Traitor’s Masque
Kenley Davidson
Page Nine Press
Amazon | Goodreads | Author’s Web Site
When Trystan’s secret horse rides are interrupted by a handsome, intelligent stranger, she has no idea she’s just met the crown prince of Andari. To her, he’s just a lonely nobleman, seeking the same healing solitude as she is. So when her stepmother’s tyranny reaches new heights, Trystan leaps at an offer from a friend of her late father’s. The lady offers Trystan the freedom she desperately craves for one tiny favor: deliver a message. Not until she’s agreed does Trystan realize she’s just committed to betray the friend she met in the woods, the man she may be falling in love with. The Prince of Andari.
This is not a simple retelling of Cinderella. Don’t get me wrong – it’s got all the right fairytale moments. This is like Cinderella plus political intrigue. The story is told from alternating point-of-view with some sections from Trystan’s viewpoint and others from Prince Ramsey’s (as well as a few from various other characters.) I loved that this gave a lot of insight into the characters and really showed their strengths and weaknesses. Both characters were well-balanced and developed, and immediately I cared about what happened to them and wanted them to get together and fall in love.
In this story, there’s not one but two handsome princes. This was another great unexpected element to the plot. The tension between the princes over the crown kept me guessing what was going to happen next.
While I’m always up for a good fairytale retelling, not all those are created equal. Traitor’s Masque will definitely stay in my top favorites. Fans of Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim books or fairytale-type stories in general definitely need to add this one to their summer reading lists!
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
A couple of kisses.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Two girls are kidnapped and bound. No description of further violence happening to them.
Drug Content
References to drinking alcoholic beverages.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
