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The Traitor Baru Cormorant

(The Masquerade #1)

Seth Dickinson (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 10,572 ratings · 1,803 reviews

Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up from the sand of her home and see red sails on the horizon.

The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They'll conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She'll swallow her hate, p ...more

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Hardcover, 399 pages

Published September 15th 2015 by Tor Books / Tom Doherty Associates

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Aug 01, 2018 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Melanie by: Kathy

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy, buddy-reads, lgbtqiap, read-in-2018, dark, favorites

“I will remake the world so that no woman will ever have to do this again.”

I’ve been sitting here, looking at a blank word document, for almost twenty minutes. I don’t even know how to possibly start a review for this book. I can honestly say that I have never read anything, in my entire life, like The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. This book was so very quiet, but it spoke so very loudly to me. But this is easily one of the best books I’ve read in my entire life.

Baru Cormorant learns from a ver ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 Petrik rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-physical-books

Believe me, I’m sad at myself for giving this book 1 star rating but I must be honest, this book was a massive struggle for me to finish.

“This is the truth. You will know because it hurts.”

And you were right, the truth is that I’m disappointed and it really hurt. To be fair, I despised accounting with a fiery passion and my expectation for this book may be too high. I bought this book in January, I’ve been waiting for the release of The Monster Baru Cormorant before I started this one; that’s ten months of/> Believe me, I’m sad at myself for giving this book 1 star rating but I must be honest, this book was a massive struggle for me to finish.

“This is the truth. You will know because it hurts.”

And you were right, the truth is that I’m disappointed and it really hurt. To be fair, I despised accounting with a fiery passion and my expectation for this book may be too high. I bought this book in January, I’ve been waiting for the release of The Monster Baru Cormorant before I started this one; that’s ten months of anticipation. What’s crazier is that this book really should’ve worked for me, a lot of things I heard about this book sounds like something I usually enjoy, but like always, only after you really start reading the book then you realize that the experience is not as good as what you think it’s going to be. So what exactly went wrong here? The way it was written. Please remember that this is just my opinion, if you loved the book, that’s good for you.

The prose to me felt like reading a history textbook and I had severe problems immersing myself with Dickinson’s way of writing. It felt like everything happened too fast, relied a lot on coincidence, and most of all, the majority of the characters were so easily forgettable. Four or five characters like Baru, Tain Hu, and Muire Lo aside, the other characters almost sounded the same because they were written without having their personalities explored; give me two days and I’ll forget the side characters completely, I already did. This was absolutely not a character-driven book, not by far. So many characters and names mentioned and yet there was not enough substance or anything impactful and unique to make me care or remember them. Even the main character, Baru was like a walking emotionless android accountant to me and the story was also immensely predictable.

The final section of the book was greatly written and engaging but it didn’t leave me reeling or soul-crushed as it did towards many other readers. Heck, I’ll even go ahead and say that the first 30 pages of Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames made me feel more than the entirety of this book. The only praises I can give toward this book is that Seth Dickinson is a smart author that managed to implement accounting as the main ‘destruction’ skill for a unique fantasy experience. Other than that, nothing in the book worked for me, which is odd because it should’ve worked but it simply didn’t due to how disconnected I am with the way it was written.

It pains me to say this but The Traitor Baru Cormorant could actually be the most disappointing book I’ve read this year. I usually give a series two books before giving up but in this particular case my problem lies with the prose itself and because of that, I won’t be continuing to the next books.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, arcs-and-galleys, favorites, review-copy

4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/10/20/b...

A really odd sensation is coming over me right now. I’ve just finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant and I’m sitting down to write this review, struggling to find the right words to describe my journey with this book. It all started even before I picked up the novel, since I’d been seeing so many of my fellow readers talk about it in the weeks leading up to its release, and quite frankly, a lot of the stuff I heard scared the hell out of me.

E 4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/10/20/b...

A really odd sensation is coming over me right now. I’ve just finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant and I’m sitting down to write this review, struggling to find the right words to describe my journey with this book. It all started even before I picked up the novel, since I’d been seeing so many of my fellow readers talk about it in the weeks leading up to its release, and quite frankly, a lot of the stuff I heard scared the hell out of me.

Economic machinations? An accountant as the main protagonist? And oh will you look at that, there are even financial math metaphors in the book’s official publisher description. It was really not looking good at all. I love the idea of a geopolitical epic fantasy, but I personally have no interest in a game of ledgers and numbers. Stuff like that just doesn’t appeal to me, it just makes me want to run for the hills.

But on the other hand, there are a lot of things that sounded good too. A tragic tale of revenge. Deep, multi-faceted characters. Immersive world-building and political intrigue. A thought provoking presentation of societal themes and issues like gender and sexuality. All this was enough to overcome my reservations, so in the end I just decided to take a leap of faith and simply let myself fall into this book, fully prepared to find myself broken and bloodied on the ground when I finish.

Well, I’m done now. And the only thing broken and bleeding is my heart.

(Totally worth it, by the way.)

What can I say, I was drawn to the main character Baru from the very first page. I loved the voice Seth Dickinson gave his young protagonist, who is only a little girl at the beginning of this story, watching her country of Taranoke become conquered by the Masquerade. Real world history is full of examples of empires swallowing up entire nations using commercial trade, re-education, cultural assimilation and other methods that Baru observes as her home’s identity is gradually chipped away. Possessing a sharp intelligence and an eye for hidden designs below the surface, she grows up within the enemy’s system, outwardly embracing their ways while secretly biding her time in patience until she can exact her revenge.

Her talents have not gone unnoticed. As one of the Masquerade’s most promising young graduates, Baru is posted to a distant nation which has proven to be the ruin of anyone foolish enough to attempt to tame it. Socially, politically, economically, the land of Aurdwynn is a mess, an unruly quagmire of mercurial dukes and treacherous bureaucrats, the population teetering on the brink of rebellion. With little knowledge of the local ways or customs, Baru is nonetheless tasked to bring order to the chaos as Aurdwynn’s newest imperial accountant—another test from the almighty Masquerade.

Oh Baru, Baru, Baru. How I adored Baru. Some characters just have this way of getting under your skin. I doubt Baru and I would have gotten along in real life; she is simply too formal, too distant, and too devious for my liking. She also has this tendency to see everything in terms of pros and cons, gains and losses, and to prioritize final results above all else, which is the complete opposite of my personality. But somehow, she really worked for me as this book’s protagonist. By all rights she should have frustrated me to no end or bored me to tears, and yet I found a lot to like about her past that cold, calculating mind. So much of the story is driven by Baru; she’s what made it so fascinating. I was drawn to her strange and unique persona, and found myself enthralled with experiencing everything through the eyes of someone who’s a mystery to me, someone who I also really wanted to understand.

Still, I’m not going to lie; there were definitely moments where I struggled, especially throughout the middle part of this book. I did what I feared and became bogged down by the minutiae of economics and then became frustrated when I just couldn’t keep up. Whether she was navigating the sticky politics of Aurdwynn or helping to organize a rebellion, Baru seemed to relish in tackling everything the same way: like she’s running a business. Which I suppose is how her character’s mind works, with an eye for the bottom line, but it certainly didn’t help make reading this book any easier. Who knows though, you might find yourself really taking to the financial politics, revenue discussions, and the balancing of surpluses against deficits, but if you’re like me and find your attention flagging over some of the details, all I can say is try to persevere and try not to lose sight of the big picture. The best has yet to come.

Which brings me to Tain Hu, Aurdwynn’s rebel duchess of Vultjag. From the moment she uttered the words “My Lady, command me” I was in her spell. There are so many ways I can describe the relationship between Baru and Tain Hu and how I feel about the two of them. Exhilarating, complicated, exquisite. Touching, dangerous, heart-wrenching. And yet none of these words seem quite adequate. The beauty of their connection defies all description. There is simply nothing I can compare it to. Their story is one for the ages, and I loved every moment they were on the page together.

This is a book you can really lose yourself in. As conflicted as I was about Baru’s character, I did very much want to see her succeed. I just didn’t know the costs. I didn’t realize how deep I was in, until it was too late. Sure, The Traitor Baru Cormorant might not have been the easiest read, but I have to give it credit where it counts. As I’m sitting here with this tight, clenching feeling at the pit of my stomach, trying not to scream, I can’t help but think, well, a book that makes me feel like this has to mean something, right? I didn’t love everything about the book, but no doubt about it, I loved everything it made me feel. ...more

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Oct 01, 2015 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: worldbuilding-sf, fanboy-goes-squee, political, fantasy, economics

I'm going to have to make a new shelf for the growing number of economi-punk titles that have been coming out. I can't believe how many of them there are, or why I get drawn so hard and fast into these kinds of tales. I can easily list one economist-protagonist for each of my fingers, and no one is more surprised than me that I'm digging it.

I'm digging it hard.

Can we have math geniuses make great heroes? Why yes, of course you can. SF has a very long history of doing just ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, lgbt, 4-star, year-2017

If you're a fan of political intrigue & fierce female characters, this is a book for you!

Baru Cormorant is an idealistic & intelligent woman, compelled from a young age to dominate the intricate games of power between reigning territories & save her precious island home & the unique culture that raised her.

It can be quite difficult to find such a lovely balance of politics, characterization, plot twists, and imagination, but I think Seth Dickinson's debut is a beautiful blend of all ...more

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Aug 17, 2015 Paul rated it it was ok

Shelves: z_archive15_read-2015, read_all2019, read_libraryaudiobook2019

Reread in April of 2019:
I reread this book on audio in 2019. I enjoyed it more this time around but I still couldn't connect with the second half of the book that is mostly political intrigue. For some reason, I completely zone out during all the meetings that Baru has with the rebels.

I talk about the reread some in my wrap-up video: https://youtu.be/Qe1prVghxVQ

Increased rating from a 1 to a 2.

Original Review:
This book is a rollar coaster of a ride and not in a good way. This book went fro ...more

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Dec 11, 2014 Kameron Hurley rated it it was amazing

I read an early ARC of this book because I enjoyed the author's short fiction. Turns out I have impeccable taste. This is a smart, brutal, gut-wrenching novel of conquesting and conquered, revenge, deceit, and betrayal. You'll be captivated from the very first page. Dickinson is a sly, masterful writer who pulls no punches. Get ready to have your heart ripped out through your throat. Highly recommended.

Pre-order it the moment it becomes available. You won't be sorry.

...more

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Jul 02, 2015 Thomas Wagner rated it it was amazing

You are probably going to hate this book. Seth Dickinson knows this and gives you fair warning at the outset. "This is the truth. You will know because it hurts." And even then, you aren't prepared. Over the course of 400 tight and tense pages, the book lives up to its promise. Like its namesake, The Traitor Baru Cormorant lures you in, puts you at your ease, wins your confidence, and then destroys you. Not wasting time with the often superficial cynicism towards humanity's innate corrupt nature that has ...more

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Aug 22, 2017 Mayim de Vries rated it really liked it

This is a book about female Machiavelli armed with ledgers. Also, a lesbian.

I could probably end my review here, but there is much more to Baru Cormorant.

Apparently, everything I need to drop everything I do and absolutely disregard my carefully planned reading schedule is three words: “epic geopolitical fantasy”. While the book is undoubtedly epic and downright geopolitical, it simultaneously is more dystopian than a fantasy, so if you expect your books to dazzle you with a complex magic syst ...more

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Oct 03, 2015 Althea Ann rated it it was amazing

Highly recommended for fans of Daniel Abraham's 'A Shadow in Summer.' Hey, it's a small subgenre: well-written, painstakingly-crafted fantasy starring female accountants!

I've never been a huge fan of accounting; it never captured my imagination. Really, I can't even be bothered to balance a checkbook. But THESE books - I loved both of them.

'The Traitor Baru Cormorant' (known just as 'The Traitor' in the UK) introduces us to the character of Baru Cormorant. When she's just Highly recommended for fans of Daniel Abraham's 'A Shadow in Summer.' Hey, it's a small subgenre: well-written, painstakingly-crafted fantasy starring female accountants!

I've never been a huge fan of accounting; it never captured my imagination. Really, I can't even be bothered to balance a checkbook. But THESE books - I loved both of them.

'The Traitor Baru Cormorant' (known just as 'The Traitor' in the UK) introduces us to the character of Baru Cormorant. When she's just a girl, her homeland is colonized by The Empire of Masks, known colloquially as 'The Masquerade.' While the new rulers of her nation bring technological innovation and luxuries, they also bring the double-edged sword of education, previously-unknown diseases, and cultural beliefs that directly oppose the way of life her people have always known (not to mention who Baru is, as a lesbian). Soon, Baru sees her family torn apart and the home she loves disappearing.

In a Masquerade boarding school, Baru applies herself to her education with a will. Soon, she's an up-and-coming star: a model student, picked out to be a shining example of the success of assimilated citizens from the Empire's hinterlands. Baru never speaks of her secret desire to change the Empire from within and to somehow be the agent that saves her country.

But when she receives a government assignment to another far-off territory of the Empire rather than its capital, her dream seems further out of reach than ever. When she discovers that her new posting is a place that prides itself on its inability to be ruled, and that rebellion and revolution are bubbling close to the surface, difficult choices await her - and will test all of her loyalties. Through it all, Baru will wear the mask she has learned to don.

The character of Baru, the interpersonal relationships described, and the political situations drawn here are all complex and nuanced. The author avoids being 'preachy' at any point in the book, instead letting events as they unfold speak for themselves.

Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

_____

March 2016: nominated for Hugo.
...more

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Oct 25, 2015 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

This review was originally published on the booksandpieces blog.

Clever, cunning, and dark as hell. Do not fuck with Baru Cormorant.

This book hurt me in two ways. The first was a familiar pain so let's just get it out there: queer characters die tragically. FFS, again?

The other pain, well, some people pay for that kind of thing.

How do you fight the system? That's really the question this book asks. How do you fight a culture that broke you into pieces and reshaped you into their mould? Is it pos ...more

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Feb 17, 2016 Erik rated it liked it

Shelves: detailed-review, scififantasy

So I have three book review pet peeves:

[1] Pictures in reviews of books not written by Eric Carle.

I like words. They’re beautiful, particularly in their inclusivity. A wonderful sentence invites us into its world. I – my consciousness – am in the same room as the sentence. The opposite is true of wonderful pictures. I feel like I’m standing at a window, looking out at the picture. There’s a distance there, and I don’t like that.

But just yesterday I assigned a book to a stud/>[1] ...more

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Oct 07, 2018 Allison Hurd rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, sff-bookshelf, man-author, lgbtqia-mc, sff-2018-challenge

Okay, so. I really did not like this. I knew by page 100 that I wouldn't have a good reading experience, and so everything even mildly irritating that happened afterward turned to immediate aggravation. I don't know why people love this book, unless a twist ending is enough to grab you.

It's full of telling, the only showing is drawn out battles, the dialogue made no sense, the characters were not even flat--they were downright non-existent. I hated Baru and the dukes. I hated the por ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Sophie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of Megan Whalen Turner and N.K. Jemisin

Recommended to Sophie by: Sunil

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, read-in-2015, s-o-b-b-i-n-g

Um wow I am not okay

I JUST WANT RAINBOWS AND KITTENS AND FOR EVERYBODY TO BE HAPPY FOREVER

Like. There are a lot of interesting things to say about this book. But right now I need to just curl up in a little ball and process what I just read. WHY YOU GOTTA BREAK MY HEART, BOOK. WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU.

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Sep 23, 2015 Sigrid Ellis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction-fantasy

I finished reading Seth Dickinson’d The Traitor Baru Cormorant.
My head is spinning, a bit.
I finished it three days ago.

***

In those geek-circle inevitable conversations, a perennial one is What AD&D Alignment Are You? Like What Hogwarts’ House Are You or Which Pokemon Are You, this is the sort of conversation that can lead to dangerous ground, if you start telling your friends and family what alignment you think they are and they disagree and then you EXPLA ...more

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Sep 29, 2015 Kaora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: good-fantasy, favorites

I hate reviewing books like this because I really really don't want to spoil it for others, but I still want to convey how much I enjoyed it.

It is also a book that while extremely well done is probably not for everyone especially if you are looking for a book full of action.

I will go to Falcrest and learn to rule, as we have been ruled. I will make it so no Taranoki daughter will lose a father again.

The Empire of Masks has come to Baru Comorant's home, and outlawed her cu/>I ...more

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Sep 24, 2015 Joel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks

Wow.

I am not really sure where to even categorize The Traitor Baru Cormorant. It's not really fantasy, yet based on it's tone and setting, it would definitely fall in that category. It pushes boundaries - moral, sexual, political. It presents many tough questions, tough situations, tough outcomes. The scope is both sprawling and incredibly tight, yet never feels to be too much of either.

It has the makings of a masterpiece, but doesn't quite hit on all cylinders for me. However, it sure as hel ...more

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Nov 18, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

THE TRAITOR is an epic geopolitical fantasy about one woman's mission to tear down an empire by learning how to rule it.

Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up from the sand of her home and see red sails on the horizon.

The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They'll conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She'll swallow her THE TRAITOR is an epic geopolitical fantasy about one woman's mission to tear down an empire by learning how to rule it.

Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up from the sand of her home and see red sails on the horizon.

The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They'll conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She'll swallow her hate, prove her talent, and join the Masquerade. She will learn the secrets of empire. She’ll be exactly what they need. And she'll claw her way high enough up the rungs of power to set her people free.

In a final test of her loyalty, the Masquerade will send Baru to bring order to distant Aurdwynn, a snakepit of rebels, informants, and seditious dukes. Aurdwynn kills everyone who tries to rule it. To survive, Baru will need to untangle this land’s intricate web of treachery - and conceal her attraction to the dangerously fascinating Duchess Tain Hu.

But Baru is a savant in games of power, as ruthless in her tactics as she is fixated on her goals. In the calculus of her schemes, all ledgers must be balanced, and the price of liberation paid in full.

Reviewing this book presented a conundrum to me. On one hand it is an utterly absorbing tale that will literally sink its teeth into you and refuse to let go. On the other I still find myself struggling to actually come up with the words to describe just how much this book kicked me in the head and heart.

Tragic.. gripping.. savage.. heartbreaking.. immersive... all of the above?

The Traitor is that sort of book.

The Traitor tells the tale of Baru Cormorant, a young girl whose family, culture, and nation are swallowed up and destroyed by the Empire of the Masks. Biding her time for revenge, Baru proves her talent to the Empire and joins the Masquerade, hoping to climb the rungs of power high enough in order to set her people free. But a posting to the distant Aurdwynn will push Baru to her limits, and may just end her quest for her people's freedom before it has even started.

I really don't know where to begin exactly when describing just how much I loved this book. I could wax lyrical about Dickinson's ability to suck me in like a dinosaur stuck in a tar pit with his immersive world building that has shades of the British Empire and Imperial China. Or I could rave on about the gender issues and sociological themes that are explored (often brutally) throughout the book. But when it comes down to it The Traitor is about Baru, and her journey in a horrible and savage world.

I adored the way Baru was depicted, from her mannerisms right down to her innermost thoughts. From very early in the book, when she decides that the only way to fight the Empire of Masks is from within, we know that her child-like innocence at the start will never be the same again. And her journey is incredibly brutal. And when I say brutal I don't mean blood spraying and limbs flying everywhere (although that sort of violence does happen), I mean a world where your sexuality, ethnicity, and culture are swallowed whole and spat out in disgust by an empire that holds all else in disdain. A world where you are told that your pain, loss, and hardship as you are assimilated and conquered are good for you and the Empire, and where your home will be destroyed, rebuilt, and renamed. A world where genocide, 're-education programs', and 'hygiene' standards (where your family units and sexual orientation must adhere to the Empire of the Masks rules) are enforced by fear, torture, and propaganda.

And as Baru plots, weaves and manipulates events in Audwynn she loses more and more of herself to her ultimate endgame. The Traitor is a tragedy in essence, and Baru pays a cost no matter what. What ultimately makes Baru's journey so tragic though is as the book progresses she starts to lose all sense of her past and Taranoke. Her noble intentions to save her people at the beginning are drowned by the horrors (of her own making in many instances) of the world around her. And yet despite all of this I still found myself cheering for her and defending her actions as she (and we, the readers) sank lower and lower as the book progressed. And as Baru made her final decision in the book, a decision that broke my heart into pieces that I am still attempting to collect back together, it dawned on me exactly why Baru and this book moved me in such a earth-shattering way.

She is the most human character I ever read.

Bravo Dickinson. Bravo.

5 out of 5 stars.

A review copy was provided. ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Nathan rated it liked it

Fantasy Review Barn

And I was having such luck with early hyped debuts lately.

It would be easy to get caught up in The Traitor Baru Cormorant, in many ways it is a fine debut that shows an author with a lot of promise. Certainly there is ambition in this book; nothing about it looks like an author taking the easy way down any path. And maybe that is the problem I had here. It may be too ambitious for its page count. It starts down one path, darts to another, and ends with a compl Fantasy Review Barn

And I was having such luck with early hyped debuts lately.

It would be easy to get caught up in The Traitor Baru Cormorant, in many ways it is a fine debut that shows an author with a lot of promise. Certainly there is ambition in this book; nothing about it looks like an author taking the easy way down any path. And maybe that is the problem I had here. It may be too ambitious for its page count. It starts down one path, darts to another, and ends with a complete left turn that is of a less twist ending and more of a ‘fuck you’ for following along to this point. King Author getting arrested at the end of Monty Python and the Holy Grail is more sane than the ending of this one.

Here is a book that originally hooked me. A young girl watches as a new trading partner solidifies its grasp on her nation of birth. It is quickly apparent that we will be watching a youth grow up in a land of transition; cultural assimilation through technology and education. And with that an accelerated path of forced acceptance of the ‘Masquerade’s cultural values. Sadly this is false hook, Baru’s education is given only a quick run before she is shown graduating and moving on to her first assignment as a supposedly assimilated new citizen. The old culture is a distant memory and an allusion; ignore it because it will never be important again. It is a false thread, a motivation that the reader isn’t allowed to connect too. From here on out we watch as Baru is left with the impossible task of stopping a rebellion in a land that is refusing to be dominated…with only scant knowledge of the land but in full control of the economic situation.

There is a KJ Parker vibe going on that I think many will dig; it certainly allowed me to forgive some of the faults. This is a book that revels in the minutia and has a savant digging through all those little details. Baru is interesting enough with her conflicting emotions, obvious mistakes and bare knuckle comebacks from said mistakes. Her likability waxes and wanes by design; she appears to be driven by something noble but her tactics are downright ruthless even early on. Do not doubt the darkness of themes; even in the early going it is clear the ‘Masquerade’ won’t tolerate customs they don’t like and some bad things are coming for Baru’s people.

Ultimately what turned me off in this were way too many leaps of faith required to accept the plot. This starts very early on with Baru rolling the dice and picking just the right person to befriend for what proves to be a long term relationship. This trend picks up when the nitty gritty of the scheming begins in her job as a royal accountant; almost every move seemed less calculated by logic and more by ‘look at this hand while I shift the cards.’ It goes without saying that your mileage may vary when it comes to plot leaps but credibility was lost with me almost immediately.

No, scratch that last paragraph. Your mileage probably won’t vary. This story is needlessly complex to the point of absurdity and it all becomes even harder to swallow as my mind starts realizing just how some allies were moved out of the way in pursuit of a final outcome that I have decided is best described as laughable.

This is a book that almost fooled me with its slick style. I wanted to like a book that opens with girl happy in a family quite unlike any I have seen on page. I love the thought of a savant with a grudge. Following the little details was fun and it wasn’t until I stepped back that I realized they were fooling me into thinking said little details actually matter in some way.

This is a book that I am sure will get some split reactions. Early reviews I read have mostly been positive but I rarely stand alone when I start seeing issues (Oh look, mixed reviews linked down below). And I had such high hopes.

Copy for review provided by publisher. ...more

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Aug 03, 2018 David Katzman rated it it was ok

Sadly, I gave up halfway through. I just saw no reason to continue forcing my way through what didn’t work for me. This is one of those cases where Goodreads ratings aren’t very helpful. While it’s accurate to say “I did not like it,” this isn’t really a 1-star book. It’s a book where I couldn’t suspend my disbelief because I didn’t believe in the main character and found many of the plot choices awkward and forced.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is another book like An Unkindness of Ghosts where the theme/>The Sadly, I gave up halfway through. I just saw no reason to continue forcing my way through what didn’t work for me. This is one of those cases where Goodreads ratings aren’t very helpful. While it’s accurate to say “I did not like it,” this isn’t really a 1-star book. It’s a book where I couldn’t suspend my disbelief because I didn’t believe in the main character and found many of the plot choices awkward and forced.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is another book like An Unkindness of Ghosts where the themes behind it were really fantastic, and I truly appreciated them. But the mechanics of the storytelling and characters let me down. The primary premise of the story is colonization. The storyline is driven by a powerful large empire that conquers other lands (whether they be unified countries or loose coalitions or local tribes) and then dismantles the native culture, religions and laws to enforce the master nation’s rules and mores as well as take economic advantage of the territory. Enforcement of social morals in colonization is a huge theme here. The main character (Abu) comes from a society where families often have multiple husbands and/or wives as a group. In other words, same-sex sex is a commonplace normal practice. Whereas the religion and laws of the oppressor state enforce strict male-female sexuality punishable by imprisonment, torture, “reeducation” and death. One might easily imagine a religious theocracy enforcing such laws today, the same way some Christian sects promote “recovery” from homosexuality.

The story follows Abu who begins the story as a child in a land just conquered. She has two fathers and one mother and it doesn’t end well for her parents due to that very colonizer morality. Abu is an extremely precocious child, called repeatedly in the story a “savant” by her colonizer sponsor who sees her as a potential asset in leadership. Abu undergoes education in the schools of this so-called “Empire of Masks,” in their science and ways and laws…but secretly continues to nurse a streak of rebellion and hatred for the destruction of her society and her family.

She is elevated by her sponsor, who seeks to use her intelligence to benefit the empire and moved to a position of power as a leader in a far distant country, assigned to prevent rebellion and control the finances of this distant country. At the age of 18. Once there, she becomes embroiled in complex political machinations and intrigue. She manipulates the levers of her office to do the empires bidding while attempting to nurse her goal of “working within the system” to change it.

At the age of 18, here she is, thrust into power as a combination colonial governor and Chairman of the Federal Reserve in a country she never grew up in. Dickinson repeatedly referred to her as a “savant,” and I expect that was intended to justify this. Admittedly, there may have been 18 year old political geniuses during the Renaissance? Or Medieval times? Perhaps an Egyptian King? But reading the story with that premise…I just didn’t buy it. She felt like a much older person in her role. So that bothered me and then on top of that, there were some strange choices in the plot that irritated me. I don’t think it’s worth getting into specifics, but I found some actions to be motivated more by the author looking to create dramatic conflict that wasn't organic but forced. The last thing I’ll say is, the character never really resonated with me as believable. It may be the “savant” claim didn’t work, but there was something else about it…there was just that ineffable something missing that didn’t make her convincing. Missing a little bit of that authorial magic. I can see how others would enjoy this, but it wasn’t for me. ...more

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Jun 02, 2016 Giovanna rated it it was amazing

The Traitor Baru Cormorant caught my eye here on goodreads, while I was mindlessly looking for interesting titles. It had few ratings, but the plot sounded quite cool and TOR rarely publishes trash when it comes to fantasy. The ebook was cheap so...I was sold.

Can't say I'm disappointed. Actually I was extremely surprised, and in a positive way, by pretty much everything in this book. It's a political fantasy, it's clever, cunning, twisted, cruel. Which in my book makes it pretty much The Traitor Baru Cormorant caught my eye here on goodreads, while I was mindlessly looking for interesting titles. It had few ratings, but the plot sounded quite cool and TOR rarely publishes trash when it comes to fantasy. The ebook was cheap so...I was sold.

Can't say I'm disappointed. Actually I was extremely surprised, and in a positive way, by pretty much everything in this book. It's a political fantasy, it's clever, cunning, twisted, cruel. Which in my book makes it pretty much perfect.

Obviously Baru is the main character. She's a quiet, curious child, with a lively, bright mind, living in a small island with her mother and her fathers (yep, plural). Then one day she sees the Masquerade's ships looming on the horizon. In a few years her land in conquered, by the Empire's money, knowledge and political games and Baru sees her beloved island's customs criminalized and her culture erased.
But Baru is patient. She enters the Empire's new school, learns their rules, plays their games, tries to discover their secrets. She has one task ahead of her: become part of their system and destroy it from the inside, no matter what it takes.

The plot might not seem extremely original, but:
1) the execution of the idea is spectacular
2) you actually rarely see fantasy like this. I love political fantasy (think The Winner's Kiss when it comes to ya) but I feel like they're often underrated. People usually prefer fantasy with magic (and I love that too) or war, or both, but politcal fantasy can be stunning too, in a more subtle way.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a subtle book, and that's why I loved it. It's subtle, but stunning. Cunning, sly, quite cruel. There's no space for feelings in Baru's life. She does what she believes it's necessary to overthrow the Empire, no matter if it costs her her humanity. She needs to be ruthless if she wants to succeed. That doesn't mean that she isn't human, because she has her weaknesses too, but she's extremely complex and twisted. She's not what I'd call a good person, and that makes it even more fascinating.

If you like morally gray books, with twisted and sly characters, then this is your book. ...more

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May 16, 2016 Kevin Xu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Probably one of the best book I have ever read. My favorite book so far of the year.

This book is so different from any type of fantasy that I have ever read. Its like nothing out there, its so unique. Good job on a well done debut that will divide people/readers as much as Thomas Convent or The Magicians. Its like if all the Grimdark authors started to add something different to all there works, but still is realistic and considered to be Grimdark.

Basically in my opinion, this book is Grimdark ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Stevie Kincade rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, published-2015, audiobooks

(Audiobook – 4.5 stars) The Traitor Baru Cormorant is unlike any book I have ever read before.

I have read plenty of tales of revenge, empire building, totalitarianism, deceit and subterfuge. I have read fantasies that contain no magic or dragons. I have never read a book with all these elements where our main character is an accountant who’s main weapons are guile, inflation, market manipulation and management of logistics.

Wait! Don’t stop reading! I know the idea of a controlled sub-prime mortga/>Wait! ...more

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Feb 16, 2016 Kaitlin rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book started out so incredibly strong for me and just got progressively weaker. I loved meeting our main character, Baru, as a young girl becuase she was inquisitive, imaginative and clever. She comes from a place where there is a definite tribal influence and people often have two fathers and one mother. This was instantly interesting to me, it was something I liked the sound of and though made Baru into a colourful and fun character.

However, as the story progressed Baru's home This book started out so incredibly strong for me and just got progressively weaker. I loved meeting our main character, Baru, as a young girl becuase she was inquisitive, imaginative and clever. She comes from a place where there is a definite tribal influence and people often have two fathers and one mother. This was instantly interesting to me, it was something I liked the sound of and though made Baru into a colourful and fun character.

However, as the story progressed Baru's homeland is invaded by the Masquerade empire and her people are condemned as sodomites by the invader's laws. Baru's family is broken up, and she is taken into a school to learn the ways of these invaders and become one of them. This too was interesting to me, and it was also sad and cruel but true to how it must have been for people to be invaded and conquered. I felt for Baru at this point and followed her story with interest.

Baru moves away from her home and ends up in this empire working for the people who have enslaved her country, this is where things started to take a turn for me. I am not someone who finds economy hugely interesting and although I think Dickinson did a good job handling elements of the economy in a realistic way, I wasn't that interested. Later we have a skip forwards in time, and from this point right up to the 93% mark I was honestly not really interested in Baru as a character or the story as a whole any more. I just felt that the excitement and intrigue that was set up in the first section of the story really got lost, and we became sucked into a story of politics, plots and battles (but not in a good way sadly).

The ending of this book was surprising to me and it did make the rating for this go up from a 2* to a 3*s overall. I think that if this story had been much shorter and punchier and got rid of some of the tedium of the middle section it could have got a 4*s, but sadly it was too drawn out and overcomplicated with schemes and double-crossings and worrying. I wasn't a fan of the middle section at all and only the beginning and end were actually really good in my opinion whilst the rest was painfully average.

In the end I would say that Seth Dickinson can clearly write, but maybe this one got away from him a bit in the middle and didn't quite stay as exciting as he would have liked. It's an okay read in the middle, I didn't hate it, but it's not on the level of the ending and beginning. I would give this a 3* overall and I'd be interested in what he brings out next, but it won't be an auto-buy for me. ...more

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Jun 02, 2017 Stuart rated it it was amazing

Shelves: finance-economics, anthropology, politics, strong-female-characters, humanistic-sf

A relentless tale of deceptions, betrayals, rebellion, gender identity, politics, with a royal accountant protagonist
Kevin Wei’s review at Fantasy Literature covers the themes and merits of this excellent book so eloquently that there isn’t much more I can add, other than to say this book is fiercely intelligent, frequently brutal in the moral dilemmas that its central character Baru Cormorant faces, and the world it de A relentless tale of deceptions, betrayals, rebellion, gender identity, politics, with a royal accountant protagonist
Kevin Wei’s review at Fantasy Literature covers the themes and merits of this excellent book so eloquently that there isn’t much more I can add, other than to say this book is fiercely intelligent, frequently brutal in the moral dilemmas that its central character Baru Cormorant faces, and the world it depicts is incredibly detailed and complicated, just like our own world. It reminds me in many ways of N.K. Jemisin’s BROKEN EARTH series in its unflinching exploration of serious themes in a fast-paced, original, dark, and gripping narrative, and Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit in its treatment of gender identity and societal restrictions on sexuality.

In particular, this book delves deeply into what it means to deceive both others and one’s self in the name of seizing power for revenge. The layers of deceptions, facades, plots, betrayals, identity, control, rebellion, and suppression that infuse the characters and story are byzantine and yet fully controlled by author Seth Dickinson. It’s an oft-repeated cliche, but this does not read like a debut novel. To get a sense of how widely-read Dickinson is, read his FanLit interview with Kevin - fantastic insights that show just how deeply he has thought about these themes and issues, and Kevin’s questions are pure genius.

Overall, this book was both exhilarating and harrowing, and I particularly appreciated that the main character is a royal accountant who understands that both governments and rebellions need funding to survive, and the same goes for the military. It’s a subject that rarely gets detailed treatment in fantasy fiction, but it was very relevant to the story and gave it added realism. In fact, I was hard-pressed to find any magical elements in the story, much more like an alternate world with a fantasy feel to it.

Given the depth and complexity of the story, I think it is probably best read in print rather than audiobook to get the full effect, but narrator Christine Marshall does an excellent job nonetheless. It’s just that it’s harder to stop an audiobook to reflect on a certain passage the way you can with a print copy. If I had more time in my daily life, I would definitely read it in hardcopy. I’ve heard the author is working on a sequel, and it’s a no-brainer that it would go straight to the top of my TBR list. ...more

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Oct 22, 2015 TheBookSmugglers rated it really liked it

Baru Cormorant is just seven years old when the Masquerade comes to her home, Taranoke, bringing their foreign ships, their paper currency, their wares and their ways. This alone doesn’t frighten young Baru, for Taranoke has always been a port of commerce: a vital hub of trade exporting sugarcane in exchange for textiles, citrus for sailcloth, buying and selling currencies from the neighboring provinces and islands who make their safe stops in Taranoke’s welcoming harbor.

But during B ...more

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Jul 26, 2019 Claudia ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: feminist-reads, lgbtqia, year-2019

“This is the truth. You will know because it hurts.”

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is one of a kind. It's a book that will lie to you, gladly, luring you into a sense of false safety. Then it will pull the carpet from underneath your feet laughing and you fall to your ass like the gullible fool you are, completely ast ...more

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Sep 02, 2015 Emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I'm annoyed at myself. This book has everything: it's well written, it has a brilliantly conceived world, characters are finely woven individuals that dominate the page. The author seems like a great person - I read the AMA on Reddit.

But I just didn't love it. I don't even understand why, I couldn't give you the details because i'm not even sure myself. So this isn't really a review, it's me shrugging my shoulders and looking a bit silly.

Many thanks to Seth Dickinson, Ne ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: poc-actor, x2018-read, scifi-fantasy

4.5 stars. Wow. Brilliant, black, intricate, and harsh. Baru is a brilliant young woman, who's scary as all hell, educated in the civilized ways of the Masquerade to be an Imperial Accountant. Baru's mathematical brain constantly tallies up small things about everything around her, understanding intimately the necessity of following the money, of using people's economic needs to manipulate them in little and huge ways, drawing various people's disparate rebellious plans against Falcrest together. All the ...more

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Jun 05, 2015 Alissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-ebooks

"...we are not free. Not even when we march beside them, nor even when we lead them. Freedom granted by your rulers is just a chain with a little slack."

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About Seth Dickinson

Seth Dickinson

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Since his 2012 debut, Seth's fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Analog, and nearly every other major science fiction and fantasy market.

He's a lapsed student of social neuroscience, where he studied the role of racial bias in police shootings, and the writer of much of the lore and fictional flavor for Bungie Studios' smash hit Destiny. In his spare time he works on the collaborati ...more