A review by decodethebooks
The Traitor Spy by Marion Blackwood

3.0

3.5 stars  

★★★☆☆

☞ Trigger warnings: **contains spoilers**

Spoiler

alcohol consumption, blackmail, blood & gore depictions, captivity & confinement, classism, conscription, dead bodies, death of parent (mentioned), emotional abuse, estrangement, gambling, home invasion, hostage situation, indentured servitude, imprisonment, knife violence, mugging, murder & attempted murder, physical abuse, physical injuries, poverty themes, attempted regicide, strangulation, slut-shaming

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Court of Midnight and Deception reviews:
#1     [b:The Traitor Spy|59854951|The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves, #1)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639955293l/59854951._SY75_.jpg|90525019]: ★★★☆☆
#2     [b:The Wicked Betrayal|58719985|The Wicked Betrayal (Court of Elves, #2)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628353118l/58719985._SY75_.jpg|92791111]: ★★★★★
#3     [b:The Beautiful Liar|59757543|The Beautiful Liar (Court of Elves, #3)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638713747l/59757543._SY75_.jpg|93526329]: ★★★★★
#4     [b:The Fire Soul|59854977|The Fire Soul (Court of Elves, #4)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639955624l/59854977._SY75_.jpg|94279694]: ★★★★☆
#5     [b:The Lethal Deception|60456362|The Lethal Deception (Court of Elves, #5)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1645349275l/60456362._SY75_.jpg|95273204]: 25th April release



14th Feb
I really, really, really wanted to love this. I was ready to scream into the universe that [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg] had done it again. That she has given me a new meaning to life and has granted me salvation from the pits of a reading slump.

Do not misunderstand. There are some A+ scenes in this book that made me silently scream. What went wrong for me were the connections and relationships between the characters. It was lacking something, like a harmony that I had previously loved in The Oncoming Storm . The character relationships didn't feel as substantial and lacked emotional connection for me. When there is a betrayal, I am not shocked or hurt. It's not a jaw dropping moment, because I expected it. I was more shocked that the characters (especially Kenna) never saw it coming. Kenna is a spy, and blackmails people as a side hustle. She has seen the depravity and lies of so many people so when she naively believes and trusts people, it doesn't make sense. The math ain't mathing!!

Kenna is trying to solve too many problems at once. First to find the missing magical Dagger of Orias, to then make sure the King isn't assassinated with said dagger, to avoid giving this dagger to any of the elf prince's, to pay off her family's debtors and finally to pay her way out of indentured servitude. There are too many issues and not enough time. Kenna doesn't have the power or the resources to solve all these problems and she certainly doesn't have anyone she can trust to ask for help. Danger lurks at every misstep, because if she stumbles she's dead.

In order to blackmail people, Kenna uses her power to walk through walls. Firstly, what a unique and interesting power. Imagine the shenanigans and havocThe Oncoming Storm would be reeking if she had that skill (even though she basically does but that's not the point). Kenna has the perfect gift for a thief but she uses it to collect information in order to blackmail people for money. I wonder how she keeps track of everyone she blackmails because from what I gather, its quite a long list. Her downfall starts when she chooses the wrong target to steal from. If she were to blackmail someone, she would have had more preparation done and known the victim more intimately but as a thief her targets are the wrong kind. I would expect a little more crossover in skills from blackmailer to thief but i'll chalk this up to her running out of time and being desperate.

There's something about the Prince of Shadows. Maybe it's the flowing locks or his need for everyone to beg that makes me want to punch him in the face just to see his shock and to watch him bleed. Kenna agrees with me but this isn't the book where she gets her revenge. Kenna is just constantly scrambling to stay alive, and stay ahead of all her schemes but with too much to worry about she puts herself last.

Kenna had no one in her corner. Her friends and family are self-absorbed arseholes that don't care about Kenna in any way (with the exception of Felix). I understand Kenna's deliberate blinders with her friends and family, because if she called them out and addressed their bad behaviour, she would be confronted with the fact that she is alone in the world, with no support or love. She was holding onto all these relationships with the skin of her teeth and everyone's bullshit is slowly chipping away at her spirit. Kenna is exhausted and under so much stress and her family/friends are just another pressure point that she doesn't need. This culminates in solving her family's debt problem at the expanse of her freedom. Her family are not grateful, nor regretful of their actions. They expect she will do what they ask with no questions or context and use her feelings of being wanted to manipulate her. I hate her family so much. Every single member is trash with no redeeming qualities. Ergh.

Kenna's 'best friend' is equally manipulative that is hidden with pretty words and fishing for compliments. She uses her friends feelings in a way to manipulate them in centring her comfortability rather than having confronting conversations. I am no psychiatrist but girlie is a narcissist. No question. I hope she gets her just desserts because she doesn't deserve Kenna's friendship. Kenna would move the world for the people she cares about and her family/friends know this and use it against her. I just want Kenna to drop them all and find a better support system but she won't until she is confronted with their duplicate nature.

I was rooting for Kenna. I wanted her to show the world her power, her strength and her cunning. Unfortunately she had too much shit going on that made her reactive rather than proactive. There is only so much she can handle before it becomes too much, and that meant things that she should have noticed fell through the cracks. I know Kenna will rise to the occasion given time but it sucks watching her go through it and not have the desired results at the end.

I'm foaming at the mouth at the potential of this series and I cannot wait for the rest of them.

Would I recommend this book? 
I would recommend this book but I would probably tell you to read her first series The Oncoming Storm .

Will I continue reading this series? 
Definitely.

 Will I re-read this book?  
Yeah I would. [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg] is a favourite author that I would go back to again, and again.

12th Feb

How come no one told me there was another Marion Blackwood book released!!!
JAIL! ALL OF U GET JAIL!!

I am not emotionally prepared for this.

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