Crowned A Traitor by Kate Callaghan
This book was really confusing but as it went I started to enjoy it. I give it a low rating because it honestly took me over a month to read this. Just wasn’t my cup of tea

This book has so much promise and such an intriguing idea. My attention was grabbed during the first chapter which is a good thing for me. I was quite fond of the characters and plot. Going into reading Crowned a traitor I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading this. I did like what I read.
The world building is really good, I could actually picture myself being there seeing the things happen.
Im super excited to read more from this author!

this was a great fairy tale book. the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to more from the author and in this series.

I literally just finished this book and had to immediately write my review because, DANG, that was a phenomenal book! It took me two days to finish and every minute I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. That's the kind of grip it had on me. One of the most captivating books I've read in a while.

Klara is the perfect heroine and I absolutely loved her! In fact, I loved all the characters, even the ones you know you should probably hate. The world building was on point and I loved the descriptive imagery, my mind was able to conjure up the images with ease and it allowed me to truly feel immersed. I loved that there was a little bit of everything I look for in a book in Crowned a Traitor: adventure, action, wit, humor, and of course some romance. I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the book and didn't several things coming and I love when I'm sort of caught off guard like that. 100% recommend this book! Now I'll just sit here pouting about having to wait until Summer of 2021 to continue this amazing story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC from NetGalley

3.5 stars

This could use an edit, but it's an ARC so I'm not going to take off points for that. There is romance, but it felt like a rip off because nothing comes of it. The ending was anticlimactic. It just kind of happened.

This was a decent paranormal fantasy, a fast read, and it had an interesting premise, but I'm going to forget it in entirety within the week.

While regular daughters ask their daddy for an allowance or a new car, Klara-Daughter of Lucifer goes to daddy for a new heart.

Klara was everything I want my female heroine to be- bold, fierce, witty, adaptable but also kind and humble when necessary. She was quite an engaging and entertaining character who was also slightly ironic character as she possesses the power of revelation but cannot accept her own truth.

“No gift comes without cost, I can reveal what others hide, but I can’t hide either”- Klara

Aside from Klara, I was ecstatic by the powerful and dominant female characters scripted by Kate Callaghan. Too often men are custodians of positions of power in battle and I loved how Kate obliterated this stereotype with Queens of Hell. Kate Callaghan built an intriguing and mysterious world that despite having its own unique identity, still paid homage to old-school fairytale classics with myths and legends such as Eve, Abadan, and Lillith.

Despite all the “Girl Power” in the air, I personally adored Kate’s rendition of Lucifer as the doting (not so doting), hard yet soft father who just wants all his children to get along.

Crowned a traitor was extremely captivating and I honestly could not put it down. Page after page, my emotions went on a grand rollercoaster of mystery, deception, and revelation. I loved that feeling of having every assumption of what’s next being totally and utterly obliterated by Kate who powered on with a deviously intriguing plot. The beginning of the book was slightly slow but the mid to end was heavy on battle scenes, a daring escape, and brief glimpses of humor.

There were some things that I really wished were pursued in this book, but hope to see in future novels:- there was a slight romance that was teased throughout the novel and I really wanted it developed more thoroughly and I wanted some more backstory on certain key characters. The eventuality of a lot of characters was crushing to me and truly highlighted the difference between cruelty of heart and action and the harsh lessons learned only through death and sacrifice

Overall, I would recommend Crowned by a Traitor and its depiction of the trials in earning power the right way and deserving to rule. This is not an absolute “happily ever after” but a fair and honest depiction of the spoils of war, the devastation of jealousy, the harsh decisions rulers must make, and the effects this can have on family life. Honestly, people who read fantasy novels and expect the characters to behave conventionally should stick to romance novels.

Huge thank you to Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the author Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. All views and opinions expressed above are my own.

This review will be posted on my blog here: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com/2020/10/08/book-review-crowned-a-traitor-by-kate-callaghan/

Firstly, huge thank you to IBPA and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that the name of this series was ‘Hellish Fairytale’ I was immediately intrigued. I love dark takes on magical worlds and fantasy. However, unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Crowned a Traitor follows Klara, reluctant heir to Hell and the Dark Forest of Malum who has finally been called upon to take her place as High Queen of Malum after years of training. However, Klara doesn’t want to be High Queen or to rule anywhere at all. Instead she needs to run away to the Fae kingdom of Kalos where her father and vengeful guardians can’t find her…

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about Klara, I think that her reasons for not wanting to rule and to run away to another kingdom was very believable and because of this I was on her side at the beginning. I also liked the layers of her personality and her occasional one liners. However, as the novel went on I found her confusing as she kept flip-flopping on decisions without much of an explanation. Whilst there are a lot of characters introduced in the book, we don’t spend a great deal of time with most of them. Therefore, there were only a couple of characters that I formed any connection with, which made some of the twists have less of an impact on me. Although, as this is the first novel in the series, it is likely that some of the characters we meet in this novel will be expanded upon in future novels.

I liked the way the novel opened, it gave a great sense of what the rules of the world are and the different kinds of creatures that inhabit it. I also like the scenes that were in Hell and thought they were quite funny and definitely not how someone would imagine it to be ordinarily! I also liked learning more about the world as the novel progressed, however, I found that despite having an interest in the larger world around Klara I wasn’t quite convinced by the plot by the end and found it confusing at times. I was also left with mixed feelings regarding the reveal at the end of the novel. On the one hand it perfectly set up for more books to come in the series that would be interesting, but it also felt like it disregarded a lot of things that happened during this novel.

Overall, there were a lot of aspects of this novel that have the potential to grow into a great series. I’m just not sure if, as a whole package, they were enough to entice me to read the next installment. I can definitely see the appeal of the novel, especially with Klara as the protagonist and with the worldbuilding, but it just didn’t click for me this time.

Sadly, I need to DNF this book. It's so heavy for me to read. I am so sorry. Dark Fantasy or rather Fantasy in general is not really for me. The characters are interesting though and not boring to read. But this book doesn't really suit me. It's such a shame because this book has unique concept and fun to read. My only problem is it is so heavy for me.

Dnf.
I tried to finish this book but well I guess it's just not my cup of tea.
The begging was too slow. First couple of chapter’s were just..so boring!
I realised I've been skim reading.

This book has so much potential but didn’t work for me.
Thank to netgalley and the publishers for granting me a arc.

I got a free copy of Crowned a Traitor through Netgalley, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and review it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crowned a Traitor by Kate Callaghan was a quick and pleasant read, not a very demanding YA, that let me down in terms of characters and enchanted me with worldbuilding. It takes you on an adventure through the realms, following the reluctant but badass heiress of Hell. My final rating was a 3.5/5 stars because I believe imaginative worlds and stories need to be encouraged.

A creative story that sweeps you up along and doesn’t let you go! I enjoyed going along with the characters, and couldn’t put the book down! My only complaint was that the ending seemed kind of rushed and fast, and was a little disappointing.

<b>Kate Callaghan's 'Crowned A Traitor' is literally a hell of a book: its main protagonist Klara is none other than Lucifer's daughter who is destined to be his heir as ruler of Hell. There are just two problems. Klara really, really doesn't want to rule Hell. And while this book starts off really strong, the ending is completely unsatisfying because it's so exaggeratedly surprising. The big revelations appear so much out of nowhere that it feels like cheating - therefore, only three stars.</b>

Of course, there's a lot of really good stuff happening here. Good stuff in worldbuilding, characters and plot - right until the big battle everything is very much okay and on the way to a four-star rating. The worldbuilding is truly original and fascinating: Callaghan's world consists of the realms of the Fae and of Hell, and of Malum which is pretty much in between these two extremes. This world is populated all sorts of creatures, demons and beings. We also meet many familiar faces from Greek mythology, including the ferryman Kharon and the Hounds which are basically Cerberus multiplied. All very satisfying indeed.

Same goes for the characters: Klara is a great character to follow: truly good at heart, but still a bit of an asshole - after all, she's the Heir to Hell, and the Heir to Hell can't sit around and collect daisies. Her travelling companions (Yes, there is a journey @Team Journey-Trope) are also interesting: a couple of Lycaons/Werewolves, a dead warlock, her love interest. A nice mixture, and there are also a lot of well-written villains around - naturally, remember, this is about Lucifer and his spawn.

The plot takes it slow: everything comes together nicely for most of it. Klara's motivations and goals are established, we are liking her, yes, fine, of course a catastrophe happens...for 70 percent this is all excellent. Until it isn't. Until suddenly, things take a turn for the worse both in terms of what's happening and in terms of writing. Regarding the writing: lots of typos. Also, the setting of paragraphs got worse and worse - it feels like the editor or the author herself had to finish it RIGHT NOW because someone was threatening to, I dunno, kill their puppies or something. I repeatedly had to check who said what because it wasn't clear, and that was very disturbing. And that comes from someone who was totally okay with the 'he saids' in 'Wolf Hall.' Regarding what's happening: gaaaah! (*screams like a furious cave troll from Moria*) Why? This started off so good! But then there's the big confrontation and it's terribly written! People do all sorts of horror to each other, and the whole way it's resolved is just so unsatisfying- because I didn't see it coming!

Surprising your readers is usually a good thing - I'm a sucker for plot twists and sudden character deaths, don't judge me - but you have to leave hints for it, otherwise it feels, as I said, like cheating. That's what happened here. And as the ending was disappointing, I was left with the same feeling. And that's really frustrating, because most of this was really, really good. I dunno what happened, whether the author desperately had to keep a deadline or there was actually someone threatening her puppies (or kittens, if you're a cat person), but it was so unnecessarily rushed! There were way too many typos and the plot kept somersaulting around itself till my head was spinning (*sighs*).

So. that's why it gets only three stars. Highly recommend the first three quarters of it, hate the last quarter. Because it left unsatisfied. I don't like to be unsatisfied. Will still read the sequel, if there is one.

Oh, I SO loved this one. Klara is one tough girl and can take care of herself! I love the interactions between her and Lilith. The author has created a fascinating fantasy world, and I can’t wait to read more!

So… This is not a bad book, but honestly, I just could get into it. The characters hold no appeal for me, the story was predictable, and many ideas seemed to be only half-developed. I almost DNF it (not because it was bad, but because it was not good enough to get me interested).
The first 50 pages are a little confusing. We get to know Klara, daughter of Lucifer and heiress of Hell, but there are mentions of High Queens, various realms, and laws that are not explained well enough. I could not see the connections between the information I was given until the fourth chapter. There is action right from the start though so at least it was entertaining. After the first few chapters, we can understand better the world Klara lives in and the details of her current situation.

This book is an easy read, but the plotline is weak. Klara is the perfect and quite powerful daughter that Lucifer created to be his heiress. She has been put in the care of the three queens of Malum: Lilith, Abadon and Eve. Their job is to train her, but Klara is desperate to leave for good and go the realm of Kalos where things are more peaceful. She wants nothing to do with Hell or ruling or her father and she is trying to find a way to escape…. And that’s it for the first half of the book. Things start to get more interesting (Klara actually fleeing the castle and traveling to Kalos) in the second half of the book. It still takes more than 140 pages for the story to start moving forward.

Not much happens for the first half of the book. All I knew was that Klara was secretly trying to leave Malum. There is also a romantic sub-plot between Klara and her long-lost childhood best friend (we see him for a few chapters and then he disappears again until he comes back at the end because he is the one responsible for bringing Klara back to Hell), but honestly, the building of their relationship is poor. We don’t have any details about their past together and now she sees him again after so many years and she does not trust him, yet she is attracted to him. He seems quite loyal to Lucifer, but at the same time, he keeps Klara’s secrets and wants her to stay with him. Then there is a romance between Klara and a Lycaon she’s traveling with, but once again there is no building, I felt nothing between them and suddenly they are kissing passionately…

The last 50 pages are better at least. There is action, treason, and battles, but it was not enough to make me love this story. I was so bored for the first half that it's like my mind was already made. It felt as is I read a 500 pages book instead of 200 pages one.

I see the potential of this book, but too often the descriptions fell short and things felt rushed. There were a lot of dialogues and it was sometimes hard to know who was saying what. I would have liked fewer dialogues and more internal dialogue and more insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings (other than Klara’s desire for freedom).

This was a really interesting idea, and I loved the mix of lore, everything from Fae, to Daemons and Angels as well as a whole host of fairytale creatures and even a few from mythology.
The pacing of the book was great, and I wanted to know what happened next, I really liked Klara's character and her need to escape the life chosen for her was understandable given where and with who she had to grown up around. The really liked the world building but wanted to know more about everything and the characters.
The plot was really twisty and there were several turns I really did not see coming. Especially that ending!

A fun, high fantasy, YA adventure.

Klara is a head strong girl, who is the heir to Hell. Made from Lucifer's body and kept "safely" locked away Dark Forest of Malum, seperate from Hell, the fae world of Kalos and the human world. She is kept under the watchful eyes of the three Queens, Eve, Lilith and the High Queen Abadon. Trained since birth to take over as high Queen of Malum, before ascending her rightful place in Hell. One problem, Klara doesn't want any of it.

This was a fun read, it had elements of great world building, I just wish it had been a bit more fleshed out. I think it could have really benefited from an extra 5--100 pages. Klara's character is flighty and indecisive, but I think that added some depth to her character. I would have liked some more elements from epic fantasy and a bit more fleshing out of some scenes, but overall I enjoyed the journey and can't wait for part 2.

The main character, Klara, is the daughter of Lucifer. Yes, THE Lucifer, as in Ruler of Hell. She was sent to be raised by the 3 queens, The High Queen and mother of demons, Abadan; Adam's wife, Eve; and the First Woman and first wife of Adam, Lilith. Klara was mistreated her whole life, beaten and broken for the purpose of making her tough, strong, and ready to one day take over as the Heir of Hell.

There are witches and warlocks, lycaon (as in werewolves), vampires are mentioned though we don't actually meet any in the story, demons, ghouls, centaurs, ogres, giants and a number of other beings that all take residence in the vast lands that make up the realm of the dead that are all ruled by Lucifer.

Klara has strange abilities which are always considered to be part of her bloodline back to Lucifer. Her guardians all seem to hate her mostly due to her being the next Heir to the throne of Hell - and she them for their cruelty.

She seems to have had a childhood bestfriend named Frendall, who she has been separated from for a very long time as she was raised by the three queens, and he was raised by Lucifer to be a Commander of his army. Seeing as they are both grown now, there appears to be deep feelings between them even though those feelings are never fully fleshed out. Then there are the beginnings of a connection between her and a lycaon named Wolfgang but again, never fully fleshed out - though to be fair, they are running for their lives at the time he is introduced.

There is deception and glamour and twists, all to be expected as demonic beings and fallen angels surely can't fully be trusted. Or can they?

Overall, I liked this story. It was interesting and I kept wanting to read more. I enjoyed being back in a paranormal sort of universe. There wasn't near enough of a romantic storyline for my personal liking though. The ending felt rushed and wrapped up too neatly. I much prefer some major cliffhanger combined with some sort of smaller resolution in the plot for a series. I am intrigued enough to want to read what happens next in the series depending on what the description of the next book is.

Favorite Quotes:
"The world doesn't exist to fit into your plans", Wolfgang snapped.

"Act like a leader and not an upset child."

Language Rating: 1.5 (light to medium)
Mature Content Rating: 1 (light)
Final Rating: 3.5 stars

This novel follows Klara, the heir to Hell, on her journey to escape her destiny. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I instantly related to Klara and enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the story. I found her relationship with her father very interesting, although her relationships with other characters seemed a bit rushed at times. The fairytale-feel of this book was my favorite part. The world building was very unique and whimsical, complex, yet understandable. My major problem was the pacing of the plot. Although intriguing, the storyline seemed to move very slow at times then pick up rapidly. Despite this, I was entertained through most of the novel and loved the ending. I would recommend this book to others because I really liked the dark fairytale aesthetic, even though the plot was a bit slow at times.

Unfortunately I didn't finish this one. While the premise was interesting everything seemed to drag along forever and oftentimes the wording was repetitive or redundant and I am the type to not be able to fully enjoy a book if im confused through most of it.

The cover is however beautiful, and I know that while it wasn't my thing many other have and will enjoy it.

I’ve always loved stories that star monsters, especially when those monsters are brought down to earth. When this story started in a monster pizza joint, I knew instantly that I was going to love it. Kate Callaghan’s novel, “Crowned a Traitor,” was a good read that left me wanting more.
Klara does not want to be the next ruler of Hell. That’s a little hard to avoid, however, when your father is Lucifer himself. She’s been training her whole life for the one day when she will rule Hell, but she would much rather someone else take the responsibility. She’d rather be kind to others than torture them. When that isn’t an option in her father’s mind, Klara knows there’s only one thing to do – escape.
Klara wants to go to Kalos, far away from her current home and her unwanted responsibility. But, trying to run away will instantly make her a traitor in her father’s eyes. Still, Klara sees no other way to escape her horrible life; if becoming a traitor is what it takes, then she’s willing to take the risk.
The journey to Kalos proves far more treacherous than she expected. Her homeland is already full of dangerous monsters, and Lucifer is not going to let her escape that easily. Fleeing to Kalos proves to push her to the very limit, but this tough heroine isn’t going to be placed in her own personal hell that easily.
Chock-full of monsters and demons from all kinds of lore, this book is a good read for all those who love dark fantasy and strong female leads. A very good read!

Reviewed by Bailey Day, author of “The Amazing Imagination Machine” by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine.