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wouterk's review against another edition
5.0
"I've known since I was old enough to know anything, that if I took this chair, my sons would kill each other. It wasn't so hard before I knew them, when they were only the idea of sons"
I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this second entry in the Long Price Quartet, which centers around the succesion of the Kai Machi, Otah's father. It takes place quite some years after the first book, in which our main characters were teenagers. In this book they are around their thirties. Of course we see the return of Otah, Maati and yes the Galts are meddling again. Important perspectives and roles in this book are also given to Idaan, the sister of Otah who lives at Machi court, and Cehmai the local poet and handler of an Andat that helps in the mining industry by being able to make stones soft. (As for war power, one can imagine that an andat that can sink a city or make mountains topple over is another awesome magical creature).
This book and the previous one are so beautifully written. It fascinates me how Abraham can continuously grasp the reader with very little action, a few fleshed out characters and (although very original and awesome) a magic system that has more of a contextual function than central. Still there is a lot of tension in these court intrigues and the stakes are high.
I think the high stakes are a recurring theme in the first two books where you see underdogs or those disadvantaged by who they are fight back but at great risk to themselves and their people, while winning might as well lead to great harm to those in power. The books underline the grittiness of the reality of the world, in which we can see that affecting meaningful change generally comes at great cost to individuals, groups or a whole people. I can't wait to see if and how this theme comes back in the sequel.
Another theme that I find recurring is the limited degrees of freedom we get as we work with the hand that's dealt to us in life. That the only way to deal with life, that seems to be worthy is to stay true to yourself and your values, whatever the cards.
Related to that we see a continuation of Abraham putting very strong and tenacious women in a male-dominated world. We see how awful the things are that Idaan has to do to experience some control or power, but also experience how she can feel powerless and that it is why it is still possible to emphatize.
I think the realism with which Abraham portrays life and relationships even in this magical other world is one of the factors that really draws you in as a reader and helps in identifying or engaging with the characters. All the powerful people have day-to-day troubles. As a simple example in a dialogue about a newborn someone reflects that the first two weeks the baby suffered from Colic, which made them hellish weeks for the parents. It has nothing to do with court intrigue, the glamour of Khai's and poets or anything. It just paints normal life and the whole book is filled with such nuggets.
All in all, I cannot stop gushing. If you have not please read this quartet. It will not disappoint.
I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this second entry in the Long Price Quartet, which centers around the succesion of the Kai Machi, Otah's father. It takes place quite some years after the first book, in which our main characters were teenagers. In this book they are around their thirties. Of course we see the return of Otah, Maati and yes the Galts are meddling again. Important perspectives and roles in this book are also given to Idaan, the sister of Otah who lives at Machi court, and Cehmai the local poet and handler of an Andat that helps in the mining industry by being able to make stones soft. (As for war power, one can imagine that an andat that can sink a city or make mountains topple over is another awesome magical creature).
This book and the previous one are so beautifully written. It fascinates me how Abraham can continuously grasp the reader with very little action, a few fleshed out characters and (although very original and awesome) a magic system that has more of a contextual function than central. Still there is a lot of tension in these court intrigues and the stakes are high.
I think the high stakes are a recurring theme in the first two books where you see underdogs or those disadvantaged by who they are fight back but at great risk to themselves and their people, while winning might as well lead to great harm to those in power. The books underline the grittiness of the reality of the world, in which we can see that affecting meaningful change generally comes at great cost to individuals, groups or a whole people. I can't wait to see if and how this theme comes back in the sequel.
Another theme that I find recurring is the limited degrees of freedom we get as we work with the hand that's dealt to us in life. That the only way to deal with life, that seems to be worthy is to stay true to yourself and your values, whatever the cards.
Related to that we see a continuation of Abraham putting very strong and tenacious women in a male-dominated world. We see how awful the things are that Idaan has to do to experience some control or power, but also experience how she can feel powerless and that it is why it is still possible to emphatize.
I think the realism with which Abraham portrays life and relationships even in this magical other world is one of the factors that really draws you in as a reader and helps in identifying or engaging with the characters. All the powerful people have day-to-day troubles. As a simple example in a dialogue about a newborn someone reflects that the first two weeks the baby suffered from Colic, which made them hellish weeks for the parents. It has nothing to do with court intrigue, the glamour of Khai's and poets or anything. It just paints normal life and the whole book is filled with such nuggets.
All in all, I cannot stop gushing. If you have not please read this quartet. It will not disappoint.
ekortunov's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
These books really should be very likable for me. I am a sucker for long term sagas with betrayals and reconciliations and melancholic bitter feel. As it stand the series is pretty boring, weak and cant hook me after second book. Not annoyng, a nice filler but no more than that
lib_britannia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
demosthenes34nz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adamborst's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this very much. Political intrigue written very well, or at least well enough to keep my interest. Plot constantly moving forward via the multiple POVs.
Can't wait for book 3!
Can't wait for book 3!
nicovreeland's review against another edition
4.0
Way better than book 1… and everybody says book 3 is the best one….
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
4.0
Summer-reading book review #25: "A Betrayal in Winter," by Daniel Abraham. This is the second book in Abraham's "Long Price Quartet" and, as with the first book, it is very well-written and atmospheric, with an unusual and compelling fantasy concept in the andat. The arc of the plot was somewhat predictable, but nonetheless both compelling and satisfying. I very much like the character of Otah, who was also in the first book of the quartet, and am hoping he returns in book three. This is a book that lifted me into its world, and I loved that.
sonice's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I'm not sure what to say other than to repeat some beats from my review for A Shadow in Summer; excellent plot (mostly; one major occurrence rang just a little too convenient to me, hence the docked half star), expert writing, awesome character work, cool and unique magic system. Again, Abraham has managed to write a book with nearly no action that, despite this, is so bloody engrossing. If plotting, scheming and politicking in fantasy is up your alley and you haven't yet read this series I would highly advise you check it out.
wzwy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5