by Meagan R
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader delving into a fantasy novel must be in want of a few things: rich worldbuilding (by which I mean a map at the start of the book), sexual tension you could cut with a knife (bonus points if it’s queer), a colorful cast of characters (all with such complex names and titles you’ll struggle to keep them straight the entire story), and a brief departure from the imperialist hellscape of our modern capitalist society. The Traitor Baru Cormorant checks… most of those boxes.
The heroine Baru is compelling as she navigates from her family’s traditional lifestyle being destroyed, to rising in the ranks of the very Empire that colonized her island, and ultimately attempting to gain enough power to fight back. As a character, she impressed and frustrated me consistently, which I loved. With so many intricacies and unknowns in the storyline, you need a character you can feel invested in, and Baru was certainly that for me. Though not a horror story, a very real sense of fear and danger permeates the novel, whether from the violence of war, the threat of state-mandated castration, or simply the bleak, indifferent cruelty of power.
If you don’t prefer fantasy that explores the all-too real and familiar tools of empire, it’ll be a rough read. If you want a fantasy free of dragons and fairies (I usually don’t, but made an exception in this case), that makes you consider your own place in the revolution, this may be the book for you.