The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Heart of Betrayal
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #2
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Source: ALA MW

Summary from Goodreads:

Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's 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 barbarians. Now that she lives amongst 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.

Review

Want to know what happens when you bring a captured princess, a conniving prince, a love-struck assassin, and a power-hungry enemy ruler all together? Then read The Heart of Betrayal. Power struggles, politics, romance, betrayal, deception – these are just a few of the things you can expect to find in this book.

The relationship dynamics were incredible. And the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Lia is playing with Kaden's feelings to gain freedom. Rafe is betting on the Komazir's greed to stay alive. Kaden is testing the Komazir's patience to protect Lia. The Komazir is using Lia to gain political favor. So much is happening in this book with these characters and I was never sure who would come out ahead. In the end, in a way, I'm not sure anyone did. And I loved every second of it.

We really get to know Venda and its people in this sequel and like Lia, I grew to care for many in this city. We learn the complicated history between these three kingdoms and something that Venda has been planning for a while. I can't wait to see what Pearson has in store for us in the last book. There's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be epic.

Also, the ship in this book brings all the feels. Just saying.

The Heart of Betrayal was a damn good sequel to The Kiss of Deception and The Remnant Chronicles has become a new favorite series of mine. If you are looking for a series that has it all, then look no further. My only complain is that it ended. ;)

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Pages: 492
Source: ARC, ALAMW

Summary from Goodreads:
In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

Review

Hot damn this book was GOOD.

Lia flees her kingdom and duties as princess to escape an arranged marriage. She settles in a distant village and shortly thereafter two strangers arrive - one who is the prince she fled from, the other, an assassin sent to kill her and prevent the alliance her marriage would create. Lia doesn't know the true identity of either, of course, and neither do readers. All we know is that there is a man named Raffe and a man named Kaden, one is the prince, one is the assassin. And Lia's un-princess-like behavior surprises both men, which motivates them to extend their stay and get to know her. Both vie for her attention, and Lia starts to form attachments to each of them, though one more than the other.

I have never read a story told this way and I freaking loved it. Not knowing who was who but knowing that one of them wanted needed to kill her created a whole new layer of suspense and intrigue. The first 300 pages or so take place more or less in the village and are focused on the growing relationship between Lia and these two men. After that, things get even more interesting. I really couldn't read fast enough. I devoured this book.

As great as the plot was, the characters were even better.  I loved Lia - her stubbornness, defiance, willpower, discipline, strength, compassion. She was fierce and intelligent. Everything I could hope for in a female lead. A true warrior. AND THESE MEN! Both of these men were swoon worthy to some degree. Both were handsome, capable, honorable, dangerous, complex, and willing to fight for Lia. There was a bit of healthy competition between them over Lia and I ate it up. The dynamic that Pearson created was irresistible. But don't worry love triangle haters, Lia clearly prefers one over the other. Meanwhile, the secondary characters were just as strong, all with their own stories and admirable qualities. Such a wonderful cast of characters all around.

I can't recommend this book enough. But if I can leave you with a piece of advice, don't try and guess who is who! I thought I was supposed to know but was just dense so I used context clues in the beginning to figure out who was the prince and who was the assassin AND I WAS WRONG. So yeah, I had a bit of a surprise at page 303 and had to realign myself.

Really, I loved this one. It is easily a new favorite!