1.42k reviews for:

The Betrayals

Bridget Collins

3.47 AVERAGE

challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No

This novel is set in a mysterious world that’s a mix of magic, secrets, and a bit of political intrigue, which definitely had me intrigued from the start. 

The story revolves around a character named Léo, who finds himself caught up in a kind of shadowy, elite school where things are not what they seem. The atmosphere is super atmospheric and almost dream-like at times, and I really appreciated Collins’ unique writing style. She has a way of crafting beautiful sentences that just pull you in.

That said, while I enjoyed the vibe and the world-building, I found myself a little lost when it came to the plot. There were parts that felt slow and meandering, and I was often left wanting a bit more excitement or depth in the story. The characters were interesting, but I didn’t connect with them as much as I had hoped, which made it hard to fully invest in their journeys.

Overall, The Betrayals has some really beautiful moments and a unique premise, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re into atmospheric fantasy, but just go in knowing it might take a little while to really get going. If you’re looking for something with a bit more action or intensity, you might want to keep looking. But hey, it has its charms!

Beetje chaotisch met iets te veel verhaallijnen, maar best prima.

I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I DNFed this book at 25%. That’s over 120 pages of the physical book. I still have no idea what’s going on. Idk if I’m just too dumb for this book or what, but I still have no idea what the grand jeu is or why it’s so important. None of the characters have any sort of personality.

I just couldn’t force myself to continue.

Unfortunately I preordered 2 special editions of this book. I will be reselling them to give them to people who actually enjoy the book.

I almost don't know what to make of The Betrayals. I read Bridget Collins' The Binding immediately before and was completely captivated by it and couldn't out it down. The Betrayals was harder to read and yet, at times, I was also completely captivated. Other times I trudged through in the hope that the next chapter might grab my attention again.

So what is it?

A mysterious and secretive game. Is it music? Religion? Dance? I have no idea and that's part of the appeal that draws you in.

A little bit like Harry Potter meets The OA, I guess.

The fact the book is hard to pigeon hole says it all really!!!

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, I loved Bridget Collins first book The Binding and in some ways this book is a bit similar. It is not clear about when it is set or where it is set, it doesn’t sound like any time or place. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her first and I found it a slog at time. It is set in a type of boys boarding school where the main study is the National game Gand Jeu, which is never really explained but seems to involve strategy and music. The main character is Léo who was a student, and now with his political career in tatters has returned. There have been changes since his day, there is now a woman serving at one of the highest offices. When Léo first meets Claire he sense an odd connection but as far as he knows they have never meet before. There are mysteries and a real sense of persecution, sexism and the kind of foreboding that must have been felt in mainland Europe during the 1930’s. At times the book seemed to zip along and you got right into the story and then it slowed right down again. I listened to an audiobook and I have to admit to nodding off on more than one occasion and having to find my place again and on one time of zoning out
adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Suprisingly even better than her previous book. Dark academy vibes, with a good twist. One of the best I read this year.
challenging mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No

After reading Collins' first novel 'The Binding', I had high hopes for 'The Betrayals' but unfortunately, I was a little let down. I enjoyed the writing style,  I found myself drawn into the story very easily. The descriptions are again wonderful, definitely a highlight of the book. I'm not too sure about the story, I think it took a while for the story to get properly going, at first it was a little difficult following several different perspectives trying to piece the story together. As the story progressed, all the connections became clearer, naturally making it easier to follow the plot. I think starting with 'The Rat' and not returning to her for a while didn't help, I'm not sure she was an important enough character to follow in that much depth, I may be missing something obvious but aside from her latter chapters with Emile, I'm not too sure what her purpose in the story was. I enjoyed the overall story of Leo, Carfax, and The Grand Jeu, it was very clever. The sections of Leo's diary were probably my favourite parts. I also found myself rather interested in 'The Party' and their actions, I would have liked to have seen more of that aspect of the story. It feels like there is definitely potential for it to be expanded on. I liked the ending, it was frustrating not getting complete closure but at the same time, it fits perfectly with the established relationships between characters and the idea of The Grand Jeu. Overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as 'The Binding' but I still found it to be a fairly decent read.