Purchased this YA/middle grade novel for my middle school library. Superb character development, elegant world building, and compelling plotting,.

Quick, easy read. Nothing too surprising plot, but fun nonetheless. Definitely something my students will swoon over!

Okay this book was kind of boring but I’m still going to read the next one. I like Sage but I don’t really like that much else from this book (and honestly how did I even finish it). The first book had kind of a good twist so I had hoped with a second book some of the issues would have been improved upon but honestly some even got worse. World building is confusing, side characters all blend together in sameness. It all feels very done before. No one really grows? Idk. I got an ARC of book 3 so I will try but idk...

My Review: OMG OMG OMG Sage and Alex were such shining stars in this one!! I could not put it down and I am so sorry for getting this review out so freaking late. But this was a great sequel to this series and now I need book three like ASAP!! When it comes out I'll have to reread all three at once just because this series is just so good. This was full of twists and turns and just OMG moments that I could not stop wowing at.

This was even better than book one which you can't always say that. It did have a massive cliffhanger that is having me screaming for book 3!!


Go Into This One Knowing: Cliffhanger!

I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. I loved the first book, ‘Traitor’s Kiss’ and eagerly awaited the sequel to learn of the continued adventures and romantic development between Sage and Alex. I found some parts to be just a tiny bit slow, but in all I really enjoyed it! Now I am waiting with bated breathe for the third book. This series is a lot of fun.

I was actually a bit disappointed with this novel. I wasn’t as into the plot and the story as I was with the first book. I think mainly because we we’re spoiled that Alex wasn’t dead. It wasn’t fun because I felt like what was the point if we were basically given the big reveal. At least that felt like what could have been a big reveal. I did like being back in the world and I do enjoy Sage and Alex as characters. I loved their romance and I think it’s one of the best parts of this series. I’m a sucker for romance so their love added a good book for me. Overall not my favorite but I did enjoy it but sadly not as much as the first book.

Loved the first book and loved the second book. I feel like I don't see anyone ever talking about this series and they really should be. This series is fantastic.

I love this book. It sucks you in from chapter one, slows down slightly in the middle, then full speed to the end. I can't decide if I love the original more or this one.

I love Beaty's work, and the way she crafts plots and languages and stories and the PASSIONATE ROMANCE OMG. This is how to do a passionate romance with NO SEX. YES.

The one area I believe she can improve on is reader interaction. How the story is told and revealed to the reader. Does the reader know every thing, and is frustrated with the characters because we know things they don't? That's one way to write and is the strategy Beaty pulled in Traitor's Ruin.

In Traitor's Kiss though, the reader doesn't know everything and is slowly revealed with the main protagonist. We feel betrayed when the protagonist is betrayed, identity is revealed when protagonist reveals. Each step of the mystery is solved in sync with the main character.

These two strategies where employed in the wrong book. The in-sync with the character should've been used during the second book, heightening the anticipation and raising the stakes. The Omnipresent viewpoint should've been used in the first book, as we were coming to know and learn and love these characters, and root for them. I find it hard to root for a character that has lied to the reader about who he is.

But this is a review about the second book, not the first.

Basically, I LOVED IT.

I could have used a detailed reminder of what happened in the last book. I didn’t realize how much I had forgotten about the first book. An easy and enjoyable read, just make sure you’re familiar with the first book or the characters are rather confusing.

The Traitor's Ruin is the second installment in author Erin Beaty's The Traitor's Circle trilogy. Things have definitely changed for Sage Fowler, the girl once deemed too emotional to be eligible to marry and found herself working as a matchmaker and a spy which led her on an adventure of the dangerous variety. These days, Sage is happily engaged to marry Captain Alexander Quinn. She has a best friend in Lady Clare Holloway. She is a royal tutor to the youngest prince and princesses, and is someone who has the Queen's trust.

It you are looking for a time frame between The Traitor's Kiss and this story, it is approximately 9 months. 9 months since Sage last saw Alex who has been out putting out fires & dealing with the aftermath of the D'Amiran rebellion. It is also 644 days until Alex can legally marry Sage because of his rank in the military. But, when Sage hears about an important mission that Alex is involved in, she asks the Queen to suggest that she go along with Alex while continuing to be Nicholas's tudor. Queen agrees.

The King has chosen to reinstate the Norsar battalion that was disbanded 24 years ago as part of the peace accords and disarmament condition with Tamsin. With Alex being offered command of the unit, it means that he will have to travel and leave Sage behind. Again. He will need time to train an elite unit while keeping an eye out for those suspected of crossing the border with Casmun. With Sage along for the ride, Alex spends a great deal of time worrying about her safety, and sees her as a burden. He also has the same nightmares over and over again which drives his protectiveness of Sage.

Sage, meanwhile is busy trying to prove herself to everyone which seems silly considering all she's been through and all she's done. Then, after an enemy force attempts to kidnap Prince Nicholas while Alex is away, Sage fights with everything she has in her arsenal to protect his life, and ends up in a foreign land called Casmun. As there are quite a few new characters in this new country, I won't actually name them all. I will say that Sage becomes more of an ambassador between the kingdoms since the Casmin King wants an open dialogue with Sage's homeland.

There are some positives and negatives about Sage. Sage has a tendency of getting the best out of everyone she meets. Her best role has been that of a teacher whose students love being around her because she brings excitement, but she's also a pretty good spy and researcher as shown when she is trying to understand two separate but similar languages. But, can you imagine having someone like Alex who admits that he would let everyone die if it came to saving Sage's life? What kind of burden must that place on a person's psyche let alone her own confidence in being able to stand toe to toe with any adversary?

There is another character who is part and parcel of this story. His name is Captain Malin Huzar. Huzar is from Kimisara who chose to keep his unit behind in Demora after the D'Amiran rebellion where they blended into the scenery and made lives for themselves. Huzar believes that the only way to get home is to kidnap someone important and sue for peace. Unfortunately for Huzar, he never met anyone like Sage, and her determination to keep those she cares for out of harm's way.

In closing, the author tells her story via Sage and Alex, with breaks to allow readers to wonder what in the world is going to happen next and what role Huzar will play when all is said and done. I have no doubts that Alex and Sage love each other passionately. So profoundly when Sage believes Alex fell to the enemy. Even though they spend most of the book apart, and apparently even more challenges lie ahead, I am hopeful of a happy ending for the ages.

I am in love with Sage and Alex! I'm so bummed to see that this and the first book don't have amazing reviews on Goodreads because I absolutely LOVED these books! There is a lot of world-building and I love that each nation of people has its own culture and customs. In this book think the author did a great job with furthering along the plot and developing the characters, all while adding in plot twists, gasp-worthy scenes, and emotional distress. Easily one of my favorite YA fantasy reads and one of my favorite YA couples.

A story with a heroine that readers will fall for. Descriptive and creative. The characters are well written and will grab the readers attention.

I had loved The Traitor’s Kiss, and this thrilling next installment did not disappoint. There was plenty more action in this book than the last, and not to mention even more sweet moments between Sage and Alex. I enjoyed that we get to understand the both of them even more, along with the scars they bear (both seen and unseen) from the incidents of the previous book. Recovery is a long, difficult road - one that these two become quite familiar with throughout the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turn of events and found myself reading for hours on end. I’m certainly looking forward to Book 3 with profound anticipation.