Set in the Philippines and ranging from the end of the Marcos regime to the current equally autocratic regime, this is at once a family saga and the story of two sisters and their rivalrous relationship to one man, and a political novel about the corruption and lust for power of the country’s rulers. Pilar and Lali have been living in exile in the United States after their father had to flee for his politics. Both loved their father but deal with his legacy differently. Pilar wants to carry on her father’s resistance whilst Lali marries into the new ruling family. This inevitably creates conflict within the family but this is exacerbated by the affair Pilar has with Arturo and the consequences of that are far-reaching. There are many strands to the story and on the whole these are woven together successfully. I did feel that there are possibly too many sub-plots and minor characters, but maybe these are necessary to give the reader a panoramic portrait of the country and the political machinations of its elite, with the stark contrast between their privileged life in Manila compared to the poverty stricken life of the ordinary people in the provinces. However, one or two of these sub-plots did stretch my credulity. Corruption and violence are everywhere, and the brutal tactics deployed are truly shocking. Betrayal, as suggested by the apt title, is everywhere. I found the book a compelling insight into life in the Philippines, and the wide social sweep it offers the reader is truly enlightening. Although firmly set in its time and place, the novel also has a universal relevance, as political corruption is never limited to just one place or time, nor are the pains of love and family ties. Highly recommended.

I like it when I am in a fix like this when I have some things to say about the book that counters my overall reading experience. Sometimes I do not think a book is great, but my own enjoyment of it ensures its place on my five-star shelf, and sometimes, there are books like this which have their own important position in the world that do not appeal to me.
This story does not begin in the Philippines but entirely revolves around it.
The time is the 1980s, and there is to be an upheaval in the political scene. Long-banished people make their way home and set up a new order.
The scenes are all based on and around the political machinations of people with a thirst for power - the story derives its direction from it. The plot, however, is focused on a doomed family. We have two sisters who are as different as they can be. That in itself is not an issue. It is quite common. They adore their father, who was a very public figure in the previous revolution, and for that, they cannot safely live in the Philippines any more. After his death and the subsequent fall of the previous regime, the family of three now move back to the country.
I am not a fan of love triangles, and this is even worse because of the relationship angle as well as the fact that none of the characters were inherently likeable. Pilar(the ungainly sister) was probably the best of the lot, but she held herself in such low regard that it was hard to not want to shake her at times.
The story revolves around the sisters, their individual wishes and responsibilities, their changing lifestyles as well as the man they both are drawn to for different reasons.
For someone who can separate their feelings from the quality of a narrative, this is a must-read. There is so much going on in the background that it brings a whole other world to life. I have not read a book like this based in the country before, and I have come away with new information about the past that moulded it. I highly recommend this to people who like the blurb and want to read something different. It was not a book I personally enjoyed, however.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

the sister dynamic was what drew me in but i was disappointed to find out that the focus wasn't really on their bond. the way it was written also distanced me somewhat from the story's events...

The Betrayed by Reine Arcache Melvin interested me because the author is Filipino American and the setting is in the Philippines, which were both new to me.
The prose was beautiful at times and cliche at others. I liked the way the author told the story drawing me in close with the lavish atmospheric writing and pushing away giving almost no details in the next scene repeatedly. It made me want to keep reading.
The betrayed is not just the murdered father (which happens at the beginning of the novel so not a spoiler), but the sisters, the relationships, the politics, the religion, the superstitions, the Filipino people, and the Philippines. You’ll have to read it if you want to find out how it is all woven together.
Not perfect but worth a read.