Seek The Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth

Book Review

Sarah Deeming

Elegy lives in fear of the Fever. Fever is a disease which kills 50% of everyone it infects and changes the survivors, the Talusar, giving them strange new skills, and they worship it as a gift. Elegy is part of a small pocket of resistance, people who don’t want to risk dying of Fever and would rather live with technology over magic. But a prophecy is due to change that. Elegy is one of two women who could change the future of the world, tipping the balance for her people so they can reclaim the world from the Fever. The other woman is Riva Vidar, a general in the Talusar army known for being ruthless and brutal. If Riva is successful, then the balance will shift to the Talusar, and the world will belong to the Fever.

Seek the Traitor’s Son is the first in a new series from Veronica Roth, filled with parallel universes and prophecies. The story is told mostly from Elegy’s point of view, with some chapters from Theren’s point of view, a Talusar warrior who has sworn to serve Elegy but was kidnapped by Vida. Both Elegy’s and Theren’s chapters are full of tension and conflict, even though they are working towards the same goal because of the kidnapping and its consequences. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away here because the opening has some amazing and shocking scenes, and I don’t want to ruin those for you.

There is a solid cast of memorable characters, each one nuanced with their own interests and motivations away from the main plot. Even Vida is more than a shadowy villain with her own hidden agenda that influences her actions as much as the prophecy. Part of my reading enjoyment came from learning more about the characters and understanding what drove their actions. Especially Kesia, Theren’s mother, who changes sides often, depending on the situation and what she thinks is best based on her own sense of morality.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this book with betrayals and misunderstandings, as well as emotional conflicts, especially between Elegy and Theren. Their attraction to each other is restricted by events in the past keeping them apart, and I liked the way their relationship developed, stuttering and starting throughout the book. None of it felt forced or contrived as will-they-won’t-they relationships can sometimes do. I found myself rooting for them because they both deserved something positive in their lives if only they could see it that way.

The story’s lore is teased out throughout the book, revealing that Elegy’s world is probably Earth, but after an event which has been lost to time, and there is a gap in their histories which conceals what this event was. We also know there are other worlds like Elegy’s, which are connected through space, but when offered to join them, Elegy’s world chose not to join, something they have regretted. This blends fantasy, with prophecy and visions of the past and future, with sci-fi, as many of Elegy’s people seeking to hide from the Fever live in space in a station that orbits the planet. This combination intrigued me, and my favourite parts, aside from the relationship growing between Elegy and Theren, were discovering what traces of this past event remained. The novel ends on a cliffhanger, which left me wanting more and regretting how long I will now have to wait to find out.

For me, Seek the Traitor’s Son is a fantastic story of prophecy and forgiveness, with a spicy relationship full of tension, and memorable characters throughout. I couldn’t put it down, and it has encouraged me to read Roth’s back catalogue while waiting for the next book. Highly recommended.