April 12, 2016
$17.99 [Hardcover Edition]
$8.99 US [Kindle Edition]
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN 978-0-385-74307-5 (0-385-74307-6)
Description
Malachi Obsidian was born in Midnight, a slave bred for traits he failed to inherit who was therefore deemed worthless. At a time when he might have been culled, thrown away like any broken toy, the desperate child told a lie that saved his life- and forever changed the fate of not only himself, but everyone around him.
What is the price of survival?
Synopsis
Predicting her rule was just the beginning.
Malachi Obsidian has been his guild’s prophet ever since he was a child. Years ago, he envisioned a future in which his sister, Misha, ruled and the vampires’ empire was destroyed. His people have made many questionable decisions to keep their dream alive, and now Misha is finally on the verge of becoming queen of the serpiente, just as Malachi predicted. Only one obstacle stands in Misha’s way, and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to remove it—even if it means selling a family member into slavery.
When a mercenary from the vampires’ inner circle proposes a daring plan to bring down the empire of Midnight once and for all, Malachi must feign support for his unstable sister so his prophecy can be fulfilled. He must do it for his family, for his people—and for their freedom.
Excerpt
The child expected a blade, when the door next opened. Instead, a stranger stood there. Though the new man’s face was blank and should have been unreadable, Malachi saw him surrounded by so many dreams and desires, so much hope, all stained dark with despair and helplessness. He worked with Midnight occasionally in order to keep himself and his family alive; he traded with the empire for tools, weapons for hunting, food, clothing, essentials.
He looked at the white viper woman, with her two children huddled close to her, and he recalled the earliest myths of the serpiente. He remembered how Maeve had led her people out of darkness… only to be driven out from their number. Without her, the clan had fallen to chaos, thousands dying as their magic ran amok. Her descendants, the white vipers, had lived on the edge of serpiente society ever since, always refusing to bow to the Cobriana line that called themselves kings.
Farrell had taken the name of that group when he formed his own band, but he had believed then that the white vipers were extinct.
The boy-child lifted his head, and to Farrell he looked blind. His eyes never focused. Farrell tried to speak to him, but the boy just stared at nothing.
Was he deaf and mute? Or too terrorized by this place to speak?
Or was Jeshickah right, that his power had damaged his brain?
Jeshickah wanted to get rid of the entire set, but Farrell had nothing of value he could trade. Maybe Jeshickah would let him buy the poor, blank-faced child, the one she said had falcon blood, in exchange for some kind of labor. The others had some value if only as common slaves; Jeshickah did not care for their looks, but she would use them for menial labor all the same. But the boy… she planned to get rid of the boy, who she had declared useless. Maybe…
The child could not speak, but he could hear every thought in Farrell’s head. He knew what was coming. So he reached into the hopes and dreams he saw around the strange serpent in front of him… and he spoke. A few words, that was all. When you have Maeve’s blood mingled with a falcon’s blood, and you say aloud the deepest-held dreams of the one before you, a few words is enough.
In the Author’s Words
* In an interview with BookishBabes [1], Amelia said, “After the Maeve’ra Trilogy ends, I might take a break from young adult to work on an adult fantasy-romance novel tentatively titled, Of the Abyss. Abyss first came into existence through NaNoWriMo in 2006, and I’ve been occasionally revisiting and revising it since.” That is exactly what she did! You can read The Mancer Series: Of The Abyss, Of The Divine, and Of The Mortal Realm. [1]
Praise for Bloodtraitor
“An intense cap on an already engrossing adventure. Atwater-Rhodes excels at multipart epics with complicated characters and histories, and fans will be sad to see this story end.” —Booklist
Praise for the Maeve’ra trilogy:
“Atwater-Rhodes made a splash with her first novel. . . . Since then she has continued writing lush fantasies of fully realized, well-conceived worlds, and the first volume in the new Maeve’ra series is no exception.” —Booklist
“Edgy world building, with cultures and societies based loosely on real history, is compelling. This book is highly recommended for Atwater-Rhodes fans and urban fantasy or alternate reality readers.” —VOYA
“A satisfying read.” —SLJ
“Plenty of fun ahead for the author’s many fans.” —Kirkus Reviews
Did you know..?
* This was the last young adult novel in Nyeusigrube, the Den of Shadows, that Amelia Atwater-Rhodes published.
Alternate Covers:
None yet!
References
[1] BookishBabes – “Interview With Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Author of Bloodtraitor” Dec 11, 2015
https://bookishbabes.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/interview-with-amelia-atwater-rhodes-author-of-bloodtraitor/
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