Review: Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell

Book Description via Goodreads:

ARC, 240 pages

March 20, 2012, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

In Trickster's Girl, when Kesla's journey comes to an end, she pass the pouch and the quest on to someone else. She picks Jason, a native boy she thinks will be able to finish the job. But in fact, a family feud has cut Jason off from his traditional roots, and he is even more doubtful and resistant than Kesla was. But Raven, now a beautiful girl, is quite persuasive and manages to convince Jason this is something not only that he can do, but that he must if he wants to heal his family and the earth.

Source: Hilari Bell (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

It took me a while to gather my thoughts for this review. Trickster’s Girl was easy for me to review but this second/last book took weeks.

Jason was very different from Kelsa. He was rich, had a modern perspective on things and he was a 0% believer of any type of superstition and magic. It was very ironic that he was fated to carry the magical medicine pouch that could heal the leys of the world. At first, he thought it was some kind of new drug but it was nowhere near addicting. When he started having bizarre, nightmarish dreams, he was torn between believing in the logical and believing in the supernatural. He was a very stubborn character. In the beginning, I didn’t even like him. All he seemed to care about was his sleek car. But as the story progressed, I saw a guy with a heart. Despite all the drama, the issues and the grudges, he cared for his family. Nothing would change that. He always put his family first. I admired him for that. It was also a welcome change. In the first book, the focus was on Kelsa's journey. Unlike Jase, I didn't get a chance to see Kelsa connected with her family, aside from the ashes of her dead father included in the magic dust. Jase

Raven was a very interesting character in Trickster’s Girl. He was very handsome shapeshifter with sharp features, otherworldly charms but lacking a human heart. In Traitor’s Son, Raven was transformed into a beautiful Alaskan Native girl. Like in the first book, he was gorgeous. It was a bit strange for me seeing Raven as a girl. I could really see how he tried to be sexy and seductive in his new body but beneath that mask, I caught glimpses of his true self. He often got impatient but he was quite persistent. It took a long time and a whole lot of patience for him to convince Jase about the mission of healing the leys.

I loved the bits about the Alaskan tribes. Bell presented a rich, intriguing and problematic history and culture. She took this string of complexity and weaved it into the story. Aside from that, I was really interested in the folklore involved in Traitor’s Son. The spirit world was filled with amazing creatures like the Swan lady – a helpful but sensual woman, the frog people – amiable creatures, and Otter woman – stood for what she believed in and never, ever backed down even if it meant she would have to get her hands dirty.  

Traitor’s Son is better than Trickster’s Girl. I enjoyed this fast-paced sequel, with a stubborn and realistic male lead that earned my respect and a heart-warming ending. In Traitor’s Son, magic and superstition collided with modernity and technology. People who are interested in folklore will enjoy this.

Rating: