The Traitor by Anthony Ryan
Book information
The Traitor by Anthony Ryan, book three in The Covenant of Steel series, first published on 11 July 2023 by Orbit
4 stars out of 5
Grand ending to a pretty wild story; magic becomes a more important part of this story and it is the religious show down between good and evil, with their physical incarnations on earth.
A few highlights
The story is told through Alwyn’s perspective and it is painful to see him come to the realization that he is supporting the faction he does not believe to any longer
Another clever use of introduction, allowing the reader to be updated on the events of the prior books, without having to re-read the prior books!
Clever connection between perfumes and poison; in hindsight it makes all the sense in the world but I thought it was incredibly clever the way it was used in this story; it is a detail only but it matters
New characters come in this story and they add quite a bit of depth to choices made through the book
Tropes/themes that work for me
Good versus evil, with religious fervor is a clear common thread in this series and we finally get to see what this truly looks like
including with a pretty spectacular and ultimate battle
Found family takes a deeper meaning here; and there is a great connection with many characters we have seen (and possibly left behind) in prior instalments of the series
Death and people sacrificing themselves for their loved ones is prominent here
Each and everyone of them actually hurt and I did not see them coming; in fact, I am pissed off at the Malecite to have caused these deaths.
There might be more to come from this world!
