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A review by cleolindbooks
A Betrayal of Storms: Realm of Fey by Ben Alderson
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thank you so much to Angry Robots for the arc! I was given a physical copy for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am a bit shocked, but I actually enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I was going to. I have previously read Ben Alderson’s book and It is very hit or miss for me. I found A Betrayal of Storms to be pretty entertaining and fun to read but there were a few things that I didn’t love.
✨the plot✨
Well, I have to admit the overall pot in world of this book are a bit general, I am 110% not mad at it. It is a Fae world with magic loosely connected to the different seasons/fae courts. There is a war brewing between fae and humans with Robin being the sole person able to delay it. Heavy chosen one vibes with a big dash of romance and a bit of intrigue.
Now, despite the story and world being nothing new, it was still very enjoyable book. I found myself liking the pacing, especially with how the romance proceeds. I do think there needs to be a bit more worldbuilding/explanation but overall the world wasn’t too complex, so it was easy to fill in some of the gaps. I wish we got a bit more explanation on the courts as I’m still confused which ones which. I do think the lack of information given about the hunters and the hand is more intentional as it reflects how little the characters know so I’m good with it as long as we get more info in the next books.
⚜️the characters⚜️
I really really liked Robin. He was just kind of funny and generally sassy and a bit witty. He takes these changes in stride and it’s a very refreshing main character for a fae fantasy story. While there’s obviously a learning curve and struggles that he face in regard to his heritage, his magic, and his court, he takes it in stride and utilizes his power and authority. he does not let people push him around and is fully capable of speaking up for himself. His characterization avoids a lot of standard tropes for this type of story and a very, very glad about that.
Erix is great and is such a good match to Robin. After reading the bonus chapter, I kind of wish this was dual POV because I love how entranced he is with Robin and getting to see how wonderful he thinks Robin is. I’ve been wanting a book where the characters get together and like stay together while supporting each other and working for their cause and this is looking like it is exactly what I wanted in that regard. Excited for the other books and I hope they don’t have any miscommunication or third act break ups.
Also not gonna lie, I was low-key kind of rooting for Tarron for a hot sec but I blame that because he’s just very suave and shiny.
🖤the spice and the romance🌶️
1/5 spice level
There were only two spicy scenes plus the bonus chapter which actually ended up being my favorite spicy scene. Being completely honest, I did not like the spicy scenes. I felt like they weren’t as well written and came across as very rushed. The spice felt like an afterthought and came off as a bit bland. For two characters who had such an instant connection, there was almost no passion or spark in the scenes.
The romance is a lot better than the spice in my opinion. While it is very quick with the characters instantly being drawn to one another, I didn’t mind it in this case. They were extremely well suited to one another and I actually thought it was a great change of pace from an all of the slow burn/enemies to lovers that I’ve been seeing lately. It wasn’t insta-love either. I think it was the perfect middle ground and was one of the best parts of the book.
Overall, well, this isn’t the most unique story I have ever read. I still really enjoyed it and will most likely be continuing with this series!
I am a bit shocked, but I actually enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I was going to. I have previously read Ben Alderson’s book and It is very hit or miss for me. I found A Betrayal of Storms to be pretty entertaining and fun to read but there were a few things that I didn’t love.
✨the plot✨
Well, I have to admit the overall pot in world of this book are a bit general, I am 110% not mad at it. It is a Fae world with magic loosely connected to the different seasons/fae courts. There is a war brewing between fae and humans with Robin being the sole person able to delay it. Heavy chosen one vibes with a big dash of romance and a bit of intrigue.
Now, despite the story and world being nothing new, it was still very enjoyable book. I found myself liking the pacing, especially with how the romance proceeds. I do think there needs to be a bit more worldbuilding/explanation but overall the world wasn’t too complex, so it was easy to fill in some of the gaps. I wish we got a bit more explanation on the courts as I’m still confused which ones which. I do think the lack of information given about the hunters and the hand is more intentional as it reflects how little the characters know so I’m good with it as long as we get more info in the next books.
⚜️the characters⚜️
I really really liked Robin. He was just kind of funny and generally sassy and a bit witty. He takes these changes in stride and it’s a very refreshing main character for a fae fantasy story. While there’s obviously a learning curve and struggles that he face in regard to his heritage, his magic, and his court, he takes it in stride and utilizes his power and authority. he does not let people push him around and is fully capable of speaking up for himself. His characterization avoids a lot of standard tropes for this type of story and a very, very glad about that.
Erix is great and is such a good match to Robin. After reading the bonus chapter, I kind of wish this was dual POV because I love how entranced he is with Robin and getting to see how wonderful he thinks Robin is. I’ve been wanting a book where the characters get together and like stay together while supporting each other and working for their cause and this is looking like it is exactly what I wanted in that regard. Excited for the other books and I hope they don’t have any miscommunication or third act break ups.
Also not gonna lie, I was low-key kind of rooting for Tarron for a hot sec but I blame that because he’s just very suave and shiny.
🖤the spice and the romance🌶️
1/5 spice level
There were only two spicy scenes plus the bonus chapter which actually ended up being my favorite spicy scene. Being completely honest, I did not like the spicy scenes. I felt like they weren’t as well written and came across as very rushed. The spice felt like an afterthought and came off as a bit bland. For two characters who had such an instant connection, there was almost no passion or spark in the scenes.
The romance is a lot better than the spice in my opinion. While it is very quick with the characters instantly being drawn to one another, I didn’t mind it in this case. They were extremely well suited to one another and I actually thought it was a great change of pace from an all of the slow burn/enemies to lovers that I’ve been seeing lately. It wasn’t insta-love either. I think it was the perfect middle ground and was one of the best parts of the book.
Overall, well, this isn’t the most unique story I have ever read. I still really enjoyed it and will most likely be continuing with this series!