Book Review: Seek the Traitor’s Son, a New, Must-Read Dystopian Novel With a Romantic Subplot
As a millennial who grew up during the golden age of the early aughts’ Dystopian book boom, I am beyond ecstatic to see a return of Dystopian reads. Some have really let me down (ahem, Silver Elite), but one of the queens of Dystopian novels is back with the first installment in a new story in Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth (yes, that Veronica Roth of the Divergent series). THIS one is worth your time. It deceivingly looks like a short book, but with super thin pages, it’s over 400 pages, and you probably won’t be able to put it down. This is also a multi-POV and narration, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Roth drops you into the distant future where our world has been separated into two enemy societies. One has embraced the magical effects of a pandemic fever they treat as a god, and the much smaller society has superior technology and a space station settlement. The slow unraveling of the story was such an enjoyable read. This is a masterclass in how to do worldbuilding well. You’re constantly trying to piece together what could have happened to get us to this point, while also figuring out the connections between our main characters. And speaking of the characters, I really appreciated the character development from them. Roth handles extreme trauma with care and it feels so real. And for those hoping for some romance, don’t you worry, there’s the most delicious of slow burns. I cannot wait for the sequel. But let’s get into why else you might want to drop everything and read this immediately.
Things to Know:
Dystopian
Magical elements
Romantic subplot
Slow burn
Sci-fi elements
Unfinished series
TW: fever pandemic, SA (off page)
This book is truly a mix of plot and character driven storytelling. There’s A LOT happening in terms of the plot, the politics, and the broader world. But there’s also a simmering romantic subplot that fans of a slow burn will love. You’ll be like, wait a minute… at first, but just go with it. We begin with a very vague prophecy impacting both the Cedrae and Talusar (the enemy states on a decimated Earth). I wasn’t that impressed with the prophecy. It’s a little meh. But importantly, it’s delivered by Augurs, who have the ability to see parts of the future, and definitely reminded me of the precogs from that Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report.
Elegy, our FMC (I’m still not totally down with this name, but I’m sure it’ll be important) is a spare heir. Her mother, the Sword of Cedrae (basically royalty), has almost nothing to do with her, and she’s been raised primarily by her now deceased ‘scout’ father. Scouts are a bit like mercenaries. She’s also a soldier, but focuses on search and rescue. I liked her immediately. She’s strong and capable, but also can be super vulnerable. And Roth showcased grief so well.
Her mom and sister? Not so much. I’m trying not to give spoilers, so I won’t mention some other side characters here, but her adoptive sister, Hela, is the comic relief, and also crazy loyal and resourceful. She’s also another main POV in the book, and gets pulled into the political maneuverings and personal conflicts.
Then we have Theren, our MMC, and he has such a complex history. I really loved how Roth explore these characters before they even meet, and how this one prophecy could change everything. Theren is a bit of a broken character, but also has immense strength. He’s been through unthinkable things, and Roth handles those situations with care.
In regard to the romance, I did feel it was a great slow burn. There’s A LOT of tension, and restraint. But then it’s pedal to the metal, which I could have used a bit more development for their relationship. I’m hoping we see more of that in book two.
The sci-fi elements I was eating up, and I’m so excited with the way book one ended, because I think that’s going to be a focus for book two. Overall the future of our world that Roth created felt incredibly real, and the bread crumbing of details kept my attention the entire book. I’d definitely recommend it to reads who are craving a fully developed dystopian world with a side of romance.
I did an immersive read with a hardcover book from the library and an audiobook. If you’re an audiobook reader, and you want to give this book a try, you can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (ProTips: Audible is 99 cents/mo for three months (3 books for $2.97) right now AND you can get two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).
Favorite Quote:
“He just wanted to look like someone who hadn't been touched in violence.”
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