The Heart of Betrayal
Ratings78
Average rating4
I really think I need to take a break from YA fantasy... everything is so boring and predictable. Lia's character makes me want to rip my hair out. The love triangle is also draining me since I'm not a fan of either of the choices.
The Heart of Betrayal triumphs just like The Kiss of Deception, diving even deeper into the everyday lives of ordinary people and how they’re affected by the political intrigues and inner turmoil of those in power. Mary E. Pearson continues to excel at portraying the subtle ways in which high-stakes political moves impact the common folk, creating a uniquely grounded and relatable fantasy experience.
In this sequel, the focus shifts more to the mother country, adding new layers of world-building and intrigue. While the initial thrill of guessing who the assassin and prince are is no longer there, Pearson compensates by deepening the emotional stakes and expanding the characters’ development. This book has a slower, more introspective pace, and it may not appeal to fans of action-heavy fantasy, but for those who appreciate quieter, character-driven stories, The Heart of Betrayal offers a rich continuation. Pearson once again shows that even in fantasy, there is power in exploring the resilience and struggles of everyday lives amidst grander schemes.
I enjoyed this book less than the last one but that's mainly because we were in enemy territory for literally the entire story and that's just generally not an enjoyable time lmao. Lia made some more stupid decisions in this one and missed some obvious (at least to me) pieces of information that ~shocked~ her when they crept up on her, but this is YA so that's to be expected. Rafe continues to be the prince of my heart and the only viable corner in this love triangle so jot that down.
This book made me hate Kaden EXPONENTIALLY more. An argument could be made that the way he treats her is necessary for their cover but uh my absolute limit of any neutral - JUST NEUTRAL - feelings for him ended when he basically threatened to rape her in front of the Komizar for their ~cover~ and then later on when Lia confronts him he says “You know I'd never force myself on you.” and she says “Then why did you say it?” and his response was “I was angry. I was hurt.” ONLY TO THEN SAY IN HIS MIND, A PARAGRAPH LATER, THAT HE'S SOOOO IN LOVE WITH HER. Now if it was ME, PERSONALLY if I was in love with a girl I would simply...not threaten to rape her!! Even if it was to strengthen their cover! He has a strong relationship with the Komizar so that was in no way necessary to help their cause! We don't know where he ended up at the end of this book and honestly I kinda hope he died!
Other than all that I am sat and ready for the 3rd installment and I genuinely have no idea how this story is gunna end!
I enjoyed this one more than the first book. Cant wait to see what happens in the third book!
Well, that was an interesting story If you don't mind it being annoying in a lot of places. And to tell you the truth, I've read much worse.
I don't know if the second book was any better than the first one. More like they were on the same level for me. Sometimes I liked Lia, sometimes I didn't. I really appreciated how much she had changed. Her actions were far more logical this time around. Some of them, anyway.
Of course, there were the betrayals, but Kiss of Deception would be a much more suitable title for this book as there were a lot of kissing and almost all of it was a deception. By the way, about the love triangle. It got a little development. But I really liked that MC was not doubting which one she likes more. And that is clear to her, despite all the circumstances.
By the way, we've travelled to the new part of the world. And I did like some of the new characters. However, I was all too eager for the escape. And the ending didn't disappoint. By the way, the ending is again a cliffhanger, so I just need to go and read the last book.
After that unexpected ending in Kiss of Deception, I was very excited to see what was going to happen next. In this book, Rafe spins a web of lies as an emissary of Dalbreck to try to buy some time before help arrives. Lia remains a prisoner (sort of) trying to play the game for surviving in the kingdom of Venda. Kaden is still in love with her and hopes that he will be able to convince her to return his feelings now that she will get to see him at his home base. The Komizar is an evil, manipulative villain who toys with Lia to make her submit to his machinations.
Lia undergoes great transformation in this book. Though the Komizar parades her around his people to manipulate her gift to gather support for himself, she truly gets to know the ordinary people, bonds with them and begins wondering about her role in the future of Venda. The Song of Venda and her gift give her more proof that she indeed has to save the Vendans from becoming prey to the Komizar's lust for power. She becomes more sure of her gift, learns to be compassionate towards everyone and makes relationships with everyone around her while also trying everything she can to protect Rafe.
Kaden tries his best to protect Lia from any harm but he struggles to balance his love for Lia and Venda and his loyalty towards the Komizar. We get to see a different softer side of Kaden and learn about his cruel childhood. Lia starts to care for him more too but his expectations of love never waver. His choices at the end shatter his whole life but I can't help but love him for that.
Rafe is the same sweet cinnamon roll that I am in love with but he is so much more here. He is Prince Jaxon, acting as an emissary, curbing all his warrior instincts and his love to ensure that they survive and make it home. He is so smart and intelligent and already feels like he would make a good King. But what I love most about him is his all consuming love for Lia. It is so true and boundless and I was waiting for the few and far between scenes of them being together. They make such a beautiful couple and all I could wish for was that they could be together despite the world going to hell. The ending broke my heart and I was left weeping and searching frantically through my heap of books for The Beauty of Darkness.
The secondary characters are amazing as usual. Aster, Yvet, Zekeiah, Efferia – all make Lia understand the plight of the ordinary Vendans who she comes to love like her own. Rafe's friends are awesome too with their crazy escape plans. The one scene between Jeb and Lia is so heartwarming and there were so many such emotional scenes throughout the book accentuated by the beautiful writing. Rafe as usual has some of the most loveliest lines that tug your heartstrings.
The ending left me both devastated and hopeful and I couldn't wait another moment before starting the finale. This was an awesome sequel and I loved it as much as the first one. But my love for the characters grew even more and I can't believe I just have one more book to read about them. Ohhh I am going to miss them so much!!!
This was another fantastic book in this series. It took me less than 10 pages to get right back into the action and become engrossed in the story again. I cannot wait to read The Beauty of Darkness, especially with how this one ended. I need to know what happens with Lia, Kaden, and Rafe!
Omfg this book can't end like this no Mary E. Pearson you did not do this to us.