Robin Icethorn’s journey continues in this thrilling sequel to A Betrayal of Storms, perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.
Despite the deception of friends and family, Robin Icethorn has become the King he was destined to be. But enemies still surround him, some hidden behind the smiles of those he trusts.
His world is thrown into chaos when the god’s become more than just stories. And Robin will do anything to save his father, his last living relative. Even if that means striking up a deal with the father of the person who tried to murder him.
Back to the Realm of Fey
In December, I read the first installment of this re-published series by Ben Alderson. A Betrayal of Courts was a great start and introduction to a fantastic world and fierce characters. While Robin’s perception of himself was challenged, we got to experience new parts of his world with him. Even before meeting Robin, I had read two other books by the author. They allowed me to see Ben Alderson as a genius when it comes to unexpected turns and twists to a seemingly predictable or familiar story. The first book of the Court of Broken Bonds series is for all fans of the BBC show Merlin. A few months later, I stumbled upon his Little Mermaid retelling out of his Darkmourn Universe, which was not only adventurous but also even spicier and more fantastic. These two series are certainly to be continued but also other stories out of Ben’s quill are on my list. I’m grateful to this series’ publisher, Angry Robots, that they already provided me with the first three books of the Realm of Fey series, so I can keep reading them almost in one go.
I should have seen it coming
And by that, I mean that Ben’s stories are unpredictable. I nonetheless could have been certain that Robin’s short-lived peace would not last too long. Instead, the little he can depend on is early on shaken and even partly taken from him. His motivation is thus induced quickly and comprehensibly. From then on, we follow him on a new adventure that explores his world further and allows him to get in contact with new allies and foes. The hard part for him and entertaining part for us is to decide who is what. The book is quite nicely structured in another onset, Robin’s struggles to fulfil his plan to resolve his new situation, and eventually a turn around on his plans and their practicability. I really enjoyed the development of the plot as much as the emotional involvement I felt while reading.
New Worlds
Ben Alderson carefully expands the range of characters and settings, intrigues and secrets surrounding them. While reading, we can feel how (hopefully) encountered people and structures will play out at a later part of the series. That might as well be the reason that some events and characters were only met briefly or resolved too quickly for my taste. If they are alive, they will certainly come back to haunt our protagonist. Unfortunately, I also felt that one ally grew too close to Robin too quickly, which makes me wonder if we must prepare for another betrayal in the upcoming books. On the other hand, this book’s bonus chapter seems to convince us of this person’s trustability. Robin and his relationship is understandable but felt a bit too rushed for me as we lived through quite some time in only a few pages. Besides this rushed part, the pacing was well balanced and engaging and I loved discovering new hope and danger with our characters.
In conclusion,
This second book allows us and Robin to explore his own as much as his world’s possibilities further. We discover new places, new allies, new foes, and learn their dark and dangerous secrets. Book 2 also sets the stage for great new battles, solidary actions, and exciting revelations!
The author:
Ben Alderson is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and former BookTuber. In 2023, he was nominated for TikTok Author of the Year. An active promoter, Ben is active on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. He has self-published a number of M/M romantic fantasy novels, and his series Court of Broken Bounds is published with Second Sky (Hachette UK). Ben lives in Oxfordshire and, when not writing, can be found reading, taking Winston – his Labrador – out for long walks, or obsessing over Marvel’s The Scarlet Witch. Source