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Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand |
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The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan Orbit Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand |
Reviewed By: Jo Foster |
| Warning, this review will contain mild spoilers for the
previous books in the trilogy. The Traitor Queen is the final book in the Traitor Spy trilogy. Lorkin has left the Traitors' stronghold and returned to Arvice. There, the Sachakan king is willing to use force to learn all he can about the Traitors and the threat that they pose both to his rule and the Sachakan way of life. When Lorkin is held prisoner by the king, Sonea is dispatched to negotiate his release. With friends and lovers on both sides, Kyralian Ambassador Dannyl is forced to assess where his loyalties lie as the impending conflict brews. Meanwhile, back in Kyralia, Cery, Gol and Anyi are in hiding, with Skellin closing in. Unable to protect Cery's domain, they are dependent on the help that can be provided by Lilia, the Black Magician novice. The Traitor Queen, as the final in the trilogy, does not pull its punches. Trudi Canavan promised us a lot with the ending of The Rogue, and has absolutely delivered on that promise. The pace is relentless throughout, with the action jumping from Sachakan to Kyralia at edge of the seat cliffhanger moments. There is never a feeling that any of the characters are 'safe', and this makes for a gripping page turner that just keeps pushing the reader through to the end. The characterisation is, as I have come to expect from this series, flawless. Every person, from the foremost major players to minor characters who only appear once or twice, feel alive, and may, indeed hold conversations with the reader outside of the pages (or is that just me?). The ending of the book is a satisfying conclusion to the series. As with the ending of The Black Magician Trilogy, the loose threads are, in the main, wrapped up, but there is not a feeling of "and they all lived Happily Ever After". There are still consequences for the main characters, even if we don't get to see them, and there is definitely plenty more of this world to explore. I am fervently hoping that Trudi Canavan is able to take us back to Kyralia in the future. |
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