REVIEW: The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty

The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Synopsis: An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls’ military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

Genre: YA Romance, Fantasy

Review: This book caught my eye as I perused the shelves of Barnes & Noble one day and it was so beautiful that I picked it up, hoping it would be as interesting as the cover. To my delight, it sounded like just the book I would love! So I got an eBook and put it on my to-read list. And let me tell you, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book.

Sage Fowler is an orphan living with her aunt and uncle. She knows it is time for her to secure an apprenticeship and begin a career, but her uncle instead schedules an interview with the Matchmaker, who holds Sage’s entire future in her hands. When the interview does not go well, Sage returns to apologize and leaves with an apprenticeship. With the Matchmaker. Sage’s quick wit and problem-solving skills lead her into a dangerous game involving the kingdom’s most eligible brides, an unforeseen evil with a dastardly plan, and the military spies who are determined to stop it. Through love, betrayal, and self-discovery, Sage must depend on herself to save the fate of the kingdom and those she holds dear.

This book is described as Jane Austen meets espionage and goodness if it isn’t true. I was nervous that this book would be mediocre, or that the romantic plot would overshadow all the action of the main conflict, but it doesn’t. It’s all so perfectly woven together and it results in the rug being pulled out from under the reader more than once. I always love a good, unpredictable read, and this one had some great surprising moments.

Sage Fowler is a very strong heroine. She speaks up for herself, even when it perhaps isn’t the best idea, and is very intelligent. She enjoys teaching, especially history, and wants to be a tutor. I always enjoy reading about book smart heroines and I feel like there aren’t as many of those as there are street smart ones, especially in the realm of fantasy. She was definitely a character I related to and rooted for throughout the whole book, which kept me hanging on as her story developed. She reminded me a little of America Singer from the Selection trilogy, but Sage is far less annoying and much easier to follow as a character.

There are many other characters that make this story interesting, but things get confusing and I can’t spoil any of the surprises! Alexander Quinn is the son of the man who commands the kingdom’s armies. We meet him as he embarks on his first missions under his father in his new role of authority, and he must think quickly to make the right choices for his men and the kingdom, especially when he learns of the evil plan he must stop without his father’s help. We also meet a soldier, Ash, who finds himself drawn to Sage, despite the knowledge he should stay away. The Matchmaker is smart and tricky and ultimately probably holds the key to the unfolding of the rest of the books. These characters are simple, yet well-rounded and Beaty keeps you reading and hoping to learn more with every page.

There was some controversy surrounding this book, which is really why I took half a star off its rating (it was too good to take anything more off). The characters are incredibly diverse, which is a plus, however Beaty’s descriptions of them never vary any more than a mention of “his dark skin.” I, for one, was glad to read there was diversity and have the characters exist simply as people who aren’t defined by their race, but I also understand why readers were unhappy. I did, however, read that Erin Beaty has listened to this criticism and she will be very intentionally stepping it up in the second book in The Traitor’s Circle, which comes out spring of 2018. I will definitely be reading and reviewing it and can’t wait to see how she improves based on the criticism she received.

This was one of my favorite reads lately. I am so happy that it was better than I expected and I can’t wait for the next book! I have this one on my Kindle, but I honestly might have to buy the paperback when it comes out because that cover is too gorgeous to not own the hard copy. If you decide to read it, please let me know what you think! This is definitely one about which I would love to hear your feedback!