I loved this book, and Anthony Ryan's books generally! My reviews of the earlier books are on Goodreads and Westeros.org. I will write reviews of future AJ Ryan books including the Shattered Seas series.

The Traitor, the last installment of Anthony Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel, staked me through the heart. The ending of the previous book, The Martyr, left little doubt that the events of Alwyn Scribe’s life would be entering the heartbreak section of the trilogy when it ended with not only Alwyn sleeping with Evadine covered in the blood of a high-ranking Covenant member but the reveal the historian from the first scourge has spoken to a future Alwyn who revealed Evadine is of the Malecite. Many in the previous book had warned Alwyn and company that Evadine was not who she said she was, and I, as a reader, wanted to ignore those warnings just as Alwyn did. What results is a series of tragic events in The Traitor that Alwyn is constantly reminded he could have prevented.


As with The Pariah and The Martyr, alongside many Anthony Ryan books, the battles, though much less frequent in this book than the second, continue to balance realism and entertainment from his protagonist’s point of view. Ryan does not pull away the camera from the gruesomeness of a Middle Ages-like battle and what Alwyn has to do to survive. In the final book, those same well-written battles have a heftier emotional weight because they are against people Alwyn used to call friends and allies. Speaking of friends and allies, Alwyn and Evadine alone do not make these books so enjoyable. For the final book in this trilogy, the cast contains a multitude of familiar faces, some returning to help Alwyn, some betraying him, and others tragically dying. In a world with the death of a character so commonplace in many media of fiction, the ones in this book hit me surprisingly hard, which has to be commended to Anthony Ryan’s ability to make them lovable.

When describing the more arcane elements of Ryan’s books, I’ve often compared it to a full pitcher of the metaphorical worldbuilding drink. At first, you get a slight pour, then a cup, then a full-on tilt. The Pariah gave us that slight pour with the book containing Alwyn’s tale before it happened and the power of the Sack Witch to bring Evadine back. The Martyr filled our first cup by revealing to Alwyn how that book of his life was written and letting him witness the previous scourge in the land of the Caerith. The Traitor goes full tilt, unraveling many of the mysteries and origins of this world while creating new mysteries that’ll leave the mind racing to figure out what they may mean.

I believe many readers can relate to Alwyn’s situation though not his exact circumstance. Alwyn is learning someone he loves is not the person he thought they were, the aim of the organization he helped grow is not for the cause he believed in, and what he’s done to help both may have been the wrong decision. For us, it doesn’t involve a cyclical struggle of ancient good versus evil long prophecized, but to be fair, Alwyn in The Pariah would have never predicted this outcome either. Despite his suffering, Alwyn Scribe remains who he has been throughout the series, a mix of cynicism, snide remarks, petty anger, and jealousy alongside his bravery, loyalty, and willingness to do the ring thing even if it puts him in mortal danger. To show a protagonist grow and change in a trilogy without changing the core of who they are when they are introduced isn’t an easy feat to write, but The Covenant of Steel achieves that with Alwyn til the end.

The Traitor culminates everything that had come before it, not just for Alwyn and Evadine but everyone who followed the Risen Martyr and those who were against her from the start. It encapsulates Alwyn’s life as an outlaw, a soldier, a cynic, a believer, and just an overall fantastic character to read with an ending that’ll leave anyone who has followed his journey content. I have a weakness for framework devices, and Alwyn finishing telling his tale to us, the readers while leaving just a hint of a future yet to come, was a chef’s kiss moment to finish the series on.

This was a great finale for a heavy high fantasy series. I had never read anything by Anthony Ryan previously, and this was a great series to dig into.

Now, the series as a whole, because we've made it this far, is a good fantasy series. With messy folks, messy politics, epic battle scenes and great character development. I guess my only qualm with the series is that I've read a similar plot line before. It's uniqueness stems from the naration style, and it's a style that I greatly appreciate. I love being told "dear reader" from a scribe's point of view, and how they lend foreshadowing bits, but without telling us what expressly happens. It's a fun way to deliver a story.

If you liked this series and are looking for something similar, I would compare it to John Gwynne's Malice, and send you on your merry way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ecopy.

My thanks to Orbit books, Anthony Ryan and Netgalley.
After what was initially a difficult and hesitant start to this final book, I can say that I'm happy as a pig 🐖 in a hog waller! I loved, loved, loved this long assed, complicated story!
Watching Alwin from the young boy he was in book one, and seeing his growth into this final was , in a word...good.

The Traitor is the third and final installment of the Covenant of Steel series. I'm always surprised when I learn someone who is a fan of Fantasy fiction, and yet has not read Anthony Ryan. I've enjoyed all his series and recommend to fans of Fantasy fiction. This story was my favorite of all three, the characters are well-developed and the gritty world Ryan creates is brilliant.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars.

*spoilers for The Pariah and The Martyr (mostly as in who is still alive at this point) as this is a sequel*

The Traitor is an incredible finish to this trilogy. Alwyn Scribe has grown as a character from his early days as an outlaw, to a prisoner in a pit mine, soldier in Lady Evadine's host, Captain, and eventually a Knight. Anthony Ryan's writing really captures well the communication with the reader through Alwyn's role as a scribe. This reads like the testament of Alwyn Scribe and his story rather than just painting the picture of what is happening, there is another layer present.

The plot is quick and but epic in conclusion. One of the best final battles I've read through in awhile. Ultimately the Covenant of Steel came down to a war of religion and I think it was done really well. I could've easily gotten bored of reading the religious fanaticism but there were complexities that I think kept me engaged and the plot moving forward.

I really hope that Anthony Ryan comes back to the world to continue the story in a second trilogy or series.

Anthony Ryan concludes his tale of Alwyn Scribe, a rogue raised as an outlaw who had become chief advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain, the risen martyr. He was sleeping with her since the two had killed Luminant Durehl VVearist. But as Elaine rises in political importance, her followers become more fanatic. Eventually Alwyn realizes, especially with the horrors her followers are causing, that he must become The Traitor (paper from Orbit) and find a way to stop her. Anthony Ryan slows the tale down a bit to finally explain the magic happening behind the scenes, but there is no ending to the brutal battle scenes. This is a fascinating series.

In the dedication to The Traitor, Anthony Ryan credits David Gemmel with imparting the lesson that the hero's journey is always more tragedy than triumph. Anthony Ryan has learned that well and the journey that Alwyn Scribe takes not only in this book but across this series is testament to that fact. Alwyn has risen from bastard outlaw to knight and trusted advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain, the risen martyr. He has played no small part in leading thousands to her cause and offering stratagems that have led to her success.
Alwyn has never been a fanatic but he has believed in Evadine. Now, though, he begins to question her motives and her cause. A kingdom weary of war prepares itself for one more battle and Alwyn's head and his heart are also at war. It's time to decide whose side he's really on.

I love complicated heroes and Alwyn Scribe is one of the best. He is clever and calculating and has become skilled in battle. His strength is in knowing his limitations and coming up with a plan that accounts for them. As the novel suggests, his relating of this tale paints him in a favorable light. Still, he is all too aware of the death and tragedy he has left in his wake.

As Evadine's puritanical zeal grows and her benevolence fades, Alwyn realizes that she is not the same woman he once admired, even if he still loves her. He further realizes that if evil is to be stopped, he will have to rally the forces to stop it, and he remains uncertain if he will be able to do what it takes, especially in a confrontation with Evadine.

The Traitor works because its skillfully plotted course of events leads through incredible battles on a path that brings both sides to an inevitable fight whose outcome remains uncertain until the very end. The fact that Ryan is able to make you care so much for all of the characters lends impact to the peril they find themselves in. Because Alwyn's tale is more tragedy than triumph, the air of anticipation mixes with apprehension as the two sides approach the final battle. The world created here feels real and the peoples that inhabit it work from all too recognizable motivations. Ryan delivers on the promise created in the first two books of this series with a conclusion that will satisfy fans of epic fantasy.

This is one of the best books of the year and one of the best series of the last ten.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

The Traitor (Covenant of Steel, #3)
The Traitor (Covenant of Steel, #3)
by Anthony Ryan
The book shows the nature of motivation, secrecy, sacrifice and love. The author turns the entire series on its head in a bold move of misdirection and betrayal. The nature and fundamental problem with belief. How it can easily be corrupted and controlled by misdirection and betrayal? The series has Great battles, and heroics by our beloved characters as they struggle to turn things right. The book shows a remarkable world building in the DND, or RPG worlds of knights, magic, and mysticism.
I would suggest this book and series to those readers who love the quest, and pageantry of this genre.

I had been looking forward to the finale for The Covenant of Steel trilogy ever since I finished the second book and upon finishing book three I could honestly say that it was a satisfying conclusion to a unique story that I enjoyed following. While I'll admit this book had a fair bit more predictable moments than the previous books, the way the story unfolded was more than satisfying to read- with moments that I have been waiting for since book 1 finally coming to fruition. I enjoyed reading the progression of Alwyn's character and seeing his relationships with the characters around him deepen and grow in a believable way, although I have to say that I would prefer if there were less moments in the book when he would address the reader directly as they would often take me out of the moment and kill the sense of tension that I felt was building. Aside from that, my only other main criticisms are that I would rather we would have spent more time with Ayin and Alwyn as her absence during moments in the story lead to parts of her growth and development feeling a bit rushed and random, to me this exclusion lead to her growth feeling more like an afterthought, and I also wish we spent more time with Juhlina and Alwyn as there were also developments in her character which to me also felt kind of sudden and random. Evadine's character was probably the one I was most interested in, one that I both pitied and despised- after the revelation which is revealed to us in book 2, she continues down the path hinted at for her and it is both scary and sad. We remember who she used to be in book 1 and we know the things she suffered as a child from her father due to his desperation to "cure her", but the path she walks on is one that left me rooting for her downfall despite the pity I felt for her. The way her character changes was beautifully set up and Alwyn's view of her frustrated me in the best ways possible as his inner conflict was well established and compelling. All-in-all, I enjoyed the book and found the ending to be extremely satisfying- it was a good conclusion to Alwyn's story but also left enough unanswered to hint at a possible sequel set in the same world, which I would happily read if Anthony Ryan ever decided to write it.

I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed this entire trilogy. I’ve read most of Anthony Ryan’s books, aside from several novellas that are on my TBR (I’m waiting for them to go on sale in one format or another) and the Covenant of Steel is by far the strongest whole series of them all. I’ve given each installment, including this one, 4.5 stars which on my rating scale is essentially “loved it but wasn’t overwhelmed with a wash of ridiculous emotions by it”.
At the beginning of The Traitor, Evadine Courlain, Risen Martyr, is set on destroying the last remnants of the opposing religious traditionalists who deny her claim to martyrdom. Alwyn, being stupidly in love as he is, continues to support her and is intent on turning on the young Algathinet King next so that his lady love might become the Ascendant Queen. He has spent so long building up Evadine in the eyes of her followers, despite knowing the truth of her miraculous healing AND the source of the child she carries, that I was truly surprised when he finally turned against her even though the book is literally called The Traitor. And oh, what a glorious betrayal it was!
This book provided some extremely satisfying character arcs, settings ranging from glorious and ancient to bloody and swarming with flies, and enough battle scenes to cause any dark fantasy fan to have palpitations. I feel like if you’ve read the series up to this point you obviously appreciate our dear Alwyn Scribe for the complicated character he is, but there are a melange of wonderful secondary characters that get a chance to shine and most of them are women. Juhlina, formerly known as the Widow, has several pretty epic moments in this installment and I really began to appreciate her for the damaged badass that she is. Ayin, who we met as she cut off Ehrlich’s balls in the first book, has somehow begun to heal even amongst the brutality surrounding her. And, mild spoiler alert, but we get to reunite with Toria who left the Covenant Company in the first book of the series. Now that I take a mental inventory, many of the most notable characters are women - Leannor, Shilva Sahken, Duchess Lorine, Lilat, the Sack Witch. This is a story narrated from Alwyn’s point of view, so they can’t be the main characters, but they are certainly given their due.
The Traitor is one of the best series conclusions I’ve read in a long time and I have to say, I’m completely satisfied by it. If you’re craving an excellent medieval fantasy story that spans the course of years and follows a likable character as he rises from bandit to Lord I’d highly recommend the Covenant of Steel trilogy. This also has a proper female villain and Evadine isn’t villainous from a distance, no, she’s down in the blood and guts with everyone else. I wish there were more female villains who’s evil wasn’t just political machinations, petty insults, or distant magical oppression.

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/07/16/the-traitor-by-anthony-ryan-review/

<i>For to be in love, I know now, is to be a fool.</i>

—

The most disappointing aspect of the Traitor was that I actually called the plot within the first few chapters, then spent the remainder of the book hoping that I’d be proven wrong. Specifically, there was a story I was hoping the author would tell, something that I found more and more likely given what I knew of the characters from the first 2+ books. Unfortunately, what I was hoping would happen and what I thought would happen were two different things.

My other issues with the plot are hidden behind spoilers, so we’re obviously going to skip those. Sufficient to say that my issues have to do with the nature of love and the consistency of the characters.

My complaints aside, this is still a very good read. I roared through this, finishing the roughly 500 pages in two and a half days. And while I was hoping the author would go a different way with things, I was not disappointed by the direction it <i>did</i> take. The story was sufficiently action-packed and immersive. The combat is bloody and brutal. The characters were strong and consistent (again, with one notable exception). The interactions, the dialogue, the setting—which have been consistently strong throughout—continue to do so. Everything is on point for this, the final volume in the trilogy.

I cannot recommend this enough—both the Traitor itself, and the series preceding it. And, like the story of Vaelin Al Sorna, the ending is open-ended enough as to allow for a future continuation, should the author decide to go that way. More of this world wouldn’t be a bad thing, and—while I still prefer Vaelin—I would welcome a return trip to the Covenant. Maybe the author can just write two books a year from now on, please?

Twisting politics, gritty fight scenes, and gut-wrenching moral dilemmas.

Alwyn must face the possibility that the queen he'd placed his faith into has fallen to corruption, and if she has, then what will he do about it? Worse—he's started to fall for his queen—putting his head at odds with his heart. It gives Jon Snow / Daenerys vibes that are so impactful and tragic. The battle scenes are well-done and gripping. Alwyn partakes in travels, broadening the depth of world-building, with his band of questionably honorable, tough, and hilarious friends that we've come to enjoy. It was a satisfying end to the trilogy and makes me want to go read it all from the beginning to pick up all the clues woven throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC. I've been a big fan of The Covenant series and was so happy to get this third installment.

First a sincere thanks to the publishers of this glorious book, of course a HUGE Thank you to Anthony Ryan, and Netgalley for providing an advanced reading copy of this book. I am astounded by how much I loved this book. It was fun to read the first two books and all of the sudden be approved to read the third!!! Such a blast. I would def rec this to anyone that is looking for sincere and great character development! 4 stars all the way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Orbit Books for this Advance Review Copy of THE TRAITOR! 

Like previous entries THE PARIAH and THE MARTYR, this final entry in Anthony Ryan's Covenant of Steel trilogy was a quick read. First person narrator Alwyn Scribe's complicated life as much more than a scribe takes it's most perilous turns yet. Epic battles ensue. And a series concluded, yay!

Say one thing about Alwyn Scribe, he's as driven by revenge as any man born of betrayal. (And betrayals have bedeviled Alwyn all his days!)  But he has a hard time with the follow-through, for good or for worse. Perhaps this is because so many hands have stayed their course at Alwyn's own seeming end over the years since his old outfit was torn apart and he found himself on the run, denizen of a prison-mine, and finally at the right hand of Evadine, the Risen Martyr, the latest of his would-be victims to feel his mercy, if not so appreciative of it in the end. Yes, in THE MARTYR Alwyn reluctantly moves to slay his long time friend and eventual lover, and finds himself of mixed feelings when fate coupled with his own hesitation turns his blade.

At the start of THE TRAITOR, Alwyn finds himself rewarded for this merciful act  by becoming his lady's most wanted man - albeit wanted alive, not the most enticing circumstance when he sees what her followers are now capable of by way of torture in the name of their newly declared Queen. Where she would try to sway him back into her service, they would flay him alive if not for Evadine's own forebearance.

THE TRAITOR tells the story of Alwyn's plans to take down the newly ascendant Queen, hoping to show the world that she is under the sway of the dreaded Malecite, and not the Saraphile as he had once thought, and her growing force of admirers still does - with devastating consequences offered to those who disagree! They now brutally torture and murder even the most innocent as Evadine declares  mercy can no longer play a part in her bid to dominate, culminating in plans to destroy the long-neutral dominion of the Caerith, whom Alwyn has recently come to admire, finding them misunderstood and aligned firmly with the Sack Witch who once helped him heal Evadine of mortal injuries, leading to the false claim of her Risen Martyrhood.

While I felt THE MARTYR was the strongest and best-written book of the trilogy, THE TRAITOR in no way disappoints, earning a strong 8.5/10 to THE MARTYR'S 9, which keeps both firmly in the 5 star range under this reader's rating scheme. Seekers of well thought out and thoughtful fantasy drama where black and white give way to grey and not only kingdoms but individual alliances frequently change hands should thoroughly enjoy Ryan's trilogy. Think Abercrombie's  First Law and similar stories where both characters and readers often discover little is what it seemed only chapters before.

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

It's always so bittersweet getting to the final book of a trilogy you have so thoroughly enjoyed. You can't wait to find out what happens and then you are a bit bereft when finished and that certainly holds true for this series.

Anthony Ryan carries the tale home wonderfully and in a completely satisfying conclusion. Alwyn's story picks up immediately where the prior story finished and his relationship with Evadine has become the focus for the decisions he makes. As Evadine continues on her holy mission to rule all she sees, Alwyn begins to understand just how wrong he has been in his devotion to her and her cause, and his culpability in the deaths left in their wake. As is evident from the book's title, Alwyn comes to a breaking point and all that follows leads to a remarkable conclusion. I loved that things developed so differently from what I envisioned and the pace and intensity just kept me so engaged throughout the story. There are reunions, new characters, tremendous battles, deaths both deserved and not, plus a few tender, happy moments to leave you really wanting more stories in this world. The Covenant of Steel series is just top notch fantasy and I would encourage you to give it a try!!!

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-Arc! I have a planned review of this on my Instagram and will also review on Goodreads once I get to this read. This is one of my most anticipated reads of this year! Until then, I am giving a star rating as a placeholder on Netgalley. Stay tuned for my in depth review on all my social media platforms!

My actual evaluation of the Traitor is 2.5 stars and we can jump right in:

The Traitor picks up where we left off in the Martyr with Evadine and the rest of the Covenant army saving Alwyn from being captured. The story then follows their return to the holy city which they take over and the subsequent campaign to crown Evadine not just an Ascendant Martyr, but now an Ascendant Queen who will overthrow the royal family. The rest of the story basically shows us how Alwyn slowly comes to the realization that she truly is evil and how he turns away from her in the end.

Unfortunately, this book was a major let down for me. The previous installments had great world building, political intrigue, complex character motivations; all of that seems to be missing in this book. There is the rare exceptionally well written scene (like when Alwyn meets with one of the lords they are wooing to their cause and they have a great talk filled with subtle insinuations) but on the whole, most of the book seems very contrived. Alwyn sees all these terrible signs that Evadine is becoming a terrible tyrant but he ignores them and justifies it (in his recollection) because he LOVES her..... ugghh....

Another issue with the book is that once Alwyn turns away from her, he goes on several journeys that seem kind of pointless. The author sends him to the Caerith lands to retrieve some items, gather allies and comeback to defeat Evadine which they eventually do but it was all very boring as if we were in an RPG where you have to do all the quests before you can face and beat the final boss. What is worse is that all the mysteries and foreshadowing and worldbuilding was basically let down by this approach because none of the revelations about the Caerith and the magic hit home. I do not know why the author likes these side journeys; I feel like he is trying to say something or establish some kind of theme but it just is not working...

Anyway, an unfortunate weak conclusion to what was an excellent first 2 books. Anthony Ryan, as he has showed before with Blood Song, can be a masterful worldbuilder and storyteller, but sometimes has trouble sticking the landing and making his later books live up to his first ones.

A fantastic finish to the trilogy. Plot moves at a good pace, lots of twists and surprises and fantastically written battle scenes