Traitor Angels

by Anne Blankman

Overview

A romantic and exhilarating historical adventure about a girl who must unlock the secrets within Paradise Lost to save her father—perfect for fans of Revolution and Code Name Verity—from acclaimed author Anne Blankman, whose debut novel, Prisoner of Night and Fog, was a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens in 2015

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 king’s men 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 Viviani, 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062278876
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.60(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Anne Blankman is the acclaimed author of Prisoner of Night and Fog, which received a starred review and a Flying Start from Publishers Weekly. When Anne was twelve, she read Anne Frank's diary and has been haunted by World War II ever since. The idea for Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke came to her after she read about a real-life unsolved street assassination from January 1933, which was the inspiration for Monika Junge's murder. To research this book, she studied a wide range of sources, including biographies, memoirs, social histories, psychological profiles, old maps, photographs, and video footage.

Anne lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband, Mike, her young daughter, Kirsten, and, of course, lots and lots of books.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG: “A winning gamble

Booklist

Praise for CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE: “Heart-stopping drama…brilliant storytelling and characterization.

Romantic Times

Praise for PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG: “I’m in awed envy of the daring with which Anne Blankman plunges into her difficult and sensitive subject matter. It’s terrifying and incredible to think how much of this story is true.

Elizabeth Wein

Praise for PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG: “A nail-biting visit to Adolf Hitler’s inner circle in the early days of the Nazi party’s rise to power.

Jennifer Armstrong

03/01/2016
Gr 8 Up—The mid-1600s is the setting for this Da Vinci Code-esque romantic historical fiction; a metaphysical revelation at the end, however, sours the story's magic. Elizabeth Milton, daughter of poet John Milton, has been raised uniquely for the time; she speaks multiple languages and handles a sword with flair. When the king's men come to arrest her father, Elizabeth is thrust into an adventure with a recent house guest, Antonio Viviani, a mysterious Italian envoy. The two travel to Oxford and London, deciphering cryptic clues from Paradise Lost and trying to uncover a dark secret kept by Milton and Galileo—a secret that could topple the English court and more. An unsought romance between Elizabeth and Antonio blooms amid the sword fights and court intrigue. But who can be trusted, and how far will the repercussions go once the riddle is solved? The book moves at a swift pace, even if set in a less than familiar time period. The romance between Elizabeth and Antonio is an obvious plot choice but enticing nonetheless. The secret of the poem, however, is quite far-fetched, which doesn't fit the rest of the novel. The characters and readers are required to make a fantastical deductive leap that feels out of place in an otherwise realistic book. While Milton's work might not be a hook for teenagers, the intrigue could sell this story, if not for the problematic end. VERDICT While the conclusion is unsatisfactory, purchase where there are fans of the Da Vinci Code who crave further adventurous historical romance.—Lisa Ehrle, Falcon Creek Middle School, CO

School Library Journal

The year is 1666, six years after King Charles II has returned to England to reclaim the throne. Elizabeth Milton lives in exile with her father, John Milton, due to his hand in the execution of his father, King Charles I, during Britain’s civil war nearly twenty years earlier. The poet has been labeled a regicide and considered a prominent, dangerous political figure as long as he lives. Elizabeth quietly helps her blind father write his greatest work, Paradise Lost, until one day, a band of king’s men ransacks their home, seizes her father, and burns the transcript. With the help of a foreigner summoned by her father and the king’s illegitimate son, Elizabeth finds herself in a race to unlock the secrets of Paradise Lost to save her father’s life. Traitor Angels serves as historical fiction, weaving true events and real people with fantastical mystery and intrigue. Told from Elizabeth’s point of view, the novel provides a unique perspective of the monarchy as well as prominent historical events. Although Elizabeth serves as the main character, strong male characters permeate the novel. Themes throughout the novel focus on loyalty, power, religion, enlightenment, and corruption. The in-depth characters draw readers in as each one’s complexity propels the plot to the next twist and turn. Because the plot proves intricate, the majority of the novel sets up the context for the suspense. Educators and librarians seeking exciting, well-written historical fiction to engage readers may want to add this novel to their shelves. Reviewer: Courtney Munday; Ages 11 to 18.

VOYA, August 2016 (Vol. 39, No. 3) - Courtney Munday

★ 2016-02-17
Blankman weaves religion, science, literary genius, poetry, and romance into a mystery that, if solved, could turn the world upside down. Elizabeth serves as amanuensis for her father, John Milton, who was blinded by a chemical purported to make the dead live. When King Charles II's henchmen burst into the Milton home, burn the incomplete manuscript of Paradise Lost, and imprison the writer in London, Elizabeth leaves home to save her father and his magnum opus. Joined by Italian Antonio Viviani, and later by Robert Crofts, the bastard son of the king, Elizabeth recovers Paradise Lost from her memory and unearths clues in the poem that she uses to attempt to save her father. This work of historical fiction includes historical figures and events such as Galileo and writer Samuel Pepys, the 1666 plague, and the Great Fire of London. Blankman does a masterful job of wrapping fiction around historical facts and making barely possible details seem plausible and real. Although Elizabeth likely has more chutzpah than a Puritan girl of the mid-1600s would have had, readers will enjoy her penchant for activities such as hurling herself out of a moving carriage to escape men with nefarious intentions and jumping from a burning building into the Thames despite being unable to swim. Like Elizabeth, this story never stands still. Readers will love the journey and learn much on the way. (Historical fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews