The Traitor's Curse
Twilight Mages, Book 3
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The Traitor's Curse
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Kirt Graves
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By:
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Eliot Grayson
About this listen
Betrayed, beset on all sides, and possibly bewitched…
Since the sudden, suspicious, and unlamented death of his father, only one man stands between Lucian and the grudging acceptance of his subjects: Benedict, a powerful dusk mage, a military hero, the favorite of the ducal council… and Lucian's stepbrother.
Not that Benedict wants a shackle disguised as a crown. He'd rather start a new, anonymous life a thousand miles away and leave that beautiful, icy, sneering little cretin Lucian to whatever grim fate awaits him.
But when Lucian comes to him in the middle of the night, terrified and desperate but still as infuriatingly arrogant as ever, Benedict agrees to keep Lucian alive and on the throne. On one condition: Lucian must give in to Benedict's long-hidden desires and allow Benedict to use him, in every possible way, to sate his cursed magic's demands.
Lucian detests Benedict. He despises what he becomes when Benedict touches him. And it might be the death of him, if his father's murderer doesn't kill him first…
The Traitor's Curse is the third book in the Twilight Mages series, but it can be listened to as a standalone. Contains family secrets, unbecoming behavior in a throne room, and a duke who protests far, far too much. HEA guaranteed!
©2025 Eliot Grayson (P)2025 Podium AudioListeners also enjoyed...
The land of Calatria is ruled over by its hardworking young duke, Lucian, who, despite the fact that he takes his responsibilities very seriously and works hard to improve the lives of his people, is not very popular and is actually suspected of having murdered his late father. Lucien knows this, but thinks that perhaps if his people see him working hard on their behalf, the rumours will eventually disappear – but they haven’t. Making things worse is that his taller, handsomer, charismatic step-brother, Benedict, is not only the Lord General of his army and a Twilight Mage, but is far more popular than Lucian, which infuriates him to the depths of his being.
Benedict is, then, the very last person in the world that Lucian would want to turn to for help, but when his valet is murdered – poisoned by wine meant for Lucian – he has no other option; it’s Benedict or no-one. Benedict agrees to help, but only on one condition – his curse needs sating regularly and Lucian will be available to Benedict whenever he demands it. Lucian is outraged by the idea, but he really doesn’t have anywhere else to turn without risking even more unfounded rumours, and he supposes he can bring himself to let Benedict bed him.
There’s a bit more plot going on in this book compared with the previous two, and it delivers a good mix of intrigue, romance and steam. It’s clear from fairly early on that Benedict actually has Lucian’s best interests at heart, and that Lucian is not a reliable narrator; he sees himself in a fairly negative light, underestimating his strengths and overestimating his shortcomings, and frequently misunderstands Benedict’s motives and actions.
I enjoyed their gradual progress from enemies to lovers. Lucien is prickly and sharp-tongued, but dedicated and competent – he’s more than a little uptight, which is perfectly complemented by Benedict’s laid-back good humour. Benedict knows when Lucian is trying to push him away and is determined not to let him, while Lucian is equally determined not to fall for Benedict but is helpless not to do so in the face of Benedict’s unwavering support. I was pleased when that support helps Lucian to start seeing his own worth and to start becoming the leader he’s meant to be.
Kirt Graves delivers another excellent, well-paced performance, with clearly distinguishable voices for both leads and secondary cast. His portrayal of Lucian is especially good and really captures the different facets of his character, from his waspish snarkiness to the underlying vulnerability and loneliness he hides behind that icy exterior. The deeper timbre he gives Benedict’s dialogue works well to depict him as a large and imposing man and the softer tones employed whenever he’s with Lucian convey his real feelings to the listener, even as Lucien continues in his obliviousness.
The Traitor’s Curse is another fun, sexy fantasy romp featuring likeable characters, an intriguing plotline and a nicely done enemies-to-lovers romance. Kirt Graves’ terrific performance makes a strong case for experiencing this one in audio format.
Good mix of intrigue, romance & steam
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