Review – The Traitor’s Kingdom by Erin Beaty

Title The Traitor’s Kingdom (The Traitor’s Circle #3)

Author Erin Beaty

Description from Amazon

A new queen under threat.
An ambassador with a desperate scheme.
Two kingdoms with everything to lose.

Once a spy and counselor to the throne, Sage Fowler has secured victory for her kingdom at a terrible cost. Now an ambassador representing Demora, Sage is about to face her greatest challenge to avoid a war with a rival kingdom.

After an assassination attempt destroys the chance for peace, Sage and her fiancé Major Alex Quinn risk a dangerous plot to reveal the culprit. But the stakes are higher than ever, and in the game of traitors, betrayal is the only certainty.

Initial Thoughts

I honestly don’t know how I overlooked this series for so long.  I basically discovered it in June and lucky for me, the last book released in July.  I think I confused it with a different series that I had already read but I’m so glad I finally noticed I hadn’t read this one yet.  I was so excited to read the final book in this series.  Please see my hype post for my full expectations.

Some Notes About the Description

There was a lot going on at the end of the last book and this description doesn’t give us a ton to work with.  We already know that there is definitely at least one traitor in this mix (otherwise, this would be a terrible title for the series).  But, the last book set us up for a traitor and a deception on a much larger scale.  At least one of the royals we’ve met is hiding something big.  I can’t wait to see all of the twist and turns Erin Beaty has planned.

Some Things I Liked

• Non-traditional alternating POV — despite the fact that this book is not told from first person narration, I really liked how chapters go back and forth from Sage to Alex.  I think it gives the series a lot more depth as we get to see scenes from multiple angles.
• The wager between Alex’s mother, father, and the head of intelligence.  I love that Erin Beaty took characters that are so well-respected in this world and showed their fun and comical sides.
• Incorporating Sage’s scars and burns into the story.  Too often, heroes in books are seemingly perfect but I really liked that Erin Beaty showed that Sage is damaged and the things she saw at the Battle of Black Glass changed her on the inside and out.  Sage is not the same person she was in the first book and I thought her transformation was very well done.  I also liked that Sage was self-conscious about her appearance.  It made her more relatable as a character.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

• Claire Holloway — I really liked her in the first two books but she frustrated me here.  I’m not saying I don’t like her character, but I felt her life was just so sad and then everything just got worse and worse.  Then, she was almost annoying at times in relation to Sophia and her jealousy over Sage’s relationship with Alex.  I wish she had been a bit older because she was quite childish at times during this story.

Series Value

I love this series.  I loved the political landscape Erin Beaty created and I think there is tons of potential for spin offs and future stories set in these countries.

Final Thoughts

Finishing this book was a bit bittersweet for me.  I’m so glad I did because I really did love this series, but I’m also sad because it’s over.  I hope to see more set in this world and I am definitely going to be a lifelong fan of Erin Beaty’s writing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

• The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross – another epic story about rebellion, secrets, and spying.  The whole series has not been released yet, but the first two installments are not to be missed if you enjoyed The Traitor’s Kingdom.
• Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – since this series starts out with a huge nod to Mulan, definitely check out Spin the Dawn if you enjoyed this series.
• Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith – if you liked the secrets, royals, and political landscape of this series, give Bloodleaf a try.