A companion novel in The Ravenspire series, The Traitor Prince is a reimagining of the fairytale The False Prince. You don’t need to read the other Ravenspire novels to enjoy this book, The Traitor Prince stands alone as a spectacular YA fantasy and could be my favorite YA of 2018. (Yeah, sure it’s only March but I’m confident this book will make my top ten of 2018 by the end of the year.) It is a fast and furious adventure of betrayal and sacrifice. If you loved Renee Ahdieh’s A Wrath and The Dawn duology, then you need to read The Traitor Prince.
Ahhh, this book is soo good. When I finished reading, I almost flipped to the beginning to read it again because I wasn’t done savoring the story. And I would have read it again, if I didn’t need to drive my daughter to the swimming state championship. Kids really have no respect for reading binges and now I’m left with a book hangover.
More About The Traitor Prince
After ten years at a remote boarding school, Prince Javan has fulfilled his mother’s dying wish of earning the crimson sash in the final exam. (This isn’t a written test, the final exam is more like the Goblet of Fire except he doesn’t compete against a hot vampire.)
(Are you fully appreciating how I just worked in a gif of fetus Rob Pat? You’re welcome. Incidentally, both stories do have a dragon. A dragon? I know, I didn’t realize this book would have a dragon but trust me it works. And there are no singing dwarves, I solemnly swear.) After winning the crimson sash and the title of Most Honored, Javan is ready to return to his kingdom. But when a group of assassins kidnap him and dump him in a lake, Javan must hone his skills to escape imminent death. By the time he returns to the school, he learns an impostor has taken his place and assumed his identity as the crown prince.
Javan sets off to stop the traitor prince, only to find a murdered headmaster, a treacherous uncle and no one to validate that he’s the genuine prince. In an attempt to kill the traitor prince, Javan is wrongfully accused of treason and thrown into his kingdom’s infamous prison. If Javan wants to survive, he’ll have to win a gladiator tournament to gain an audience with his father, the king.
Why I loved The Traitor Prince
The narrating characters are well crafted and compelling. The chapters switch between the crown prince Javan, the traitor prince Rahim, and the prison warden’s slave Sajda. Javan is loyal, honorable and determined. Rahim is villainous and motivated but you really come to understand why he feels he has a right to rule. And then poor enslaved Sajda has been living in a prison since she was five. She’s tough, competitive and fiercely loyal to those she befriends.
The gladiator-esque tournament is intense and entertaining. The prisoners must fight fantastically awful creatures intent on ripping the poor contestants to shreds. It’s very Russell Crowe but against way freakier things.
The alliance between Javan and Sajda is swoon worthy. Javan compels Sajda to help him survive the prison and the tournament. But it’s his honor and loyalty that win her heart. The romance between them doesn’t turn on overnight; it’s a slow burn built on respect.
The Traitor Prince just came out and you can buy it on Amazon. I would recommend it to anyone who loves an epic adventure with a gladiator tournament. Seriously, even guys would like this book. If you enjoyed The Boozy Book Club’s March read The Flame in the Mist, then this is your next book.
*arc provided in exchange for honest review
Have you read any of the Ravenspire Novels: The Shadow Queen, The Wish Granter or The Traitor Prince?
