The Traitor

by Anthony Ryan

Overview

In this “gritty, heart-pounding” (John Gwynne) conclusion to the New York Times bestselling fantasy trilogy, The Covenant of Steel, Alwyn must make a difficult decide between his heart and his morals as he prepares for his final battle.

It’s been a long journey for Alwyn Scribe. Born a bastard and raised an outlaw, he’s now a knight and the most trusted advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain. Together they’ve won countless battles and helped to bring order to a fractured kingdom.   

Yet Evadine is not the woman Alwyn once knew. As puritanical fury increasingly replaces her benevolent faith, Alwyn begins to question what her true motives really are. As the kingdom braces itself for one final battle, Alwyn’s conscience fights its own war with his heart. Now, more than ever, he must decide whose side he’s really on.

"Ryan’s thoughtful characterizations and complex plotting are on clear display, enhanced by his evocative prose. This sends the series out on a high note." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316430838
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	07/11/2023
Series:	The Covenant of Steel , #3
Pages:	576
Sales rank:	35,417
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Anthony Ryan lives in London and is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven's Shadow and Draconis Memoria series. He previously worked in a variety of roles for the UK government, but now writes full time. His interests include art, science and the unending quest for the perfect pint of real ale.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/08/2023

Ryan’s masterful conclusion to his Covenant of Steel epic fantasy trilogy picks up where 2022’s The Martyr left off in the unpredictable arc of its morally ambiguous lead, Alwyn Scribe, who now serves as the right hand of Evadine Courlain. Evadine, the supposedly divinely resurrected Risen Martyr, aspires to unify warring kingdoms as their Ascendant Queen, ostensibly to avert an impending apocalyptic event called the Second Scourge. But Alwyn, whose relationship with Evadine became much more intimate in The Martyr, begins to doubt her intentions after she asks him to lie for the first time. Those concerns are magnified by suggestions from others that Evadine is a servant of the Malecite, “the wellspring of evil in the world,” leaving the reader in suspense as to whether the “traitor” in the book’s title will turn out to be Alwyn or Evadine. Ryan’s thoughtful characterizations and complex plotting are on clear display, enhanced by his evocative prose (“Night had the effect of transforming the great spire of Martyr Athil’s cathedral into an ominous black spike, its jagged, buttressed flanks catching a scattering of abstract, flickering shadows from the many campfires littering the city below”). This sends the series out on a high note. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] masterful conclusion ... Ryan’s thoughtful characterizations and complex plotting are on clear display, enhanced by his evocative prose. This sends the series out on a high note."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on The Traitor

"A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word."—John Gwynne on The Pariah

“In The Pariah Ryan creates a wonderfully slow burn and a protagonist who resonates in spite of – or because of — his flaws. I loved wandering with Alwyn from one scrape to the next, and I’m ready for more.”—Django Wexler on The Pariah

"A master storyteller."—Mark Lawrence on The Pariah

"Ryan again showcases his gift for epic fantasy in his excellent sequel to The Pariah . . . . Ryan’s evocative prose enhances the suspenseful, intricate story, and the cliffhanger ending will have fans counting the days until the next volume. This fires on all cylinders."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Martyr

“Gritty and well-drawn, this makes a rich treat for George R.R. Martin fans.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Pariah

"The Pariah is Anthony Ryan at his best. A fast-paced, brutal fantasy novel with larger than life characters and a plot full of intrigue and suspense. With bloody twists and turns aplenty, this novel is destined to become a favorite of the grimdark community."—Grimdark Magazine on The Pariah

From the Publisher