The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a debut fantasy novel written by Seth Dickinson. But don’t let the genre fool you, it is a very atypical or ‘hard’ kind of fantasy, perhaps best described as geopolitical fantasy. There is no magic, there is no obvious villain, and the primary character isn’t an orphaned farm boy or descendant from a long lost line of kings. Instead, the antagonist throughout the novel can best be described as colonialism, and the primary character is a female accountant.

The more concrete antagonist here is the empire known as the ‘Masquerade’, and rather than outright conquer and forcefully subdue nations, they prefer to rule through cultural and economic hegemony. Trade and currency make the target nation economically dependent, disease and plague often subdue the local population, and Masquerade schools educate the local youth and teach ‘proper values’. This is where the primary character, Baru, finds herself at the start of the novel. She goes to the Masquerade schools, passes their tests, and quickly attains the prestigious position of imperial accountant. However, as the name of the novel implies, Baru eventually turns traitor and leads a rebellion.

Character and plot driven with lots of intrigue and scheming (and an awesome battle scene towards the end), this book is perfect for fans of fantasy looking for something different and serious.

Find it in library catalog here!

Reviewed by Tyler