A Betrayal of Storms by Ben Alderson

22nd October 2024

Woken by a dagger at the throat, Robin Vale knows better than to panic. As a half-fey, his father knew self-defence was an essential element of Robin’s education. So Robin uses his training. He recognises a voice. He knows these men from his father’s tavern. So they are not here to kill him, but to exchange him for coin. The question is, who are they working for?

That question is answered soon enough, and Robin finds himself dragged off in a cage and surrounded by fey captives, with nothing save the clothes he wears and the iron bracelet his fey mother gave him. Since the Wychwood Accords had been signed, there had been peace between humans and the fey. So who were these Hunters, and what did they plan to do with Robin and his fellow prisoners?

The fey courts are preparing for war against the humans. The Icethorn Court remains without a ruler, its magic wild and destructive. Time is running short. Robin faces a future he could never have imagined and has yet to discover the secrets his father has kept from him these 24 years.

A Betrayal of Storms is a good enough series opener, if a little predictable in terms of Robin’s place in the world of the fey, and the relationships he forms. He finds himself a key player in the potential war, and ends up ensnared in a love triangle with the warrior Erix, of the Cedarfall Court, who has vowed to protect him, and Oakstorm Court ruler, Tarron, who of course has a history with Erix.

This book fits well in the current landscape of romantasy so will suit readers who are looking for the romantic and at times erotic relationships as the prime focus. The descriptions are on the cruder side when it comes to Robin’s entanglements, though for this reader that rather clashes with the rest of his interactions, which range from meek, through to sweet and gentle.

The magic system and its constraints are interesting, as is the overall setup of the four fey courts. There are some brilliant supporting characters, who would certainly warrant more page time, and of course there are betrayals aplenty, as the title suggests. There is nothing we haven’t read before but can be pleasingly left assured that more shocks and wonders will be revealed as the Realm of Fey series continues.