What do you think?
Rate this book
The Traitor Queen
Crete at the height of its brilliant civilization is the stage for an unparalleled story of mystery, deceit, and romance.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
33 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Faulkner
30 books5 followersA native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Ms. Faulkner developed her love of history growing up and taught school in Virginia before moving to New York City where she wrote many books for children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 27, 2021
Crete at the height of its brilliant civilization is the stage for an unparalleled story of mystery, deceit, and romance. The palace of Minos at Knossos seethes with an undercurrent of intrigue and hatred as the foreign Queen entertains her armed countrymen from Mycenae.
Willful Thalamika is irresistibly drawn to the Mycenean Prince, but she disdains the earnest advice of her friends to stay away from this outsider. Andrios, the young confidant to the royal family tries desperately to uncover the truth behind rumors of disaster that plague the royal court.
The pageantry of ritual dances, festivals to the Earth Mother and Poseidon, the daring and skill of young men and women trained as Bull Leapers for the Cretan Bull Games, the luxurious court of Knossos with its frescoed walls, its Nubian Guard, its slaves - all the fascination of this ancient civilization comes vividly to life in a story of very real people and emotions.
The teen characters, some of which are downright petulant and self-centered, are very reminiscent of how teenagers are seen today (and it's surprising to think not much has changed in a few millennia). They live within a society that contains all ages but their older mentors and family members are more obtuse and shadowlike, their characters are not very developed. But it seems that their main purpose was to be the foils to the main characters,
Headstrong Thalamika does learn that good looks are not everything and can cause one to be misled. The author spent time on Crete as part of her research for the book, and it definitely shows. The description of the Bull Games is all but riveting and was the highlight of the novel. And the unnamed goddess ("The Lady of the Labyrinth") reminded me of the titles that Mary, Mother of Jesus has been given over the centuries in Catholicism. The politics, religious culture, and rising conflict make for a great story and an effortless way to absorb an ancient culture.
Willful Thalamika is irresistibly drawn to the Mycenean Prince, but she disdains the earnest advice of her friends to stay away from this outsider. Andrios, the young confidant to the royal family tries desperately to uncover the truth behind rumors of disaster that plague the royal court.
The pageantry of ritual dances, festivals to the Earth Mother and Poseidon, the daring and skill of young men and women trained as Bull Leapers for the Cretan Bull Games, the luxurious court of Knossos with its frescoed walls, its Nubian Guard, its slaves - all the fascination of this ancient civilization comes vividly to life in a story of very real people and emotions.
The teen characters, some of which are downright petulant and self-centered, are very reminiscent of how teenagers are seen today (and it's surprising to think not much has changed in a few millennia). They live within a society that contains all ages but their older mentors and family members are more obtuse and shadowlike, their characters are not very developed. But it seems that their main purpose was to be the foils to the main characters,
Headstrong Thalamika does learn that good looks are not everything and can cause one to be misled. The author spent time on Crete as part of her research for the book, and it definitely shows. The description of the Bull Games is all but riveting and was the highlight of the novel. And the unnamed goddess ("The Lady of the Labyrinth") reminded me of the titles that Mary, Mother of Jesus has been given over the centuries in Catholicism. The politics, religious culture, and rising conflict make for a great story and an effortless way to absorb an ancient culture.
March 4, 2022
One of my favorite books when I was in junior high and high school. I read it several times. The characters seemed real to me and the action was exciting. I also liked the historical details that were included.
August 22, 2021
A young girl in the court of King Minos of Crete helps to thwart a plot to overthrow the king. A good way to show the culture of Crete and Mycaenae in the ancient times with a little romance.
September 2, 2019
I read this book as a teen, many,many years ago. It was one of my favorite books! I learned a lot about ancient Greece and the island of Crete.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews