Review: Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.
Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

As a big fan of Anne Blankman’s Prisoner of Night & Fog duology, I was eager to read Traitor Angels. With history, poetry, religion and science at the helm, Traitor Angels was a gloriously bustling book, one that I have no regrets picking up. From start to finish, I was hooked to the story and there was no straying my attention away.

At the cusp of the story was Elizabeth Milton, daughter of the famous English poet and political writer, John Milton, who is completely devoted and loyal to her father. She was easily a character that I found myself bonding with and cheering for. While there was a lot going on plot-wise in Traitor Angels, it was Elizabeth’s growth throughout the book that was so brilliantly executed, that it was one of the best parts of the story. From the very beginning of the book, she was intelligent, enthusiastic and loyal beyond words. Her utmost passion for astronomy, and her eagerness to learn more about the world, as a result of her father providing her with an education, was invigorating. Along with Elizabeth, you find yourself keen too learn more about the stars. Not only was she a smart heroine, but she was also considerate, helping her blind father with his writing and vowing to protect her family at all costs. Her bravery and independence radiated through Traitor Angels once she goes on a treasure hunt to ultimately save her father. Along the way, she learned more about herself, the world and religion. It was a thing of beauty watching Elizabeth come to terms with all these truths and how she handled them.

Accompanying her on this adventure was the sweet, charming and deliciously mysterious Italian, Antonio, who swept me off my feet. While Elizabeth was honestly my favorite in the book, I still found myself falling for this fiercely loyal boy. His slow-burn romance with Elizabeth was beautifully written and thrilled my shipper heart. What I loved most about their relationship was how they treated each other with utmost respect, and complete devotion. Antonio allowed Elizabeth to do her own thing without ever interfering with her plans or undermining her ideas. He, of course, offered his suggestions, but I loved that he treated her opinions and thoughts just as equally important. Not only that, but he also guided her and supported her whenever she began second-guessing herself and everything she had learned. Their romance truly was impeccable and one I consider an all-time favorite.

Not many people know this about me, but I go nuts at anything that has to do with the history of science. If I’m being honest, it’s one of the main reasons why I wanted to pick up Traitor Angels, besides the author name on the cover. Galileo’s scientific work and his secret relationship with John Milton was a heavy focus in the book. I knew this from her previous books, but Anne Blankman is always seamlessly able to blend in history and fiction. In Traitor Angels, you could tell that she thoroughly researched the history before incorporating it into the book. She explored the discoveries, theories and political state of the the 17th Century impeccably. You cannot help but be hooked into the intricacies of this story. At the center, was a treasure-hunt like adventure that Milton lead Antonio and his daughter on in order to find a well-kept secret discovery that Galileo made, one could rock the world. The journey was filled with clues, betrayals, dangerous secrets, twists and enemies and what a sensational ride it was! I was especially pleased at how often I found myself gasping in shock at the turns of events that I couldn’t foresee at all.

Brilliantly executed, Traitor Angels is undeniably one of the best historical fiction novels that I have ever read. It’s wildly creative, and a boatload of fun and if you enjoy the genre, mysteries, character-driven stories with a sprinkling of romance, you’re in for one epic ride with Traitor Angels.

Mood Board for Traitor Angels

All images courtesy of Pinterest

What are your favorite YA historical fiction novels?
Let me know in the comments below!

Follow Us:

The post Review: Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman appeared first on Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Book List.