
1,637 reviews
April 17, 2024
Traitor Witch brings readers right back into it with one interesting moment after another! So many characters, so many with their own agendas, and a lot of mistrust, even amongst family. It is becoming more apparent just how cruel and manipulative King Oberon is. We are definitely building to an all out war, and it will be interesting to see who makes it out after. Traitor Witch has put readers in a state of continuous edge-of-their-seat suspense, and I look forward to what will take place for these characters in book 4!
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews53 followers
July 12, 2021
Traitor Witch: A Dark Faerie Series (The Bonegates Series Book 3) by Ashley McLeo is an amazing story to read. This is book number three in this amazing series that I am so hooked on and can not wait to read the rest. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about witches and magic.

I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
4,477 reviews21 followers
July 27, 2021
Unfortunately Crystal and Lana are prisoners of Queen Pari and rescue and escape plans are in the works as the story opens. But things are not what they seem and secrets, lies and betrayal are the high in the story. It was entertaining, kept me glued to the end to figure out what is really going on both small and bog and the characters are as always interesting and entertaining. A good story in the series that I enjoyed.
544 reviews2 followers
August 5, 2021
Third book in the series and the twists just keep coming. Lana and her sister are prisoners searching for ways to escape. While doing this they encounter betrayals, lies and plenty of fighting action. On this latest journey many involved will learn some secrets are revealed and not everyone is who they first appear to be.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for S A.
139 reviews4 followers
July 18, 2021
This was the best book of the series so far for me. Without spoilers, I’ve been waiting for what happened in this book since book one and am happy it finally happened! Also, I loved that we got to read from Finn’s perspective and hope that continues in the conclusion as well. I don’t think I can wait a year for the conclusion! Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Jill Gauger.
1,226 reviews11 followers
July 19, 2021
Non stop action from start to finish. A roller coaster ride full of exciting adventure.
As Lana learns the truth about her father and realizes that he is evil her thoughts turn to her siblings. With Queen Pari’s help they will fight for Layonese and deliver them from King Oberon’s oppression.
I can’t wait for the next book. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Cleocutie.
3,111 reviews24 followers
July 30, 2021
This book picks right up where book 2 left off and is told from the points of view of Crystal and Lana. They are finding out what they thought they knew isn't necessarily true and having to readjust their points of view. I love how the story is fast paced and constantly surprises you with the twists.
Profile Image for Jacklyn Crawford.
9 reviews
September 30, 2021
OMG!!!!!

Ok I suspected some thing but Ashley took it to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. I can't believe that I have to wait until May for thr next book. I want to know now lol.

As always Ashley had me on the edge of my seat and soon as I thought I figured everything out. Think again. I love a character that I thought I was suppose to hate. People are more then you think they are.
Profile Image for Thea Kubicki.
571 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2021
More action, deceit, betrayal, illumination--the further adventures of Lana, Finn, and their siblings continue in the third book of the Bonegate series. Can't sit the next book to come out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Aizlynne.
793 reviews7 followers
July 16, 2021
This is my favorite of the three in the series so far. Having the chapters with Finn's perspective adds a lot to the narrative. I feel like Lana's character has the most growth in this book as well. It all makes for a very engrossing tale that has me anxious for the conclusion!
Profile Image for Elpis G..
204 reviews4 followers
July 29, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I quite enjoyed this book. This book focuses on Lana and Crystal who are prisoners of Queen Pari and Finn who is trying to rescue them. As they all soon learn, things are not what they seemed originally.

I’ve said this every book but I quite enjoy the character development of everyone. Crystal has grown into a likable character into this book. And Lana has also grown a lot as she tries to figure out the truth. Her methods were very creative and it made for an interesting read. On the other side it was interesting to watch Finn trying to figure out what was happening to them and watching him slowly uncover the truth.

Despite this character development and new world development, I did find the middle part of the book to be a bit of a drag for me personally. I’m not really the biggest fan of fight scenes. And while the powers everyone does make it more interesting, it was hard for me to get through. Despite that, there were still important things happening and some plot twists I didn’t see coming. I’m looking forward to the last book to see how this is all concluded.

Overall 4.5/5 stars.
Profile Image for Elisa.
3,230 reviews43 followers
August 2, 2021
Well, now that was a thrilling adventure…
Who is telling the truth, who is full of cr*p
Oh and the end fight was well worth it.
I love how it all came together in this one but also let me wanting more.
All the siblings are coming into their own and I’m loving all of them so much.
Profile Image for Michelle VanDaley.
1,702 reviews5 followers
July 21, 2021
Fantastic series filled with characters you will definitely become invested in. I love the world the author has created. There is plenty of action, suspense, magic & twists. I look forward to more
Profile Image for Sherlene.
260 reviews1 follower
July 24, 2021
I absolutely love it!! This is an amazing series of books, with great characters.. a fabulous read by a great author.🙂
Profile Image for Jessica Willoughby.
1,577 reviews12 followers
July 28, 2021
Fun next book

This book was fun because you see the main character grow up a lot and that makes this series even more enjoyable to read
Profile Image for April Stacey.
436 reviews2 followers
January 9, 2022
Wowsers what a book

Loving the characters and dreading what is to come! This book is filled with action, heart break, fear and love. Ready for book 3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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