Book Review of Traitors by Kirstine Kathryn Rusch

Name of Book: Traitors

Author: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

ISBN: 0-451-45415-4

Publisher: RoC

Type of book: fantasy, revenge, persecution of creativity, Kingdom, Golga, police, rebellion, romance

Year it was published: 1993

Summary:

Emilio Diate has vowed vengeance on the Kingdom for the government's merciless execution of his entire family. Now forced to start over on the merchant island of Golga, where he knew  his dancing Talent would be forbidden, the handsome fugitive joins the secret police with only one dark intention- to stlak his family's killers and serve his own brand of justice.

But when love intercedes, Diate may become the victim of his own revenge. For Sheba, the woman who has stolen his heart, also wears the crown of queen in the Kingdom, and is the very person Diate has schemed to have assassinated. A treacherous scheme that may end his one true chance at happiness- and spell the end of the universe.

Characters:

I want to say that the characters might be described as rounded but I won't. While they seem to be three dimensional, they're not. I was confused by Diate's transformation at the end which took away my enjoyment and didn't understand why he supports what he once hated. Sheba herself remained the same without any changes and explanations that were given aren't enough to understand why things happened the way they did. Also, its not explained why or how Diate's family are tied to Kingdom's fate.

Theme:

I have no idea what I should have learned from the book. What you once hate you will learn to love?

Plot:

The story is completely from Diate's point of view in third person . Up until the end I understood what was going on and also understood Diate's motives and thoughts and so forth. I did wish that more about the world would have been revealed.

Author Information:

Kristine Kathryn Rusch has received countless Nebula, Hugo, and Stoker nominations for her short fiction. She has won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Award, and is the editor of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her previous novels include Heart Readers and The White Mists of Power. She lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Opinion:

This is actually my second reading of the book, and just like the first time it wasn't memorable and I didn't enjoy it. It seems to have the right ingredients but towards the end the book is messed up and I couldn't understand the things I should have. Up until the end I would have given it four stars, but the end convinced me to stick with three stars. I did understand that a certain woman used the hero and so forth, but I didn't understand why Diate was seeking certain people and what he truly wanted from them. Politics in this book have really escaped me. I also would have wished happy endings for Diate's friend.

3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)