Name: Hope Brockway's review of The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty
Item: The Traitor's Kiss
Rating: 3
Author: Hope Brockway

Erin Beaty

"Sage Fowler, the apprentice to a matchmaker, becomes a spy for the army to uncover a treasonous plot and finds herself entangled in a romance with a soldier"--

The Traitor's Kiss

Hope Brockway

In a historically inspired fantasy realm, the apprentice to a matchmaker becomes a spy for the army to uncover a treasonous plot and finds herself entangled in a romance with a soldier. "One of the most hotly anticipated young adult fantasy reads of 2017.” —Bustle "An action-packed, expertly plotted story, drenched in double crosses and intrigue, with an irresistible heroine and a sweet and sexy romance.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war. What makes her unfit to be a lady, makes her a brilliant spy—but can she spot another? 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. With secret identities and a tempestuous romance, Erin Beaty's YA novel, The Traitor’s Kiss, is a classic story with an espionage twist. An Imprint Book Praise for The Traitor's Kiss: "Marital and martial matters collide when brides and spies become ensnared in a treasonous plot. . . . Sage is a clever, contrary female protagonist who remains realistic and likable, while her fellow protagonist Ash is enigmatic enough to require a second read. . . . Both epic and intimate, a semi–old-fashioned alternative to the wave of inexplicably lethal superheroines and their smoldering love triangles." —Kirkus Reviews "This is an action-packed, expertly plotted story, drenched in double crosses and intrigue, with an irresistible heroine and a sweet and sexy romance. A late-breaking twist gives way to a final act that will leave readers eager for subsequent books in this planned trilogy." —Publishers Weekly , starred review "Complex characterization, deftly layered adventure story, and [a] balanced blend of political maneuvering, romantic interludes, and action scenes." —Kirkus Reviews "Beaty balances a taut web of deceit . . . readers will be carried away by the mystery." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB) "A debut novel that blends fantasy, romance, and battlefield action. . . . A slow burn YA fantasy with clever genre mixing." —School Library Journal

Cute story- was definitely surprised when Ash was Quinn & then where there was a real Ash! Lol 

Excited to start the next book and see where this one goes with the story because it has such a positive ending. 

Brianna Hickey 

Cute story- was definitely surprised when Ash was Quinn & then where there was a real Ash! Lol 

Excited to start the next book and see where this one goes with the story because it has such a positive ending. 

In the sequel to Beaty's acclaimed "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.

The Traitor's Ruin

Audrey Lord

A VERY slow start but once it gets into the meat of the story, you feel like your back in the first book and it's purely amazing

"This is an action-packed, expertly plotted story, drenched in double crosses and intrigue, with an irresistible heroine and a sweet and sexy romance. A late-breaking twist gives way to a final act that will leave readers eager for subsequent books in this planned trilogy." —Publishers Weekly , starred review 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 proper lady—which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for a suitable 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. With secret identities and a tempestuous romance, Erin Beaty's The Traitor’s Kiss is full of intrigue, espionage, and lies. An Imprint Book "Marital and martial matters collide when brides and spies become ensnared in a treasonous plot. . . . Sage is a clever, contrary female protagonist who remains realistic and likable, while her fellow protagonist Ash is enigmatic enough to require a second read. . . . Both epic and intimate, a semi–old-fashioned alternative to the wave of inexplicably lethal superheroines and their smoldering love triangles." —Kirkus Reviews "Complex characterization, deftly layered adventure story, and [a] balanced blend of political maneuvering, romantic interludes, and action scenes." —Kirkus Reviews "Beaty balances a taut web of deceit...readers will be carried away by the mystery." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB) "A debut novel that blends fantasy, romance, and battlefield action. . . . A slow burn YA fantasy with clever genre mixing." —School Library Journal

A captain with a secret. A spy with a mission. A kingdom on the verge of ruin. After proving her worth as a deft spy and strategic matchmaker, Sage Fowler is now comfortably positioned in high society as the royal tutor. When she learns of a secret mission, she jumps at the chance to serve her kingdom once more—and to be reunited with her fiancé, Captain Alex Quinn. However, Sage’s headstrong insistence clashes with Alex’s gruff military exterior. And after a skirmish with a bordering kingdom, they're separated when tragedy strikes. Now in enemy territory, Sage desperately scrambles to complete Alex’s reconnaissance mission. Can she save her kingdom once more? An Imprint Book Praise for The Traitor's Kiss: "One of the most hotly anticipated young adult fantasy reads of 2017” —Bustle "An action-packed, expertly plotted story, drenched in double crosses and intrigue, with an irresistible heroine and a sweet and sexy romance.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review "Complex characterization, deftly layered adventure story, and [a] balanced blend of political maneuvering, romantic interludes, and action scenes." —Kirkus Reviews "Beaty balances a taut web of deceit...readers will be carried away by the mystery." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB)

I liked this book a lot more than the first!! The plot was good and I’m glad they didn’t make it a love triangle. I’ll definitely read the third. 

Maddy T

It’s a good book! Pretty unique plot but at the same time I’ve read this stuff before. But still it was really good! I will read the second book. 

elizabeth church

This book was so great!! Loved the main character, Sage… reminded me of Jude Duarte and who wouldn’t love anyone like her. And the plot twist was insaneeeee. I was so confused at first I had to read previous chapters just to put two and two together.

Plot was a little iffy, but loved Alex and Sage’s relationship!! Great book, other than the fact that I cried for an hour after reading the ending.

Unlikely alliances are forged and trust is shattered in the stunning conclusion to Erin Beaty's The Traitor’s Trilogy--The Traitor's Kingdom. 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. An Imprint Book "Like a PG-13 Game of Thrones...a satisfying and suspenseful end to a solid political fantasy series." —Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Traitor’s Ruin “A more YA-friendly Game of Thrones...Recalls classic novels such as Tamora Pierce's Alanna series and Robin McKinley's Blue Sword...should keep readers' appetites whetted for the third installment.” —Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Traitor’s Kiss “A thrilling tale with an unforgettable heroine and a love story that left me breathless.” —Mary E. Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of The Remnant Chronicles and Dance of Thieves

The Traitor's Kingdom

** spoiler alert **
           This was such a great series!! Loved all of the characters... although, in this book, half of the time i hated Sage and the other half I hated Clare. Other than their friendship being really annoying throughout the whole book, loved it all. I cried, literally sobbed, every time Luke Gramwell was mentioned (even though I knew barely anything about him, other than the fact that he and Clare loved each other and Sage felt guilty about his death). AND CASSECK AND LANI AHHHHHH I'm obsessed with them together!!! I always loved Casseck so the fact that he is in a relationship makes me so happy. I loved the plot in this book as well. All the events with the Kimisar, Casmuni, and Demora were great. The characters Zoraya and Huzar were great addditions to an already amazing list of characters. Loved the ending too. It was a little predictable, but I could care less, I was smiling the whole time.

Sydney Dennisseur 

AHHHH I have a new favorite fantasy book! The world building was hard at first, but I found myself understanding better as the chapters went on. I never once got bored and was satisfied until the end. THE FRICKING PLOT TWIST!!! It made my head hurt and due to the fact that I was in the car I was unable to toss my iPad out the window. I’m definitely going to read the other two books and I’m going to buy physical copies as well. I give this book 4.5/5 stars and I will be recommending to everyone I meet.

Mary Rose Luksha

3.5 stars. This was not what I thought it would be, but in a good way.

Elizabeth Bentler

This Trilogy was amazing. Had many twist and turns. Wonderful romance. Great Friendships and a beautiful world to get invested in.

Why dose no one talk about this series! 😍

this book as a little of everything. romance action as well as twists and turns.

Carley Whitehead

Bryanna Leigh

After rereading the synopsis, I should have clued it that it was going be a overly generic plot line. A girl who's different from all the others? Noooo. I've never heard of such nonsense. 

Really though, the writing is bland. The plot is bland. The pacing is slow. And I could not get myself to care enough to finish.

Alice

Kymberly L McNabb

A great read for fans of Jane Eyre and Mulan. Sage is an orphan looking to make her way in the world on her terms. When her matchmaking session goes left she’s made an offer she can’t refuse and that changes the direction of her life. Exciting, fun, adventurous, and romantic this is a page turner that can’t be put down. I can’t wait for the next one in the series!!

Heather Solov

4.5 stars

I seriously love this trilogy! It's a shame it's not talked about more. I can't believe I dragged out finishing it for as long as I did. I love how much the women in these stories are the badasses and making shit happen. That doesn't happen enough! I also loved how realistic the romance in these books is. Love isn't easy - it takes work and sacrifice and compromise. This book captures that quite well, which is refreshing for a change. 

Definitely pick up this trilogy - you won't be sorry.

About the same as the last one! Nothing ground breaking, but enjoyable! Surprised this series doesn't get talked about more.

3.5 stars

This ended up being pretty good! Nothing ground breaking, but I enjoyed all the twisted stories and spying. It definitely took me longer than I'd like to get into this story, and the twist surprisingly wasn't something I was expecting! 

Time to dive into book two! (Tomorrow...it's 3am lol)

Alejandra Bran

“I’d rather make a mistake that yield my destiny to someone else” Sage

I’ll start by saying that if you liked the “Winners trilogy” you might like this book. It’s not the best, but I believe it has a lot of potential.

The Traitor’s Kiss introduce us to a world where getting a good marrying match is one of the most important things for a lady, I know that is not far from our own history, but the writer puts a little twist on the match making process. Think about it as a bachelorette show/Cotillion/Mulan, all the girls will be taken to the capitol so that eligible rich boys can have their pick. But they can only marry if the couple is approved by the matchmaker. 

Sage Fowler is an orphan with an indomitable soul with a passion for teaching and learning. She wants anything, but to get married. Unfortunately her uncle has different plans for her. After a disastrous interview with the matchmaker, Sage is labeled as unfit for marriage and even though she is happy, her family is not. Feeling bad about her behavior and worried about the repercussions this could have on her cousins in the future; she decides to apologies to the Matchmaker, whom then reveals her she provoked her so Sage could fail. She has other plans for our heroine offering her a position has an apprentice and also a way out of what society has destined for her.

Captain Alexander Quinn has only 2 things in mind; to meet his father’s expectations and been recognized by his own achievements and not because he is the son of the general or the king’s nephew. He feels he so close to bring down a rebel group; he just needs one more time, but his father has another job for him. His squad has been assigned to protect the ladies on their journey to the capital for the consortium and to take his cousin the crown prince back with them, fortunately that’s not all he is also given a secret mission that to prove one the noble man is plotting against his own kingdom.

The plot is full of political intrigue and military tactics and that’s not really my cup of tea, but I really found myself enjoying the story more than I though. I don’t consider the book has a heavy world building; you can easily compare it to certain aspects of our own history and reality, I was so enraptured on the story that I really didn’t care about similarities. I love how Sage is given the recognition she deserves. She is the master mind; even when they are only giving her half of the information, she’s always a step ahead them. Her discoveries kept the plot going, giving their army the advantage against his enemies. I LOVED IT! 

I feel that the cast was trickily diverse; because even though certain main character are that are not fair skinned, we see how an enemy nation is described with skin so dark that in can blend with the shadows. It’s the same issue we saw with “Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth” a couple of years ago. The eternal concept of Dark is bad, light is good. Another example we read is when Sage is being evaluated and she is told that her fairness was one of the qualities on her favor to be considered for a match.

I know it’s upsetting, but at the same time I’m always of the opinion that this is the writer’s story and they can do whatever they want with it, even if it doesn’t meet the standards of every single reader. Personally I think the writer did her best to give a balance to the story, but if I’m honest it was not a big deal for me, because I found the story interesting enough to look pass it. Also at this point in my reading life; I don’t find physical descriptions to be really important, is more about if the character has right personality for me or not. (Am I the only one?)

The romance is the part where I highly judge a book. Sometimes I like it subtle, sometimes I like it explosively hot. This time I loved how it starts from the dislike stage and progresses little by little and the BAM! They are making out anytime they can. I feel that’s one of my favorite premises when I comes to the romantic part of a story. I think is sort of funny how Sage went from I just want to be free no strings attached, to I do feel like marrying this man. 

The story seems to be a trilogy, but if I’m honest I don’t feel like their story has more to give; at least Sage and Quinn’s storyline. I really hope that for the next book we get some other’s character’s perspectives and love stories, for example Ash Carter AKA the king’s bastard! YES PLEASE!

Like I said before if you’re into political themed books and wars and all that mambo this is for you.

3.5 stars

I thought I was taking a break from the fast-paced spy world of Alex Rider while reading this book. I thought I would dive into a fantasy novel with a simply gorgeous cover. And, while I was partially correct, I failed to remember that this book was, in fact, about a spy. Because I added this to my tbr about two years ago and I didn't remember what it was about when I picked it up. Going in blind can be both a blessing and a curse, especially when the cover gives absolutely nothing away.

This book is a jumble of a lot of things. It is about matchmaking, yes. But that serves as a cover for most of the book. It's about a girl finding her place in the world. It's about a girl falling in love. It's a bit more than a spy novel and I was totally loving it. 

Sage can be a bit abrasive at first but she grew on me. I actually liked her methodical way of thinking, though there were some instances where I was like "calm down, girly", but I find that a frequent occurrence when reading. She's also super clever, which I loved. There were a few moments where my mind was blown by hers and I just sat there in complete awe.

And Ash. Ah, Ash. I actually loved him. He's sweet and, though it was extremely difficult to get to know him (for both me and Sage lol), I quickly fell in love with him. I love the passionate, cinnamon-roll characters, what can I say? Plus he was a bit mysterious and we love a good mystery.

AND CHARLIE. He may or may not be my favorite character. He's so bubbly and his relationship with his brother is the absolute best. (view spoiler)[So when he died it broke me and that's why the rating when down about a star. Yeah, kinda petty but I don't really care lol. (hide spoiler)] Plus, his POVs were so cute and I actually loved them. Ugh, I just love this boy.

(view spoiler)[Also, can we talk about the twist? I had to put the book down after Quinn was called Mouse and I just . . . the time I spent apart from the book was agonizing, to say the least. It all made so much sense and I was a bit disappointed for not seeing it earlier but I also loved the fact that I was completely blindsided? Yeah, kinda confusing. (hide spoiler)]

The writing style was actually kind of gorgeous. I will say, though, that I thought there were a few too many POVs. Too much head-hopping, friends. I thought the villain POV was kind of irrelevant and, if there was no villain POV, I thought it would have made for a more interesting read. In other words, the villain POV didn't really add anything. So yeah. But the descriptions and the pacing were spot on. 

The ending was a bit rough on me. That's kind of why I knocked off a star. Plus, there were a few too many smoochies for my taste. It gave me oogies. (It got a little farther than smooching and it was a little too much at some points.) 

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a super interesting look at matchmaking and the ethics of that, which I did not expect tbh. I also enjoyed how all parts of this story weaved together. The ending was a bit satisfying due to this but also a bit rough, for reasons. 

Thanks for reading my somewhat incoherent review.

Dana Musser

apparently some people didn't see the plot twist coming, but i was just sitting there waiting for the author to reveal his identity?

Hope Brockway &
The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty

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Hope Brockway &The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty

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Hope Brockway &
The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty