Traitor by Laurie Lucking (Book Review)

I was honored to be on the Bookstagram tour for this lovely book today, and I thought I’d share my review here too!

Title: Traitor

Author: Laurie Lucking

• Date read: April 25, 2021
• Rating: 5 stars
• Genre: Fantasy / Christian fantasy
• Age: YA
• Year pub: 2021
• Pages: 278 (paperback)
• Series: Tales of the Mystics, book 2 (Book 1 is Common)
• Fave character: Prince Vander
  
• Source: The publisher, L2L2 Publishing
• Notes: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are entirely my own.
• Book links

I so enjoyed this book! What a delight! It swept me away to a richly detailed new land of differing cultures, filled with relatable characters and a sweet tale of marriage alliance and searching for redemption.

It was an intriguing twist to follow Princess Penelope, an antagonist from the previous book, Common. (Note: you’ll appreciate parts of Traitor more if you’ve read Common, but it’s not necessary. Despite being hazy on the details of Common since it was awhile since I read it, I still enjoyed this one immensely.) I wasn’t sure about her at first but I loved getting her perspective on things and I quickly grew to feel for her, traveling far away to a new country to marry the son of an emperor.

Prince Vander is the NICEST HUMAN. I kept wanting to shake Penelope and tell her to appreciate this good soul! XD I loved how appreciative he was and how anxious to make her at home in his country, despite her tendency to build walls around her heart. He truly cared and was SO SWEET but also human and I loved that.

Side characters were fun too, from cameos of characters from the first book (eep!) to spirited Princess Dionne, guards, loyal lady’s maid Victoria…

I adored Delunia! Experiencing Penelope’s head-first immersion in this colorful new culture and new language was neat. The setting was so gorgeous!

Penelope’s past mistakes haunted her in a very real way and led to said wall-building around her heart, pushing away those who cared about her from fear of being hurt again by opening herself to love. It could be frustrating at times to see her make those choices, but eye-opening as well, and the journey she took was ultimately so satisfying.

Loved it!

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Thanks for reading! 🙂

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Valentine Giveaway! Common by Laurie Lucking

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’m celebrating by offering a giveaway for a copy of COMMON by Laurie Lucking!

I ended up with an extra copy signed by the author, and I want to share the love! I read it as the Fellowship of Fantasy book of the month for May last year. It was a runner-up for my favorite reads of 2018, and it just makes me happy. ^_^ Plus it has an adorbz romance, so it seemed like just the right book to give away today. ❤

Scroll to the end for the giveaway, and for a Jane-Austen-inspired sale and an Amazon gift-card giveaway the Vintage Jane Austen authors and some others are offering!

First, here are five thoughts on Common and why should read it!

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5 Thoughts on Common

1. The world/setting: You feel like you’re home. At first I thought it might be a Kingdom Adventure book until fantasy elements showed up later in the story. But I just loved the cozy fantasy kingdom setting and it felt so — I don’t know! I felt so at home and I just want to hug this book. ❤ (It made me think a little of books by Gail Carson Levine.)

2. Leah — She tells the story, which is a fact I keep forgetting (I don’t always love first-person, but the ones I most enjoy are the ones where I’m so sucked in that I forget!), and I just loved this red-haired servant girl. She has this sort of . . . I don’t know . . . quiet strength. She’s lovely.

3. Rafe — You have to love the prince character! Rafe is so absolutely sweet and I love him. He also feels sort of stuck in all these political schemes, and wishes he could just stay in the closet he and Leah meet in and just read with her forever. Rafe is just SO PRECIOUS. And kind of epic too.

4. The nuns — They’re quite unexpected but such neat characters! I loved how distinct they all were, each with their own personalities and temperaments, and they were unexpectedly lovable side characters. You’ll have to read it to see how they join in on the plot, but it’s really cool. 😉

5. The plot: a mix of secrets and court intrigue and politics and plots, mixed with quiet character moments and journeys, with a smidge of magic and the barest hint of an almost-Cinderella tale, and all wrapped up in an absolutely precious romance thread. Leah and Rafe are just SO ADORABLE, okay? I adore them. But I also loved reading about Leah’s adventures. 😀 This book stands alone, but I’m still so looking forward to the sequel!

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Add to Goodreads • Find on Amazon • Visit the Author

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GIVEAWAY

To win this gorgeous paperback copy of Common, signed by the author, enter via the Rafflecopter form HERE! (Open to US residents only, due to shipping costs. Begins Feb. 14, 2019, and ends Feb. 20, 2019, at midnight Central Time.)

EDIT: The giveaway is now CLOSED. The winner has been contacted. Thanks for entering, everyone!

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A Sale + Another Giveaway

P.S. Check out this Jane-Austen-Inspired Valentine  ebook sale and $45 Amazon gift-card giveaway! Check out the details HERE or click the image below!

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If you want to read my reviews of some of the Vintage Jane Austen books, you can see those here:

 

If you like Common, you may also enjoy:

   

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Now let me know in the comments: Do you have a favorite fictional couple?

Thanks for reading! 🙂

In Bookish News: May 2018 + Hiatus

I’m going on hiatus but thought I’d share a quick list of bookish things going on this month!

Fellowship of Fantasy is hosting a fun #MayWeRead hashtag game if you’d like to get in on that! *is so tempted but hiatus*

Speaking of Fellowship of Fantasy, in the bookclub we’re reading Common by Laurie Lucking this month and I’m super excited to try that one! I’ve never been much of a bookclub person, but I love this club. XD

Indie E-Con is coming up May 21-26 and I hear tell of a scavenger hunt or Facebook party or both on the 19th I believe… Check out the website for all the fun that’s going on.

MAY BOOK RELEASES

I probably won’t be reading any of these any time soon (except the first one), but I do like to keep up with what’s coming out that looks intriguing, so I thought I’d share!

(Titles link to Goodreads.)

• The Story Peddler – Lindsay A. Franklin — Currently reading this one, which just released, so expect a review soon! 😀
• The Penderwicks at Last – Jeanne Birdsall — The final Penderwicks and I’m NOT READY. *sobs* I hope my library gets this one.
• In the Region of the Summer Stars – Stephen R. Lawhead — Celtic fantasy is something I’m always up for.
• All That We See or Seem – Kristina Mahr — I almost wish Uncommon Universes would stop coming up with amazing-looking books; my TBR is suffering.
• Dissociate – Sarah Addison-Fox — MEEP.
• Dagger’s Sleep – Tricia Mingerink — Sleeping Beauty? I’m intrigued. 😉

I will probably be back for a book review or maybe more than one, but for the most part I’m not focusing on blogging this May, so consider this a hiatus notice.

I hope you have a wonderfully bookish May, friends!

Perhaps I’ll be back in early June with a June In Bookish News post. 😛

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer / Deborah O’Carroll