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Traitor
Seven years ago, Rebecca St. Martin took the coward’s path to save her skin. She has lived with that decision, eking out a life as an indentured servant on a space station far from home. Only now, fate has decided to give Rebecca another chance. A ghost from her past plans to execute a daring rescue from the prison bowels of the station Rebecca now works.
Rebecca has to face the same decision she made all those years ago. Could she watch her friends be murdered? Or could she, just for once, be a hero?
Rebecca has to face the same decision she made all those years ago. Could she watch her friends be murdered? Or could she, just for once, be a hero?
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 6, 2018
I definitely read too little sci-fi and it's a shame as the books in the genre tend to engage me strongly. In short, Traitor was great. I devoured the book in two sittings.
The story develops after Obama's presidency is ended by an invasion from outer space. While I'm not American, it sounds like a valid historical account. Anyway, the book can be described as a Space Opera - there's a conflict, things blow and get messy.
On the other hand, in Traitor we don't follow a typical heroine. The story protagonist Rebecca St. Martin is not a hero or a martyr. She's a coward. She's just a woman who wants to live as long as possible despite her life being shitty. She's at the very bottom of her existence. She's depressed and moves through the station like a drone.
Why?
Well, she's a traitor. She decided to collaborate with the invaders and betrayed human race. Additionally, her family died and a woman she loved and wanted to marry cheated on her. Their relationship ended and it seems Kat died at the beginning of the invasion.
Also, and that's just my theory, there's no coffee in this world. There's just no way people can be happy in such a savage world.
Surprisingly, though, it's not a depressive book. There's plenty of humor, creative swearing and genitalia comments. Sure, we know and feel Rebecca's on the verge of a nervous breakdown but it simply doesn't obturate the plot.
And the plot is good, though quite straightforward and simple. And really fast. It doesn't develop. It races ahead. As long as you like mundanity :) I can see that some readers will describe the first half of the book as slow, but I burned through it fast. I love such intimate and cameral storytelling. In the second half of the book, secret identities are revealed, things explode and then there's sort of a cliffhanger.
For me, the characterization was done well. I could relate to Rebecca and care for her. As I've never been a depressive kind of person, I can't say if her state is described with enough gravity. Truth be told, I didn't focus that much on her pained existence but rather on following a rebellion through the eyes of a regular, troubled person who's forced to become involved in a conflict she would rather avoid.
Katherine and Zain were a bit one dimensional but still easy to imagine and dislike. I really like Mav and I hope I'll learn more about him in the future.
Overall, I really liked this book and I'll definitely read the sequel.
The story develops after Obama's presidency is ended by an invasion from outer space. While I'm not American, it sounds like a valid historical account. Anyway, the book can be described as a Space Opera - there's a conflict, things blow and get messy.
On the other hand, in Traitor we don't follow a typical heroine. The story protagonist Rebecca St. Martin is not a hero or a martyr. She's a coward. She's just a woman who wants to live as long as possible despite her life being shitty. She's at the very bottom of her existence. She's depressed and moves through the station like a drone.
Why?
Well, she's a traitor. She decided to collaborate with the invaders and betrayed human race. Additionally, her family died and a woman she loved and wanted to marry cheated on her. Their relationship ended and it seems Kat died at the beginning of the invasion.
Also, and that's just my theory, there's no coffee in this world. There's just no way people can be happy in such a savage world.
Surprisingly, though, it's not a depressive book. There's plenty of humor, creative swearing and genitalia comments. Sure, we know and feel Rebecca's on the verge of a nervous breakdown but it simply doesn't obturate the plot.
And the plot is good, though quite straightforward and simple. And really fast. It doesn't develop. It races ahead. As long as you like mundanity :) I can see that some readers will describe the first half of the book as slow, but I burned through it fast. I love such intimate and cameral storytelling. In the second half of the book, secret identities are revealed, things explode and then there's sort of a cliffhanger.
For me, the characterization was done well. I could relate to Rebecca and care for her. As I've never been a depressive kind of person, I can't say if her state is described with enough gravity. Truth be told, I didn't focus that much on her pained existence but rather on following a rebellion through the eyes of a regular, troubled person who's forced to become involved in a conflict she would rather avoid.
Katherine and Zain were a bit one dimensional but still easy to imagine and dislike. I really like Mav and I hope I'll learn more about him in the future.
Overall, I really liked this book and I'll definitely read the sequel.
May 9, 2018
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I hadn’t really envisioned a heroine who is portrayed as anything but heroic. Rebecca is written as a self confessed coward and yet she clearly never wanted to betray those she cared about but nevertheless here she is branded as a traitor. Her life aboard a space station is dire, she trusts no one and feels watched. Rebecca is without a doubt on a downward spiral , her existence and prospects are bleak but if she did collaborate with the invading Corps and betray humanity why is she clearly falling apart?
The answers are not immediately apparent as the author leaves a lot initially to the readers imagination. We learn that Rebecca believes her then partner died during the invasion but all is clearly not as it seems. Kat isn’t dead and in fact is an active rebel and she’s about to come back into Rebecca’s orbit with a bang !
Looking for a fun, bouncy sci fi story? Then this isn’t it. However I did find it gripping as I wanted to fill in the blanks that were left teasing the reader. It’s not initially action packed although things do start to escalate as Rebecca begins to find her voice again. The supporting characters were pretty unlikeable if I’m honest with Kat coming across as cold and actually one dimensional. The main villain we meet is Zain who is written as a bit of a creep if im being brutal . I just didn’t find his obsession with Rebecca easy to understand as she’s so downtrodden and clearly not part of some amazing rebellion. Plus we are introduced to several other characters who actually are trying hard to fight back and perhaps most notable of those was Mav who I’d like to see more of. This doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but it’s clear there is much more to come. I particularly liked that Rebecca doesn’t suddenly change overnight and she felt believable as she takes baby steps and I cannot wait to see her step away from the dark place and back into the light.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
The answers are not immediately apparent as the author leaves a lot initially to the readers imagination. We learn that Rebecca believes her then partner died during the invasion but all is clearly not as it seems. Kat isn’t dead and in fact is an active rebel and she’s about to come back into Rebecca’s orbit with a bang !
Looking for a fun, bouncy sci fi story? Then this isn’t it. However I did find it gripping as I wanted to fill in the blanks that were left teasing the reader. It’s not initially action packed although things do start to escalate as Rebecca begins to find her voice again. The supporting characters were pretty unlikeable if I’m honest with Kat coming across as cold and actually one dimensional. The main villain we meet is Zain who is written as a bit of a creep if im being brutal . I just didn’t find his obsession with Rebecca easy to understand as she’s so downtrodden and clearly not part of some amazing rebellion. Plus we are introduced to several other characters who actually are trying hard to fight back and perhaps most notable of those was Mav who I’d like to see more of. This doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but it’s clear there is much more to come. I particularly liked that Rebecca doesn’t suddenly change overnight and she felt believable as she takes baby steps and I cannot wait to see her step away from the dark place and back into the light.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
February 15, 2018
This is a fast read, but it's not an easy read. We're mostly in Rebecca's head, and she is deeply scarred by her experiences. We watch as she struggles through daily life, dealing with a heaping helping of depression with a giant side dish of PTSD, in an alien environment where she trusts almost no one and is trusted by about the same. That's... not particularly fun to read about. But it's well-written enough to be able to relate to, and the plot moves fairly quickly.
The assortment of characters are all written well, even if basically none of them are actually likeable. They interact in believable ways and have motivations that are clear.
Recommended for: people who like espionage, political thrillers, or spy games. Also good for those who like space opera. A good choice for those who prefer the protagonist to behave less like a hero and more like someone just trying to stay alive.
Content warning for suicidal ideation, PTSD flashbacks and nightmares, and torture.
The assortment of characters are all written well, even if basically none of them are actually likeable. They interact in believable ways and have motivations that are clear.
Recommended for: people who like espionage, political thrillers, or spy games. Also good for those who like space opera. A good choice for those who prefer the protagonist to behave less like a hero and more like someone just trying to stay alive.
Content warning for suicidal ideation, PTSD flashbacks and nightmares, and torture.
August 7, 2018
Full review below - review plus custom cocktail available at The Tome & Tankard Inn.
Traitor is a bit different than my usual fare (as regular readers know, I lean way more towards fantasy than SF), but having read Ball’s excellent What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank I wanted to give her fiction a go, and to finally give her a custom drink to call her very own. Plus, with Space Opera taking a square on this year’s bingo card, it seemed like a match made in heaven. 🙂
The story starts out with a bang, various news snippets painting us a picture of the downfall of Earth, each new fragment escalating the sense of panic and impending doom. It’s a great worldbuilding device and Ball does an excellent job of showing us what a desperate situation humanity is in. This is followed by our introduction to Rebecca St. Martin, who is living a miserable existence as an indentured servant on a space station.
Rebecca is not a hero – far from it. Instead of fighting for humanity, she collaborated with the enemy. She is a coward – a traitor. She is passive, meek, and utterly crippled by depression and self-loathing. Not your usual protagonist. It’s refreshing to have a protagonist who doesn’t immediately leap into action to do the right thing, and anti-heroes are a dime a dozen. That’s not to say that Rebecca is always fun to read, but she’s imbued with enough good humor and tenacity that it keeps her relatable. Not to mention her affinity for hot chocolate and Jane Austen – now you’re talking my language. Plus there’s plenty of inventive swearing that also serves as worldbulding, so +1 for that.
Traitor is a fast-paced novel teeming with action and dark themes, written in a style that is easily absorbed. However, the breakneck pacing does require that much of the exposition takes place in the dialogue, which can be tricky to adjust to if that isn’t your cup of tea. I found that after a few chapters I was able to settle in and let it carry me along, and it became a quick and easy read, if not a light one.
Rebecca’s history is touched on at several points throughout the book, in particular her relationship with her former love, Katherine. Their partnership is shown to have been somewhat turbulent, with a fear of commitment leading to an incident that is frequently on Rebecca’s mind. She has wrongly believed for some years that Kat died on Earth with all her friends and family, so when Kat walks back into her life and requests her help in freeing some important political prisoners who are trapped in a secret prison facility on the space station, Rebecca must decide where her loyalties lie.
The portrayal of the secondary characters is going to be a sticking point for some – my attitude tends to be that I don’t mind if a character is likeable so long as they’re well-written and interesting (which they certainly are), but I suspect I’m in the minority on this one. People like having someone they can get behind and cheer on, where in Traitor even the protagonist is hesitant and filled with doubt. Ball’s secondary characters are, by and large, not nice people. Their motivations are clear, but we don’t necessarily root for them even when their cause is worthy. I found it to be a nice change of pace, but YMMV.
Overall, I’d say Traitor was a quick and enjoyable read that has left me interested to try some of Ball’s more fantasy heavy novels, as well as curious to dip my toe a little further into the Space Opera subgenre. I’d say that’s a win.
Traitor is a bit different than my usual fare (as regular readers know, I lean way more towards fantasy than SF), but having read Ball’s excellent What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank I wanted to give her fiction a go, and to finally give her a custom drink to call her very own. Plus, with Space Opera taking a square on this year’s bingo card, it seemed like a match made in heaven. 🙂
The story starts out with a bang, various news snippets painting us a picture of the downfall of Earth, each new fragment escalating the sense of panic and impending doom. It’s a great worldbuilding device and Ball does an excellent job of showing us what a desperate situation humanity is in. This is followed by our introduction to Rebecca St. Martin, who is living a miserable existence as an indentured servant on a space station.
Rebecca is not a hero – far from it. Instead of fighting for humanity, she collaborated with the enemy. She is a coward – a traitor. She is passive, meek, and utterly crippled by depression and self-loathing. Not your usual protagonist. It’s refreshing to have a protagonist who doesn’t immediately leap into action to do the right thing, and anti-heroes are a dime a dozen. That’s not to say that Rebecca is always fun to read, but she’s imbued with enough good humor and tenacity that it keeps her relatable. Not to mention her affinity for hot chocolate and Jane Austen – now you’re talking my language. Plus there’s plenty of inventive swearing that also serves as worldbulding, so +1 for that.
Traitor is a fast-paced novel teeming with action and dark themes, written in a style that is easily absorbed. However, the breakneck pacing does require that much of the exposition takes place in the dialogue, which can be tricky to adjust to if that isn’t your cup of tea. I found that after a few chapters I was able to settle in and let it carry me along, and it became a quick and easy read, if not a light one.
Rebecca’s history is touched on at several points throughout the book, in particular her relationship with her former love, Katherine. Their partnership is shown to have been somewhat turbulent, with a fear of commitment leading to an incident that is frequently on Rebecca’s mind. She has wrongly believed for some years that Kat died on Earth with all her friends and family, so when Kat walks back into her life and requests her help in freeing some important political prisoners who are trapped in a secret prison facility on the space station, Rebecca must decide where her loyalties lie.
The portrayal of the secondary characters is going to be a sticking point for some – my attitude tends to be that I don’t mind if a character is likeable so long as they’re well-written and interesting (which they certainly are), but I suspect I’m in the minority on this one. People like having someone they can get behind and cheer on, where in Traitor even the protagonist is hesitant and filled with doubt. Ball’s secondary characters are, by and large, not nice people. Their motivations are clear, but we don’t necessarily root for them even when their cause is worthy. I found it to be a nice change of pace, but YMMV.
Overall, I’d say Traitor was a quick and enjoyable read that has left me interested to try some of Ball’s more fantasy heavy novels, as well as curious to dip my toe a little further into the Space Opera subgenre. I’d say that’s a win.
March 21, 2017
Coming straight from Krista's Rachel series, this was a bit different. Well, very different. We have a main character who is not only self loathing but is also suicidally depressed, which always makes for a cheery turn. Surprisingly, it's not that much of a downer. Sure, you're appalled at everything that happens to Rachel, but there are also moments of laughter. Not many, or much, but they are there.
One thing I would have liked more of was back story. The start of the book sets up this super interesting premise that's never really discussed, and I want to know more. Hopefully this will get filled out in future books. Considering where the book started and ended, I'm curious to see where the story goes. Whether or not Rachel ever truly works things out is something I'm keen to read more about.
One thing I would have liked more of was back story. The start of the book sets up this super interesting premise that's never really discussed, and I want to know more. Hopefully this will get filled out in future books. Considering where the book started and ended, I'm curious to see where the story goes. Whether or not Rachel ever truly works things out is something I'm keen to read more about.
April 25, 2017
Oh. I really loved this book. Honestly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did because I'd been told it was 'grimdark in space'. Also, I don't read that much science fiction.
Anyway, if you're wanting a fun space opera, this book is not it. The main character is dealing with a lot of issues including PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts. Also, she is not a take charge protagonist and is rather passive when it comes to driving the story forward, and perhaps that's why I clicked so well with her character.
The last quarter of the book is fairly action packed and I'll admit to being on the edge of my seat. And it does sorta end on a bit of a cliffhanger (dammit, I need to know what happens next!).
I've read several of Krista's other books and this really is a departure from much of her other stuff, but overall I thought her voice as a writer was still strong. She really knows how to write characters well and the action in this was great.
Anyway, if you're wanting a fun space opera, this book is not it. The main character is dealing with a lot of issues including PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts. Also, she is not a take charge protagonist and is rather passive when it comes to driving the story forward, and perhaps that's why I clicked so well with her character.
The last quarter of the book is fairly action packed and I'll admit to being on the edge of my seat. And it does sorta end on a bit of a cliffhanger (dammit, I need to know what happens next!).
I've read several of Krista's other books and this really is a departure from much of her other stuff, but overall I thought her voice as a writer was still strong. She really knows how to write characters well and the action in this was great.
January 25, 2018
A quick, enjoyable read that is full of absolutely brilliant innovations in swearing.
Its tough to say too much what this is about without giving things away. Really the whole first half lacks a defined plot, primarily Rebecca is moping around the space station, grudgingly interacting with other individuals there, being repulsed by the food quality, or trying to cut corners to avoid spending money. However shortly after the halfway point, suddenly someone comes to the space station, who opens up Rebecca's access on the station and starts sending her off on work assignments that seem a little unusual. From there IT IS ON, the story doesn't slow down till it stops.
Its tough to say too much what this is about without giving things away. Really the whole first half lacks a defined plot, primarily Rebecca is moping around the space station, grudgingly interacting with other individuals there, being repulsed by the food quality, or trying to cut corners to avoid spending money. However shortly after the halfway point, suddenly someone comes to the space station, who opens up Rebecca's access on the station and starts sending her off on work assignments that seem a little unusual. From there IT IS ON, the story doesn't slow down till it stops.
January 30, 2018
There were things that I liked and things that I didn't like about Traitor, and I think in the end they kinda cancelled each other out.
I liked Rebecca. She came across as very sympathetic, and I do have a bit of a soft spot for vulnerable characters. Krista didn't shy away from portraying suicidal thoughts, and while I'm glad that we have books that are discussing this kind of important social issue, I didn't really connect with these scenes. I've had a history with depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts, and my experiences just didn't match up with the book. For me, those scenes lacked gravity. There would be a quick mention of a suicidal thought, and then the plot would race ahead. These thoughts weren't dwelled on, weren't obsessed over, and weren't really explored in great detail.
This isn't to say that Krista "wrote it wrong" or anything ridiculous like that. I'm not naive or arrogant enough to pretend that my experiences, feelings, and thought processes are identical to everyone else in that position. It just didn't match up for me, but I'm willing to bet that it has/will for somebody else. Shit happens.
I guess some of that comes down to the writing style. Traitor is written in a very digestible, very readable style that is perfect for binging. The combination of this style and the relatively small pagecount means that the plot pretty much races on for the duration of the book. It's interesting enough; we have explosions, heartache, torture, cocks... all that good stuff.
The characters were interesting, though not many of them were likable (cards on the table - Rebecca is probably the only character that I liked). We learn that there's a bit of history between Rebecca and her ex-lover Katherine (+1 for LGBTQ+ representation), and there's a lot of emotional juggling that happens when they start to interact again for the first time since their break-up. Katherine cheated on Rebecca years back due to some commitment issues, but now she needs her to help pull off a job. Honestly, Katherine is a bit of a cow.
There's a male character who is written to be a bit of a creepy pervert, and while I disliked him as strongly as I was supposed to, I wish there had been a bit more subtlety to this. There was a 3 or 4 chapter period which seemed to only exist to say "Hey, look at this creepy dude! Isn't the creepy dude creepy? I can't believe how creepy the creepy dude is." These scenes were all well-written, don't get me wrong, and some of them were straight-up menacing... But having them all presented sequentially just felt like getting hit in the head with the creepy club.
To conclude, I think that this was a good book that just wasn't for me. I could say stuff like "give it another 100 pages, slow it down, explore the emotions, throw in a dragon", but then it would be an entirely different book. At the end of the day, I'm not the target audience for this novel, and that's fine. Sometimes it's the reader who is at fault, and not the book.
I liked Rebecca. She came across as very sympathetic, and I do have a bit of a soft spot for vulnerable characters. Krista didn't shy away from portraying suicidal thoughts, and while I'm glad that we have books that are discussing this kind of important social issue, I didn't really connect with these scenes. I've had a history with depression and suicidal thoughts/attempts, and my experiences just didn't match up with the book. For me, those scenes lacked gravity. There would be a quick mention of a suicidal thought, and then the plot would race ahead. These thoughts weren't dwelled on, weren't obsessed over, and weren't really explored in great detail.
This isn't to say that Krista "wrote it wrong" or anything ridiculous like that. I'm not naive or arrogant enough to pretend that my experiences, feelings, and thought processes are identical to everyone else in that position. It just didn't match up for me, but I'm willing to bet that it has/will for somebody else. Shit happens.
I guess some of that comes down to the writing style. Traitor is written in a very digestible, very readable style that is perfect for binging. The combination of this style and the relatively small pagecount means that the plot pretty much races on for the duration of the book. It's interesting enough; we have explosions, heartache, torture, cocks... all that good stuff.
The characters were interesting, though not many of them were likable (cards on the table - Rebecca is probably the only character that I liked). We learn that there's a bit of history between Rebecca and her ex-lover Katherine (+1 for LGBTQ+ representation), and there's a lot of emotional juggling that happens when they start to interact again for the first time since their break-up. Katherine cheated on Rebecca years back due to some commitment issues, but now she needs her to help pull off a job. Honestly, Katherine is a bit of a cow.
There's a male character who is written to be a bit of a creepy pervert, and while I disliked him as strongly as I was supposed to, I wish there had been a bit more subtlety to this. There was a 3 or 4 chapter period which seemed to only exist to say "Hey, look at this creepy dude! Isn't the creepy dude creepy? I can't believe how creepy the creepy dude is." These scenes were all well-written, don't get me wrong, and some of them were straight-up menacing... But having them all presented sequentially just felt like getting hit in the head with the creepy club.
To conclude, I think that this was a good book that just wasn't for me. I could say stuff like "give it another 100 pages, slow it down, explore the emotions, throw in a dragon", but then it would be an entirely different book. At the end of the day, I'm not the target audience for this novel, and that's fine. Sometimes it's the reader who is at fault, and not the book.
January 19, 2018
This is a pretty unusual book in a lot of ways - most of which I enjoyed!
I would definitely class this as space opera, or space station opera, if that's a thing. All of the present day of the story takes place on Jupiter Station. It's definitely sci-fi, but it's not too caught up in explaining the science of everything or exploring the scientific hypotheticals, so I wouldn't call it hard sci-fi. This book mostly revolves around a sort of prison break/adventure plot but its main strength is character development, which I always enjoy. However, even the character development in this book takes us to a different place.
Our protagonist Rebecca is not heroic, she is not particularly brave (or at least she doesn't identify herself as such), she is definitely empathetic, and she's most definitely struggling with a massive load of mental issues and trying to do so while avoiding being noticed for good reason. Lots of protagonists are easy to want to project yourself into (the oft-lamented Mary Sue or Gary Stu), but Rebecca is an entirely realistic character that's all too easy to identify with - but seeing the mental agony she's in you really don't want to be able to identify with her (or at least I didn't).
The setup of this novel comes quickly - researchers on Earth find an ancient distress signal which attracts two rival factions of human-ish aliens to Earth. Earth as a whole ends up conquered. Rebecca opted to surrender, believing that in doing so she was saving the lives of her parents. Now she's basically an indentured worker on a space station under everlasting suspicion that she'll turn traitor.
In addition to the excellent character building, I really liked some of the bits of world building such as the delicious imitation-pork algae buns for breakfast and rationed water where you get a daily allotment but can pay extra for more, but can't really afford if you're indentured, and so forth.
The plot is a page turner, but I did think there were a few too many convenient coincidences at work for the rebel movement. I still enjoyed the heck out of it. One last shoutout to the amazingly bad translators - they continued to crack me up throughout the whole book.
I would definitely class this as space opera, or space station opera, if that's a thing. All of the present day of the story takes place on Jupiter Station. It's definitely sci-fi, but it's not too caught up in explaining the science of everything or exploring the scientific hypotheticals, so I wouldn't call it hard sci-fi. This book mostly revolves around a sort of prison break/adventure plot but its main strength is character development, which I always enjoy. However, even the character development in this book takes us to a different place.
Our protagonist Rebecca is not heroic, she is not particularly brave (or at least she doesn't identify herself as such), she is definitely empathetic, and she's most definitely struggling with a massive load of mental issues and trying to do so while avoiding being noticed for good reason. Lots of protagonists are easy to want to project yourself into (the oft-lamented Mary Sue or Gary Stu), but Rebecca is an entirely realistic character that's all too easy to identify with - but seeing the mental agony she's in you really don't want to be able to identify with her (or at least I didn't).
The setup of this novel comes quickly - researchers on Earth find an ancient distress signal which attracts two rival factions of human-ish aliens to Earth. Earth as a whole ends up conquered. Rebecca opted to surrender, believing that in doing so she was saving the lives of her parents. Now she's basically an indentured worker on a space station under everlasting suspicion that she'll turn traitor.
In addition to the excellent character building, I really liked some of the bits of world building such as the delicious imitation-pork algae buns for breakfast and rationed water where you get a daily allotment but can pay extra for more, but can't really afford if you're indentured, and so forth.
The plot is a page turner, but I did think there were a few too many convenient coincidences at work for the rebel movement. I still enjoyed the heck out of it. One last shoutout to the amazingly bad translators - they continued to crack me up throughout the whole book.
July 10, 2018
It was a quick enough read, full of action, but at points, I found the writing style simply too casual for some of the more serious issues it was trying to portray. I think I enjoy Krista the most as a nonfiction writer.
Enjoyment: 3/5
Execution: 2.5/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Execution: 2.5/5
March 5, 2020
TW: excessive profanity, torture, same sex romance but no sex
An interesting character study, the main character is a virtual indentured servant on a space station at Jupiter, living in abject fear and despair, often contemplating suicide. Anger at her mistreatment finally gives her some temporary courage, but it fades again when things become too dangerous. Some exciting action at the end. Not much tech or science. Not much world building. But I liked it enough to buy the second book immediately.
An interesting character study, the main character is a virtual indentured servant on a space station at Jupiter, living in abject fear and despair, often contemplating suicide. Anger at her mistreatment finally gives her some temporary courage, but it fades again when things become too dangerous. Some exciting action at the end. Not much tech or science. Not much world building. But I liked it enough to buy the second book immediately.
February 1, 2018
This is a pretty damn decent book. Short, sweet and action packed. My kinda binge.
But at the same time... I dunno, it almost felt too rushed. I also like learning about the characters and taking time with them, and this book was more "GO GO GO NO STOPPING".
Also the nightmare sequences? Not for me.
But that's okay, as this book was still really fun and a good read that has some really awesome points in it. It hints on suicidal thoughts, touches on poverty (at least I'm turning it that way so there) and the main character breaks down multiple times, and we never see that in books and it's amazing.
Summary - yes, it's a good book and I'll recommend it. I even have a few people in mind who might love it. And yeah I'm picking up the sequel. Because I want to know more.
And isnt that what we all want?
But at the same time... I dunno, it almost felt too rushed. I also like learning about the characters and taking time with them, and this book was more "GO GO GO NO STOPPING".
Also the nightmare sequences? Not for me.
But that's okay, as this book was still really fun and a good read that has some really awesome points in it. It hints on suicidal thoughts, touches on poverty (at least I'm turning it that way so there) and the main character breaks down multiple times, and we never see that in books and it's amazing.
Summary - yes, it's a good book and I'll recommend it. I even have a few people in mind who might love it. And yeah I'm picking up the sequel. Because I want to know more.
And isnt that what we all want?
June 18, 2018
High stakes, plenty of twists and action, but very grim. Well, I was warned. :) The main character, Rebecca, is suicidal and is in a terrible situation: indentured to the Corps (human aliens who've conquered Earth) on a space station with terrible food and little privacy. And things get worse from there. However, this is book one, and there are hints that a redemptive arc will follow.
Quibble: While I found Rebecca sympathetic and liked Maverick, I took a dislike to Rebecca`s ex, Kat and am hoping that they don`t get back together.
Quibble: While I found Rebecca sympathetic and liked Maverick, I took a dislike to Rebecca`s ex, Kat and am hoping that they don`t get back together.
March 25, 2024
This book generally feels quite tight although maybe things fall into place too easily in the early chunk of the book. Good characterisation. Sympathetic portrayal of PTSD and associated anxiety. Also LGBT and POC rep. However, towards the end the book gets messy - the protagonist is panicking throughout the climax which is realistic but gets irritating. Character growth has started but we are far from the end of a character arc. Very much a book waiting for you to read the sequel.
March 18, 2017
A strong claustrophobic start rams home the pitiful existence Rebecca is surviving in, constantly toying with the idea of suicide in an abject, non-dramatic dreary despair that’s all too familiar. Her panic attacks are very believable and her internal conflict of what the right thing to do is makes a lot of sense of a person who’s spent her whole life cocooned in the safe parts of western society only to suddenly find herself the slave. And then her problems dogpile in the shape of an ex-lover, an unrelenting creep who might even be spying on her and a decision to throw away everything she’s suffered and sacrificed for the past seven years to do something right.
Read my full spoiler-free review here:
https://walkoffthepath.wordpress.com/...
Read my full spoiler-free review here:
https://walkoffthepath.wordpress.com/...
February 3, 2018
I’ve read a few of Krista D Ball’s books and this one has to be my favorite to date. I’ve wanted to read this for awhile, but heard it was a little darker than her Spirit Caller series so wasn’t sure what to expect.
I loved this though!
Rebecca is in a bad place, riddled with guilt over past decisions that have left her as low as a person can get. She’s just barely a step above functioning, emotionally and physically, in her day to day life.
She is definitely not the normal heroine we see. She’s terrified of becoming involved, of dying, of fighting back, she has suicidal thoughts and she is everything you don’t find in a heroine. She is almost too much of a victim to be liked. In fact, it would be easy to hate Rebecca if she wasn’t so busy hating herself for you.
The story itself is a quick sketch world in a fast-paced plot with a brushing of heavier topics. I like the style and despite the heavier topics of depression, suicide etc… it never felt too heavy to me because it never lingers on it for long, also the undertone of dry humor sprinkled through, tempers it a lot.
This was a good quick read with a heroine I maybe wanted to yell at a few times but also started to root for in the end. Looking forward to seeing how Rebecca picks herself up and starts living again.
I loved this though!
Rebecca is in a bad place, riddled with guilt over past decisions that have left her as low as a person can get. She’s just barely a step above functioning, emotionally and physically, in her day to day life.
She is definitely not the normal heroine we see. She’s terrified of becoming involved, of dying, of fighting back, she has suicidal thoughts and she is everything you don’t find in a heroine. She is almost too much of a victim to be liked. In fact, it would be easy to hate Rebecca if she wasn’t so busy hating herself for you.
The story itself is a quick sketch world in a fast-paced plot with a brushing of heavier topics. I like the style and despite the heavier topics of depression, suicide etc… it never felt too heavy to me because it never lingers on it for long, also the undertone of dry humor sprinkled through, tempers it a lot.
This was a good quick read with a heroine I maybe wanted to yell at a few times but also started to root for in the end. Looking forward to seeing how Rebecca picks herself up and starts living again.
March 28, 2017
Usual Caveat: Krista is a friend of mine. However I paid for this book with my spouse's hard earned money, no freebies.
Usually I review kissing books, and this is not a kissing book. Its not even a spaceships and kissing book. However, I quite liked it anyway. Part of the reason I read romance is because I want my books character driven, and this book while it had plenty of plot, was deeply driven by the main character Rebecca. Her innermost thoughts were the focus and without losing the action of a space opera, I gained a picture of someone deeply depressed, highly conflicted, with a nasty case of survivor's guilt. She's just trying to survive, while not entirely sure why she bothers. Personally I found her emotional arc to be compelling and my only real problem with the book is that the next one isn't out yet and I'm a bit pouty about that. It didn't end on a cliffhanger, but dammit I wanna know what happens NEXT!
Usually I review kissing books, and this is not a kissing book. Its not even a spaceships and kissing book. However, I quite liked it anyway. Part of the reason I read romance is because I want my books character driven, and this book while it had plenty of plot, was deeply driven by the main character Rebecca. Her innermost thoughts were the focus and without losing the action of a space opera, I gained a picture of someone deeply depressed, highly conflicted, with a nasty case of survivor's guilt. She's just trying to survive, while not entirely sure why she bothers. Personally I found her emotional arc to be compelling and my only real problem with the book is that the next one isn't out yet and I'm a bit pouty about that. It didn't end on a cliffhanger, but dammit I wanna know what happens NEXT!
August 24, 2020
Krista D. Ball’s Traitor (Collaborator Book 1) posits a world in which alien contact happens on Earth–only to find out they’ve been here before (a loooong time ago), and that the aliens are biologically human. The Coalition of Planets quickly overpowers and conquers most of Earth. Rebecca St. Martin reacted the way most of us would when she was seized by the newcomers: she panicked and froze. When they offered to protect her family in return for her training to work on one of their bases, of course she agreed, even though it means most people think of her as a traitor. She works from day-to-day scraping by in a very meager existence. Then one day, Captain Amelia Andrewson comes to the station and sends Rebecca to work on the security systems in the secret prison below the base. Rebecca makes an excellent patsy for the Captain, who’s actually a resistance member with forged credentials. Unfortunately the black ops equivalent of the Coalition already has Rebecca under surveillance, putting Andrewson’s op at risk. Andrewson’s goal is to rescue a group of rebels who are being interrogated in the prison, and once Rebecca gets a look at what’s happening to those prisoners, she starts thinking that maybe it’s time she stepped up.
It’s fascinating to for once see everything from the point of view of someone who isn’t a hero. She’s timid. She panics easily and freezes whenever something bad happens. She’s afraid to stand up to people. It’s all too easy for Andrewson to manipulate her and push her into a position where she’ll very clearly take the heat when things go down. I really like her as a character, and she’s such an unusual “heroine” for a sci-fi novel.
There are other fascinating characters as well. The resistance’s bomb-making expert, Tobi Rowe, is wonderfully snarky. Maverick (and his crew of captured resistance members) fights back against the torture with his sense of humor. Zain Ravi, one of Rebecca’s co-workers, is uncomfortably pushy and interested in Rebecca, with fairly obvious sexual motives. A few other characters demonstrate that not everyone in the Coalition is a bad guy.
There are currently two other books in the series, and I look forward to finding out more about the alien cultures. The fact that the aliens share a family tree with humans is a great excuse to make the military base kind of homey and familiar. That’s nicely done. There’s also some sort of war going on over whether implants and genetic modifications are deemed to be acceptable; Rebecca’s body rejects implants, so she doesn’t have any. I’m hoping to learn more about that, too, in the other books. Certainly I like this volume enough that I plan to read the rest!
Content note for suicide, depression, and mostly off-the-page torture.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/08/r...
It’s fascinating to for once see everything from the point of view of someone who isn’t a hero. She’s timid. She panics easily and freezes whenever something bad happens. She’s afraid to stand up to people. It’s all too easy for Andrewson to manipulate her and push her into a position where she’ll very clearly take the heat when things go down. I really like her as a character, and she’s such an unusual “heroine” for a sci-fi novel.
There are other fascinating characters as well. The resistance’s bomb-making expert, Tobi Rowe, is wonderfully snarky. Maverick (and his crew of captured resistance members) fights back against the torture with his sense of humor. Zain Ravi, one of Rebecca’s co-workers, is uncomfortably pushy and interested in Rebecca, with fairly obvious sexual motives. A few other characters demonstrate that not everyone in the Coalition is a bad guy.
There are currently two other books in the series, and I look forward to finding out more about the alien cultures. The fact that the aliens share a family tree with humans is a great excuse to make the military base kind of homey and familiar. That’s nicely done. There’s also some sort of war going on over whether implants and genetic modifications are deemed to be acceptable; Rebecca’s body rejects implants, so she doesn’t have any. I’m hoping to learn more about that, too, in the other books. Certainly I like this volume enough that I plan to read the rest!
Content note for suicide, depression, and mostly off-the-page torture.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/08/r...
March 10, 2021
Rebecca St. Martin works on a station run by the Crops. She is little more than an indentured servant as she works for a few credits a day, lives in a tiny hovel and has no chance for freedom. Rebecca choose this path after being captured as a rebel. This may all change as an old lover walks back into her life.
The pacing of the novel was good. The beginning was amazing as the backstory was introduced. How the world came to be was phenomenal but I wish we could have learned more about the Corps. The middle was a little slower but the ending definitely made up for it. The plot was good, lots of action and suspense.
All the characters, even the villains, were well written. Rebecca is a traitor and as such is just trying to survive while dealing with her guilt and feelings of depression and uselessness. I would have liked to know more about who she betrayed when she decided to help the Corps. My favorite character was Zain, in some ways I wish he would have actually won. Zain was the perfect spy/villain.
The book had hilarious moments with all the references to genitalia and sex.
In summary, this was a good novel that I would suggest to any sci-fi fans.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.
The pacing of the novel was good. The beginning was amazing as the backstory was introduced. How the world came to be was phenomenal but I wish we could have learned more about the Corps. The middle was a little slower but the ending definitely made up for it. The plot was good, lots of action and suspense.
All the characters, even the villains, were well written. Rebecca is a traitor and as such is just trying to survive while dealing with her guilt and feelings of depression and uselessness. I would have liked to know more about who she betrayed when she decided to help the Corps. My favorite character was Zain, in some ways I wish he would have actually won. Zain was the perfect spy/villain.
The book had hilarious moments with all the references to genitalia and sex.
In summary, this was a good novel that I would suggest to any sci-fi fans.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.
October 22, 2020
Rebecca used to design fancy gadgets for a secret government agency in Canada. But when the Earth was a invaded, she made a deal with the invaders in order to buy her family's safety. Now she's an indentured servant on a prison planet – until a familiar face shows up.
This is not a happy book – Rebecca is depressed and suicidal. Most of her colleagues are horrible people. And the world the author paints is horrifying. But the story sucks you in and keeps you hooked. The characters are all deeply flawed, but most of them are ultimately redeemable.
Although I've not read the books (I know, I know – they're on my TBR list), the thing this most reminded me of was the Expanse – with a little dash of Tanya Huff's Confederation / Peacekeeper series.
I've been reading a lot of self-published lately and so many of them suffer from insufficient editing in one way or another. This one could have used another pass, but the story itself was solid enough to justify 4.5 stars.
This is not a happy book – Rebecca is depressed and suicidal. Most of her colleagues are horrible people. And the world the author paints is horrifying. But the story sucks you in and keeps you hooked. The characters are all deeply flawed, but most of them are ultimately redeemable.
Although I've not read the books (I know, I know – they're on my TBR list), the thing this most reminded me of was the Expanse – with a little dash of Tanya Huff's Confederation / Peacekeeper series.
I've been reading a lot of self-published lately and so many of them suffer from insufficient editing in one way or another. This one could have used another pass, but the story itself was solid enough to justify 4.5 stars.
July 21, 2017
Why did I wait so long?
This book was fantastic! Somehow, the story never seemed to linger for too long at any point, and yet it managed to give every character (in a pretty big cast, for the story's lengthy) strong, defining moments for the reader to grab hold of!
I could go on about all of them (especially Chad, my favorite one of all), but this is Rebecca's story, right? I loved how genuinely she didn't want to be the hero of a space adventure. It wasn't played off as a gag, and she isn't whining the entire time about the plot making her be "more than she is" or anything like that. The story, instead, acknowledges this sort of character and instead delves into what that would lead to.
I NEED the next one.
This book was fantastic! Somehow, the story never seemed to linger for too long at any point, and yet it managed to give every character (in a pretty big cast, for the story's lengthy) strong, defining moments for the reader to grab hold of!
I could go on about all of them (especially Chad, my favorite one of all), but this is Rebecca's story, right? I loved how genuinely she didn't want to be the hero of a space adventure. It wasn't played off as a gag, and she isn't whining the entire time about the plot making her be "more than she is" or anything like that. The story, instead, acknowledges this sort of character and instead delves into what that would lead to.
I NEED the next one.
September 21, 2021
Ball, Krista D. Traitor. Collaborator No. 1. Kindle, 2017.
Krista D. Ball is an indie writer of science fiction and fantasy with some pretty good character chops. Her protagonist, Rebecca, makes a deal to save her family from alien humans from outside the solar system. She is ostracized by her own community and finds herself doing indentured labor on a mining station on one of Jupiter’s moons. It is a grim joint. But when her old girlfriend shows up undercover, we learn that the other side is no more humane than the aliens. The action is fast, and the world-building is OK, but there are a lot of details left hanging. 3.5 stars..
Krista D. Ball is an indie writer of science fiction and fantasy with some pretty good character chops. Her protagonist, Rebecca, makes a deal to save her family from alien humans from outside the solar system. She is ostracized by her own community and finds herself doing indentured labor on a mining station on one of Jupiter’s moons. It is a grim joint. But when her old girlfriend shows up undercover, we learn that the other side is no more humane than the aliens. The action is fast, and the world-building is OK, but there are a lot of details left hanging. 3.5 stars..
March 21, 2023
"Traitor" is a somewhat interesting read but, ultimately not a particularly good one.
When alien forces overcome Earth she throws in the towel and joins them.
Now she's a lowly indentured servant onboard a space station near Jupiter. She's also deeply depressed, mostly over her lover, Kat, who died fighting the invaders.
But Kat is very much alive and planning the release of prisoners held on the very same space station. To do that she'll have to enlist Rebecca's help.
The book is almost entirely grim and character development is nil.
It just didn't work for me and I gave up at the halfway mark. It's a pity, as "Traitor" could have been so much better.
2 Stars.
When alien forces overcome Earth she throws in the towel and joins them.
Now she's a lowly indentured servant onboard a space station near Jupiter. She's also deeply depressed, mostly over her lover, Kat, who died fighting the invaders.
But Kat is very much alive and planning the release of prisoners held on the very same space station. To do that she'll have to enlist Rebecca's help.
The book is almost entirely grim and character development is nil.
It just didn't work for me and I gave up at the halfway mark. It's a pity, as "Traitor" could have been so much better.
2 Stars.
January 6, 2018
I loved everything about this book, but I especially loved Rebecca as a character. I also loved the intrigue and suspense of the world Krista's created here - it's so familiar and alien all at once.
This isn't a light and fluffy space adventure; Rebecca struggles with depression and self-loathing, and she's got little to no interest in being a hero. My favourite thing about her is that I could easily picture myself in her shoes.
While it's a grimdark kind of story, there are moments of hope and cheer, and it makes me look forward to the second book a great deal.
This isn't a light and fluffy space adventure; Rebecca struggles with depression and self-loathing, and she's got little to no interest in being a hero. My favourite thing about her is that I could easily picture myself in her shoes.
While it's a grimdark kind of story, there are moments of hope and cheer, and it makes me look forward to the second book a great deal.
December 5, 2020
A belated selection for the r/Fantasy 2018 Bingo for the 'Novel by a RRAWR Author OR Keeping Up With the Classics' square. A quick well written easy read with a good plot. I didn't really like the main character (Rebecca was just too...conflicted and needed to "ovary up" as Margo would say), but it's clear that this is just the first part of a three book series and methinks we will see a lot of character development for Rebecca before the end. There's certainly enough there to make me want to read the other two books to find out how the story goes.
May 13, 2018
Traitor is an action-packed science fiction page turner that portrays two types of heroines: one with courage and one without. The book contests the traditional model of female heroines, and if you love thought-provoking books, this is a science fiction thriller you'll love. The 160 pages holds all the elements of a dystopian science fiction thriller, but it left me feeling ambivalent. More …
March 21, 2019
Better than I expected!
Traitor started off a bit slow, but once it got going it really sucked me in and didn't let go. It ended much too quickly! I'll definitely be checking out the sequel. I discovered that I might have a thing for protagonists who are struggling with their inner demons lol. This was a solid four star read, I recommend it to anyone who likes character driven stories.
Traitor started off a bit slow, but once it got going it really sucked me in and didn't let go. It ended much too quickly! I'll definitely be checking out the sequel. I discovered that I might have a thing for protagonists who are struggling with their inner demons lol. This was a solid four star read, I recommend it to anyone who likes character driven stories.
January 26, 2018
A fun, fast-paced read that kept things moving, even without much action until near the end. A few editing issues here and there, but not enough to derail my enjoyment.
Really enjoyed getting to know Rebecca, even with all her depressing thoughts and insecurities. Katherine and Rowe were interesting in their own right. Mav was a favorite I hope to see more of as the series goes on.
Really enjoyed getting to know Rebecca, even with all her depressing thoughts and insecurities. Katherine and Rowe were interesting in their own right. Mav was a favorite I hope to see more of as the series goes on.
January 27, 2018
The story of a woman who defects to the invaders in exchange for saving her parents. Her life of indentured servitude and dispair gets thrown into chaos when freedom fighters/ terrorists infiltrate the station where our protagonist is working. It was refreshing to read a "Earth is invaded" story from the POV of someone who acts like most of us probably would (ie. Not heroically).
April 10, 2018
This is not a fun book. The main character is riddled with PTSD, and is just in a bad place in general. She's also more than a little passive and I suppose that's why I didn't really like Rebecca. I bounced between wanting to give her a hug or a good shake.
Don't let my two stars put you off. Those of you who are more into grimdark than I will love this. Just not for me I think.
Don't let my two stars put you off. Those of you who are more into grimdark than I will love this. Just not for me I think.
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