The Betrayals
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4.1 • 36 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
*PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF BRIDGET COLLINS' STUNNING NEW NOVEL, THE NAKED LIGHT*
LOSE YOURSELF IN THE MOST EPIC BOOK OF THE YEAR.
‘Mesmerising’ Erin Kelly
‘Sumptuous’ Observer
‘Dizzyingly wonderful’ The Times
WINNING WAS EVERYTHING…
UNTIL IT DESTROYED THEM
Two young men, Léo and Carfax, close friends and fierce rivals.
A family ripped apart by madness and tragedy.
One woman, her life built upon a lie, with a mysterious connection to them all…
‘INGENIOUS’ GUARDIAN
‘A STORYTELLER OF RARE IMAGINATION’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
'BEAUTIFUL' JOANNA CANNON
‘BRILLIANT’ WOMAN & HOME
‘A RICH DELIGHT’ SANDRA NEWMAN
'TOTALLY ADDICTIVE' JOANNA GLEN
‘CAPTIVATING’ DAILY MIRROR
‘AN IMMERSIVE, IMAGINATIVE SLICE OF STORYTELLING’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘MAGICAL’ IRISH INDEPENDENT
Reviews
‘Dizzyingly wonderful … a perfectly constructed work of fiction, with audacious twists that clumsier hands would fumble, and irresistibly moving emotional beats’ The Times
‘Another sumptuous act of imaginative world-building … If you’re looking for an absorbing, transporting work of fiction – and why would you not be? – The Betrayals is just the thing … settle in, and enjoy getting lost in this captivating book’ Observer
‘Ingenious … Collins’s story holds everything up its sleeve for as long as possible’ Guardian
‘The Betrayals is a beautiful dystopian romance about coming of age as an artist and the love affair artistic collaboration can be, while also being an acute political novel about the fate of spiritual values in a totalitarian system. A rich delight’ Sandra Newman
‘Captivating’ Daily Mirror
‘An immersive, imaginative slice of storytelling’ Daily Express
‘It’s just beautiful – written with such elegance and poise. What I love about Bridget's books is her ability to write the most magical worlds of escapism and yet anchor those worlds very much in today’ Joanna Cannon
‘She’s done it again: this is another triumph from the incomparable imagination of Bridget Collins. The Betrayals sinks its teeth into you and won’t let you go. It’s a mesmerising, intimate and ambitious story about art, love and what it means to be human. If you loved The Binding, you’ll adore The Betrayals’ Erin Kelly
‘More lavish magical escapism from the unit-shifting author of The Binding’ Irish Independent
‘Brilliant … a captivating, imaginative tale’ Woman & Home
‘A storyteller of rare imagination … This intricate symphony of a novel is both a disturbing portrait of fascism and a soaring meditation on artistic expression’ Mail on Sunday
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A gripping and graceful read, The Betrayals proves an accomplished follow up to The Binding for Bridget Collins. Last year’s bestseller introduced Collins’ skill in fantasy world-building: her second adult novel layers up the narrative complexity, with more than enough crumbs to keep the twists and turns tantalisingly close. The story places us in a fictional European nation, revealing the society and activities of Montverre: an elite academy. It’s a storied place of learning where scholars indulge in a grand old game called grand jeu—a competition involving up from mathematics, philosophy, religion, art and music. Once a student at Montverre, Leo Martin’s shadowy past eventually leads him back to the mountainside academy. Leo’s intriguing past is told across flashback moments and Collins excels in weaving this into the twisting complementary storylines. Most remarkable though is the thorough character deep-dives that arrive, pacing the story towards an uncertain and surprise-filled climax.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Collins (The Binding) delivers a vague, disappointing historical fantasy about an elite academy in the mountains of an unnamed European nation. The all-boys academy of Montverre teaches the grand jeu, the country's national game, a complex mix of music, math, philosophy, and art that remains hazily defined throughout the novel. Thirty-two-year-old Léo Martin is a Montverre alum who returns to the academy to teach after his political career ends in disgrace when he criticizes the Party for their totalitarian views. Upon his return, Léo learns that the prestigious position of Magister Ludi is held by a woman, Claire Dryden, much to the chagrin of the other Magisters. Claire neither likes nor trusts Léo, believing him to be a government spy—but Léo feels an unnerving connection to Claire, as though they've met before. As the academy's yearly Midsummer Game draws near, the long-standing lies Léo and Claire have both built their lives around unravel and their intertwined backstories come to light, sparking a slow-burning romance. The atmospheric descriptions and a few unexpected twists do little to offset the murky worldbuilding and slow-moving plot. This is an easy one to skip.
Customer Reviews
Good
I didn’t like it as much as the Binding but still really enjoyed it, I look forward to more Bridget Collins books