Review: The Traitor Prince by C. J. Redwine

This book broke my heart. Which was fully rude of it. But I loved it so very much, despite how broken my heart is. These fairytale retellings are the very best. And this third one was so amazing. I love how every book is a standalone, yet set in the same world around the same time. And small hints from all the other books.

This book tells the story of Javan and Sajda. It begins with Javan still at his school, where he have been at all times for the last ten years. Javan is a prince. He is doing his very best to become the best at school to honor his dead mother, and to make his father proud. And ah, Javan really is the best there. I loved that. But oh.

He also ignores just about every person in this school too, which was depressing to read about. I wanted and needed this lovely boy to have more fun. To spend time with his could-be friends. He does have one friend, though, Kellan. And I wish there was more of this boy. I do not know what happened to him. He was pretty awesome, but was only there in the beginning. Anyway. Not going to share the whole start of the book, just that Javan is still at the school, almost about to graduate and go home to his kingdom. But then he's almost murdered when he's ready to go home. Then another boy is pretending to be him, taking his carriage and things home with him. Javan survives his attempted murder, and follows the impostor. It does not go well. Ack.

The plot of this book is how Javan is trying to reveal that there is an impostor trying to steal his kingdom. But people to do believe him. His own uncle is working against him, saying that he is the impostor. And so Javan is about to be murdered again. But instead ends up in the worst prison in this kingdom. And gosh, this prison. It was all kinds of awful and I couldn't help but love every moment spent in it. Which was just about the whole book. Shudders. There is so much happening. Whole book was interesting and exciting.

While the beginning of the book is all Javan, when he arrives at the prison we start getting point of views from Sajda too. And oh, how I adored this girl. I loved reading about her so much. She has been inside this prison since she was five years old. Since she was sold as a slave to the warden. My heart simply broke for this girl. She hasn't been outside for so long. She's had to protect herself from prisoners. And from the warden woman. All that she wants is to be free. To travel far away. To know everything. Sniffs.

I simply loved getting to know Sajda. I loved how she had one friend, and older man named Tarek. He was amazing to read about. Though this one scene with him killed me. Gosh. There is also something special about Sajda. She had magic. And in an awesome way. Though the warden has placed cuffs on her arms, so her magic is very limited. Sad face. But Sajda was amazing. Brave and fierce and strong. I really enjoyed reading about her and learning about her magic. I just wish to know even more about her.

Reading about Javan spending time is this prison was pretty awful. A few people want to kill him here too, of course. Rude. But he quickly becomes sort of friends with Sajda. And I loved reading about these two getting to know each other. Eee. They were the cutest together and I shipped them so hard. I loved how she was able to help him and protect him, for the most part. Which he needed. Because this prison has an arena. And there is some type of fighting. And it was so brutal and awful and so exciting to read about.

I have already said more than I was going to about this book, yet not nearly enough at the same time. Gosh. There is just so much happening. I loved Javan and Sajda so much. There is also a point of view of the false prince, and it was the rudest. I hated this boy. So much. But I loved this story. I loved how Javan and Sajda worked together, trying to figure out how he would be able to prove he was the real prince. Their story was the best. I just wish there was even more. I want another book with them. Ack.

There are tons of reasons for why this book was amazing. The school beginning was a bit slow, but also fast to read, and it passed so quickly too. Ahh. And then the prison parts happened. And the arena. And the small romance started. And this whole book was simply perfection. And I loved it very much. So five stars for sure. Even though my heart is all kinds of broken. Because there were a lot of death in this book. Gruesome ones too. And some of them ruined me a little. But so well done. So I couldn't help but love it.

I love how the cover fits so well with the story. First, it's gorgeous. And it fits very much. The crown is for Javan. Aka the crown that he does not have at the moment. And the iron cuffs are for Sajda, that she is forced to wear at all times. Gorgeous cover, but brutal too. I must also mention the ending of this book a little bit. It's all kinds of bittersweet. A good ending, like all these lovely books, but also so heartbreaking. And also very fitting with the characters, and I loved that. Broke my heart a little, but beyond amazing.

I have so much love for all these books by C. J. Eee. She's amazing. And her books are awesome. And I simply cannot wait to read more books from this world. They are all going to be so good. Sigh. Next one will be Cinderella, and I simply can't wait. And also, I very much need the Hansel and Gretel story soon. They are in many of these books, and I love them already. Huge thank you to HarperTeen for the auto approval on Edelweiss, that made me able to read this precious book early. So happy to have read this.

Goodreads - The Book Depository - Amazon