Heroes and Traitors

I wouldn’t normally have picked up this book, but reviewing it pushed me beyond my usual range—and I’m glad it did. Heroes and Traitors is set in an almost recognisable old world shaped by civil war: victors and vanquished, serfs and lords, mysticism pitched against reason. The setting is familiar, but the treatment is not. What surprised me most was the novel’s refusal to tell the reader what to think. This is a book about labels—hero, traitor—and how quickly they blur once you start asking who applies them, and why. Through characters like the trusting Yonnis, the quietly subversive Esta, and the ambitious Arlo, Elsin explores how faith, clarity, and aspiration can each slip into compromise. The prose is controlled and clear, with emotional weight that builds rather than declares itself. Nothing is simplified. Consequences arrive slowly, without spectacle. This is less a story about heroes than about how stories are made—and what we choose to overlook when they suit us. That unease lingers, and it’s the book’s real strength. I can already see a screenplay in it!

This is a most enjoyable historical fantasy about a military hero with a quest for peace. The author has created a fascinating world against the backdrop of everyday life in somewhere like mid-17th century Europe, mirroring the political and religious conflicts of that time. The story is full of intrigue and treachery with romance also playing a role. All facets of the plot are craftfully woven into diverse narrative threads, leading to unexpected outcomes. An absorbing and thought-provoking read.

What a great read! The author's use of the friendship, deceit and loyalty within the characters, frames the plots with intrigue. I completed this all consuming book twice. For anyone that loved Game of Thrones, this is a must! I look forward to more publications in the future.

An well-thought out story, starting, unusually, after a civil war and looking at how to rebuild the country. Plenty of intrigue and double-crossing with lots of jostling for position in a 'democratic' society. I finished the book eager to know what happened next. Does Yonnis succeed in bringing the people's of Kimalloa together, will Esta be satisfied with her new life, will the likes of Seemo and Pollo benefit from the new order?