21569527Title: The Heart of Betrayal

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Publication Date: July 2015

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series Book Two

Synopsis can be found here.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review:

 

Imprisoned , Lia must play a dangerous game. Between Rafe hiding his identity, staying close to the assassin Kaden and being manipulated by the Kozimar, Lia is in a fight for her life to save herself and Rafe. But does she really know who the enemy is?

Love.

I was mesmerized by the first book Kiss of Deception and totally captivated by The Heart of Betrayal. Lia is one of my favorite princesses. She is a fighter,  and learning fast how to play the dangerous royal court game. So many lives depend on it. She’s smart and clever. I love smart heroines! There are a lot of these types of stories in the market today – Princess is special and thrown out of her element and must save her love/kingdom/herself while navigating shark infested waters. But this one is so clever, the world solid and the characters rich with realism and strife and conflict, this is by far my favorite.

The story moves along fast with new characters being introduced and going back and forth between Lia/Rafe/Kaden and Pauline and their search for Lia. Komizar is a great multilayer villain who has so many faces and hidden agendas, it’s always a dark pleasure when he enters a scene. Now that we know Rafe and Kaden’s real identities (in book one they alternated between POVs but never identified) the danger is heightened now that Lia knows Rafe and Kaden have both lied and betrayed her in different ways. I love watching the political games between her and Kaden and the Komizar. I enjoyed every second of this book!

Trying to learn their new surroundings, and keep Rafe’s true identity still unknown, Lia has to flirt with Kaden the boy she thought she knew. Kaden’s heart is torn between his loyalty to the Komizar and his love for Lia. On so many levels, this is Kaden’s book. We get a glimpse of his awful past and who Komizar was before he took over rule. And how he saved Kaden. Pearson has done a fabulous job creating Kaden and Rafe as sympathetic and three dimensional characters. Honestly, I don’t know who I want for Lia. I love them both. And I LOVE love triangles where there is no obvious choice!

The Heart of Betrayal is a fine sequel, a strong second book, one that is captivating. It grasps your heart and squeezes, dragging you through political games, manipulation, betrayal. The only thing I can complain about is how long we have to wait for book three!

So go out and get The Heart of Betrayal or if you haven’t read The Kiss of Deception, grab that one too. You won’t be sorry.

Rating 9 Ridiculously Awesome like Cookies and Ice Cream