A Man Betrayed

Magic, prophecies, human trafficking, politics, and the human heart in conflict with itself highlight the middle installment of Jones’ The Book of Words series. A Man Betrayed continues the stories of Jack, Melli, and Tawl as they head towards their destiny all the while Kylock forges a northern empire.

Jones continued her mixture of classical fantasy tropes and darker elements with the heroic journey and the set up for a stab in the back featured in falling the titular character. While Melli’s human trafficking journey to Bren and eventually meeting with Tawl, whose own redemption arc is beginning thanks to Nabber, mixes sex and politics with her eventual—very short—marriage to the Duke of Bren upending the plans of several show more individuals it was Jack’s personal journey of misguided vengeance—tricked in believing the worst of Melli’s fate—and eventual magical rage that sets him up at the end of the book to learn to control his magically “curse”. The political machinations of Baralis and Maybor while in Bren are thrown all over the place with Kylock’s actions and the Duke of Bren’s countermoves, but Baralis’ alliance with the duke’s daughter seems him on the verge of his decades-long ambition. Unlike the previous installment there were no questionable issues that distracted me even though it was obviously that Jack was being set up by the those he was around after his split with Melli that he was going to be betrayed, however it and the consequences were well written.

A Man Betrayed is a good middle of a trilogy installment as J.V. Jones develops her characters and moves the pieces of the narrative into a situation in which the ultimate climax appears to be something special. show less

Fugitives Jack and Melliandra, after escaping Castle Harvell, navigate escalating war and deadly political schemes in the city of Bren, where Prince Kylock seizes power by killing his father, while Melliandra falls among slavers and Jack gets ensnared by deceit, all while a disgraced knight seeks redemption amidst empire-building chaos, focusing on betrayal, power struggles, and developing magical potential.

When this book came out, I was really looking forward to it. I enjoyed the characters and the story, the setting is average. While it really isn't all that unique or memorable, it does stand a bit above a lot of contemporary fantasy. It was well written, and was never hard to read. I enjoyed it most for the characters, though over time the details of the plot and setting have faded, so it must not have been that memorable.

Na de moord op zijn vader grijpt de dementerende prins Kylock de macht op kasteel Harvell.

De twee jeugdige voortvluchtigen, de met magisch talent begiftigde bakkersleerling Jack en prinses Melliandra, worden uit elkaar gedreven door de storm die ontstaat door een verschrikkelijke oorlog. Tot overmaat van ramp wordt de koppige Melliandra gevangen genomen door brute slavendrijvers.

De arme Jack, die met zijn magische vaardigheden wonderen kan verrichten, valt ten prooi aan de leugenachtige charme van een nietsontziende smokkelaar en de verleidingskunsten van een vrouw voor wie geldelijk gewin en macht respectievelijk de drijfveer in hun bestaan is.

Tussentijds laat de betoverend knappe, maar op het randje van de waanzin verkerende show more levensgezellin van prins Kylock zich in de kerkers van Bren in met de gevaarlijkste vormen van zwarte magie... show less