Sunday 10 January 2010

Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

"Dru Anderson's not afraid of the dark. But she should be.

Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best friend Graves has been bitten by a werwulf. And she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't all human. Now Dru's strange and handsome saviour, Christophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead.

With all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide..."

Betrayals is the second book in the Strange Angels series and picks up right where the series titled first book left off. Dru and Graves have just arrived at the Schola Christophe sent them to, and it doesn't take long for Dru to get herself in to trouble. Wulfen and djamphirs don't get along, add in super strength and fast healing with testosterone fueled teenage boys, and fights are a common occurrence. Dru isn't one to back away from a fight, but she doesn't yet have the strength or healing powers all the boys do, making it dangerous territory for her. Something she's used to.

But Dru's real problem is figuring out who to trust. Someone in the Schola clearly wants her dead, or in the hands of the most powerful vampire, Sergej. No one is willing to teach Dru, or explain things like what she is, her mothers ties to Sergej and the Order, to her. The only person Dru knows she can trust, is Graves. But he seems to busy getting in with the other wulfen teens to give her the support and help she needs. As attacks on the Schola get bigger and more dangerous for Dru, she realises she can't just stay there, waiting for the inevitable. But who can she trust to get her out alive?

I loved Strange Angels, and this book wasn't a let down in anyway! The plot is tight with plenty of twists and turns you don't see coming. Like Dru, just when you think you've got something figured out, or someone she can trust, the whole thing is twisted upside down and Dru's chances get slimmer and slimmer. I really felt for Dru as she attempted to find out about her past, what she is, the connections between the Order and her mom, as well as trying to figure out who to trust. She isn't a very open person in the first place and she's not used to relying on anyone but her dad, and he's gone now, so it's all the harder for her. I really liked her character in SA, but I really love her now. I find her very realistic with her flaws and actions.

The guys in the book, Graves and Christophe in particular, are well rounded as well. Christophe is very secretive and he's hiding a lot. He, like all djamphir's, looks down on Graves and the other wulfen as a lower class, but he's putting up with Graves for Dru's sake. I don't actually like Christophe all that much, but his character is well done and I do find him interesting. Graves on the other hand, I completely adore. His loyalty to Dru is intense and fantastic, and I love how he's adjusting to his new life. He could be furious, he could be in denial, but instead, he accepts and adjusts to make the best of the situation. He's not stupid either. He realises how bad things are and the dangers Dru's facing, adding more depth to his character. There's added tension between the two guys as they're both after Dru's heart. I know who I want it to be, but the way it's written, it could go either way!

The tension and despair builds really well through the book and left me hungry for more come the end. This series is one I think will be a favourite for a long time to come! And book three, Jealousy, can't come quick enough for me! 9/10

2 comments:

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

I definitely liked this one a lot! OMG Dru has 2 totally awesome guys vying for her attention! I still cannot decide who I like better, Graves or Christophe. Nothing like the Marc/Jace debate or the Dmitri/Adrian where the answer to both of those is SO obvious! ;)

Christophe is a little too mysterious I will admit because sometimes I don't even know if Dru should trust him, even though he has proven more than once that he is on her side. Graves is definitely a good/true friend and I adore that quality about him. He's been helping Dru ever since the events of SA and hasn't left her side despite all the freaky stuff that's happened and him getting bitten. So cannot wait for Jealousy and the title alone lets me know that this will be one I do NOT want to miss. ;)

Claire (Cem) said...

'So cannot wait for Jealousy and the title alone lets me know that this will be one I do NOT want to miss.'
Second that!! Having now read Betrayals, Jealousy is in my top 5 books I want in 2010 for sure.

But, I disagree about it not being an obvious choice between Graves and Christophe. For me, it's Graves 110%. But then, the answer to Marc/Jace isn't obvious to me...lol Dimitri/Adrian though? Ha. Yes. Very obvious.