The House of Lazerin is filled with secrets - the kind that end in ruin.
Elivya yearns for nothing more than a sword and the skill to wield it, but war is the province of men. Duty demands she join the duplicitous ranks of the King’s Court instead, using wit and guile to lure a respectable husband and ensure the continuation of her dwindling House. The coveted son of a powerful noble family quickly catches her eye, but securing an advantageous marriage is not the only challenge that awaits her as she enters society.
An enemy has infiltrated the royal court, whispering in the King’s ear and sowing the seeds of war. What hard-won skills Elivya has accrued will be put to the test in a desperate bid to save her homeland, an endeavor that will require her to do the unthinkable: commit treason.
"From the first moment that I started reading, I was instantly hooked. This is not my usual genre but the story was so well-written with an intelligent voice that I could not put it down. The author takes you along on an emotional journey with the main character Elivya. At the beginning of the book, the author also provides a breakdown of the numerous houses and a map of the territory which was useful in keeping things straight. I am not a fast reader so this took me longer to read than most mostly because of the intricate world in which this story takes place. This story has it all and I look forward to reading more."
"In Traitor, the first of what promises to be an exciting series, we follow the noble-born Elivya fen Lazerin from her rebellious teens to her equally rebellious, if a little more tempered, twenties. Pugnacious and head-strong, Elivya is fighter, spy, and courtier in one, a fantastic protagonist whose own desires, hopes, dreams tie-in beautifully with a broader theme of duty, love, and faith.
The story is heroic in nature, with a strong flare of romance, perhaps a tad predictable, but Ragland's wonderful prose makes us feel as though we are on a rollercoaster. We can see the track, yes, but the twists and turns will make our stomachs lurch nonetheless.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a book with a strong, multi-faceted, female protagonist, an immersive world, and beautiful imagery."
"Melissa Ragland’s stunning first novel Traitor is addictively good. It sucked me in and kept me up reading till all hours of the night. Then the first thing I did in the morning was open this book. Elivya is a heroine a reader can admire and relate to. She possesses the perfect balance of determination, weakness, and grace. Ragland’s character development is masterful. Exquisitely written with perfect timing and realism, Traitor is an absolutely epic start to what is guaranteed to be an engaging series. A must-read."
