Traitors of the Black Crown by Cate Pearce is a fantasy novel with a sapphic love story woven in. This novel follows the perspectives of Raena, Aven and Queen Zarana as the story unfolds. There is plenty of world-building and character interaction without it feeling like it is slowing the story down. The romance between Raena and Aven felt like a pleasant slow-burn without explicit intimate scenes.
There were action scenes and a few moments where things were at their leisure. There were plenty of twists that were compelling
When it comes to plot twists, I usually can predict them from early on, but with Traitors of the Black Crown I actually didn't predict the plot twists from moment one. While I made predictions and only a few actually being correct in the end, the actual plot twists are logical having been foreshadowed subtly.

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting, staying up way to late. I hope to get to read the next one soon. I was expecting this to be an over taking a corrupt government sort of book, but there are some fantastic twists, which really added to the story. I'm still going back and forth about Zander, I had a hard time seeing him as more than a spoiled teenage boy. Maybe that is what the author wanted. But the rest of the characters, I loved. Finn, partially. I look forward to the next one.
4.5

Going into this book, I'll admit I was a little worried that it would be drenched in history and politics and I'd find it hard to get through. While there were a lot of conversations that admittedly went over my head, overall, I enjoyed this book. I really liked Raena as a main character and while there was a bit of worry about her secret, it wasn't the main focus which I really appreciated. I also liked Aven and a bunch of the supporting characters. To me, they felt very fleshed out. The beginning was admittedly a bit slow but it does pick up and I found myself especially excited for Zarana's chapters. I did guess the twist but there were definitely things that came out of nowhere as a surprise and took the story in an interesting direction. Overall, a very solid book and I look forward to the next one in the series!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sir Rowan is not all he seems, he is in fact a woman called Raena. Having witnessed all her family being slaughtered by the Queen, Raena has spent most of her life in disguise firstly as a squire then as a knight. The Queen's son, Prince Zander holds a lavish tournament in which all the knights of the realm are commanded to take part. Disliking the outcome of the tournament, Zander banishes Sir Rowan to East Shore to serve in the household of Duchess Aven Colby.
Having read the book, I found the synopsis that has been given rather misleading. Yes, what is described is what happens, but basically, there's nothing else. I was expecting an action packed adventure but what this book delivers is a slow paced, romance with occasional episodes of action thrown in. There are long chapters of conversations between the characters that felt so dull and stagnated the story. The characters were likeable but I didn't find them particularly engaging. Overall, I found this book to be rather disappointing

I had a lot of hope for this book and it did not disappoint. The beginning was a hard to get into and took me some time to get through. But the rest of the story was attention grabbing and I was hooked. I loved the romance between Aven and Raena as well as both of their individual characters.

Both villains in this book were incredibly well-written. I instantly despised Zander and that was the kind of character he was. While Zarana was a more understandable villain. I loved having both in this story, one to absolutely hate and one that you can sort of understand.

I absolutely love the representation we got in this book. We got to see a crossdressed knight and a really good queer slow-burn romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hansen House for this ARC and thank you to Cate Pearce for this really good book.

Ahhh bi/ pan main character, crossdressed knights and WLW romance? What could go wrong?

Not much, as it turns out.

Traitors of the Black Crown is an engaging story set in an interesting world. The history, politics and geography of the book are fascinating in of themselves, and the author does a great job of providing us with background information without relying on exposition or letting things become boring.

The characters navigate a rapidly shifting political landscape, which in itself is fascinating to read about. And along the way, they manage to engage in the most adorable, solid romance of all time.

Pearce’s treatment of blurred gender lines is also a treat to read about. Raena moves effortlessly from male to female gender roles and vice versa, her identification and presentation at different times depending on the needs of circumstance. I also greatly enjoyed the lack of toxic masculinity among the knights, and the affirmation of her gender at all times as whatever she said it was.

The great many paragraphs (from Aven’s perspective) devoted to describing how ripped Raena is, and how adept she is at bonking people over the head with her sword are the cherries on top of a delectable book.

There are mild issues with the grammar and sentence structure in places. These will probably get fixed by the time the book is ready to publish 🤞🏾. Some aspects of the plot also seemed atypical or out of place, like they were in place to serve an aesthetic rather than advance the plot.

But absolutely none of that is an impediment to the enjoyment of the book. Traitors of the Black Crown knocks it out of the park with this delightful saga, and I’m now eagerly looking forward to book 2.

A woman disguised as a man, stealing the heart of a duchess? Consider me intrigued from the second I read this blurb, and when I read the book I was not disappointed. I loved the world building in this and how detail and history don’t overtake the writing and plot. I also loved the use of multiple POVs and how each of the characters interacted each other to build the overall plot. The ending has left me with so many questions that I need answers to, so I will be waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.

I had the honor of recieving an arc of this new fantasy book, and it got me hooked from day one! I've never read a fantasy book or series that included knights, and I didn't know whether I would like it or not. But, Pearce succeeded in writing such intricate characters, that I just couldn't help it. The only reason, I am giving 4 stars instead of 5, it is because, I felt that the beginning was a bit rushed, and I would have preferred a smoother start.
All in all, It definitely deserves to be in the shelf of every self-respecting fantasy lover, and I would recommend it with my eyes closed!

ps: took me a little while to finish it due to personal issues. The book itself was a very fast read!

4 stars.

The only reason it didn't get 5 Stars is that I was left wanting more, even with a sneak peek for the next book! Once the story got going I was hooked. The relationship between Raena and Aven is amazing as well as seeing Raena's friendship with Finn be able to stay throughout the book, I will be buying a physical copy when released!

Rating: 4.5/5

This book was so good. There are lovable characters, an intriguing plot, and a lovely romance. It gives a mix of politics, history, and action while entwining a romance within it all. The farther into the book you get, the better it gets. There are multiple POVs, so readers get a wide look at the story.

I thought the world-building was amazing. We got so much history without taking away from the plot. All of the characters were wonderfully written, from main characters to side characters. They were all fantastic. Even the characters I didn't like were well written. Raena and Aven were amazing main characters. The romance was beautifully done.

The ending left me desperate for answers. I cannot wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next. I love this book. I had high expectations, and it met all of them. I will definitely be reading future books. I have so many thoughts about this book it's impossible to write them all out.

*Thank you Netgalley and Hansen House for this arc. All opinions in this review are my own.*

It started slowly at first but after that, it was a wonderful story with so much happening. I'm looking forward to continuing the story in the future.
( I do hope for some maps, timeline etc to help reference back to.

While the premise of the story pulled me in, and the gorgeous cover, I couldn’t make it through the first few chapters. Despite the other good reviews here, it simply was not a book for me. The story flows at quite a leisurely pace to build the world setting more thoroughly but, much like Robert Jordan’s ‘Wheel of Time’ series, Cate Pearce spends a little too much time describing the environment and not enough on what was occurring. For example, the capital city of Candor and the surrounding lands are comprehensively visualised but during the Trials that Raena and Finn must endure I lost track of their movement simply because there was less information given. I understand that the pace changed quickly, and as such, Raena and Finn had to adapt on the fly, but I feel as though I as a reader should have had a better overview.

When it comes to the main character, I found that Raena could be quite likeable. Although, I did have several occasions where I wondered if her cover could be blown because she wasn’t paying attention to disguising her voice in public settings. While it is noted early in the first chapter that she makes her voice a little deeper and more masculine sounding, I couldn’t help but also notice that later on when she is laughing in the wait rooms with Finn that it’d be really hard to disguise a woman’s laugh when they enjoyed their mirth a little too much.

I am giving the book a 3-star rating because I neither liked nor disliked it. I feel it would be unfair to rate lower based on it being a poor fit. The story itself had great promise, the characters are well thought out, and the world-building is on-point. It simply moved too slowly for my reading preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hansen House for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel and offer my thoughts.

A kickass woman posing as a Knight so she can avenge the death of her family? Yes please!

The story begins with a competition for the knights set by Prince Zander (urgh). Raena unexpectedly finds herself exiled to the eastern shore to serve Duchess Avenna.

Rae as a main character was a dream to read, she is strong yet so loving and kind hearted. The slow burn romance between her and Aven was beautifully written and I couldn’t stop turning the pages for more.
I enjoyed the theme of women leading.

The depth of the characters was great. I hated Zander and his cruelty from the start. What a villain.

The history is quite heavy but I understand its needed for world building and I really enjoyed the theme of women leading.

Overall I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the second book

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the concept of it and think it was executed really well. I also really enjoyed the diversity in the book. I can’t wait to read other work from this author. I gave it a 4/5 stars.

Progressing at a leisurely pace and populated with likeable personages, Traitors of the Black Crown charts a renegade plot against crooked royalty through plural perspectives in company with a charged and refreshingly pure-hearted romance. Raena is a keen but wary amateur knight hiding out in the open, and her obvious kind-heartedness and helpful airs attract the attentions of the knocked-about aristocratic widow Aven, over-trusting and oblivious to the guise of her gallant-in-shining-armour's assumed appearance. Amid tense sword-waving and the tongue-lashing tirades of their tyrannical liege, a liaison is tiled between the slow-burn lovers and an unlikely supporter, in tandem with the suspense-rich subplots of their subsidiary linkups that are threaded throughout their travails. The camaraderie between the cross-dressing Raena and her courtly peers and pals will charm you with plenty of chuckles, and the clandestine cabals and private ploys make for a compelling and plucky chronicle of courage and genderswapped chivalry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hansen House for kindly passing on this arc! 💫

As a fantasy genre reader, I was so excited to get my teeth into this. And my only criticism is that it was not at least half as long again. I finished this book way too soon, and I wish I hadn't. But the story grabs you as much as the characters to. Rowen is an amazing leading character, their personal struggles are amazingly written, and you can understand their struggle. Some fun and unexpected twists in this story, and I loved it. I can not wait for the next book and see where this story goes!

This was a long read, and whilst I had other things to do today, I am all about slow burn queer fantasy and this was fantastic!

Off the bat, its been a long time since I’ve had to put a book down because of the amount of rage I held towards the villain. Zander is incredibly well-written and consequently incredibly easy to hate. His role in the book, and the amount of physical and political power he wields is incredibly frustrating. I would have thrown the book, but if I broke my tablet I wouldn’t have been able to finish it!

Traitors of the Black Crown opens with a series of Trials for Knights of the kingdom, hosted by Zander (who takes great joy in unnecessary cruelty). Despite her best efforts, our protagonist Raena is banished to a foreign Duchy to serve Duchess Avenna (Aven) as political and violent turmoil washes over the land.

I adored Raena, and liked Aven – their character development was both logical AND a slow burn, which I really enjoyed; it made sense and was romantic at the same time, something that other queer romances can struggle to balance. I am all for secret identities and also people falling in love with personalities and their values rather than just because they are queer.

Can I give this 4.75 stars? It’s so so close to 5 (so I’ll round it up!) but I would have loved a map and/or a mini history at the start of this excellent book. A significant amount of character development was rooted in the previous conflict and the areas involved and so, whilst the worldbuilding was excellent and often clearly communicated, it would be good to have something along those lines to introduce the reader.

However, I adored Traitors of the Black Crown, and it physically hurt me to have to put it down to sleep last night, and then I ignored most of my work today (whoops) to finish it. F/F romance, politics and conflict – a definite must-read recommendation for 2021!

My thanks to NetGalley, Hansen House and the brilliant Cate Pearce for this e-ARC!

Raena's parents were killed by the queen when she was a young girl and since then she has been forced to hide in plain site by masquerading as a man, a knight. She has always worked hard to maintain her image so that no one would discover the truth, but she finds herself conflicted when she falls in love with Duchess Avenna.

I really enjoyed this story and the character development. The writing was easy to follow and the romance between Raena and Avenna was quite beautiful. Aven and Raena's love was a remarkable example of how love doesn't choose gender, but it is the person and soul you fall in love with that matters. The politics and history was a bit heavy for my tastes, and I was definitely hoping the next page I read would bring me back to the characters and romance. The ending was quite abrupt and left me with a lot of questions, but this book is the first in a series. This was my first time to a F/F romance book and I thought it was really well done! Since this is the first in a series, I am 100% looking forward to the next one and seeing what happens next!!!

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were all well written, and I loved the relationship between Aven and Raena, though I wish we got more time to see their relationship in the second half of the book. It started off a little clunky and strange, though it smoothed out more as the book went on. When the pov first switched to Zarana’s it became clunky and smoothed out once again. The plot with the Boens was strange at how abruptly it ended, but I do hope that it continues in the second book.

This book contains one of the best love to hate villains I have read in a while.
This book was engaging and fast paced with equal parts action and politics, perfect for breaking up the 900+ pages. (I understand it may only be this long on the E version.)

The book begins with a competition for Knights of the kingdom where Raena is unexpectedly exiled to serve under Duchess Avenna. With invasion looming Raena finds herself getting distracted by a blossoming romance which leads to friendships she never expected.

I loved Raena as a main character. A female pretending to be a male training to be a Knight? Yes please! She was strong and powerful yet full of love and compassion, the perfect balance of both.

The romance was lovely, slow burning yet so romantic and swoon worthy. How can the blowing out of candles be so sweet yet so sexy?

Zander was one of the best (worst?) villains I have read in a while. I hated him so much! I haven’t read a good love to hate villain in so long but man! did Zander fit that role! He was a spoilt, manipulative, evil, little bully with no reasoning behind his cruelty except enjoyment. I had a lot of fun yelling at him 😂

My only gripe about this book would be the amount of history we were given. It felt like the characters were constantly talking about the previous war and each specific little battle in the war. It was referenced constantly, which would be fine as it is necessary to know how the land is split up and why, but to detail so many battles and to add new ones every time they talked about it was a little excessive and did slow down the pacing a lot in some places. I found myself growing bored and no longer caring about what the characters were discussing.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience of this book and would highly recommended it if you want a good slow burn F/F fantasy read with some war and political intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat.