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Summary
Summary
A dark epic fantasy inspired by The Prince and the Pauper and the fairy tale The False Prince, from bestselling author C. J. Redwine. Perfect for fans of the Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Wrath and the Dawn duology, The Traitor Prince is a thrilling new standalone novel in the Ravenspire series.
Javan Najafai, crown prince of Akram, has spent the last ten years at an elite boarding school, far away from his kingdom. But his eagerly awaited return home is cut short when a mysterious impostor takes his place--and no one believes Javan is the true prince.
After barely escaping the impostor's assassins, Javan is thrown into Maqbara, the kingdom's most dangerous prison. The only way to gain an audience with the king--and reveal Javan's identity--is to fight in Maqbara's yearly tournament. But winning is much harder than acing competitions at school, and soon Javan finds himself beset not just by the terrifying creatures in the arena but also by a band of prisoners allied against him, and even by the warden herself.
The only person who can help him is Sajda, who has been enslaved by Maqbara's warden since she was a child, and whose guarded demeanor and powerful right hook keep the prisoners in check. Working with Sajda might be the only way Javan can escape alive--but she has dangerous secrets.
Together, Javan and Sajda have to outwit the vicious warden, outfight deadly creatures, and outlast the murderous prisoners intent on killing Javan. If they fail, they'll be trapped in Maqbara for good--and the secret Sajda's been hiding will bury them both.
Author Notes
C.J. Redwine is a young adult fantasy writer. She is the author of Defiance Series and The Shadow Queen which made the New York Times Bestseller list in 2016.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-The latest "Ravenspire" novel, inspired by The Prince and the Pauper, delivers an action-packed narrative of monsters, violence, and political intrigue. Javin, the prince of Akram, an Arabian Nights-style fantasy world, has spent the last 10 years at a military academy. His return home is disrupted when an illegitimate cousin, Rahim, impersonates him as part of a political coup. Earnest and naive Javin is thrown into the vicious Maqbara prison, where he must fight monsters in gladiatorial battles in hopes of winning an audience with his father, the king. The novel's strength lies in its fast-paced action sequences and inventive monsters. While Redwine introduces themes of systemic oppression through her portrayal of the dark elves, an enslaved and subjugated race in Akram, the novel's ironic refrain that "the only good elf is a dead elf" comes across as heavy-handed moralizing rather than a nuanced exploration of these ideas. Characterization generally takes a backseat to the action, and the romantic subplot that fills the second half of the book feels rushed and out of place between the many graphic scenes of violence. Redwine's fans will appreciate cameo appearances by characters from the other "Ravenspire" novels, but this installment stands alone as a dark fantasy for readers who love fight scenes and political plotting. VERDICT Purchase where the author's previous books are popular.-Molly Saunders, Homewood Public Library, AL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Thrown into prison by an imposter, Prince Javan can reclaim his throne by winning the prison's gladiatorial tournament, but he'll need the help of a slave girl, Sajda, who has her own secrets. Darker than previous Ravenspire installments, the plot is action driven, leaving the romance angle feeling rushed. Nevertheless, fans of intense fantasy action will be pleased. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A prince replaced by a double must reclaim his identity.The crown prince of Akram, Javan Samad Najafai of the house of Kadar, has spent the past 10 years at Milisatria Academy fulfilling his mother's dying wish. In his absence, a rebellious faction of aristocrats is slowly poisoning the king, and they plan on taking advantage of his addled state by replacing Javan with Rahim, the illegitimate son of the king's cousin. Javan thwarts the attempts on his life only to have Rahim's father identify Rahim as the true prince. Javan narrowly escapes execution but is sentenced to the Maqbara, a prison where prisoners are forced into gladiatorial combat against all manners of creatures and monsters for the viewing and gambling pleasure of the aristocracy. Pious, honorable Javan is horrified by this miscarriage of justice and by what's happened to his kingdom. He sets out to win the tournament to gain an audience with the king and prove his identity. He gains a reluctant ally, then friend, in the warden's slave, a pale-skinned girl with a secret. As they struggle for their respective freedoms, their evolution from friends to more is romantic and compelling. The action scenes are inventive, as are narrative moments from Rahim's perspective. In a change from previous Ravenspire settings, Akram is Arab-coded (a sensitivity reader is thanked in the acknowledgements), but there are unobtrusive references to the other books.An exciting, entertaining series companion. (Fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
