Have you ever finshed a book and felt sad that it was over?

Yep. I definitely need time after this one.

It. Was. Epic.

A Tale Told by Traitors follows on from the first book, yet the the story reads, and could be, a standalone in its own right.
There's plenty of nods to the first book, and I was absolutely delighted that we saw more of characters that we meet on the first adventure. New readers could pick this up quite easily.

The story follows Lionyra Vara, a Baker who is not all that she seems and is hiding a past that catches up with her.
Taken against her will, she ends up on a ship, bound to face her worst nightmares. She also, somehow, needs to find someone who shares her past and previous escape before her captor finds them.

Things take a turn when Lionyra falls into the clutches of a pirate captain and his crew.
Lio suddenly becomes a ransom to pay the pirates debt and to save them from slaughter.
But as they make the journey together and relationships grow, it wont be that easy.

New plans are made and paths forged through dangerous pirate territories, navigating through cities and towns were revolution threatens. Danger creeps in like the tide and choices need to be made in order to shape a destiny for not only Lio and the crew, but the country they call home.

Honestly, I'm absolutely in love with The Tales of Wonder amd Woe series generally.
It's beautifully written, layered, wonderfully detailed and the characters grow.

There were plenty of on-the-edge-of -your -seat moments; I've gasped out loud, got teary eyed, (the author managed to break my heart on several occasions, and if a reader can care that much about the characters than that is just great writing) laughed and generally just felt so immersed in this world that I can't wait to go back.

It was like watching many threads come together and pieces fall into place. With a happy number of plot twists to add ti the entertainment.

It's fantasy like this that reminds me why I love to read.
My only regret is that I put pressure on myself to read quicker as this was an arc. I would love to read it for the 1st time again. ♡

Don't read if you want a short fantasy. You will need to buckle up, get feet first into this adventure and let it sweep you away.

I miss the characters already...

R. Dugan has once again hit the mark with her swashbuckling second instalment of her Tales Of Wonder And Woe series, “A Tale Told By Traitors”, and I couldn’t be happier to share this with you all!

This book is one for all of us who loved pirates more than princes, who daydream more of Captain Hook than Peter Pan, and especially those of us who love a damsel who instead tends to cause the distress rather than wait to be saved from it. The story read beautifully and created truly stunning visuals in my mind throughout, a mesmerising expansion of the world we were introduced to in the first book of the series.

I don’t think I have ever been more trusting and in love with a cast of characters as I was throughout this tale. A story of found-family right to the core with the perfect tease of romance, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend read than this. A tangle of secret identities, unstable kingdoms and - did I mention? - the most captivating pirates you could ever meet. The plot was enthralling and the pacing had me racing to get back to the book as soon as I could, with the writing style truly allowing the magic to unfold before your very eyes - I’m almost convinced Renee Dugan may very well be a Storycrafter in the flesh! I really enjoyed the banter and dynamics between all of the characters intertwined amongst the high-stakes action to take you on a beautifully balanced journey, and after finishing this book you will be dreaming of daring high-seas adventures for days.

Thank you to R. Dugan and NetGalley for allowing me advanced access to review this book. I can’t wait for you all to give this one a go, as this gained a 5/5 star rating from me and a pre-order for a physical copy as I enjoyed it so much and I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on it too!

Renee has to be one of the most consistent writers I’ve had the privilege to read! Her stories never fail to draw you in and hug your soul. I’ve said this before but she has a way with words that I’ll always cheer for. This book is amazing, well-paced and full of feelings! As always, looking forward to more stories from one of my favorite authors.

Lovely book and great storytelling. The characters kept you engaged, the plot kept moving, and the character development was on par. I enjoyed reading this book so much and I recommend it for fantasy readers.

This story is the second in the a series of standalones that I have only read this of. This meant that I judged it as a standalone which I found it falling flat.

The MCs are very intresting. Our FMC has a love of baking which is literally thrown into EVERYTHING. Every description is related to food/ baking that slowly became to feel unnecessary and made scenes of action/ tension seem silly.

The MMC was intresting and I enjoyed his POV however it was jarring every time it was introduced because he had approximately 10 of the 80 or so chapters. He had a unique voice and perspective but it added details that weren't generally necessary for the overall plot.

The book opens with a large info dump that was a lot to begin with and weighed down the action sequence. The short chapters make the story paced paced, hooky final lines making you intrested to find what next.

My biggest issue was the nicknames/ alternate names that every single member of this enormous cast of characters had. We met people in the first section we never saw again and yet learnt their names like they were incredibly important as well as the nickname that was generally unrelated to their actual name and hard to keep track of.

The story takes place over the course of months and includes a lot of travelling that gives some context to the world that is explained little past the map. I felt the story would have benefitted from making the setting smaller.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

4.5 ⭐️

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to see the ARC for this book as I really enjoyed A Story Spun in Scarlet, the first book in the series. I'm not going to lie though - it took me a second to get back into the world and figure out what's happening. But after the first chapter, I could not put the book down. I also went into this blind, not knowing that it was the story of Lionyra Vara.

What I loved:
- The world building is fantastic. You get such feel of the places the characters travel through.
- The characters were just so likable. I don't think I disliked one character in this entire book and that's saying a lot.
- Found family.
- The banter between the FMC and MMC. I appreciated that there was no third act breakup.

What could be improved:
Honestly, none that I can think of right now.

I highly recommend this book and series. It's fantastic.

Perfect for Halloween coming up. Loved this and all of the plot. The book and characters seem very well thought out and well planned.

This was such a pleasant read! The world building felt rich and vivid. I loved the unraveling of the characters backstories and secrets! This had me so invested through our the entire story.

Every character felt unique in their own way and every character had their own hard backstory that seemed to have a part in who they were and how they reacted to situations which felt so relatable. Also shows how a similar trauma can present in different ways with different people so that was something i liked seeing in a story! My only minus point was that i felt at some points that the characters frlt just a little flat. But it didn't necessarily bother me! It just made it slightly less easy to connect with the characters in certain parts of the story.

If you love pirate adventures, politics, reluctant partnerships, a romance sub plot and in general just amazing fast phased fantasy this book might be perfect for you!

Thank you Netgalley, Renee Dugan & the publisher for this eARC copy in exchange of an honest review

Admittedly, due to life, this book took me a bit longer to read. That being said, I did consume about half of it using the "read along" feature where a computerized voice reads the text. Normally, I'm not able to stand computerized voices but this book was so well written that it didn't hinder how captivated I was by the story itself. Drama, action/violence, heartbreak, loss, and happiness. Found family, pirates, "royalty". Super slow burn but I actually love that it's another book with virtually no spice at all. The plot and character development throws you for a loop sometimes. Such a great story and I hope to get a physical copy when I can!

I recently attempted to read A Tale Told by Traitors, but unfortunately, I was unable to finish it. While the premise intrigued me, I found the writing style to be rather chaotic, which made it hard to follow the plot. As a reader, I found myself constantly re-reading sections just to try and piece together what was happening, which detracted from the overall flow of the story. Ultimately, A Tale Told by Traitors wasn’t the right fit for me, but I think it could still appeal to readers who are more comfortable with unconventional or fragmented storytelling.

Oh!my!gosh! This was amazing!

pirates, an adventure and a baker the surprising marker of a good time.
The plot kept me reading (almost too fast!) You're constantly on the edge of your seat wondering, waiting to see what's going to happen next and what each twist is going to mean for the next part of this adventure.
If you love a found family, misfits type of vibe you will love the characters in this book.

“Some people heal by helping others. Some have to heal themselves first.”

“A Tale Told by Traitors,” by R. Dugan

I loved this book so much! I liked book one of the Tale of Wonder and Woe series a little bit more because of the uniqueness of the story tellers but this book was amazing as well. I love reading about pirates and magic. There were so many tropes that I love in this book like kidnapped, secret identity, enemies to lovers, etc. the characters were absolutely perfect, even all the side characters. The romance was tense and sweet at the same time. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year, so good. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Pirates
-Magic
-Kidnapped
-Secret Identity
-Enemies To Lovers

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“…a little kindness makes for a heap of loyalty. A little cruelty makes for fear… and fear goes both ways.”

“You always have to be a little afraid of what’s afraid of you.”

This was an action-packed and fast-paced read! Very fun at times.

Unfortunately I had a hard time getting into the book. It felt over the top dramatic and unreal for the first part. Some of the character´s felt very flat, like they behaved a certain way just to make the plot go that way and not because they actually had a reason to. Especially one character. When that person disappeared from the plot the book stepped up and I enjoyed it.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

Man oh man. While I definitely enjoyed the first book well enough, I am so pleased to say the author made such great progress in their writing and storytelling skills. The plot was so adventurous and fun, with a pace that consumed you yet doesn't overwhelm you. But the details in the writing and the writing of the characters is really what pulls the reader in to care about what is happening in the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book is jam packed with adventure and the pacing that makes it difficult to put down for a second when reading. Such a good read for anyone who loves fantasy and romance done well.

I went into this e-arc kinda blind without reading the first one. This book has kindled a new interest in pirates for me. Once you get past the chaotic writing style it's a solid read.

This is my first book by this author and it safe to say there will be more books. This is fast paced and hard to put down. Growing up I was obsessed with pirates and this is just the book I need. This constantly kept you on the edge of your seat wanting more. The characters definitely developed as the story went on and being so many it was needed. You never know when you past comes back and haunts you and it’s how you deal with it that matters.

So, I'll be honest, I didn't like the first book but wanted to give the second one a chance as I think the world building of the story is great.

AND BOY WAS I GLAD I DID! The author of this book improved so much and this story was so much more entertaining! This one did a great job with rebuilding the world, had great chemistry between the characters, and I love the enemies to lovers! Will definitely keep reading this series.

Thanks Netgalley and Renee Dugan for the ARC!

Lionyra Vara lives a quiet life as a baker in Mithra-Sha, but she has a secret: she is the rightful heir to the throne of Amere-Del, a country she dreads returning to. When circumstances force her back to her homeland, she must confront her worst fears to rescue her oldest friend and fight for freedom. Enter Ryker Kassian, a desperate pirate drowning in debt, views Lionyra Vara’s arrival on his ship as his ticket to redemption. He plans to use her as leverage to settle his own and his crew's debts. However, when Lio learns of his intentions, she proposes a deal: help her find her missing friend, and she’ll ensure he gets two rewards for the price of one. As they search for her friend, their journey takes them through perilous pirate strongholds and the volatile heart of Amere-Del, where a brewing civil war threatens to explode. As they confront their personal demons and the growing attraction between them, they must choose whether to remain adversaries or join forces to challenge a ruthless regime and reshape their destinies.

This book was an exhilarating adventure from start to finish. The level of detail was so immersive that I probably could tell you what Lio had for breakfast two weeks ago. I was completely engrossed and devoured A Tale Told by Traitors in a matter of days, only to be left yearning for more once the journey ended. The story offers a rich tapestry of pirates, shifting alliances, and a found family dynamic that truly captivated me. I didn't see the twists coming, which shows just how deeply I was lost in the narrative—I felt as if I were on the ship's deck myself. 

However, I did have some frustration with Tristah. Her harshness toward Lio seemed excessive, especially since Lio went to great lengths to find her. Tristah’s actions, though understandable, felt unjust, and her lack of attempt to reciprocate was disappointing. Lio, as a character, felt somewhat underwhelming for someone with implied extensive training. Her reluctance to wield a blade after a single incident made her seem weaker than expected. In contrast, Tristah appeared to have more strength and depth. Additionally, I found the repeated references to Lio’s "soft belly" by Lucretzia a bit jarring and unnecessary. The book could have conveyed Lio's physicality in a more nuanced way without these direct comments. I get what the author was doing, I just felt it was unnecessary when she pinches her stomach.

Ryker is everything I could ask for, and the world-building is fantastic—I never wanted to leave this world. The book’s length and detail were initially daunting, with some descriptions feeling overly vivid, but I ended up appreciating the immersive experience they provided. The pacing was well-managed, and now I just want more.

This was decent, I like the setup of the story I somewhat enjoyed the characters and the worldbuilding.
But there just was that something that felt off for me. I'm new to the romance and fantasy game and maybe that just isn't my genre