Crowned a Traitor

Crowned a Traitor by Kate Callaghan was a really enjoyable fantasy read with an interesting supernatural world, plenty of action, political intrigue, family secrets, and exactly the kind of heroine I love. Klara is Lucifer’s daughter and heir to Hell’s throne, but she has absolutely no interest in accepting the future everyone else has planned for her. She’s stubborn, independent, sarcastic, and has no problem questioning authority, even when that authority happens to be her own father. With a personality like that, Klara quickly became one of my favorite characters.

What I liked most about Klara was that she could actually back up her attitude. Thanks to Lilith’s training, she’s a skilled fighter who knows how to handle her double-headed axe and hidden silver dagger. She’s perfectly capable of defending herself, but that doesn’t mean she always makes the best decisions. She’s impulsive, has a temper, and occasionally gets herself into trouble because she acts before thinking things through. But I appreciated that she wasn’t invincible. She gets hurt, makes mistakes, questions herself, and sometimes has to admit she doesn’t have all the answers. I enjoy a strong heroine, but I also want her to have flaws and room to grow, and Klara had both.

I really enjoyed the supernatural world Kate created, too. Between Hell, Malum, Kalos, the River Styx, the Neutral Lands, and all the different territories, there’s quite a bit to explore. You’ve got demons, fae, witches, lycaons, vampires, angels, hellhounds, and plenty of other creatures, each with their own abilities, weaknesses, and rules. I especially liked the darker fairy-tale elements mixed into the story. Some of the magic and creatures were pretty disturbing, but that’s part of what made the world interesting. The different supernatural species also have their own histories, conflicts, and political relationships, which all play a part in the larger storyline.

And with that many powerful creatures and rulers involved, there’s bound to be trouble. Between political alliances, rebellions, succession disputes, prejudice, and family secrets, Klara has quite a bit more to deal with than simply convincing her father to let her make her own decisions. I enjoyed watching her uncover things about her family and the different realms that made her question what she’d always believed. I also liked seeing her gradually understand how the decisions made by those in power affect everyone else. She might not want a throne, but she does care about what happens to others, and I appreciated seeing that side of her develop.

Klara’s relationship with Lucifer was another part of the story I enjoyed. He’s the King of Hell, but he’s also her father, and those two roles don’t always work well together. You can tell they love each other, but he’s also keeping secrets and making decisions about her future without giving her much say in the matter. Of course, Klara isn’t exactly known for accepting that sort of thing quietly. I liked their disagreements and the complicated feelings behind them, especially as more of their family history came to light. I could understand his desire to protect her, but I could also understand why she was frustrated with everyone constantly deciding what was best for her.

I enjoyed the supporting characters as well, particularly Wolfgang, Lilith, Frendall, Lottie, and Lokey. Wolfgang and Klara had some of my favorite interactions, with plenty of arguments, sarcasm, and moments where you could tell they genuinely cared about one another. I also liked how much Lilith influenced Klara, not just by teaching her to fight, but by encouraging her to stand up for herself. And then there were the softer moments with Lottie, where you got to see Klara’s compassion underneath all that stubbornness. These relationships gave the story more depth and made me care about what happened to the characters.

There’s a little romance mixed into everything, but it isn’t the main focus, which I didn’t mind. Between the supernatural politics, family drama, and everything else happening, there was already plenty to keep me interested. There’s some attraction, kissing, and romantic tension, but no explicit sexual scenes, so this one gets 1/5 Pepper from me. I did like the romantic possibilities, although I would have enjoyed more time watching that relationship develop. With all the secrets and complicated feelings involved, I wanted more opportunities for the characters to actually talk to each other and work through things.

For the most part, the pacing kept me interested. There’s plenty of action, and between the battles, escapes, betrayals, magical discoveries, and family revelations, Klara doesn’t get much time to catch her breath. I enjoyed all of that, but occasionally I wanted the story to slow down a little. There are a lot of characters, supernatural species, magical rules, and political relationships to keep track of, and sometimes we’d move on to something new before I felt like we’d really gotten to know what was already there.

I felt the same way about some of the bigger revelations, especially toward the end. There were some interesting surprises, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was really going on, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with how quickly certain things were worked out afterward. When someone discovers they’ve been lied to or betrayed by people they love and trust, I expect that to affect the relationship. I wanted to see more of those conversations and how the characters dealt with everything they’d learned. I understand that people can have reasons for making questionable decisions, but that doesn’t necessarily make those decisions okay, and I would have liked the story to explore that a little more.

That’s really what kept this from being a five-star read for me. I didn’t need more action, additional characters, or bigger plot twists. I would have preferred a little more time with the characters we already had, especially when something important happened between them. There were also places where we got quite a bit of explanation about the world and its history, while some of the emotional moments felt rushed. I think balancing those things out would have made the story even better.

But none of that changes the fact that I genuinely enjoyed reading it. Klara was easily my favorite part of the book, and I loved that she was capable of standing up for herself without always making the right choices. I enjoyed the humor, the family drama, the supernatural politics, and discovering more about the different realms. There were plenty of characters I wanted to know more about, and I’m curious to see where Klara’s story goes from here.

Would I recommend Crowned a Traitor? Absolutely! If you enjoy supernatural fantasy with demons, fae, vampires, hellhounds, political intrigue, family secrets, betrayals, plenty of action, and a strong, defiant heroine who doesn’t particularly care what anyone thinks she should be doing, I think you’ll enjoy this one. Just know that the romance takes a back seat to the fantasy, and there’s very little spice.

My Final Verdict: I really enjoyed Crowned a Traitor. Kate Callaghan created an interesting supernatural world with plenty of secrets, conflict, and characters worth getting to know, and Klara was exactly the kind of heroine who makes me want to keep reading. I would have liked a little more time spent developing certain relationships and exploring the aftermath of some of the bigger revelations rather than moving on quite so quickly. That’s what kept it from earning five stars for me, but it’s still a solid four-star read that I’d happily recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Final Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) | Spice Rating: 🌶️ (1/5)

NOTE: This review reflects the digital ARC version provided to me by the author as of July 31, 2026, and may not reflect any revisions, corrections, or updates made to subsequent editions.