The Traitor Queen concludes the Traitor Spy Trilogy. There are,however, some tantalising ideas dropped in the closing chapter; possible future conflicts, an indication to the reader that the world that might be undergoing technological change.
Whether this is Canavan just rounding out the world or leaving a door open I don’t know. When I interviewed her there were no plans to write any follow on works.
If you have read books one and two, Canavan hasn’t deviated from her uncomplicated prose. It’s entry level fantasy with broad appeal, an uncomplicated introduction to a field that can sometimes be daunting for those not acculturated in SF& F fandom.
Which is not to say that it doesn’t cover some challenging issues. Lorkin our ambassadorial assistant is released from the Traitor society only to be imprisoned by the Sachakan King for failing to reveal the Traitor’s location. Lorkin finds out the lengths that the Sachakans will go to to extract the information from him and has to confront significant ethical and moral realities about himself.
Cery is hounded to his last safe place- the catacomb like tunnels under the Guild, while Skellin has elected himself King of Thieves and is crushing all opposition. Cery, Gol and Anyi conceive a plan to trap him, but the best laid plans...
Lilia, as secondary character introduced in book two comes to the fore in The Traitor Queen and it seems there is more of her story to tell beyond the confines of the trilogy. She’s a young lesbian protagonist that doesn’t fit into stereotypical representations of lesbian characters in fantasy, a quiet achiever who is given space in this story, to shine.
The Traitor Queen, continues to develop the relationships that were built through books one and two. I think Canavan is to be commended for featuring a variety of homosexual relationships and carrying that through the series. One gay character or relationship could fall prey to claims of tokenism but The Traitor Queen features three, presented matter of factly.
In looking back over the series I’d recommend it from ages 14 and up. Its accessible, moves at an engaging pace and features a group of characters I am sad to see the end of.
This book was provided by the publisher at no cost to myself
Reviews of previous books in the trilogy can be found:
Book Review - The Rogue (Traitor Spy Trilogy #2) by Trudi Canavan
Book Review - The Ambassador's Mission(Traitor Spy Trilogy #1) by Trudi Canavan
An audio interview with Trudi can be sourced here:
Adventures of a Bookonaut: Galactic Chat 14–Trudi Canavan
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