The Traitor's Daughter (The Veiled Isles Trilogy, #1) by Paula Brandon

Dec 28, 2011 Liriel27 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopias, fantasy, supernatural-mysteries

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's not that the book was badly written, exactly, but having just finished it, I'm left with a number of issues.

1. As others have noted, the blurb is misleading. If you are looking for raging zombie action OR romantic fantasy, this is really not the book for that. Perhaps both will show up in later books. The most you get are tiny little hints of things (which works quite well for building subtle menace about the zombies, but not so well with the romance). If you actually read the cover blurbs,...more It's not that the book was badly written, exactly, but having just finished it, I'm left with a number of issues.

1. As others have noted, the blurb is misleading. If you are looking for raging zombie action OR romantic fantasy, this is really not the book for that. Perhaps both will show up in later books. The most you get are tiny little hints of things (which works quite well for building subtle menace about the zombies, but not so well with the romance). If you actually read the cover blurbs, however, they are accurate - this novel is way more about the complex people, relationships, and politics in this world than anything else.

2. Jianna is not the most engaging of protagonists. I mean, I don't want her to be lit on fire and dropped in a ravine somewhere, but if it weren't for how intentionally cruel her treatment is once she is kidnapped, I don't think I'd care about her at all (and I'm pretty sure the romantic lead wouldn't, either). When your only recommendation is that you are nicer than the people threatening you with violence and gang rape, well, that isn't very much. She's meant to be all spunky and independent and still touchingly human, but it doesn't work for me - she comes off inconsistent, less clever than she is supposed to be, and a bit thoughtless (like, maybe she could escape her unwanted marriage by, say, telling the magistrate who was there to perform it that she didn't want it and having him help her escape. It would be easier than her subcellar plan.)

3. Falaste Rione (aforementioned romantic lead) seems to be a decent guy...but that's about all we know about him. And, quite frankly, the fact that he is dithering about loyalty to his patroness when the heroine is being threatened with being passed around like the neighborhood bike makes him seem at best, willfully self-deluding, and at worst, monumentally stupid. You expect me to believe that someone of his intellect and experience of the world wouldn't know Yvenza's true character, after having grown up with her? I get that he's the favorite and all, but really. Is he that self-absorbed? Jianna at least has the excuse of being 18 and massively, actively sheltered from the realities of life (though times of crisis are no occasion to be coy. I have a feeling if she had told him exactly what she was threatened with, and how often, this would have all gone a lot smoother).

4. This book is pretty much unremittingly dark, which is fine for some people, but makes me feel like I have to grind through it. There are some moments of humor (unlike some reviewers here, I didn't see the automaton as one of those. It came off really menacing, and I kept expecting it to go into existential robot rage), but at least twice, Jianna's idea of wit is to say...exactly what she just thought in narration. Which gets old after, oh, the first time.

5. I wish the book hadn't felt the need to beat us over the head with the dysfunctional family theme at the expense of the actiony plot bits. The book's most common setting is the inside of someone's skull, which does get old, after a while.

6. Seriously, we're buying back Orantino's death? I mean, I get that there's a trilogy to write and all, but given how severely he was beaten, he's not realistically going to be whole, or mobile, or, y'know, conscious for the rest of his life. Cheap shot. I predict by next book he'll be shambling about, leering threateningly, just when Jianna thinks she's safe...

(and obviously, the little band of rebels will be arrested at some point, and because she's under an assumed name, no one will believe her when she's in jail, and her father will once again just barely fail to save her [probably by looking at the list of names and not seeing hers on it], but then the rebels will bust them out, and she will have a heavy reckoning to face, but people [Falaste, possibly his sister, who will see that they are in LOVE] will defend her because she helps the doctor, and the zombies are too much of a threat for us to let old grudges get in the way anyhow, and so on...)

Sigh.(less)

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Apr 25, 2013 Obsidian rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Traitor's Daughter was a struggle to get through. The prologue was very confusing. I almost gave up reading this book, but it started to pick up half way through.

When I read a book, I need someone I can relate to. Someone that I cheer on. However, it was very hard to find a likable character. Jianna sounds like a spoiled brat. (Although I did not like her, I didn't think that she should have been subject to kidnapping and cruelty). Aureste does not blink an eye at the cruelty that goes on b...more The Traitor's Daughter was a struggle to get through. The prologue was very confusing. I almost gave up reading this book, but it started to pick up half way through.

When I read a book, I need someone I can relate to. Someone that I cheer on. However, it was very hard to find a likable character. Jianna sounds like a spoiled brat. (Although I did not like her, I didn't think that she should have been subject to kidnapping and cruelty). Aureste does not blink an eye at the cruelty that goes on before him. I do admit that he cares greatly for his daughter. The Belandor family at Ironheart seem equally cruel. Basically, it came down to choosing the most likeable out of the non-likeable characters (if that makes any sense). Falaste seems like he could have been a good character, however, he is not given much development. Everyone seems to love him, and Jianna is drawn to him, but I just did not warm up to him. I understand the loyalty he feels, but how does he not see Yvenza for who she is? I understand strong and iron-willed, but she will hit anyone or inflict cruelty on a whim. All the characters just seem to be so ruthless. They turn a blind eye to murder/brutality/basically anything wrong. Where is their moral compass?

As for the story. If you understand the Prologue, it seems to me that the world is going to end for the human race. However, this can be stopped. So I continue reading and hope that at some point this plot development will show up, however it is not until the final chapter that this comes to light. The final chapter!! Jianna is kidnapped. I get that. However, I also know that she will at some point be rescued. Well at least I hoped so. I really couldn't bear to see her hit for no reason. Falaste, being the good character that he is, cannot just leave her. How long does it possibly take for her father to mount his forces? He was so adamant to get moving. I wish that Jianna's kidnapping and rescuing could have moved on a bit faster. When they finally reached camp, it seemed like here were the interesting characters, but again, this is towards the end of the book.

I do admit I was hoping for some romance (I thought it hinted at some on the blurb from the book), but there is none to be found. And I really cannot understand Jianna's agreement to the marriage. She was worried about the repercussions of saying no, but even if she refused, she would still be treated the same. For someone who is supposed to be strong-willed, she gave up pretty easily. Her actions sometimes just seemed at complete opposite at times. She shows a fighting spirit, but then submits. I just don't understand. She completely does not want the marriage, yet goes through the marriage ceremony meekly!! It's frustrating.

I did find the arcane world interesting, however, it is given little book time. One interesting character was Nissi. Again, she was not given much book time. I just thought that more time should have been spent discussing the impending doom upon the human race.

I will not be reading the next book. (less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lter, historical, fantasy, netgalley

I won this some time ago as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer book, and I'm very very sorry that it's taken me this long to finish it … I lost it, is the plain simple truth. If you saw my house you'd understand. It's a cross somewhere a small local library and an episode of "Hoarders". Happily, it appeared on NetGalley, and my request was approved, and vi-ola: two reviews with one stone. Or something.

It took some time for this book to click. One aspect of that was the cover: it looks almost typical...more I won this some time ago as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer book, and I'm very very sorry that it's taken me this long to finish it … I lost it, is the plain simple truth. If you saw my house you'd understand. It's a cross somewhere a small local library and an episode of "Hoarders". Happily, it appeared on NetGalley, and my request was approved, and vi-ola: two reviews with one stone. Or something.

It took some time for this book to click. One aspect of that was the cover: it looks almost typical of the run of historical fiction and historical romance in recent years, and as this is very much not either of those genres it was a bit of an adjustment to take in robots and Sishmindri. It's a whole new universe this is set in, with a new form of magic, and new species. I didn't really notice when the click came, but at a certain point it all suddenly made excellent sense: the Sishmindri are the bipedal amphibian race who are enslaved by the humans, considered by the vast majority to be far, far subhuman; next highest on the totem pole are the human Faerlonnish, who have been conquered by the human Taerleezi and who – except for the Magnifico Aureste Belandor, who acted in a manner he considered expeditious, saving his family – but which his fellow Faerlonnish considered vile treachery.

As the book begins, we meet Jianna, Belandor's daughter, who has been sheltered from all of the politics of the past. She is eighteen, lovely, spoiled, and an almost unsympathetic character who is being sent off for a strategic marriage. She never gets there. While her father's past actions have provided a safe and privileged life for her up to that point, they also created a lot of enemies, and some of those enemies stop her carriage and take her captive.

It's a dark story. There's the horror involved in the kidnapping – Brandon pulls very few punches for her characters. There are all the draconic laws of the society which lead to horrific punishments and retaliations: it is a land being ruled unwillingly, and it isn't pretty. And there is something else going on behind it all. Most people experience it as a terrible plague; people get sick, and then the authorities come in and quarantine the house or the block or the section of town. What most people don't realize is that the reason the quarantine is so viral is that the dead don't stay dead. What even fewer people realize is that the reason for the plague is that the Source, where all arcane power originates, is undergoing some serious changes, changes which could have cataclysmic consequences. I like that. I like that the concerns of each character are all in all to them. The resistance fighters working against the Taerleezi are concerned solely with trying to make an impact on their oppressors; the plague is a distant trouble, and they couldn't care less about the Source. They, and everyone else, are going to have to become a bit more open, or they might not survive.

I liked the characters who populate this alien world. They are not the most cuddly of people (something I've seen complaints about in other reviews), but I liked the way they move through their landscape and made decisions with weight. Nothing comes easily, and there are consequences to everything. Yet there is a sense of humor to the writing which is a big part of what makes the characters not be hateful and leavened the harshness of the world. While the book didn't end on quite a cliffhanger, there are many situations left very much unresolved, and I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.
(less)

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Nov 30, 2011 Urban Fantasy Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars

You can read this review and more like it on my site www.ufreviews.com

I really like the cover for this book, and I have to admit it did attract me, and made me want to find out more about the actual content of the book. The book blurb wasn't the most intriguing blurb I have ever read before but it had enough of pull for me to want to try it out.

Regardless of what I was expecting, this book was not at all my kind of book. To begin it started off kind of bizarrely. It started off with what I assu...more You can read this review and more like it on my site www.ufreviews.com

I really like the cover for this book, and I have to admit it did attract me, and made me want to find out more about the actual content of the book. The book blurb wasn't the most intriguing blurb I have ever read before but it had enough of pull for me to want to try it out.

Regardless of what I was expecting, this book was not at all my kind of book. To begin it started off kind of bizarrely. It started off with what I assume was suppose to be one part humorous and one part background information that would want the reader to want to know more. I'm not sure it accomplished either. The man it starts out with has built an automaton and this, essentially clone, believes he is superior to the man who built him. He is demanding, short, and arrogant. I think his offhand comments are intended to be humorous, and maybe they would have been if the situation itself hadn't been so confusing.

From there it immediately leaves that scene, which is somewhat jarring, and then turns to what appears to be some kind of political power struggle between families who are always vying for power over each other. My first real bone to pick, is the author is constantly introducing new places and people, and they all have completely unpronounced names, which makes it hard to remember who is who. So by the end of the first chapter, I was decently confused as to what was going on and what was the point of it all.

The writing style in general was fairly unimaginative, and did nothing to really draw me into what was going on. I wish I could give specific reasons as to what with the writing style was not appealing, all I know is that about a quarter of the way through the book, I really wanted to stop reading.

I struggled to find any characters I could really pull for or identify with. Jianna is probably the character who came closest to me liking, but fell short. Jianna is pulled from her sheltered life into a bad situation early on in the book, and in other books where a main character is kidnapped or something similar, I almost always feel myself pulling for that character, this was not the case with Jianna. I mean I felt bad for her, but her reactions were not organic, and because I didn't really believe in the character it was hard for me to want to pull for her or have empathy for her.

Perhaps there is an audience for this book, I suppose it leans more towards sci fi than historical fantasy. Honestly it reads more like a political thriller with bizarre magical elements thrown in for kicks. This is not a book for the urban fantasy fan, nor a book for anyone looking for romance.(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

Jianna is a rich, spoiled eighteen year-old on her way to meet her fiance. Her world has filtered out what is really going on outside, but the troubling truth meets her when she is kidnapped by men standing against her father. What will she do when she discovers that her aunt is holding her hostage? Revolution, magic, kidnapping, plague, chaos, and love all come together in this novel where competing family members vie for control of the land. The magic is failing. Will anyone be able to save th...more

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Mar 11, 2012 06sydneyj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reports

Everything you could possibly imagine at your fingertips, until one tragic day when everything you've ever known is taken away. That's what happened to kind, loving and entergetic Jianna Belandor, daughter of a famous traitor. Paula Brandon does it again in her award winning book "The Traitors Daughter." This young adult book is a very exciting read. If there is anything to be learned from this book it is this, you are never safe.

In this exciting novel that takes place in the "Veiled Isles" J...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Nikki Wilde rated it 2 of 5 stars

Talk about a futuristic historical novel. Honestly, I was completely caught off guard when I started reading this one. It started with a gentleman and an automaton that he made from spare parts. To be honest, I wanted to double check that I had the right book. There were a few funny parts with the robot making fun of his maker but it just didn't feel right.

It was a bit difficult to follow at first. I have to say, I was a bit bored. If I wasn't required to review this one, I probably would have s...more Talk about a futuristic historical novel. Honestly, I was completely caught off guard when I started reading this one. It started with a gentleman and an automaton that he made from spare parts. To be honest, I wanted to double check that I had the right book. There were a few funny parts with the robot making fun of his maker but it just didn't feel right.

It was a bit difficult to follow at first. I have to say, I was a bit bored. If I wasn't required to review this one, I probably would have stopped reading it. To be honest, I'm happy and disappointed that I had to finish reading. There is no ending in sight. Just a small beginning. Meaning, if you're looking for a conclusion there isn't one. I find there's also no connection with any character and I cannot figure out what some people are thinking or feeling. There is no romance to be found. Only hate, and more hate. Everyone hates each other.

It really had a lot of setup to get through but I feel that it was at a detriment to the characters. Or at least Jianna and Rione. Although, I felt for Jianna, I really couldn't connect with her character as well as I wanted to. While Rione is a complete mystery and I have not really grown to like him.

I'm not sure how any of this is going to play itself out but it's not looking promising for anyone. If you're looking for a romance I'd step away from this one. If you're looking for more of a fantasy then this could be the answer. Between amphibian like slaves, arcane abilities, plagues and zombie like beings this one is full of fantasy.

In my opinion this is categorized wrong. The cover looks lovely and like something altogether different from what I read. It was a tough read with all the different names and words that I struggled to pronounce. Not to mention the dark feel of the novel. It seems like everyone either has a dark side to them in this. I was constantly worried about Jianna and wondering if and how she'd get away.

I would have liked a little bit more of a conclusion or at least something to even suggest a spark between any of the characters, unfortunately, I did not get either and was left with a feeling of dread. (less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-2011, robots, 2011-release, random-house

Happy Halloween! I figure since it's Halloween I ought to review a novel with some kind of horror element. Well let's see,The Traitor's Daughter, "is a dark, rich feast, rife with plagues, kidnappings, political intrigues, bloody crimes, bloodier revenges, arcane upheavals, and the threat of zombies.” Zombies! Perfectly Halloween or so the writer of that blurb would have me think. Unfortunately, my quest to review something horror was a complete failure. While there issomething akin to zombies i...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011_release_read, review_fbc, genre-fantasy, read_2011, t1_recommended_2011, series_read

While I will have the FBC review very soon and I will c/p here, I want only to remark that this has been so far the best (more or less) traditional fantasy debut of the year for me - lots of misfires with other noted such - and I was surprised that it is not really a romantic fantasy novel as I expected, but a pretty traditional one with the expected tropes, though it has some sfnal elements too.

Full FBC Rv:

INTRODUCTION: The blurb below raised my interest quite a lot in The Traitor's Daughter w...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Kayla Beck rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mature, romance, netgalley, fantasy

The Traitor’s Daughter by Paula Brandon is an adult fantasy that is also the author’s debut. It is filled with moral exercises, magic, impending doom, and a damsel in distress who is not one to wait around to be rescued. The book centers around the Belandor family (two branches) mainly, with some scenes focusing on their sworn enemy the Corvestri family, and Grix Orlazzu.

This book is completely different than anything that I’ve read before. The rules of the world are not immediately introduced a...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Patrice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read, romance-readers-qtrly-challenge

Ok, where to begin…let me start by saying I originally picked up the second book in this series at my library (before I realized it was a series). Then I put it back and got this book. I realize that the writer has to “set the stage” and introduce the characters and any back-story that is required, but it took me a little while to warm up to this book and get into the story. It is very interesting to imagine a world that can “reverse itself” to the detriment of any species that is currently resi...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Sarah Wagner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

An interesting fantasy novel. The Traitor's Daughter recounts a tale of kidnapping, arcane power, old rivalries, and ancient forces. Jianna Belandor suffers an abrupt change in circumstances when she is kidnapped on her way to her wedding. Meanwhile, resistance forces attempt to rest power from the invaders to took control twenty years before, Jianna's father schemes his revenge on an old rival, and several arcane practitioners notice a coming change in the nature of the Source - a change that w...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Susie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-quite-sure

I did finish this book, checked out the second in the series, had two holds for books I'm really interested in reading become available, so I checked in the second book. Let's just say that there was too much and too little. Too many unlikable characters (downright mean and unsavory), too little character development (being mean is just not enough, being young and dumb is just not enough, being everyone's golden boy but not seeing the true character of those around you is just not enough). And t...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is the first in a trilogy. It is a fantasy. The author does a good job of building this other world which is full of magic which is about to go wrong. The heroine is a rich, pampered girl who is ignorant of her father's evil machinations. She is kidnapped on her way to meet her arranged betrothed by her father's enemies and has to endure much before she is rescued by a kind physician. She becomes his assistant and falls in love with him and begins to open her eyes to the injustices in...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads

I won this book courtesy of the goodreads-first reads program! Thanks goodreads!

I feel really bad about the review I am about to write, but I want to be truthful. This book is a rarity in that I just could not read it! I always try to finish any book I start no matter how bad, but I knew it was going to be bad when I had trouble getting through prologue!

I just want to say up front that I think the blurb describing this book (that was on the advertisement as I registered to win it on goodreads) w...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Anjana rated it 2 of 5 stars

It took me so long to get through this book - 4 days - which is highly unusual for me since I tend to read/finish a book at one go. I requested a copy of The Traitor's Daughter because the cover seemed appealing but I'm sorry to say that the book was ordinary at best. I hate writing negative reviews so I'm apologizing in advance.

From the beginning, The Traitor's Daughter was all over the place. Let me start with the prologue - I felt like I was thrown in the middle of a scene and had no clue...more It took me so long to get through this book - 4 days - which is highly unusual for me since I tend to read/finish a book at one go. I requested a copy of The Traitor's Daughter because the cover seemed appealing but I'm sorry to say that the book was ordinary at best. I hate writing negative reviews so I'm apologizing in advance.

From the beginning, The Traitor's Daughter was all over the place. Let me start with the prologue - I felt like I was thrown in the middle of a scene and had no clue of what was going on around me. Then the story abruptly shifts to a completely different situation that involved some kind of historic mafia or in this case, a mafia-like guy. It looked like Paula Brandon didn't know which path to take - big bad historic family leader or modern mafia - and got stuck in the middle. I noticed a lot of awkward phrases that didn't go well with the book. Really, it could've just been written better.

I had to literally force myself to get through A Traitor's Daughter. Maybe if the characters were better, I would've been okay with a not-so-great plot/writing. Or if there was some romance. I needed something to make me like it! Jianna is an annoying protagonist. She bugged me from the second she entered the story. I didn't care that she was spoiled but I sure as heck didn't want to read about a brat. What made it worse that her father, Aureste thought she was 'high spirited' and liked her for it when frankly, he should've told her to grow up. There's nothing that made any of the characters special and that's a major reason why I couldn't enjoy the book.

The writing, frankly, lacked creativity and didn't manage to keep me engaged. I felt that the author was trying to write a unique historic novel but didn't know how. Instead, the entire novel was a confused story misrepresented as historic. I felt like reading the script of a bad, amateur film where the characters were a little too obvious.

I'm giving this book two stars because really, it was okay . If the writing had been brushed up a little, the book could've been a decent read. (less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't recall where I got the recommendation for this book, but I started reading it while fighting my way through the last book club book as a break and finished it up this past weekend. The setting is small geographically, comprising just one island and two cities that are about three days travel by carriage apart, although later books will likely expand the scope. The main character is Jianna Belandor, the pampered and sheltered 18yo daughter of Aureste Belandor who is widely reviled in his...more I don't recall where I got the recommendation for this book, but I started reading it while fighting my way through the last book club book as a break and finished it up this past weekend. The setting is small geographically, comprising just one island and two cities that are about three days travel by carriage apart, although later books will likely expand the scope. The main character is Jianna Belandor, the pampered and sheltered 18yo daughter of Aureste Belandor who is widely reviled in his home city for cooperating and kneeling to the conquering overlords. Due to public opinion of him and his family, Aureste makes a marriage contract for Jianna in a neighboring city, but she is kidnapped during her trip there by another sect that has serious problems with Aureste. The woman in charge of that group plans to marry Jianna off to her cruel oaf of a son, using cruelty and beatings to get her way with Jianna as well as her own sons and retainers. Meanwhile, Aureste has his own problems with another one of his longtime enemies, and the Source of magic is starting to have problems as known natural laws are breaking and magic is not working properly.

So the book has several plotlines, some of which are clearly long-term and some which provide the story for this book. The prologue and occasional vignettes starring Grix Orlazzu have minimal relation to what happens in this book, and they feel very out of place because of it. The storyline of Jianna's time in the wilderness stronghold feels flat and one-dimensional at times, as while Yvenza appears to be quite smart at plotting, there is so much exposition and explanation at her it left me looking for the plot holes. Falaste Rione is a character with promise, but other than his stated "goodness" that finally spurs him to save Jianna at the last minute, there isn't much there to work with. The best part of this storyline was the overnight work to save Yvenza's youngest son, which was interesting and very well written. Moving back to Aureste, there's a whole lot of political schticking going along with him, and a lot of it seemed overly contrived rather than flowing naturally. I found his enemy to be a more interesting character, although his treatment of his wife showed such a startling change I found it to break character completely, even if he spent the rest of the book trying to justify it.

I'm not sure whether I will read the next books in the trilogy. If I do, it will likely be due to wanting to learn more about Falaste's sister and Aureste's enemy's young son, not due to any of the primary characters.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Wicked ♥ (Wickedly Bookish Reviews) aka Bat-Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, netgalley, series-fantasy, first-in-series, 2012, fantasy, winter-reads, zombies, series-to-finish

Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

The intriguing first installment of the Veiled Isles Trilogy gives readers a taste of its rich world and the cataclysm to come. Jianna is the spoiled daughter of Magnifico Aureste Belandor. While on her way to a new land and a future husband, Jianna is kidnapped by an enemy her father discounted long ago. Jianna must overcome her pampered upbringing and naivety of her father's past deeds in order to escape the fate that awaits her....more Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

The intriguing first installment of the Veiled Isles Trilogy gives readers a taste of its rich world and the cataclysm to come. Jianna is the spoiled daughter of Magnifico Aureste Belandor. While on her way to a new land and a future husband, Jianna is kidnapped by an enemy her father discounted long ago. Jianna must overcome her pampered upbringing and naivety of her father's past deeds in order to escape the fate that awaits her.

The whimsy of this book caught me right away with the prologue and the humorous banter between Grix Orlazu and his automaton I never felt forced to read this as the style and quality of writing were wonderful, however I felt like there was a veil between myself and the characters. Although I wanted to get to know them better I could never really connect or relate to any of the character except Jianna. Jianna annoyed me at first with her bratty attitude and complete dependency on her father to rescue her, however as the story progressed and it become more and more clear that her father would not be coming to her rescue, I was pleasantly surprised at Jianna's development. . I especially enjoyed her nursing of the patients with Falaste Rione. Instead of complaining and getting grossed out, she rose to the challenge and helped heal the battle injuries of her patients. I loved her growing sense of responsibility and her eventual willingness to devise her own way of escape. It was nice to read about a heroine who tries to save herself rather than just waits for someone else to do it. I look forward to seeing how much she grows in the next book as well.

There was were very little romance elements in this book. You could tell the author is setting up Jianna to have feelings for Rione, but instead of focusing on a romance, the Paula Brandon focuses on her world building, characters, and story. Although I felt the chapters focusing on Vinz Corvestri slowed down the pace of the novel quite a bit, I still enjoyed getting to know the characters. Rione was my least favorite character in this story, mostly because he was a complete and utter wimp until the last couple chapters. I absolutely hated that he just stood around and let Jianna be hurt and treated as a prisoner. If Jianna does develop feelings for him and he becomes the love interest, I hope the author gives Rione a way to redeem himself because he is still on my shit list.

Readers will find this first installment to be more of a precursor to the main story which seems to be set to unfold in book 2. While reviews I have read complain about this, I was compelled to find out more and actually excited by the way it all ended. The end perfectly sets up book 2 for readers and gives them a pretty good idea of what is happening to the world around its characters. As a zombie fanatic, I am not completely convinced about the zombies of Brandon's world, but am looking forward to finding out more about them. I think Brandon had the right idea when she set up The Traitor's Daughter to mostly set everything up so that she could get into the meat of things in book 2 The Ruined City set to be released February 28th of 2012.

Recommendation: Fantasy fans will recognize the elements of an epic tale, but will want more clarification. Not for readers looking for a romance novel, this is pure fantasy and adventure. (less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Maniai rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf, fantasy

To be fair, my 2-star rating is completely a matter of personal taste. I received this book from NetGalley, and had requested it based on the fact that it was classified as a romance. This is NOT a romance novel. Maybe there are romantic elements, and maybe a romance happens within the walls of the overall story, but I'm pretty sure this is really a traditional fantasy structure. Which is not my thing, and that definitely colored my impression of it.

Coming from more familiar ground as a reader...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, arcs-read, seriously-disappointing, edelweiss-netgalley

The Traitor’s Daughter was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Publishing Group .

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

I was really anticipating this as the summary made it sound incredibly original and enticing. The prologue was a really rough start and I wanted to abandon it from the very start. Immediately delving into this strange and complex world with some serious lack of explanation was not the way to go. I found myself going back and re-reading large portions an...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Katie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-have-been-better, reviewed, would-rather-watch-paint-dry

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 03, 2011 Colleen Turner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reviewed the book for www.luxuryreading.com.

In a land known as the Veiled Isles, the eternal energy called the Source is beginning to reverse. With the last reversal mankind was able to inhabit the Veiled Isles and banish the previous Inhabitants, a race of sentient, bodiless creatures that operated as one Overmind to control all manner of living things in their path, to the area known as the Wraithlands.

Since then man has created its civilization and many have forgotten the power of the Sourc...more I reviewed the book for www.luxuryreading.com.

In a land known as the Veiled Isles, the eternal energy called the Source is beginning to reverse. With the last reversal mankind was able to inhabit the Veiled Isles and banish the previous Inhabitants, a race of sentient, bodiless creatures that operated as one Overmind to control all manner of living things in their path, to the area known as the Wraithlands.

Since then man has created its civilization and many have forgotten the power of the Source and what came before. But now the signs that the Source is once again reversing, allowing the very laws of nature and arcane magic to change and the great Overmind to once again assert its power, are beginning to show. The only way to halt this change is to cleanse the Source and keep it on its current path. This can only be done with the combined assistance of the arcane powers held within the six great houses: Belandor, Corvestri, Steffa, Orlazzo, Pridisso and Zovaccio. These houses have been at war or been slowly dissipating for years, but they will have to find a way to come together or they, and all of mankind, are doomed.

In the city of Vitrisi, the wealthy Magnifico Aureste Belandor is saddened but resigned to marry his beloved daughter, Jianna, to a prominent family far from the city of her birth and the hatred that he has kept her sheltered from. Jianna idolizes her father and has no idea he has long been considered a traitor to his Faerlonish brethren and has spent his life conniving and bribing his way into favor with the current administration.

On the ride to her wedding, Jianna’s carriage is attacked and all her attendants viciously murdered before her eyes. Her captors soon show themselves to be a branch of the Belandor family that Aureste brought to ruin, allowing himself to become the Magnifico of the family after his predecessor, Onarto Belandor, was killed in exile. Onarto’s widow, Yvenza Belandor, has hatched a plan to marry Jianna to her brutish son, Onartino, hoping to once again establish her lineage as the head of the house.

As Jianna waits for her father’s rescue she soon discovers she will need to use her own resources and intellect to try and save herself. At the edge of despair help comes from a Dr. Falaste Rione, a man who has lived his life loyal to Yvenza but cannot justify the pain she seems set to lavish on Jianna.

While Jianna lies in the clutches of Yvenza and her vicious clan, Aureste sets out to indeed try and rescue his daughter. As he uses his brother Innesq’s arcane powers to locate her, he also sets about to destroy one of his enemies, Magnifico Vinz Corvestri , the man who married the only other woman Aureste ever loved, Sonnetia Steffa. But before Vinz is arrested, he uses his own arcane magic to assist the Faerlonish resistance in an attempt to murder Aureste and burn down Belandor House, injuring Innesq in the process. By the time the smoke clears, Jianna and Dr. Rione are in hiding with the resistance, both Yvenza and Aureste’s homes are in ruin, Vinz has been arrested and Innesq lies on the brink of death. Will they all survive and, if so, how will they ever begin to work together to save the world as they know it?

The Traitor’s Daughter is the first in an epic trilogy that promises to be exciting. Not usually a fan of fantasy stories, I was thrown off at first by the talk of magic; as the story progressed I became enamored with Paula Brandon’s writing. It reads like a classic historical fiction novel that stretches its boundaries to include the mystical. The twists and turns keep you turning the pages and while there are a lot of plot points and characters to absorb, it isn’t hard to become thoroughly invested in the story. The ending is left at the tip of a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, The Ruined City, which comes out in February 2012.(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/...

When I started The Traitor’s Daughter, I immediately knew that I was in for something a little bit different. The book begins with an inventor, Grix Orlazzu, that is confronted by his own creation, an automaton that decides to take on his creater’s identity. However, his creator has discovered a disruption in the Source, a mysterious underground power from which magic originates. He leaves his home, and his automaton, dete...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/12/...

When I started The Traitor’s Daughter, I immediately knew that I was in for something a little bit different. The book begins with an inventor, Grix Orlazzu, that is confronted by his own creation, an automaton that decides to take on his creater’s identity. However, his creator has discovered a disruption in the Source, a mysterious underground power from which magic originates. He leaves his home, and his automaton, determined to make his way to the Wraithlands to hopefully find out what’s happening with the Source. We don’t meet Grix again until the end, and you may be wondering about just what’s going on, but I promise, it gets much clearer throughout the story. We then meet Magnifico Aureste Belandor and his beautiful 18 year old daughter Jianna, who will soon make the journey to meet her betrothed. This journey will prove to change her and her father’s lives forever.

As Jianna travels to meet her new fiancé, her party is attacked by rebel forces and she is taken to a rebel stronghold, where she meets the formidable Yvenza Belandor, and her less-than-charming sons. Yvenza tells an outrageous story that puts Jianna’s father in the role of traitor, but it may not be quite as outrageous as she thinks. To add insult to injury, Yvenza plans to make Jianna her daughter-in-law by marrying her to her oldest son, Onartino. Let’s talk about Yvenza and Onartino for a moment. If Yvenza’s claims are true, you can understand her motivations, if not her methods. Onartino on the other hand, is a true sociopath. He’s no stranger to rape and murder, and his plans for Jianna are anything but romantic. I hated Onartino with a vengeance and had to keep myself from skipping ahead to find out Jianna’s fate. Luckily, there is a light at the end (maybe) in the form of a young doctor, Falaste Rione, who arrives at the stronghouse to administer to the rebel wounded. Kind and a little charmed by Jianna, he may be her only hope for escape, but his loyalties also lie with Yvenza, so convincing him to help will take all of Jianna’s wits. With Jianna, the author did a really, really good job of painting a portrait of a girl that has been raised very sheltered and pampered, but has hidden reserves, which she discovers slowly but surely, especially while helping Falaste administer to the wounded rebels. I loved the idea of the Source, a mysterious underground font of magic that may be ready to shift, and not necessarily for the better, and the author did a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere of magic and intrigue. Oh, and did I mention there are zombies? Or rather, the constant threat of zombies, for there is a plague loose in the Veiled Isles, but there may be more to the walking dead than meets the eye, and I’m hoping we’ll find out more about this in the next book. The Traitor’s Daughter shifts back and forth from Jianna’s plight to the goings on in her father’s world, and I’ll admit, while those passages were certainly entertaining, I found myself wanting to get back to Jianna’s story. I was riveted with The Traitor’s Daughter and can’t wait for The Ruined City, the next book in the series. If you like fantasy full of intrigue, drama, and magic, with a fascinating and unique setting, you’ll love The Traitor’s Daughter!(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, first-reads-arc, coverlove, owned-copy, arc, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, reviewed, horror-zombies-gore, steampunk

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3.75 out of 5 stars

What to do, what to do? First of all, I have to admit I've had this ARC for months - I won it in the First Reads program in 2011 - and just haven't gotten around to reading it. My bad GoodReads, you were right - this is a book for me, even if I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I'm torn about a lot of this fantasy novel - so much so that I couldn't even decide what range of rating I want to assign The Traitor's Daughter for a w...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-get-through

Imagine if Sansa Stark (the sheltered, spoiled little girl from book one) is the daughter of someone like Lucius Malfoy in a setting rife with civil unrest as a result of the aftermath of what I think is a war and she is so sheltered that she doesn't know about the unrest or the war. Imagine then she gets sent off to marry some guy she'd never met, gets kidnapped by highwaymen along the way, and then weird fantasy reagency romance ensues. Except with a lot more gore.

...yeah really not my cup of...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into, and I am still a little confused about things. There were a lot of races/ethnicities that I kept getting mixed up. I think the background could have been better incorporated. Once the action started to pick up, I was really drawn in. The books follows a few main characters not just Jianna like the description implies. Although I think Jianna's plot line was the most engaging and the easiest to follow, background wise. The characteriza...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Neeuqdrazil rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kobo, library, read-in-2012

Very obviously the start of a series - this felt like the first half of a story - it ended on a bunch of cliffhangers, and nothing was resolved.

It took me a while to get into, and I never did get fully invested. The characters weren't interesting - the titular daughter was presented at the beginning as spoiled and petulant, but quickly becomes invested in the lives of (at least some of) the people who are holding her captive, without any obvious motivation or character development.

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Oct 08, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, for-review, vine

Going from reading YA books to adult books can go either one of two ways: A) OH MY GOSH WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING or B) do ALL adult books meander like this?! Unfortunately, The Traitor’s Daughter by Paula Brandon was a book that didn’t exactly have me clamoring and proclaiming about how much I had been missing out on. I had been expecting magic, intrigue, romance and plagues, but wound up with a whole lot of wading to get to that point. Unfortunately, The Traitor’s Daughter, while fantastic in c...more

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May 08, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sffantasy

Really interesting worldbuilding, and Paula Brandon (also known as Paula Volsky) always writes wonderful lush prose, but nearly all the characters, even the sympathetic ones, are horrible, horrible people. I'm not usually one to judge a book on whether I'd want to hang out with the characters, but I don't think I can face another two books of them.

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Oct 24, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Ouch. A promising premise was stretched even beyond my willingness to suspend belief. Fantasy, yes. It starts off as a very promising book. However, there are a large number of absolutely astonishing coincidences that become almost absurd before the end. This author has good potential, but her plot holes are painful to endure.

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The Traitor's Daughter (The Veiled Isles Trilogy #1)

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