Parts Josh Malerman’s Bird Box and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, RRS is a frenetically paced, galvanizing read that will equally excite and terrify you. Absolute recommend.” — FanFiAddict Most of these political and military matters are standard fare, very well plotted but still not very original, except for the already mentioned narrowed focus on one lead character. The fantasy stuff comes into play with a visit to the southern neighbours of the kingdom of Albermaine. Behind an almost impregnable mountainous range live the Caerith, a sort of gipsy wanderers who are hunted down as witches inside Albermaine, but who also have psychic powers of unusual strength. Wary of strangers, the Caerith usually kill visitors as the find them, but Alwyn has had previous dealings with them. When he falls down the wrong side of the mountains and gets to visit the Caerith Wastes, Alwyn tries to learn something about the mysterious book from the first volume that appears to predict the future. The Pariah and The Martyr were so good, I expect most readers who’ve finished the first two to read The Traitor. Anthony Ryan needs no introduction – the author of the Raven’s Shadow, Raven’s Blade, Draconis Memoria and Covenant of Steel series is one of the biggest names in modern epic fantasy and has sold more than a million books worldwide. I am Captain Alwyn Scribe of the Covenant Company, I have fought the worst battles, faced the worst foes. Still, it took some effort to take that first step into the dark, and only marginally less to take the second."

But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate’s last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it. And then it was... How the hell did this guy who is thrown in the Pits become such an important Scribe his vocation literally became his last name?! The Traitor is the third and final book in Anthony Ryan’s medieval-style Covenant of Steel fantasy series. For those who like muddy clashes between huge armies with swords and horses or sieges of walled cities or misguided prophecies, it would be best to start with volume one of this series The Pariah. While there is a handy recap of the events of the previous book, this is absolutely the third book of a trilogy and not a place to start. Given that, there will necessarily be some mild spoilers for those earlier novels in this review. I think the main reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as book 1 was Alwyn as a character. In book 1 he had such a cheeky, charming, loveable vibe but in this book he literally just felt like generic fantasy dude bro no78. I'm not sure if it is because he is older in this book but he just seemed a completely different character from book 1.The Traitor is told, as the previous books, in the first person of Alwyn since it has always been his story to tell. As he continues his path, Alwyn never makes excuses for the things he has done. When pointed out, he thinks upon them and may wrestle with the morality of it, but he confronts it all honestly. I always found Alwyn an endearing character. He has a quiet wisdom and the ability to speak his mind in such a way that in most instances is not confrontational. He always had a way of reading people, seeing slight expressions, muscle movements, and other things people would miss that give away how someone really feels. In many ways, Alwyn can tell if a person is lying by using these skills of observation. He uses these them when assessing what Evadine is morphing into, yet is hesitant to do anything about it. In The Traitor is where Alwyn faces his biggest choices and confronts his growing inner turmoil over Evadine. Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. The tale of Alwyn Scribe, outlaw, murderer, sometime knight and, I like to think, scholar of some renown, would have been told." The answer, at least for me, lies in understanding idolization and cult of personality-something that has a very intriguing connection with religion and religious fervor throughout history- and these are the themes Ryan decided to explore through fantasy setting. Alwyn knows the truth behind Evadine's resurrection. He is not really a believer- he is pragmatic more than anything, the result of his upbringing. He knows the difference between good and evil and more than not lands on the side of good, again result of the time spend with Sihlda in the mines and strategically and politically he knows her actions are neither smart nor longterm. So why is he in her corner? When following someone is rendered simply to a blind faith into that person, that doesn't really explain why someone stays devoted to the cause despite knowing that this elevated image of is manufactured, not real. This is the more complex question, in terms of characterization about the whole thing and this is what Ryan did so well through Alwyn's first person point of view narration. It seems that the author has learned his lesson, and the new series maintains my interest in the characters and in the worldbuilding much better in the case of Alwyn.

The tale of Alwyn starts with The Pariah, as a name can talk this was exactly what it is, then we company The Martyr, and I still wonder at what happened to The Traitor. I think anything I would say becomes spoilers in one way or another for those who didn't read this book or the entire series.Despite those minor complaints, I am yet to come across book by Ryan I couldn't get into and read it in a span of few days. His writing just works for me, and it was the case with The Martyr as well. It's a good sequel novel that brought some answers and opened up the world beyond the Kingdom of Albermaine and petty skirmishes between the duchies. There is a bigger fight coming and our heroes are intended to play an important role in it. I, personally, can't wait to read Alwyn telling us all about it. :) I recently finished The Traitor, which was an excellent conclusion to the series, and I’m very much hoping to see more readers find the series now it is completed. Alwyn Scribe started out small, in the best tradition of the baker boy hero from the 80s’. He was born in a whorehouse and raised as an orphan by a band of outlaws in the forests of the kingdom of Albermaine. After a stint as a convict in the slave mines, where he learned to write, Alwyn is joining the Covenant Company, a mercenary unit raised by a controversial figure in the kingdom. Lady Evangeline Courlain, also known as the Anointed Lady, is an ardent believer in the Second Scourge and an inspirational speaker, a sort of prophet for the Second Apocalypse that in this setting will pit the Seraphile against the Malecite [some sort of angels that interfere in the affairs of mortals]. The Anointed Lady has assigned herself as the kingdom’s champion, but until the time of the Second Scourge she takes the newly formed company to fight in the Albermaine’s ongoing civil war. Ryan’s thoughtful characterizations and complex plotting are on clear display, enhanced by his evocative prose. This sends the series out on a high note."— Publishers Weekly(starred review)

The first glimpse of the divide between Alwyn and Evadine is a scroll setting forth the true story of her healing by a Caerith witch, meaning she was never as claimed a Risen Martyr. The second is the child she is carrying, who she claims was created by divine conception. Alwyn is declared a traitor fir he is at the heart of the truth of these things, but she cannot bear to kill him as she still loves him. Words have power," I agreed with a shrug, "Especially when you write them down. As for lies, I learned long ago that you can only really sell them to a willingly gulled audience."

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This second instalment solely follows Alwyn’s perspective. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first. Let me tell you something, oh my wayward cub.” Her voice became an urgent hiss as she leaned closer. “The sum of what I’ve learned about lords, ladies, and all others who claim nobility in this realm: it’s all shit, and they know it. Titles mean nothing. Blood and kinship mean nothing. There are three things that matter in this realm: coin, land, and the ability to summon soldiers to fight those who would seek to take the first two from you. Everything else is a farce played by folk born into their role or come late to the stage, like me and you. Your divinely ordained bitch may have the most complex role of all. But it’s still just that, Alwyn, an act, even if she doesn’t know she’s playing.”The writing is quite engaging and the world-building gets much better as the plot unfolds from book one up until this conclusion, while the characterizations are also painted on well and blend with their respective plot threads. The pacing and seemingly endless plot twists are executed with a masterful touch of expertise and a flair for the dramatic. I really enjoyed the story, it was too touchable, felt alive. I liked most characters, sorry but not Evadine. Anthony has a degree in history. Besides, he has a particular interest in arts and science. He is also very fond of ale and very often has the unending quest for a perfect pint of real ale. Ryan’s fantasy novels are basically based on the life of the main character Vaelin Al Sorna. During the initial days of his writing career, Ryan had to self-publish his books as he was not a known personality. However, with the success of his first book ‘Blood Song’, he was frequently approached by various publishing houses for publishing his future books. He landed a great deal with the Penguin Books who offered him a 3 book deal in the year 2012. Even today, Ryan continues to self-publish a separate series of novellas. After publishing three highly successful novels under the Raven’s Shadow series, Ryan is about to release the fourth one any time soon. Apart from the Raven’s Shadow series, he has also published another series of novels known by the name, ‘Slab City Blues’. This series consists of a total of four different novels. Ryan describes himself belonging to the hybrid writers’ category. His career as a British Civil Servant lasted for twenty years.

The New York Times bestselling Raven’s Shadow Trilogy was a perfect read for “fans of broadscale epic fantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels.”* Now, Anthony Ryan begins a new saga, The Draconis Memoria… I'm a big fan of Anthony Ryan. His Blood Song is one of my favorite fantasy books of all times. I think Ryan has accomplished something special with this series, Covenant of Steel because he's not only told an engaging fantasy epic but I think has really carved out a new style of writing for himself. This series started out okay for me. The Pariah wasn't what I was expecting. I wasn't disappointed but I found that the pacing was slow and the lore was very obscure and seemed almost inconsequential. It was after I finished The Martyr that I realized the first installment was carefully detailed set up. Everything matters including every character. After I finished The Martyr I was hooked on this series and read The Traitor immediately upon its release and I was not disappointed. Ryan has such an alacrity in writing battle scenes. He is one of the few authors who manages to capture my attention for lengthy times, similar to John Gwynne. Expect gruesome descriptions, dark comedy, and gritty, bloody deaths.I would like to thank Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Anthony Ryan for an advanced copy of The Traitor. All opinions are my own. The growl of affirmation from the crowd made it clear that, once again, the Anointed Lady’s words had found their mark. I have learned in subsequent years that it is far easier to rouse people to hate than it is to love, a lesson I think Evadine learned at a far earlier age.”