Format: E-Book, 384 pages
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Imprint
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
A captain with a secret.
A spy with a mission.
A kingdom on the verge of ruin.
In the sequel to The Traitor’s Kiss, war breaks out between nations and Sage Fowler must infiltrate enemy territory to reconnect with her first love, Captain Alex Quinn.
After proving her worth in book one as a deft spy and strategic matchmaker, Sage Fowler is now comfortably positioned in high society as the royal tutor. When she’s called upon to teach his majesty’s soldiers how to read and write, she jumps at the chance to serve her kingdom of Demora—and to be reunited with her fiancé, Captain Alex Quinn.
During a skirmish, Sage and Alex are separated. She watches him die before he can deliver important military intel—or so she thinks. She escapes from the enemy and makes an unlikely alliance with a mysterious soldier from a third nation. As Sage tries to rally their support against a common foe, the important political alliance is plagued by secrets and betrayal.
Can Sage complete Alex’s mission and save her kingdom once more?
During a skirmish, Sage and Alex are separated. She watches him die before he can deliver important military intel—or so she thinks. She escapes from the enemy and makes an unlikely alliance with a mysterious soldier from a third nation. As Sage tries to rally their support against a common foe, the important political alliance is plagued by secrets and betrayal.
Can Sage complete Alex’s mission and save her kingdom once more?
The Traitor's Ruin is the second installment in author Erin Beaty's The Traitor's Circle trilogy. Things have definitely changed for Sage Fowler, the girl once deemed too emotional to be eligible to marry and found herself working as a matchmaker and a spy which led her on an adventure of the dangerous variety. These days, Sage is happily engaged to marry Captain Alexander Quinn. She has a best friend in Lady Clare Holloway. She is a royal tutor to the youngest prince and princesses, and is someone who has the Queen's trust.
It you are looking for a time frame between The Traitor's Kiss and this story, it is approximately 9 months. 9 months since Sage last saw Alex who has been out putting out fires & dealing with the aftermath of the D'Amiran rebellion. It is also 644 days until Alex can legally marry Sage because of his rank in the military. But, when Sage hears about an important mission that Alex is involved in, she asks the Queen to suggest that she go along with Alex while continuing to be Nicholas's tudor. Queen agrees.
The King has chosen to reinstate the Norsar battalion that was disbanded 24 years ago as part of the peace accords and disarmament condition with Tamsin. With Alex being offered command of the unit, it means that he will have to travel and leave Sage behind. Again. He will need time to train an elite unit while keeping an eye out for those suspected of crossing the border with Casmun. With Sage along for the ride, Alex spends a great deal of time worrying about her safety, and sees her as a burden. He also has the same nightmares over and over again which drives his protectiveness of Sage.
Sage, meanwhile is busy trying to prove herself to everyone which seems silly considering all she's been through and all she's done. Then, after an enemy force attempts to kidnap Prince Nicholas while Alex is away, Sage fights with everything she has in her arsenal to protect his life, and ends up in a foreign land called Casmun. As there are quite a few new characters in this new country, I won't actually name them all. I will say that Sage becomes more of an ambassador between the kingdoms since the Casmin King wants an open dialogue with Sage's homeland.
There are some positives and negatives about Sage. Sage has a tendency of getting the best out of everyone she meets. Her best role has been that of a teacher whose students love being around her because she brings excitement, but she's also a pretty good spy and researcher as shown when she is trying to understand two separate but similar languages. But, can you imagine having someone like Alex who admits that he would let everyone die if it came to saving Sage's life? What kind of burden must that place on a person's psyche let alone her own confidence in being able to stand toe to toe with any adversary?
There is another character who is part and parcel of this story. His name is Captain Malin Huzar. Huzar is from Kimisara who chose to keep his unit behind in Demora after the D'Amiran rebellion where they blended into the scenery and made lives for themselves. Huzar believes that the only way to get home is to kidnap someone important and sue for peace. Unfortunately for Huzar, he never met anyone like Sage, and her determination to keep those she cares for out of harm's way.
In closing, the author tells her story via Sage and Alex, with breaks to allow readers to wonder what in the world is going to happen next and what role Huzar will play when all is said and done. I have no doubts that Alex and Sage love each other passionately. So profoundly when Sage believes Alex fell to the enemy. Even though they spend most of the book apart, and apparently even more challenges lie ahead, I am hopeful of a happy ending for the ages.
Interesting cover.Makes me think things won't go so well. And secrets....love 'em.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental