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A review by mr_pink_ink
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
3.0
Many thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
After reading The Silence Factory, and loving it, a couple of months ago, I have been looking forward to this ever since. I do not have The Binding nor have I read it.
This is a story about an arcane and mysterious game, called the grand jeu, and the people who make it, teach it and play it; most specifically, the masters at Montverre Academy (where only the best and brightest are trained for excellence).
The plot follows Leo (and various others) as he is disgraced as the Minister for Culture and is sent back to Montverre to study the game and, hopefully, make amends. This is a story of intrigue not action, more character- than plot-driven; it is atmospheric and, at times, immersive.
From what I can tell from the two books I've read so far, Collins seems to have bisexual themes for her main characters, and I am here for it.
The problem I had with this, though, is that I don't understand what the game is - was the author being deliberately obtuse? - other than a mix of music, poetry, mathematics, and religion with its own language, movements and gestures. BUT NEVER IS THE GAME ACTUALLY PLAYED! This almost made me put this book aside.
However, there was plenty of intrigue for me to continue the story and the characters were great.
Rating: 3.5 stars
After reading The Silence Factory, and loving it, a couple of months ago, I have been looking forward to this ever since. I do not have The Binding nor have I read it.
This is a story about an arcane and mysterious game, called the grand jeu, and the people who make it, teach it and play it; most specifically, the masters at Montverre Academy (where only the best and brightest are trained for excellence).
The plot follows Leo (and various others) as he is disgraced as the Minister for Culture and is sent back to Montverre to study the game and, hopefully, make amends. This is a story of intrigue not action, more character- than plot-driven; it is atmospheric and, at times, immersive.
From what I can tell from the two books I've read so far, Collins seems to have bisexual themes for her main characters, and I am here for it.
The problem I had with this, though, is that I don't understand what the game is - was the author being deliberately obtuse? - other than a mix of music, poetry, mathematics, and religion with its own language, movements and gestures. BUT NEVER IS THE GAME ACTUALLY PLAYED! This almost made me put this book aside.
However, there was plenty of intrigue for me to continue the story and the characters were great.
Rating: 3.5 stars