Hardinge, Frances. Traitors’ Nest. Amulet, 09/2026. 400pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-4197-9414-8. GRADES 6–11. OUTSTANDING.
Otherworldly lords, vying for power, move pieces on a board; in the real-world castles jump, upending lives. Fifteen-year-old Burr, his family and friends, made desperate by seasons of cruelty and lies, take the chance to move from a village of pawns to a castle of players. A layered world full of rich history, myth and magic serves as the backdrop for a dynamic fantasy that centers on friendship and the choices in a deadly game that truly matter. Most of the action takes place in a medieval setting that reads white, but an alliance with a culture that reads Asian plays a secondary role. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired