They may be refugees but Andie Sorenson never chose to flee when government forces abduct her to the “safety” of a military-operated compound. Caught in an ugly civil war no one understands, she’s now a number, a uniform, her future reduced to three stale meals a day with the strangers who share her fate. She’s nothing, no one—until a random act of compassion and an electric smile turn her prison … prison into a refuge.
It’s his eyes, his heart, his beautiful soul drowning in an ocean of secrets. Lance Corporal Kaleb Novelli is an enigma, but with each plunge through another layer, Andie finds herself captured in a way she never imagined. She knows they have no future. They can’t even have a present, but that doesn’t stop her heart from committing to a man she can never have. The only one she trusts in this battle of lies and manipulation.
But they’ve found their paradise in hell, and she can’t shake the feeling that Kaleb Novelli is not just a player. He’s the game.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers.
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Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster of a story, a story full of intrigue and secrets, and twists and turns. Set in a war torn country where rebels are fighting against the government forces in a battle for ownership, Andie Sorensen is taken from her home for her own safety and placed in a compound where she is given a job in administration working for Lance Corporal Kaleb Novelli. Nothing is as it appears though, there is no black and white, who are the good guys? Are any of them on the side of good? In a world of bitterness and lies, Andie soon learns that Kaleb is the epitome of goodness and selflessness. It would seem though that she has to save him from himself, but who can she trust? A beautifully written story about love, trust, devotion and hope.
I LOVED this book! LOVED. Dark and riveting, powerful and emotional…it made my heart race with panic, and warm with some really heartfelt, romantic moments. Traitor is a phenomenal Dystopian with a forbidden romance that will capture your heart!
The way this book starts, it grips you instantly, a sense of foreboding intensifying as you try to figure out what’s happening. You are immediately thrust into pulse-pumping action that grips you with panic. Soon you realize that Andie Sorenson has been forced out of her home and into a military-operated compound. Caught in an ugly civil war, and separated from her mother, she has no choice but to follow the rules imposed on her. When Andie is assigned to work with Lance Corporal Kaleb Novelli, she’s unsure of what to expect, and this is where the story really takes off.
I absolutely, and totally fell in love with Kaleb. He has been through hell and back, yet still manages to be kind, thoughtful and comforting. The way he protects Andie, with an unyielding fierceness, well, it just had me all kinds of swooning. The forbidden angle gave the romance such a thrill factor. You could see him fighting his feelings for her, but there was so much more at stake than just their feelings. There were just so many layers dictating all of their actions, as they lived under the constant fear of punishment. And I loved that Andie was also a strong heroine. After everything she’s been through, she has reason to be weak, but she is anything but that. Her courage grows and her focus sharpens as she becomes determined to save the man she loves. Succumbing to the vulnerability of their feelings is scary when the consequences are considered.
As secrets are revealed, and the action peaks to heart-stopping levels, you can only hope for the best. In the end you will see just how one person’s need for revenge can effectively alter, and damage the lives of many people. I can’t get over how much I really FELT this book, FELT the story, and the characters. I highly recommend this book! It has now been added to my favorite list.
Are you looking for a heart stopping page turner? I wasn’t, but I found one. Santos stepped outside her comfort zone and I’m so glad she did. Traitor has everything! Mystery, intrigue, romance, suspense. And a chemistry so flammable between Andie and Kaleb, I could feel heat radiating from the pages. And talk about a twist I didn’t see coming…WHOA!! 5 BRILLIANT and INTRIGUING STARS from me.
This was such an unexpected little gem; so emotive and heart-wrenching in its brutality.
But also strangely uplifting and profound at the same time.
I felt so connected to the storyline and its characters here and this was one read that definitely snuck up on me in stealth mode; catching me completely unawares with its rawness and individuality.
From the second of starting this, I was ever so intrigued; The tale told here was so unique and so different it was in a genre all of its own and I found myself struggling to classify this as it crossed so many lines with its profound message and agenda.
A real standout story that captured my attention with its ultimate distinctiveness.
“Traitor” in its first half almost seemed to rely more on the sentiment and simple interactions between Kaleb and Andie than any shock tactics to hook and draw in its reader and that was a real plus point for me.
Maybe that’s why in the second half the sheer brutality portrayed was such a contrast; it really reflected back the almost simplistic beginning here when placed and held up against such utter savagery as we encountered in “The prisoner” chapters; truly shocking.
The prose used here was so good Building anticipation and a sense of almost injustice against this post-apocalyptic waste-ground.
There was such originality in the way this story unfolded; Its a tale of two halves and though told in dual POV rather than it being alternate chapters; which is the usual norm; this book is split down the centre; with Andie’s perspective first; closely followed by Kaleb’s.
And rather than chapters dedicated to the build-up in Kaleb and Andie’s relationship; what we get is a series of flashbacks to more closely explain how there deep and profound connection ultimately developed.
This was such an original way of narrating and one I really adored.
The author doesn’t go into great back detail; it is assumed that the reader is somewhat aware of previous past endeavours; I found that this was not a great issue as the story is somewhat self-explanatory and so easy to follow along with.
As I mentioned previously; this has a sort of dystopian apocalyptic feel to it; A civil war rages across all fronts and our two main characters both seem to have there own personal roles to play.
This is almost a love across the barricades romance; one where you are forced to pick a faction but where both are equally abhorrent in their ultimate behaviour and intention; both sides guilty; nether innocent; both awash in shades of grey; is the real sense you take away from this touching poignant tale.
In fact, its poor Kaleb who gets caught in this crossfire who is the ultimate victim here; a pawn in this stalemate of wills and at the mercy and whims of powerful individuals; it’s truly heartbreaking to witness the extent of his suffering at the hands of a monster.
I could have wept rivers of pain for his agony, torment and terror.
How much misery and despair he must have endured internally to swallow his pride and beg for mercy in the way he did; truly tragic and dehumanising; a casualty of war not of his making.
But we also get to experience the other side of the coin; how just when you think life cant give you any more surprises it throws you curveballs.
That hope is not lost and people can still amaze you with there ingrained humanity.
Ultimately what I took away from this was a profound sense of faith and that even in the dark there can be a glimmer of light; for Kaleb, that is Andie she is his very beacon of hope.
Loved the ending here; I was worried for a second; so was so pleased to not have my expectations dashed just for cruel shock value ; It was a bit of a phew moment for me there.
This was my first book by this author but so won’t be my last; I cant recommend this read enough; this is fiction at its best outstanding.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of “Traitor (Twisted Fate, #1) ” of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I don’t know if I can ever find the words to do this book justice, because even after reading it twice I find myself unable to move on!
I don’t know what I expected from this book, but I am in awe, I was totally absorbed in this war within a war where both sides are fighting for control, with Andi and Kaleb just pawns in someone else’s game.
Kaleb is such a strong character, an oasis of kindness and compassion, suffering due to circumstances beyond his control. Andie approaches the world with a beautiful naivety and hopefulness completely at odds with their surroundings. I loved the interaction between these two, the depth and layers of their relationship from the very moment that they met and as it progresses from friendship to so much more.
This book with rip your heart out, tear it up and trample on it, but you are left with the overwhelming feeling that love is relentless. Its an incredible story with suspense, terror, desperation, fear and the contrast of the light amongst the darkness, the power of love and hope.