Do the promises of war ever survive the peace?

"A surprise hit...One of the best fantasies of 2024 and a top 10 novel of the year..." - Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic

At the end of a brutal war, Remin of Andelin promised his knights that he would build them a good place, far from the carnage of war and the poisonous intrigues of the Empire. But the only thing more difficult than winning a war is securing the peace.

Welcome to the Andelin Valley, where the days are filled with the backbreaking labor of building a city and the nights bring monsters summoned in the waning days of the war. The Andelin devils dare even the sacred soil of the Empire, and it takes all of Remin’s military genius to keep his people alive. Yet even in the face of bandits, traitors, and the implacable hatred of the Emperor, the greatest danger to Remin might be his new wife.

Princess Ophele Agnephus. Raised in secret and given in the place of her sister as a reward for Remin’s war victory, Ophele is far from the princess he was promised. But she does know a secret that could topple the Empire: his family was innocent. 

A tale of love and redemption. As the summer bleeds on and the walls of their city rise, Remin finds himself drawn to Ophele, who shares so many of his dreams and sorrows. She could be everything: his love and his wife, the mother of his children, the foundation of a dynasty that will last forever. Or she could be the Emperor’s weapon, placed at his side to destroy everything he has left.

Traitor Son is the story of a people broken by tragedy, a hero torn between his duty and his dreams, and a young woman who must find the courage to take her place at his side, before their own devils tear them apart.

Re-added to Netgalley to support the ARC release of Stardust Child! If you enjoy Traitor Son, continue the journey with Book 2 of the Empire of the Stars, available now!