This was honestly so much fun! I really enjoyed the references to mythology and the intriguing world building around hell. All the characters were interesting to learn about. The dark Forrest was a curious aspect to the story. (Also, can I just mention, it’s great to find a fantasy story that isn’t a thousand pages long.) I will definitely be continuing on with this series,

I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading Crowned a Traitor. I certainly didn't expect the main character to try a new waitress job in a very special restaurant where they make pizza that nobody should ever eat. When she finds out their real ingredients, her fighting skills taught by one of the three Queens that keeps her captive and "protected" will be useful. Turns out, Lucifer is her daddy and he thought she would be protected with Eve, Lilith and the High Queen. Lucifer however doesn't know everything. There's a conflict for Lucifer's throne once he'll retire. It should go to Klara but she doesn't really want it. She doesn't like Hell and spends as little time as possible there. She's not the only option and the High Queen and Eve would prefer to see their own children on the throne. This is why one day, Klara has to run.

I wish I'd loved this book more. My main problem was that I was incredibly bored in the first half of the book and after that, my mind was made up even if it became a little more interesting. It still felt like reading a 500+ pages book instead of 200 pages. It took me all day to get through this book and I wish the interesting parts would have started earlier (running with Arthur, Wolfgang and the girl). I didn't expect the last reveal about Wolfgang which left me kind of shocked but overall, I'm not really sure what to think about this book. My rating is based on my enjoyment. There was also a few typos and errors that should be edited before publication (I hope) but those didn't bother me.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was a unique book. I am not sure I really know how I feel about it. It was an interesting concept, part fairy tale, with heaven/hell thrown in. It seemed like there was too much thrown in with the fairy tale concepts, then Lucifer with good/evil theme. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

I really loved this book and was very upset once I finished it. The plot was interesting and very easy to connect to, as were the characters. I did not lose interest at all while reading and found myself cheering for the characters (Klara is a total badass).

My one critique is that I wish the world, history, and characters were more established. The novel jumped right into plot and failed to set up the novel in the way I hoped. Although this did not negatively affect the plot, I do believe that the novel would have been enhanced if the author spent more time at the beginning really painting a picture of the world. I hope the sequel explores the history of the worlds more.

Overall, I am very impressed with this novel and the author. I tagged the author in my instagram story, she dmed me and was super sweet. I am happy to continue to support Kate and the Hellish series.

**Thank you NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review


I've just finished the last page and I have that glow you get from reading a really good story but also that disappointed feeling of having it end so soon.

I picked this book as I liked the blurb. I wasn't prepared as to how invested I was going to get in the protagonist and her journey.

The reader gets dropped into the action and world straight away. It had had me hooked from the get go. It was an engaging introduction to a dark, intriguing world - packed with fantasy creatures. It was hard to put down.

We meet Klara. None other than Lucifers daughter; being raised by three Queens (Abadan, Lilith and Eve) in Malum.
She is heiress to the throne of Hell but she doesn't want it. She wants to be free of her responsibility and harshness of her reality but that doesn't stop those who would kill her to seize it for themselves.

The author builds the world well and I didn't feel lost as some fantasy books can make you feel. So that helps to maintain momentum and understanding of the story.
The characters were well developed- I liked Klara a lot. She had different layers to her. She's neither demon or fae. She's a mix and we learn with her about who she is. She comes up against some challenges and has to work through her own. She's tough, determind and a little headstrong. But she also shows compassion which sometimes surprises herself.

Frendall was very interesting. Commander in hell; Klara's friends childhood and love interest. From the moment we meet him I was left unsure as how I felt about him. I didn't trust him inittialy but his role becomes more apparent as the story progresses. I liked his character development.

Crowned a Traitor is unique in concept and plot. Mix in some quirky and likable characters; villains you love to hate and you have a deliciously dark fairy tale.

A protagonist needs her friends on a quest. Cue Arthur the Warlock, Wolfgang and 7 year old Lottie who are Lichaons. Initially, Klara doesn't want them with her. She can and should do this herself. They will only slow her down. Or so she tells herself.

The plot twists, revelations and conclusions were very satisfying. I can't wait to read the second book.

Would I recommend this? Yes. Yes I definitely would. To those of you who like a dark and fun fairy tale.

Interesting story about the daughter of Lucifer, Klara, who gets sent away to be taught to take care of herself, but hates it.

Her efforts to run away from this inheritance go awry including her reacquaintance with Frendell, her squeeze from her childhood.

Her attempts to go away don’t take into account all those who are out to take control of Hell, and a revolution ensues.

I enjoyed the story and the biblical references. It was an interesting fusion.

I gave this 3.5 stars

This was a fun read and a lot happens, so much in fact that it felt too rushed to meet its full potential.

Trying to fit this much adventure into less than 300 pages is doing this story a disservice. I was looking forward to picking it back up to see where Klara took us, but the descriptions would often fall short and I didn't know where we were headed or why.
Too often, there was a lot of dialogue that was mashed together, so I couldn't tell who was saying what, I'd have to pause and re-read a few times. I also wanted more internal dialogue for the characters, as it was all from Klara's POV but it came across as shallow and she spoke everything aloud it seems.
Internal dialogue helps me connect with characters and care about their fates.

I loved the premise and the story was absolutely an interesting one. I loved the references to Mythology, the fantasy elements and I was really intrigued by the characters from Hell, especially Lucifer.
We also got to see a different side of Fae, which was fantastic.

The story itself was fun, intriguing and I wanted to read it, which is what brings me back for more. I wanted more detail and I hoped for a deeper understanding of the magic system, relationships and Klara's plans.

The author shows great promise with her storytelling and imagination, I would absolutely read a sequel to this or other works by her.

"Crowned A Traitor" by Kate Callaghan tells tale of Klara Lucifer, Daughter of Lucifer himself, King of the Underworld. It's Klara's carefully laid out destiny to one day lead the Dark Forest of Malum; home to creatures of all kind, and some day take over Hell. But Klara has never wanted that life. What she wants is to escape to the Fae lands and live a simple life. Despite not even wanting the throne there's still a target on her back put there by her heritage and by the Queens of Malum who have raised her. Abadan, Eve, and Lilith are her fathers followers but 2 of them seek the thrones for themselves and their heirs. Now Klara must chose between what she wants and what she's been trying to run from her whole life.

I gave "Crowned A Traitor" 3 stars. I did enjoy it over all and would read the second book. However, The pacing was quite slow and I had a difficult time figuring out what the purpose of the story was. I liked Klara but did feel like she was a little whiny. I get not enjoying her whole life being controlled by others but she could have been a little more grateful. I loved Lottie and would love to see more of her in a second book. The ending was not my favorite but it did leave me wanting to continue with the story. I'd like to see how Klara progresses and maybe see a little more of her and Frendall's relationship.

Crowned A Traitor is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It was a very enjoyable and interesting read. The plot, world building, and characters were my favorite part and loved seeing their growth throughout the story. Kate Callaghan was able to create a gripping story based around Klara, Lucifer's heir, and the world of Hell. I never knew what was going to happen next and the ending was the perfect way to wrap up the book. Would definitely recommend!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. In turn, I am leaving my honest review.

I was excited by the synopsis of the book. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to its promise

Rather than rehash the plot, I will go directly into my opinion

The book needs editing, grammatically and otherwise. It needs fine tuning.

The author's premise is interesting but the mish mash of folklore, fairytale, fantasy, etc. detracted from the plot.

Although I didn't enjoy this book, I urge the author to continue writing as she shows promise

A captivating, magical fairy tale. From the first line of this book I was hooked. This dark fairy tale had all the magical creatures and a little bit of a love story. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for part 2.

I fell in love with the book cover of Crowned a Traitor and even more so the synopsis.
The daughter of Hell and the Dark Forest, going on a perilous journey with a Leprechaun smuggler, a warlock, sibling wolves and a demon. Whats not to love about that? Unfortunately however, I could not finish this story and I truly regret it as I love dark, twisted tales and Crowned A Traitor seemed to tick all my boxes. What kept tripping me up was the grammar and sentence structuring. Far too many sentences started with "Klara...." and the beginning had a rather onslaught of information thrown out.
I'm not blind to the many, many five star reviews CaT has received and I am very regretful I couldn't focus on the plot line Callaghan has spun. I believe with the help of an editor and some adjustments to the paragraph and sentence structuring, Crowned A Traitor will be an amazingly unique, and fantastical world I'd love to visit again.

Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me - however with a run past an editor to review the flow and work the story up a bit more I'd be willing to give it another go. The author has some very exciting ideas and I would definitely be keen to give their future books a try as the writing and style develops.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

It was a bit hard to follow at first because more and more creatures kept getting introduced (and not all of them were important to the story) but I eventually got the hang of it.

There were some spelling errors and I thought it was just me but then they appeared in a few more places...it's not too noticeable though.

My favourite part of the story was Klara, Wolfgang, Lottie and Arthur travelling together. It was really exciting and I liked having all my favourite characters bonding with each other.

The ending had some twists that I wasn't expecting and I'm already experiencing trust issues. Not sure how to word this so it's not a spoiler but - I loved Wolfgang...when he was Wolfgang (now you'll have to read to see what I mean muahahaha).

The author is very creative which is something I appreciate. Speaking of, can we talk about Mila for a second? In my language her name means sweet/nice (it's even a part of my own name which means sweet/nice girl) and she was anything but. That was totally done on purpose, right?

The book is also pretty short and a quick read. I would recommend it.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book! It’s not what I was expecting but the cover and the title really drew me in. While I wasn’t massively blown away, I still found it a fast and enjoyable read!

I have requested a copy of this book via netgalley. (Thank you) All thought and opinions shared are honest and mine.

Spoiler free review

I liked reading Crowned traitor. I think it was an enjoyable read. It was a interesting read. 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. Of course there were a couple things in the book that wasn’t to my favor. Overall I liked crowned a traitor.

“Hell corrupts everything, me not being here is probably what has kept you alive.”

-Synopsis-
Crowned a traitor is about Klara she is the daughter and heir to Lucifer. Klara really doesn’t want to rule. Klara wants to escape and live in peace in order to, she must fight her way and go on a journey to get there. She faces many obstacles through her path. Klara relies on some Lycaons and so on to help her escape. It really is an adventure.

“Enjoying the struggle?” “Go to Hell.” “Already here.”

-Plot-
The plot in Crowned a traitor was covered above in my synopsis I will be sharing thoughts on it here. The plot was what really drew me into this book. It did not disappoint! I really loved the plot. I thought it was very well thought of. I will admit that during somewhere at the middle of the book, I was confused on what was going on. It was still very interesting and shared a lot of details to make me understand again. Plot: 5/5

“Sometimes it's better to be feared than loved.”

-Setting-
The world building in Crowned a traitor was real good. It was described very vividly and I could real imagine myself there. Very descriptive which is good. Usually in my reviews I don’t include much to my setting category but I loved the setting in Crowned a traitor that I had to include it. Setting: 4.5/5

“I’m not afraid, Frendall. I’m tired. I want to live without carrying a weapon or checking food for poison.”

-Writing-
I love Kates writing style. It was highly descriptive and I absolutely was sucked into the book. I liked the pace of Crowned a traitor for me it was a quick detailed read.
Like I said previously I was a bit confused but then I did get around to understanding what was happening. Writing: 4/5

“I don’t want a life of death and cruelty.” “You’re being…” Frendall stopped himself. “Selfish? Call me my Father’s daughter. I want to lay on the fields of Kalos and never hear the screams of Hell again or walk the paths of Malum and see starving children.”

-Characters-
The characters in Crowned a traitor might be my favorite part of the book. I really love Klara. There was just something about her character I practically adored. Klaras probably my favorite character of the book. I liked Frendall but I do have mixed feelings about him. I did also like all the other characters such as Lottie, and Wolfgang. Characters: 5/5

“I might not have a heart, but I still have my dignity,”

-Conclusion-
Do I think you should read this book? Yess! I’d definitely recommend this. Overall I really liked this book. I loved all the bits and pieces of it. There are many great things about Crowned a traitor. Definitely think about reading this book

I wish I did not have to give a star rating to this book, in order to encourage an independent author, but alas.

However, I have to say that this book needed a few more rounds of proofreading and editing before being published. Firstly, I think the plot needed a couple more hundred pages to be fully developed. The worldbuilding was severely lacking; I needed more explanations for why what was happening in the world were happening. Additionally, I think relationships in the book needed more development to explain why we needed to care about the characters Klara, the main character, cared for. Lastly, the ending felt too rushed. I feel like a lot of things came out of nowhere and I was really confused - this partly comes from the lack of explanation of the magic system paired with things being told to readers and not shown. I do believe that the author had something going in this book, and the additional 200 to even 300 pages would have really fleshed out the problems I had with the book. As it is a series, I really hope these issues I had with the book will be further explained!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy)

This book didn't work for me, and that's fine, but I feel like this author has a lot of potential and I'd be interested in reading more of her work as she becomes a more seasoned writer!

As such, I don't feel comfortable with my review bringing down the average on this book, so I'll be leaving the star rating blank, though I'd give it a 1.5-2/5

Klara is the daughter of Lucifer and the heir to the dark forest of Malum. This has placed a price on her head and she has to flee to Kalos to stay alive, but it's not easy to escape destiny.

The plot has a LOT of potential, honestly. You can tell the author is creative and not running short on ideas and ways to twist aspects of fiction we know in a new way. Twisted fairytales are so full of possibility, and I think this series is a great idea.

What didn't work for me is the writing. The way information is introduced feels too rushed and anticlimactic, and the formatting of the PDF didn't help much (I don't hold this against the book, just adding that the netgalley PDF added to the issue a bit). It felt like a lot of telling instead of showing, and ultimately I didn't mesh with it.

I'm aware that all authors start somewhere, and even my favorite author's first books have disappointed me. I would love to pick up a future book by this author and love it, so I'll keep her on my radar!

dnf at 40%

crowned a traitor follows klara, the daughter of lucifer, who wants to escape to the fae ruled lands and escape the expectations of her becoming queen of malum. it takes place in a fantasy world filled with different types of creatures and also with a pinch of the modern human world mixed in.

unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get into this story. nothing about the writing or the descriptions stood out which made me never get a true feeling for the atmosphere of the environment. it really wasn't the dark and whimsical atmosphere I was hoping for when reading the synopsis.

the modern and human world aspects of the story really didn't work with me, I know the modern human world and fantasy world mix is a thing people enjoy so it's not an objective fault of the book but it's just something I have a hard time with. in general I found this fantasy world really not for me, there was just so much stuff in it, so many different creatures etc. it was all pretty overwhelming and it personally clashed for me unfortunately.

I kept putting this up and putting it down over and over again without anything truly gripping me so unfortunately I had to dnf it in the end. I definitely don't think it's a bad book and if it sounds like at the kind of thing you would enjoy I would definitely encourage you to pick it up, it just sadly wasn't the kind of thing I enjoy.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was amazing and I am so sad that it is over. The plotline and characters were amazing and I was so sucked into this story. I will be purchasing this book for my library's YA collection.