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The Betrayal: The Lies We Fear by Heather Ogden – Obedience & Defiance
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 180
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy: Bookshop.org
This post contains spoilers.
Book Blurb
Poised with regal grace and pristine wealth, Angelette Arabella is the dutiful daughter of Valerius Arabella, a dictator who rules with an iron fist.
When she stumbles upon a series of long-buried secrets that threaten to dismantle their carefully crafted lives, she faces a harrowing choice: expose the truth and risk everything or remain silent and let the lies continue. As tensions rise and loyalties shift, she must decide who to trust in a game where betrayal lurks around every corner.
Will Angelette have the courage to face the darkness, or will her fear silence her forever?
My Thoughts
This was one of those books that started off a little rocky for me, but by the end, I found myself surprisingly invested.
The story follows Angelette, the daughter of the powerful and manipulative Valerius, as she grows up in his shadow. It covers several years of her life, from age ten to fifteen, and while I wish the story had been a bit longer and more fleshed out, it did a good job of setting the stage for the series to come.
At first, I struggled with a few things. The writing style occasionally switches from first to third person in a way that feels inconsistent, and some plot details didn’t quite make sense (like the conveniently placed passcode hints or scenes that jump forward without much follow-up). I also found myself frustrated at first with Angelette’s lack of suspicion toward her father, especially after some of his more alarming comments and actions, but as the story progresses, it’s clear she is not under his control as much as she gets older. Watching her gradually push back and start to think for herself ended up being one of the most satisfying parts of the book.
That said, once the pacing picked up and the stakes became clearer, I started to enjoy it a lot more. There’s an intriguing world here, and I liked the slow development of relationships, especially between Angelette and Hunter, even if that part was a bit glossed over.
Final Thoughts
Overall, while I wish it had been a little longer and more detailed, this was a solid start to a series that definitely has potential. The story covers a wide span of time and introduces some compelling relationships and conflicts, even if parts of it feel a bit rushed or underdeveloped. Despite my early frustrations with certain choices and pacing, I ended up enjoying the direction the story took and found myself more invested than I expected by the end.
The ending leaves just enough unresolved to make me curious about where things will go next, especially with Angelette’s growing independence and the shifting power dynamics around her. I’m looking forward to seeing how both her character and the world she inhabits continue to evolve in the next installment.
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Read Other YA Fantasy Reviews:
Of Fire and Stars
Tress of the Emerald Sea
A Language of Dragons
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