ARC Review: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts here are my own.
Published: November 3, 2026
Series: Braided Fate #2
Genres: Adult // Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)
Quick Thoughts: Captive Traitor King was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it did not disappoint. While it’s light on the plot, we got to know all three of our main characters a lot more and answered a few questions left by book one. Recommend who those like character driven storylines and don’t mind slower pacing.
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What is Captive Traitor Kingabout?
CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.
TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.
KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.
As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.
Captive Traitor King Review
Captive Traitor King was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it did not disappoint. I found it hard to put down and caught myself thinking about it whenever I wasn't reading it.
What I liked
The most important thing to know going in is that this is 100% a character-driven book. Book one was similarly light on plot, but this one has even less. This story is about Asher, Jory, and Ky's deepening relationship with one another and how that helps them heal from their own trauma. Over the course of the book, they go from distrustful allies to friends to lovers, and that slowly built connection is what makes this one of the best romance I've ever read and what I've been craving from so many other romances. This lack of fast-paced action definitely won't work for everyone, but the focus on the characters is exactly why I loved this series so much.
What I didn’t like
That said, I do wish there had been a little bit more action. The entire story takes place in one location, and there isn't much additional worldbuilding beyond what we got in book one. It also wasn't always clear what we were building toward. We get more politicking and a few answers from questions in the first book, but for the most part, the characters don't do much. The real action is essentially one scene near the end, which leaves the story on a cliffhanger, but because the stakes and tension weren't built up over the course of the book, it was hard to feel invested in the ending. I still enjoyed the book, though, and I'm curious to see where the next one takes the story.
So, should you read Captive Traitor King?
Overall, this was a solid read with characters I genuinely love. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves character-driven stories and slower burn romances where deep emotional connection is the focus.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Captive Traitor King FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Sexual Assault
Physical abuse
Past child abuse
Past sexual abuse
Trauma
Violence, torture, kidnapping
Death of parent
Fire/fire injury
Panic attacks/disorders
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Why Choose/polyamorous romance
Secret Magic
Hidden Identity
Hurt/Comfort
Royal-Political Scheming
Betrayal/Redemption
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Yes, Warrior Princess Assassin is book 1 of the Braided Fates series. Book 2, Captive Traitor King, is out now!
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Captive Traitor King is the sequel to Warrior Princess Assassin and is out now.
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Captive Traitor King is definitely steamier than book one. While there are plenty of interrupted moments, there are two spice scenes in Chapters 23 and 24.
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Captive Traitor King is a 3 out of 5 on the spice scale. This means open door, where spice scenes happen on the page, but aren’t told in explicit detail. Sometimes euphemisms are used to describe what is happening.