The Heart of Betrayal

Title: The Heart of Betrayal
Author: Mary E. Pearson

Initial Thoughts: she did it again.

Not the same plot twist as the first time; that would be nearly impossible to repeat in a sequel. Last time we didn't know who was the prince and who the assassin (though I thought I had it figured out and turned out to be totally wrong). This time is was the twist that Sven comes into play and I never saw it coming. Like, I should have expected something like this, but it totally hit me out of the blue. "You're Sven!?!?!?!?!?!" Oh, it was great. She does so well with these plot twists and yanking the rug out from under you.

I'm starting to wonder who she'll end up with. Kaden isn't a bad guy, I rather like him, but she's got this whole epic romance thing going with Rafe. But then Kaden says he saw a vision of him with her holding a kid (doesn't necessarily mean that it's their kid) and the fact that we've still got two suitors vying for her attention reminds me of any other story with a girl and two suitors and the tables usually turn about halfway through so they end up with the original second option, but in a way so that you totally approve because the first option stopped being such a prince charming and the second option became a real person on the same level as the heroine. The only example I can think of right away that didn't go in this direction is Twilight where she actually ended up staying with Edward throughout the entire series and Jacob got his happy ending as well, just in a different way. I'm just getting worried because I like Kaden and I want him to be happy, but Lia and Rafe have been through so much and fought so hard and they seem totally in love and I think it's super cute (hopeless romantic here).

Anyway, to the story, I see Lia becoming the connecting point between all the major civilizations. Princess of Morrighan, betrothed of Dalbreck, Queen and Komizar to Venda. She's started to really care about Vendens, she will always care about the Morrighese (Morrighans?), and she's set to be the future queen of the Dalbreckians (?). She's really learning to grow into who she'll become, a savior to all lands, standing up for anyone in need.

I tend to take magic too far (which is why I could never write a story that includes magic - I would go way overboard), but I think it would be so much fun if it was revealed to everyone else that Kaden also had the gift by him and Lia having the same vision at the same time, like Venda talking to them or something and they both talk back (but Kaden doesn't realize who she is or that she isn't visible to everyone else) and then she disappears and everyone is staring at them because they were holding half a conversation with thin air, but together so their companions couldn't really discount the gift anymore. Or both of them getting the same warning and starting to yell to pack up and leave at the same time with no prompting so it's obvious that whatever alerted Lia also alerted Kaden. Not likely to happen, these are just the daydreams that go through my head.

Rating: 5/5. It was so fun, with such a strong heroine, and I freaking love that she pulled another sneaky plot twist on me that I never saw coming.