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A review by vikingwolf
Treason by S.M. Boyce
3.0
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Kara has tried to unite the Bloods against their common enemy but with each one out for themselves, a true alliance is becoming difficult. Braeden's big secret has been revealed which threatens to destroy everything unless he can prove his true loyalty and Kara struggles with the morality and consequences of the task that the Vagabound wants her to complete.
There is no shortage of action in this book, starting with the events at the Blood gathering that Kara arranged. I liked the fact that Braeden's secret comes out which changes the dynamics of his relationship to Gavin, Richard and everyone who saw him as an ally. He now has the chance to be himself and find out who his allies really are. The fight scenes and action scenes are as always well written and there were a few new interesting developments as Kara goes through changes. There is a big betrayal taking place as you would guess by the book title, and though I guessed it, it did not detract from the plot in any way. Allies become enemies, new alliances are forged and loyalties are tested. What I like is that the author isn't sticking to the same formula as book one. Yes, the same elements are there but the characters change, the plot thickens and the story goes into new and often unexpected arcs. The author has no shortage of imagination and does tell the story well.
On the slightly down side, I'm still not convinced by the relationship between Kara and Braeden which just feels a bit bland and still lacking in any kind of chemistry. The somewhat childish 'I can't be with you in case you die' thing is getting pretty old now and Braeden's 'you must stay out of danger' plan is just really annoying in that he treats Kara like a five year old. This is a constant through the book and I switch off every time it happens. There were a few slow bits where I just wished things would get moving again...a bit too much inane chat and scenes that just didn't add to the story-but that is personal preference I guess. Perhaps readers who were more into the romance and stuff would not find these bits as slow as I did.
In spite of the niggles, this is still a decent read for a non fantasy fiend like me. If you love YA fantasy with magic and a touch of romance, I think you will probably love this book as it has a lot of good things going for it. Adult fans of fantasy and paranormal will also enjoy this book.
Kara has tried to unite the Bloods against their common enemy but with each one out for themselves, a true alliance is becoming difficult. Braeden's big secret has been revealed which threatens to destroy everything unless he can prove his true loyalty and Kara struggles with the morality and consequences of the task that the Vagabound wants her to complete.
There is no shortage of action in this book, starting with the events at the Blood gathering that Kara arranged. I liked the fact that Braeden's secret comes out which changes the dynamics of his relationship to Gavin, Richard and everyone who saw him as an ally. He now has the chance to be himself and find out who his allies really are. The fight scenes and action scenes are as always well written and there were a few new interesting developments as Kara goes through changes. There is a big betrayal taking place as you would guess by the book title, and though I guessed it, it did not detract from the plot in any way. Allies become enemies, new alliances are forged and loyalties are tested. What I like is that the author isn't sticking to the same formula as book one. Yes, the same elements are there but the characters change, the plot thickens and the story goes into new and often unexpected arcs. The author has no shortage of imagination and does tell the story well.
On the slightly down side, I'm still not convinced by the relationship between Kara and Braeden which just feels a bit bland and still lacking in any kind of chemistry. The somewhat childish 'I can't be with you in case you die' thing is getting pretty old now and Braeden's 'you must stay out of danger' plan is just really annoying in that he treats Kara like a five year old. This is a constant through the book and I switch off every time it happens. There were a few slow bits where I just wished things would get moving again...a bit too much inane chat and scenes that just didn't add to the story-but that is personal preference I guess. Perhaps readers who were more into the romance and stuff would not find these bits as slow as I did.
In spite of the niggles, this is still a decent read for a non fantasy fiend like me. If you love YA fantasy with magic and a touch of romance, I think you will probably love this book as it has a lot of good things going for it. Adult fans of fantasy and paranormal will also enjoy this book.