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madeye101 's review for:
The Heart of Betrayal
by Mary E. Pearson
My Rating: 5 stars
This book continues the whirlwind story of Lia, Kaden and Rafe and I loved every moment of it! With betrayal, romance, war and pain coming together, this book takes the story to the next level, raising the stakes for all characters.
My Thoughts:
*Please note there will be spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.*
The Heart of Betrayal takes the story of Lia, Rafe and Kaden to the next level and every moment is such a great whirlwind. There is no second-book syndrome with this series, it takes the series to a new high and I loved every moment of it. Everytime I was in the car by myself I had it playing because I just needed to know what was happening.
The story begins with Rafe and Lia being escorted into Venda by Kaden and a Vendan contingent of soldiers and straight away we are introduced into the life of the Vendans, the political issues that are enfolding and the reaching influence of the Komisar, the Vendan leader. With Rafe pretending to be the Prince of Dallbrek's personal emissary, Lia and Rafe play a very tough game as they have to pretend to hate each other while planning to get out of the mess they've found themselves in. What we see on page is some amazing acting, all amongst the background of political intrigue, historical secrets and changing feelings - changing feelings of romance, of country and of personal beliefs.
As Lia learns more about Venda and as a result, Morrighan and Dallbrek, their worlds collide and the stakes get higher and higher. I loved seeing Lia get connected with Venda and seeing all the good for a supposedly barbaric race. Her connection with the clans is such a great addition and as she gets attached to specific Vendans, you begin to see her depth of feeling for the country. For someone who left her own home because of feelings of displacement and unhappiness, I loved seeing her come into her own during this book.
Lia has so much character development through this instalment. In the first, you saw her as a run away Princess; in this one you see her as a prisoner of war, but one that is not content to sit and watch things happen. She lives with Kaden, something that my shipper heart loved, and I adored watching them get to know each other and learn more about Kaden's life and family history. Learning about him was such a great addition to the story and even though their relationship was strained because of his feelings and her confusion, there were so many great moments with the two of them. Her relationship with Rafe is also complicated which is exacerbated by everything that is happening around them.
The gift and history of the Ancients comes more into play in this book and I really loved hearing about it. The whole setting of this book is so intriguing and wonderful. It is set in a period after war and there are ruins all throughout the countryside. This idea of the Remnant is so historical and rich in story, and hearing the words of Godrel and Morrighan and the book of Holy Texts was such an important addition, even when it was slightly hard to follow. A good book can just have characters and plot, but a great book has depth of setting, culture and history.
The author does such a great job at crafting unique characters. Lia goes from strength to strength in this book, not perfect but so much more aware of the stakes in this book. She deals with realising that Rafe was lying to her the whole time, to finding out how close Kaden truly is to the Komisar and she does all of this while fighting for all of their lives. A lot of people think that she complains a lot and is too annoying as a main character, but honestly, after everything she goes through, she truly is amazing. I think of her as a mixture being Aelin and Princess Leia from Star Wars - she's up there with some of the best female characters written. Seeing her interact with characters like Aster and Mallik is wonderful and really shows the complexities of her character, of how kind she can be but also how dark she can be as well.
Rafe and Kaden are both great in this book. Neither one is perfect, both having kept things from Lia in the past and both trying to keep her alive. Kaden is probably my favourite out of the two but I love them both. Rafe is a wonderful character, giving up everything to save Lia. He does a great job of pretending to despise her but his fear for her is real and shown in all his chapters. Kaden has had such a hard life and I think it is great to see him caught between both Lia and the Komisar. Who do you choose when your heart is caught by one but your history is with another and the family he gave you? It definitely brings up a whole bunch of questions and I could definitley read a Novella on Kaden's life before the Remnant chronicles.
Our enemy, the Komisar is such an interesting character and at first you think he might be able to be redeemed but as you learn about him and see truly what he has planned for all the kingdoms, the feeling of dread begins to grow. His connection to Kaden as I said is so interesting and I don't believe that he is truly all evil. He is evil no doubt, as is discovered in the final chapters, but I find him to be a worthy villain. He's smarmy, he's intelligent, he is witty but he is dangerous, all of which are seen through his mannerisms, his talk and the way he controls Venda.
The rest of the side characters are great too. We have Aster, a Vendan child who befriends Lia and is so wonderful *sob*. We also have Rafe's men who come and play a big role in the story - Jeb, Oron, Sven and Tavish. These men are ones I would want in my army and every interaction they had on page is one that I loved and often laughed out loud at. I also love Griz and Iban, and I love how they connect with Lia on a deep level. Griz' connection with her is particularly awesome, as he bows to her as Queen. All of these characters do not take away from the story at all, they add to it and build up a great ensemble cast that keep the reader wanting more.
The plot is super fast paced and one thing tumbles into the other. You learn about the power Venda holds and the betrayal of scholars from other kingdoms. You learn about what is happening back at home in Dalbrek and Morrighan for Lia and Rafe and that brings concern, particularly as Rafe is walking on a fine edge as he is the prince in hiding. The whole final third was incredible, bringing the story to the peak. You see Lia's pain and triumph over the Komisar but then are left with this gut wrenching feeling as her and Rafe try to escape, breaking Kaden's heart as he realises she never planned on staying with him. Every moment is so full of emotion and tension and you finish the book on this huge high as everything is left in the air but certain things must happen.
Like the first one, I experienced this book via audiobook and I cannot recommend this enough. The narrators do such a fantastic job of expressing emotion, characters, time and place in the story and it doesn't take away from it at all. My favourite narrators were Rafe and Kaden, but I think that it because I loved jumping into their mind and seeing what they thought. It is great to see the main character from the perspectives of the others, and truly adds to the story. I can see this book being one that I return to when I need to listen to something.
Recommended for: Fantasy lovers! This book has high stakes adventure, romance, an awesome fantasy setting and ticks so many boxes for fantasy lovers. If you love YA and fantasy, I definitely recommend this book.
Quotes (Spoiler Free):
“We had a terrible start… doesn’t mean we can’t have a better ending.”
“It was worth it, Lia,” He said. “Every mile, every day. I’d do it all again. I’d chase you across three continents if that’s what it took to be with you.”
“Three more days. That’s what Sven always told me. When you think you’re at the end of your rope, give it three more days. And then another three. Sometimes you’ll find the rope is longer than you thought.”
“I beg your forgiveness, Your Eminence. I would not truly feed your face to the hogs. It might make them sick.”
“Her tears, they ride the wind. She calls to me, And all I can do is whisper, You are strong, Stronger than your pain, Stronger than your grief, Stronger than them."
This book continues the whirlwind story of Lia, Kaden and Rafe and I loved every moment of it! With betrayal, romance, war and pain coming together, this book takes the story to the next level, raising the stakes for all characters.
My Thoughts:
*Please note there will be spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.*
The Heart of Betrayal takes the story of Lia, Rafe and Kaden to the next level and every moment is such a great whirlwind. There is no second-book syndrome with this series, it takes the series to a new high and I loved every moment of it. Everytime I was in the car by myself I had it playing because I just needed to know what was happening.
The story begins with Rafe and Lia being escorted into Venda by Kaden and a Vendan contingent of soldiers and straight away we are introduced into the life of the Vendans, the political issues that are enfolding and the reaching influence of the Komisar, the Vendan leader. With Rafe pretending to be the Prince of Dallbrek's personal emissary, Lia and Rafe play a very tough game as they have to pretend to hate each other while planning to get out of the mess they've found themselves in. What we see on page is some amazing acting, all amongst the background of political intrigue, historical secrets and changing feelings - changing feelings of romance, of country and of personal beliefs.
As Lia learns more about Venda and as a result, Morrighan and Dallbrek, their worlds collide and the stakes get higher and higher. I loved seeing Lia get connected with Venda and seeing all the good for a supposedly barbaric race. Her connection with the clans is such a great addition and as she gets attached to specific Vendans, you begin to see her depth of feeling for the country. For someone who left her own home because of feelings of displacement and unhappiness, I loved seeing her come into her own during this book.
Lia has so much character development through this instalment. In the first, you saw her as a run away Princess; in this one you see her as a prisoner of war, but one that is not content to sit and watch things happen. She lives with Kaden, something that my shipper heart loved, and I adored watching them get to know each other and learn more about Kaden's life and family history. Learning about him was such a great addition to the story and even though their relationship was strained because of his feelings and her confusion, there were so many great moments with the two of them. Her relationship with Rafe is also complicated which is exacerbated by everything that is happening around them.
The gift and history of the Ancients comes more into play in this book and I really loved hearing about it. The whole setting of this book is so intriguing and wonderful. It is set in a period after war and there are ruins all throughout the countryside. This idea of the Remnant is so historical and rich in story, and hearing the words of Godrel and Morrighan and the book of Holy Texts was such an important addition, even when it was slightly hard to follow. A good book can just have characters and plot, but a great book has depth of setting, culture and history.
The author does such a great job at crafting unique characters. Lia goes from strength to strength in this book, not perfect but so much more aware of the stakes in this book. She deals with realising that Rafe was lying to her the whole time, to finding out how close Kaden truly is to the Komisar and she does all of this while fighting for all of their lives. A lot of people think that she complains a lot and is too annoying as a main character, but honestly, after everything she goes through, she truly is amazing. I think of her as a mixture being Aelin and Princess Leia from Star Wars - she's up there with some of the best female characters written. Seeing her interact with characters like Aster and Mallik is wonderful and really shows the complexities of her character, of how kind she can be but also how dark she can be as well.
Rafe and Kaden are both great in this book. Neither one is perfect, both having kept things from Lia in the past and both trying to keep her alive. Kaden is probably my favourite out of the two but I love them both. Rafe is a wonderful character, giving up everything to save Lia. He does a great job of pretending to despise her but his fear for her is real and shown in all his chapters. Kaden has had such a hard life and I think it is great to see him caught between both Lia and the Komisar. Who do you choose when your heart is caught by one but your history is with another and the family he gave you? It definitely brings up a whole bunch of questions and I could definitley read a Novella on Kaden's life before the Remnant chronicles.
Our enemy, the Komisar is such an interesting character and at first you think he might be able to be redeemed but as you learn about him and see truly what he has planned for all the kingdoms, the feeling of dread begins to grow. His connection to Kaden as I said is so interesting and I don't believe that he is truly all evil. He is evil no doubt, as is discovered in the final chapters, but I find him to be a worthy villain. He's smarmy, he's intelligent, he is witty but he is dangerous, all of which are seen through his mannerisms, his talk and the way he controls Venda.
The rest of the side characters are great too. We have Aster, a Vendan child who befriends Lia and is so wonderful *sob*. We also have Rafe's men who come and play a big role in the story - Jeb, Oron, Sven and Tavish. These men are ones I would want in my army and every interaction they had on page is one that I loved and often laughed out loud at. I also love Griz and Iban, and I love how they connect with Lia on a deep level. Griz' connection with her is particularly awesome, as he bows to her as Queen. All of these characters do not take away from the story at all, they add to it and build up a great ensemble cast that keep the reader wanting more.
The plot is super fast paced and one thing tumbles into the other. You learn about the power Venda holds and the betrayal of scholars from other kingdoms. You learn about what is happening back at home in Dalbrek and Morrighan for Lia and Rafe and that brings concern, particularly as Rafe is walking on a fine edge as he is the prince in hiding. The whole final third was incredible, bringing the story to the peak. You see Lia's pain and triumph over the Komisar but then are left with this gut wrenching feeling as her and Rafe try to escape, breaking Kaden's heart as he realises she never planned on staying with him. Every moment is so full of emotion and tension and you finish the book on this huge high as everything is left in the air but certain things must happen.
Like the first one, I experienced this book via audiobook and I cannot recommend this enough. The narrators do such a fantastic job of expressing emotion, characters, time and place in the story and it doesn't take away from it at all. My favourite narrators were Rafe and Kaden, but I think that it because I loved jumping into their mind and seeing what they thought. It is great to see the main character from the perspectives of the others, and truly adds to the story. I can see this book being one that I return to when I need to listen to something.
Recommended for: Fantasy lovers! This book has high stakes adventure, romance, an awesome fantasy setting and ticks so many boxes for fantasy lovers. If you love YA and fantasy, I definitely recommend this book.
Quotes (Spoiler Free):
“We had a terrible start… doesn’t mean we can’t have a better ending.”
“It was worth it, Lia,” He said. “Every mile, every day. I’d do it all again. I’d chase you across three continents if that’s what it took to be with you.”
“Three more days. That’s what Sven always told me. When you think you’re at the end of your rope, give it three more days. And then another three. Sometimes you’ll find the rope is longer than you thought.”
“I beg your forgiveness, Your Eminence. I would not truly feed your face to the hogs. It might make them sick.”
“Her tears, they ride the wind. She calls to me, And all I can do is whisper, You are strong, Stronger than your pain, Stronger than your grief, Stronger than them."