Review: Holy cow! “The Heart of Betrayal” does not suffer from second book syndrome in the slightest! In fact, the second book in “The Remnant Chronicles” blew its predecessor, “The Kiss of Deception,” out of the water!

One of my favorite aspects of “The Heart of Betrayal” was being able to explore the Kingdom of Venda. Venda itself was very complex and Pearson did a great job developing the clans within the kingdom, the government system, the language, the history, and the culture. The government system was well thought out with a Komizar (dictator), Rahtan (band of assassins), Chievdars (chiefs/generals), and Govenors. The cultural elements that were included were intriguing in and of themselves. The small details like saying the blessing before dinner, collecting bones leftover from meals and fastening to them the hip, and wearing dresses made from scraps sewn together made Venda seem all the more real. Details such as these paired with the wonderful imagery helped set the tone for the dreary kingdom. 

In addition to visiting Venda, I really enjoyed the inclusion of Pauline’s perspective in the novel. Pauline’s perspective helped the reader stay connected to the Kingdom of Morrighan. 

I also felt like I got a better sense of the conflict in this novel and enjoyed how fast-paced it was. There were a lot of fun twists and turns I did not see coming! It was great to be thrown right into the action!