Teaching Resources and Readers' Guide: Traitor to the Throne

One of the books I was excited to read about at the start of 2017 was Alwyn Hamilton's Traitor to the Throne (Viking, 2017). Traitor to the Throne is the second book in the Rebel of the Sands series. I posted my review in the blog back in March 19, 2017.

Here's a link to my review of Rebel of the Sands. I also posted a  resource and guide for teachers.

So, here are the teaching resources and readers' guide for teachers, parents and librarians on Traitor to the Throne. First up, the reviews.

Book Reviews

If you want to know what other readers and fans think about the book, here are links to reviews.

Reviews From a Bookworm
Desert News: Book Review of Traitor to the Throne
Kirkus: Traitor to the Throne

Themes: War, Women and Children

In Traitor to the Throne, children, young people, especially girls, and women, were not spared from participating in the war and in the revolution. Some fell victim to the abuse of men. Some stood up and became warriors. How these young women fought to survive as they made choices in the face of conflict are issues and topics of global scale. Traitor the Throne is a work of fiction, but the realities of war and the involvement of children and women in it are events happening in real life too. We only need to turn to the news, both local and international news agencies, as well as social media to affirm this. Even history has a lot to tell us about war, and the suffering of civilians especially women and children.

Here are online resources to understand the roles of women in light of war and conflict.

 Huffington Post traces the role of women in the military in modern times. The events in the timeline cover a western context but it shows how women have fought alongside men in times of conflict and armed struggle. It would be interesting to look at other defense and security systems other than the military to get a wider perspective of women's role in the war effort. Another vantage point is the role that women played in a country's industry and economy  at war time. History Channel has some compelling videos and narratives about women in World War II as warriors, workers and victims.The write up about Queen Elizabeth's participation in Britain's war efforts is one example.

In the novel, we read about children and young demdjis picking up arms and joining the fight. If not seen in battle, they become prisoners of war and experience all forms of abuse.

Unicef discusses the sad and horrific plight of children and women in places where war never seem to stop. Women and children are defenseless. They become refugees or, like the characters in the novel, end up as prisoners of war.

Many women are involved in peace efforts too. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is a branch of the United Nations advocating, campaigning and taking action in peace keeping efforts. Unite for Sight, a global non-government organization with a strong program on health and medical services, has an information packet on war, peace, women and children. It even has a counter argument on the role of women in the military.

TED Talks have these videos on women, children and civilians suffering the most when war is over and how peace building efforst continue long after the ceasation of war.

Discussions and Activities

Create an infographic on war and its effects on the economy, government and civilians. Conduct a poster presentation of these infographics in the classroom and have a gallery walk. It will help readers to note their reactions and the information they gathered from the poster/infographics. From these infographics and the readers' knowledge of facts about war, women and children, discussions can arise. Guide questions can be put together after the discussion to form claims, arguments and counter arguments.

Recommended Readings: Fiction

Adventures of a Child of War / by Flores, Lin Acacio   Manila Philippines : Cacho Publishing House, 2002

Doctor Zhivago / by Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich,   [New York] : Readers Digest, c1990

It was the war of the trenches / by Tardi, Jacques.   Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, c2010

The book thief / by Zusak, Markus.   New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2007

The bookseller of Kabul / by Seierstad, êAsne,   New York : Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, 2004  

Recommended Readings: Non-Fiction

Worlds at War : the 2,500-year struggle between East and West / by Pagden, Anthony.   New York : Random House, c2008

A World Undone : the story of the Great War, 1914-1918 / by Meyer, G. J.,   New York, N.Y. : Bantam Dell, 2007
 
Human Smoke : the beginnings of World War II, the end of civilization / by Baker, Nicholson.   New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009, c2008

World War II : the events and their impact on real people / by Grant, R. G.   New York, N.Y. : Dk Pub., 2008

A Time for War : 105 Days in Bataan / by Atienza, General Rigoberto J.   [S.l.] : Eugenia S. vda. de Atienza, 1985 

Peace education : how we come to love and hate war / by Noddings, Nel.   New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012

  

Book Review (SPOILERS): Traitor to the Throne

Traitor to the Throne
Alwyn Hamilton
Viking, 2017

I will begin my review of Traitor to the Throne, the second installment to the Rebel of the Sands, with the quoted paragraphs.

 "In this backdrop, Amani struggles to find herself while Jin has his own agenda. Jin maybe fighting alongside his brother, but he dreams of freedom; of being in a place where he can truly be himself; where he is not beholden to anyone else; where he could be the master of his fate."

"But this is a dream yet to come. Or not. My guess is, since Amani has only discovered her true power at the end of the book, Jin has to make a decision somewhere in book 2. Fight or Flight? Can he do both? Will Amani continue to become her own hero despite her growing feelings for Jin? Will the Rebel Prince prevail? Is there a traitor waiting in the wings?"

These came from the book review I wrote about Rebel around June last year. If you wish to read my review before this one, just click the link that is highlighted. There are spoilers in this review, so, don't say I didn't warn you.

I am glad that most of my questions that came up in Rebel were answered in Traitor. Amani did become the hero in book 2 to the point of leading the Rebellion to the next installment. Jin was gone most of the time, spying and gathering intelligence for the Rebellion. Jin and Amani's relationship have grown more intense as well as the political intrigue that envelopes them both. Since Amani was traded as a slave to join the Sultan's harem, I got a good look of the nature of the Rebellion's enemies and their battle plan. The Sultan is really evil.  

Traitor bespeaks of many messages for the reader to take it all in at once. I am still digesting the whole novel, actually. One of the messages I took away from Traitor that lingers still is this: those who love and stay loyal to the virtues and values that make us human in a time of conflict and war eventually die and get hurt. This is a more compelling read, for me, at least. But that is not saying that Traitor is better than Rebel. The latter is intriguingly beautiful and captivating. The former is breathtakingly exciting and ruthless at the same time. 

Sam's mindscape as he sneaks into Shazad's room.

What Hamilton began as narrative layering in Rebel, she continued so skillfully in Traitor. The legends and djinn lore she used as padding to the world she built for Miraji and its characters is an homage to the Arabian Nights. The crafting was well done that the legends and djinn lore she introduced in selected chapters made Miraji and its inhabitants more believable in a folkloric sense.

I am glad there are more djinns this time. And golems too! Shazad continues to kick ass. There is a rainbow moment between a demji and a human. New characters were introduced and a few good ones died. Sam is one of my favorites to emerge. While I wonder about Jin's prolonged stay in Xichia, and who funds the rebellion of the Rebel Prince, I also wonder what will become of Sam in book 3.

I will read Traitor to the Throne once more so I can post my guide for teachers and parents who wish to discuss the book with their teens. Here now is the link to the resource and reading guide I whipped up for Rebel of the Sands.

Rating: 5 Bookmarks