The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E Pearson Series: The Remnant Chronicles #2
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (2015)
Hardcover (470 pages)
Via: Library
Rating:
Also by this author: The Kiss of Deception
Also in this series: The Kiss of Deception
Reading Challenges: Read 2015
Synopsis
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia’s life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar’s interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There’s Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country… and her own destiny.
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My Review
Lia and Rafe are prisoners in Venda, the land that takes no prisoners. Their positions in Venda are rather tenuous. Everyone knows who Lia is: the Morrighan princess possessing the gift who ran away from her own wedding. Rafe, on the other hand, is posing as an emissary for the Prince of Dalbreck. Together they have to figure out how to survive Venda, escape the Komizar, and make their way back to Dalbreck.
Kaden is also back in this book and his position as Assassin for the Komizar means he is kind of important. The Komizar once saved Kaden’s life and so Kaden follows the Komizar with unshakable loyalty. This loyalty is the exact reason that Lia feels she can no longer trust him.
The Komizar is the absolute ruler of Venda. The title, passed on through murdering the previous Komizar, usually isn’t held for very long. However, the current Komizar has had the title for a number of years. He is an excellent manipulator and seems to know more than he should about everything around him.
While The Kiss of Deception had so much movement (basically across the continent), this book takes place primarily in one city, Sanctum. This does make the book vastly different from the first. Lia is able to explore one place rather than briefly traveling from Terravin to Venda. This didn’t bother me too much, but it does make the book seem slow in some parts.
Overall, this is a great second book in the trilogy and I cannot wait to read the third.
Which Reading Challenges?
- You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
I have a confession, I’ve avoided this second book because I got the impression that it might revive a love triangle I really wasn’t sold on in the first book. Love triangles rarely work for me, especially as I become really attached to one ship or another. I appreciate your review!
The love triangle was kind of there but Lia knew what she wanted from the beginning and that didn’t change. If you end up picking it up, I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great rest of the week.
That’s actually very reassuring, I might pick it up after all!
I’m glad to have been of service. 🙂
I loved this book too! Especially for a middle book, it was fabulous. I am so excited to see where the author takes the series in the last book, but I am so scared too because I love this series so much! Fingers crossed that we love it 😀
I know what you mean. I kind of have the same anticipation I did for Winter. I was super excited because it was a book in a series I love. Then I was super nervous because it was the last book and I wanted things to end right. I just hope it is amazing.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great rest of the week!
I loved this one just as much as the first one. Now I can’t wait for number three!!
I’m in complete agreement with you! The third book needs an immediate release date. 🙂