Javan Najafai, crown prince of Akram, has spent the last ten years at an elite boarding school, far away from his kingdom. But his eagerly awaited return home is cut short when a mysterious imposter takes his place—and no one believes Javan is the true prince.
After barely escaping the imposter’s assassins, Javan is thrown into Maqbara, the kingdom’s most dangerous prison. The only way to gain an audience with the king — and reveal Javan’s identity — is to fight in Maqbara’s yearly tournament. But winning is much harder than acing competitions at school, and soon Javan finds himself beset not just by the terrifying creatures in the arena, but also a band of prisoners allied against him, and even the warden herself.
The only person who can help him is Sajda, who has been enslaved by Maqbara’s warden since she was a child, and whose guarded demeanor and powerful right hook keep the prisoners in check. Working with Sajda might be the only way Javan can escape alive — but she has dangerous secrets.
Together, Javan and Sajda have to outwit the vicious warden, outfight the deadly creatures, and outlast the murderous prisoners intent on killing Javan. If they fail, they’ll be trapped in Maqbara for good—and the secret Sajda’s been hiding will bury them both.
The category for my book club this month was to read a re-telling. I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for two years, so this was a perfect opportunity to bump it to the top.
This is the third book I’ve read in the Ravenspire series. Each has taken me on exciting adventures, introduced me to both loveable and loathsome characters, and occasionally ripped my heart out. Redwine is known for killing off some of her more popular characters. The Traitor Prince is based on an Arabian tale entitled The False Prince. I’m not familiar with that story, but this one grabbed me from the first page. I was so angry at the injustice of Javan’s and Sajda’s situations – his at being thrown into prison while someone else takes his place on the throne, and hers at being enslaved from a young age and discriminated against for a reason I won’t reveal (no spoilers). By the end of the book, I was so anxious for them to have their revenge and set things right. And speaking of the ending – it was perfect.
Although part of the same series, each of these books can be read as a standalone. I also have to comment on the stunning maps included in each novel – beautiful! The Traitor Prince is a story about fighting against inequity even when things look grim, endearing friendships, undying loyalty, and selfless sacrifice.
Books and Such 
I haven’t read Arabian tales or any retelling from it. This sounds interesting and I love books with map. Great review, Teri!
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I’ve never been much of a fairy tale person, but I’ve really enjoyed this series, Yesha. CJ writes such strong, likable characters and there’s always some humor tossed into the mix. Thanks!
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I’ve grown weary of retellings after agreeing to read/review too many that ended up being not to my taste (i.e. bad). But, this one sounds very good! And I love maps in books 😊 Great review!
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The maps are stunning, and they really add to the book. The author mentioned she’s tried to do retellings of mostly obscure tales. I’d get a bit tired of reading loads retellings of the same stories. You should check into the series, Tessa.
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I love when maps are included in books. I first discovered them in LOTR. Fantasy novels are always great for them. Sounds like a good read, Teri!
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With each story in the series set in a different land, it’s nice to be able to refer to the maps and see exactly where they’re set. I’d never really paid much attention to them until this series, but I’d love to see LOTR maps!
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I haven’t heard of the original tale, either, but I guess that doesn’t matter if this modern story is a new take on it. Good review!
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Exactly! Kind of like a new story. Thanks, Priscilla!
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This sounds familiar, Teri, but i honestly can’t say if it’s because I’ve read someone else’s review or if I’ve read it before. I can’t say I recognize False Prince either, but maybe I have? Maybe that’s where the familiarity stems? Not sure. Great review, though.
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I had to look up this one, Jina – I’d never heard of the original, but I sure enjoyed this retelling. Thanks!
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This sounds like a timely read- great review, Teri.
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Thanks, Jacquie! It was a fun one.
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Excellent review, Teri
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Thanks, John!
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Excellent review Teri! I still have to try her books!
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Thanks, Sophie! She’s got an adult novel (suspense/supernatural I think?) coming out next year – the excerpts are awesome.
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This one sounds great. I love a good ‘downtrodden hero’ type book.
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This poor guy was seriously downtrodden, Jessica.
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I’m kind of all about the fairytale right now because of my WIP. This one really is intriguing me. Thanks for sharing.
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If you’re currently all about fairytales, the author has a series of retellings. Think there are 4? Maybe 5?
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Thanks. I’ll look into it.
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Wow, the way you describe it is so intriguing it makes me wanna read it! Am looking for this genre anyway so thanks for sharing!
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