Reviews

This one wasn’t as good as the others. I kind of struggled for it to keep me interested. I mean it didn’t continue to work toward figuring things out in my mind. It had a side story that I felt didn’t really matter or really belong in the bigger scheme of things. I’m continuing with the final book though because I do want to know how things tie up. A little anticlimactic how this book ended in order for the trio’s story to continue.

caszriel's review against another edition

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5.0

Ok, wow. And I thought the first three books were top notch... I don't knw how to explain this one. The major shift happens and I found myself really liking Ricky for a change, his wisdom shining through.

I've read a few negative reviews of the previous books in the series, specifically about the Olivia/Gabriel/Ricky thing (honestly, I don't even want to call it a love triangle). But I can assure you, this book puts aside all doubts (the first three books were mostly foreshadowing) about the real relationship. Hard decisions are made, and the amount of maturity surprised me.

The plotline? Intriguing, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books. Betrayals had a larger focus on the relationship side of things, the mystery was a lot weaker. The thing I liked about the mystery is how Kelley Armstrong introduces Fae from other cultures, like Greek and Irish for a change, rather than the Welsh Fae which are the base of the series.

Patrick is actually helpful in this book, and cooperates with Olivia and her crew, producing real results. It's more common for Olivia to visit the Fae/Huntsmen with their respective preferred champion, a smart decision on their parts. I was surprised when it's revealed that the trio has more knowledge when compared to the elders. Betrayals is a really good book and I recommend it.

necrabelle's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

whimsicallymeghan's review against another edition

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3.0

Olivia and Gabriel have been working together to investigate the crimes committed by her parents, but that has to be put on hold as someone is out killing kids on the streets of Chicago, and putting the blame on Ricky. Gabriel must now work to clear his name. At the same time, this feeds into the ancient history that the town of Cainsville believes in. The love triangle between, Matilda, Gwynn and Arawn… Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky. The reader isn’t sure where this series is going, nor have they been enjoying the direction it’s taking. Much like the previous novel, this felt like it focused way too much on the love triangle that has been building and not enough time on figuring out the mysteries surrounding the town of Cainsville, Olivia’s parents or the murders that they have been accused of. It felt like we’re no closer to finding anything out. Every time we inch maybe a step closer, we’re led three steps back by some sub-plot that dragged a bit. This novel was focused on the hounds and Huntsmen, which have a sort of relevance to the overall arc of the series, but we only got that in glimmers; it wasn’t enough to put a full story together. Instead, we got these chapters of visions Olivia had, and when we’re not getting those, we’re getting third person point of views from Gabriel and his all of a sudden budding romance and feelings for her. The reader really wants to continue with this series to see the town, but wading through everything else is getting a little tedious. The way this ended felt so out of left field. It started to build in the last few chapters where Gabriel and Ricky face off on one another over Olivia and it just caught the reader off guard because they were all good in their relationships, until they weren’t. The reader has a feeling this is going to continue. The next book is the conclusion and they don’t know how to feel about that. It feels like there is still so much left to wrap up that the reader worries everything will be rushed; only the next book will tell. As for this one, it was well written, the plots were a little scattered and the characters didn’t really grow much; their motives behind the reasons they did things changed a bit as new feelings were involved, but there wasn’t much growth overall. The reader would have liked less romance and more mystery from this, but it was still fast-paced and has left us with intrigue for the final novel.

hgranger's review against another edition

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2.0

Oh my goodness what an angst whinefest. I REALLY like Armstrong's books. I don't know what happened when she wrote the Cainsville series. Olivia/ Eden is SO annoying. Her relationships are horrible examples of misunderstandings and miscommunications and it all reads like a bunch of teenagers caught in a ridiculous teenage drama love triangle. Gah. The one small upside about this book was the development Gabriel went through.
I want to know how it all wraps up but I don't know if I can stand any more Olivia.

canadianbookaddict's review against another edition

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5.0

I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong. Whatever she writes I read so I was very happy that I won the ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.

This is book 4 in the Cainsville series and I am happy to say that I love this book. I loved it as much as the previous books.

I will be buying a hardcover copy of this book to match with my copies of the other books from this series.

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