A Betrayal of Storms, by Ben Alderson
Half-fey Robin Vale has grown up amongst humans, but that doesn’t save him from being captured for coin by fey hunters. When he’s rescued by a fey princess, he’s taken to Wychwood, the fey realm – where everyone is focused on preparing for war against the humans who hate, hunt, and kill them for coin.
Robin doesn’t understand how he fits into the fey’s plans... until he’s revealed to be the lost heir to the Icethorn Court. Robin is thrust into a world of betrayal, murder, and lies. He must survive long enough to have the choice: listen to fate and claim his family’s power, or let it wreak havoc on a realm that turned its back on him for becoming who he was truly meant to be.
Disclaimer before we start: I like Traditional Fairytales. My favourite modern depictions of the lands of faery are Mark Chadbourn’s ‘Age of Misrule’ books, and Seana Kelly’s ‘Slaughtered Lamb’ series. I’m British. Faeries (however you spell them) are not nice, pretty Ren Faire creatures. Remember the beginning of ‘Labyrinth’, where Sarah gets bitten? Yep, that.
I’ve seen a lot of pseudo-romantic fairytales recently and honestly haven’t been able to get into them, as it’s just a side of fantasy that doesn’t interest me. This series was intriguing, because it looked as if the world-building would tie with the relationships to make a grounded story. Definitely not pretty or demure!
When I finished this book in about three days, virtually gasping at how I’d been entirely captivated by Ben Alderson’s world (amongst other, more spicy reasons!), I was so glad to have been right.
Yes, we have a hero who discovers himself and his powers as he enters a new world. There’s familiar fantasy tropes, including elemental/seasonal realms, shape-shifting, court intrigue and much more.
This is all held beautifully together by Robin being entirely real. He may be half-Fey, but he’s full-on human in his perspective (how many fantasy heroes could pull a decent pint?), and I’m 100% along for the ride as this series continues. I can hazard a guess which direction it’s heading in, but I’m actually anticipating that I’ll be wrong. We have an author who knows his stuff, protagonists won’t do what’s expected of them... and I love it.
Yes, there’s steam here. It’s a gay love story and that’s fine too, because it simply works. The romance never gets in the way of the action, and the main group of characters gel so well, with friendships that would fit straight into best TV dramas (including the bickering) and everything flows naturally. It was a delight to read relationships that aren’t contrived, forced or with deliberate misunderstandings; once again, this seems real.
And I did not see the twist coming. Nope. Wow. I liked that character!
Brilliant writing, exemplary world-building and truly memorable protagonists that I was rooting for from the first. Plus Robin’s genuine awe at seeing a dragon threw me back to when I first watched ‘Flight of Dragons’ for the first time. This is wondrous, heartfelt fantasy, and did I mention I loved it?
A huge recommend, and I’m just about to start the sequel. Bracing for what comes next!