As I read this book as an ARC, I jumped into it unaware that it was the second. While this put me at a disadvantage initially with the many world building details, A Tale Told by Traitors had a storyline that had me intrigued to keep reading at every turn. I was fully invested in the characters and found myself blindsided by several of the plot twists. The one aspect of the book that I didn't love was the ongoing parallels drawn between the main female protagonist and her propensity towards baking. Otherwise, it was a worthy read full of action, adventure, pirates and "princesses." Reminiscent of The Princess Bride, this voyage is worth taking.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I did appreciate how the author incorporated imagery associated with cooking to hone Lio’s identity as a baker. Unfortunately, I struggled a lot with this book overall. I thought I would enjoy the book because I liked the premise that Lionyra was the lost heiress of Amere-Del. However, the pacing felt off and I couldn’t connect with the characters.

Amazing adventure full of twist and turns and the right amount of pining and romance!
4.5 stars

"Sometimes it takes strong people a while to heal, too... and we're the strongest there is. So we'll find our way thought this, all of us, together."

A Tale Told by Traitors is the second book in a series of sequential standalones each focusing on a new romantic fantasy adventure.

We meet back up with Lionyra Vara at the moment when her past catches up with her and she is taken back to a life she fled 6 years ago, back to the regime of Amere-Del, where she is to take her place back as Delina. She is taken aboar The Athalion, where she meets characters who are more than meets the eyes, including deckhand Bastyan... or is he really a deck hand?

This book was twistier than a fancy french braid, action packed, filled with tension and adventure, well developed characters, meaningful relationships - some that flourish and end too soon, some that live on, and get stronger and stronger as the story goes on.

This was my first Renee Dugan's book and it will definetly not be my last. I fell in love with the characters, sailors and pirates alike, grieved with them, laughed, swooned, got angry, threw my book across the couch, and overall really really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Lionora Vara is an immigrant in Mithra-Sha and is running her bakery. There is nothing else she loves more than kneading dough, creating breads and treats and to listen to the stories being told in her shop.
To save her best friend she has in this new town she is risking all and is losing as her biggest secret gets revealed. She is not who she pretends to be. She is the sole heir of the ruling regime she fled from and now she is being dragged back in chains as her biggest fear and thread is used against her. The only person in the world she loves most and feels like a sister is also again back in the castle of her biggest nightmare, her decoy. So she willingly is being brought back in cuffs on a ship which shall bring her back. Once they succeeded to escape their fate and again she must find a way to save both of them.
Ryker Kassian is a pirate but hates how other captains run their ship and how they treat their crews. The debts he and his crew he selected to save every one of them from their former fait have with the old pirates are extreme. So when rumours are getting more and more that the Delina, the heir of the ruling regime is seen he is taking on the challenge to find her and request a ransom for her which is needed to buy out his crew.

This is a second book in the series but from my point of view can also be read without knowing the first (which is my case) as this story concentrates on a new character.
Wow, I did not expect this world building. Also the writing style I liked at lot.
What an adventure we are reading about here! We have a great pirate story here with lots of action which I really enjoyed. All the fighting, the decoy and unfortunately also the loss of characters I really liked is for me really good written. I also liked how much friendship and love means in this story, the fight for freedom and to do the right things and what everybody is willing to endure and do for it.

Lionora has different names in this story and I think this is very well showing how she is changing. Some of her actions I can´t really understand during the story but in general I liked to read how she is changing, is setting new priorities and how she is fighting for the ones she likes and loves.
Ryker also has different names he got during the years and I liked his character right from the start. What a captain and how he is fighting for his crew! I really liked his character.
Also all the characters we have in the book, and we talk about quite a lot, I really liked all of them. The ones I hated and I hoped would die due to their cruelty and what they did to others, and also the ones I really liked and hoped only the best for and that they would survive and succeed in their fight for freedom and the right course.
Also the romantic we have in here is in my opinion perfectly set into this world and storyline and giving hope when all seems lost.
The twist and turns, the decoy, the battle, ... we have here kept the story for me on a great level and I wanted to keep reading.

If I were 13, this would have become my personality. But reading it as a nearly 30y old, it is a bit cringey.

Thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This book was PHENOMENAL! I simply adored it.

The characters were vivid and the world was so well written that I just jumped into the story completely. I was so in love with Renee Dugan's work that I got her others to dive into as well. Highly recommend this book!

Lionyra Vara is a baker hiding in Mithra-Sha, because she is the sole heir of the Dels in the neighbouring country of Amere-Del. But no one can hide forever and Lionyra soon finds herself face to face with her past. Refusing to go back to that nightmare she flees. As she escapes she is aided by a sailor who turns out to be a Pirate Captain. Ryker and his crew are drowning in debt and he sees his only option to free themselves is to ransom the lost Delina. Lio offers Ryker a chance for more and asks him to help find her missing friend. Ryker seizes the chance and they soon find themselves traversing hidden pirate cities and into the heart of Amere-Del where a revolution is starting. As all their secrets threaten to overwhelm them they are forced to face their past and their growing attraction to one another.

I knew this story would be about Lio but didn’t expect to see Jules again and my heart hurt reading those chapters knowing his fate. And while this book was a stand alone there were ripples from the first book that affected this one. IE When Audra restores storytelling. That gave me chills. But this story can stand on its own. It is filled with so much character and I just couldn’t get enough. The intrigue, the romance, the action. This was a chunky book and it took me a bit to get through cause life, but I loved it. Lio and Ryker (bash) are adorable and I love when the guy realizes he fell first. I don’t know if there will be more in this series but I would love to see it. Even if just a small novella so Audra and Lio can be reunited.

Rating 4.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

i loved this high-stakes adventure/fantasy novel. it was so richly detailed, the characters were jumping out of the story and this was chock-full with all the Feels. the writing was lush and absolutely gorgeous. i cannot wait for book three already!

YES... This was actually my first book from the author and it is every fantasy dreamer come true.. I don't know if it was the fact that I'm also a Assassin's Creed game player but it did gave me those vibes, which I truly enjoyed.
Both FMC and MMC were fantastic characters and the fact that didn't had spice was totally understandable, it wasn't necessary because the story itself was more than good

A Tale Told by Traitors by Renee Dugan is a thrilling romantic fantasy and the second book in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series. The story follows Lionyra Vara, a humble baker in Mithra-Sha, who secretly holds the title of ruler of Amere-Del. When her life and the life of her friend are threatened, Lio is forced to return to the land of her nightmares. Alongside the legendary pirate Ryker Kassian, Lio embarks on a dangerous mission to find her missing friend and confront the regime that has hunted her for years. Their journey takes them to treacherous pirate cities, hidden towns, and the heart of a looming revolution.

The book is rich in adventure, with a deep blend of trust, redemption, and romance. The slow-burn romance between Lio and Ryker is intense, set against a backdrop of high-stakes action and dark secrets. Dugan’s writing is praised for its atmospheric world-building, particularly the nautical elements and the complex characters. The plot’s twists and betrayals keep readers on edge, making this installment a thrilling ride for fans of romantic fantasy with elements of betrayal and redemption

I adored this book, from beginning to end! It kicked off with action and stayed that way throughout the entire book! This kept my interest from start to finish. This is one of those books that I thought about when I wasn’t even reading it. Every time I put the book down I could not wait to pick it back up and continue the story.

I loved the characters, the changes we saw in some of them, and the surprises that hit me out of nowhere! And I loved the FMC and MMC, and their relationship.

The author used tons of similes and metaphors to baking, which I loved. In such an action-packed and intense book I feel like this added a lot of warmth and comfort which I enjoyed and appreciated. And since it’s full of pirates, I also really loved all the pirate talk and sea/ sailing related metaphors as well.

This was my first book by R. Dugan and I look forward to reading more by her!

10/10
No spice
No intense language

Thank you, NetGalley and R. Dugan for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an amazing read.

I was captivated from the first page. The connections between the characters, effortless world building and kept me turning my page the entire time.

I am so excited for this adventure to continue and where we go next time.

Size wise, the book was large, but jam packed with quality writing the entire way through.

Thank you to the author, Renee Dugan, for supplying me with an advanced copy of the ebook.

Fan FREAKING tastic! What an epic pirate adventure with a swoony romance!! OBSESSED! This caught me very off guard. I went in completely blind and let me just say WOW! The characters were really well developed and the TENSION!!!!! I just wants to say thank you for this masterpiece!

A dark and magical fantasy story full of action and adventure that had me hooked from the start. I can see my students really loving this story.

This is the second story in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series by author Renee Dugan. I have read the first in the series (A Story Spun in Scarlet), but one doesn’t need to have read the first to fully enjoy this book. Lionyra Vara is living the peaceful life she’s created for herself when her past returns to haunt her. After being captured by her former tormentor, Lionyra sets off on adventures on the high seas – sword fights, gambling, espionage, royal power struggles, and daring rescues abound!

I really loved this book! There was so much action, unexpected twists and turns, and meaningful character developments/relationships. The way the lives of the characters intertwined created a beautiful found family. While the storytelling magic made sense to me since I’ve read the first book, there could be a little more explanation of how the magic works for new readers.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm so glad I had the opportunity. Well written with adventure and romance. I enjoyed all of the characters and watching them interact and grow. Believable and lovely romance. I didnt realize this was the second book in the series Tales of Wonder and Woe (they are standalone books). I plan on reading the first book A Story Spun in Scarlet asap.

4.5⭐️
I greatly enjoyed this story! It was a fun mix of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Princess Bride, but with a stronger FMC. Lio has been hiding from her past, running a bakery in Mithra-Sha until her attempts to help a friend escape capture wind up instead getting her caught, and her cover blown. Back in the hands of the woman who tortured her for most of her life, she unexpectedly finds kindness and camaraderie among the crew of the merchant ship chartering her back to Amere-Del. From there she makes a great escape only to be captured by pirates. Lio then finds herself on an epic journey to rescue her best friend, who is also now in danger of being captured too, and fighting feelings for the pirate captain who tricked her.
Lio has to find her courage again and to learn to stop running away. Her character development is beautifully written. Bash is the perfect cocky yet troubled MMC who very obviously falls first and hard, which I adore. The crews for both ships are incredibly fun and full of interesting stories, making this an epic cast to follow. I would love to see more of Cam as he grows up, but I also really like the ending we were given. I look forward to seeing where we go next in this series!

Lionyra has finally found her home. A bakery that she runs away from everything that she is running from. But when Lio helps a friend flee from the guard she is captured and handed over to her worst enemy, the head guard of the kingdom that she fled. Now she is on an adventure to escape the head guard, find her decoy, and leave the kingdom she fled far behind.

The characters in this book were really interesting. I thought that they were fully fleshed out and made sense on the page. They all had trauma but it didn’t seem to be their whole character. The interactions between the characters were really interesting and well-written. I thought that the romance was developed really well.

The world-building was where I had a problem. There was magic in the world but the way that the magic worked wasn’t explained at all. There wasn’t a description of how the kingdoms work or any of the history of the world that I thought would be important to my overall understanding of the book. I just wasn’t impressed with the world-building.

The actual writing of the book was pretty good.

Overall, I liked the romance of the book was really good but the world-building left much to be desired for me. But if you like romance with a bit of fantasy this would be right up your alley.

Another stunner from R Dugan!

I first picked up A Story Spun in Scarlet, book 1 in the Tales of Wonder & Woe series in preparation for this ARC and having now read both, I am absolutely hooked! Dugan is incredibly adept at writing characters who engage with, and find meaning in their painful pasts. Who overcome these hurts and are stronger for it.

Added to that is deep, smart and sometimes surprising storylines and you find yourself utterly immersed in a world that feels completely real. I highly recommend reading these stories - they are very special.

Thank you to R Dugan & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this story early.

As a huge fan of pirates and secret royalty, I loved this book! Ryker and Lio's relationship definitely starts off tumultuous, but I love the way it grows throughout the course of the story. They are both such interesting characters with their own scars, and their journey was one that I followed with great interest.