Fun queer fantasy romance with fae and new powers.

This story follows on Robin, who finds himself captured and taken to a prison camp for fae, after neighbors notice his pointy ears and fancy a pay day. Only once he's there, Robin discovers that he inherited more than his ears from his mother, as he turns the place to ice.

Let's start with the obvious. Is there anything new about a fantasy book where someone discovers they have powers, gets swept into a different world, and finds themself in the middle of a war? No, of course not. But does this book do it well, and with its own twist? Yes it does.

I liked that Robin had known he was half-fae, but just thought he didn't have powers. I also appreciated the comparisons he made in how histories were told in the human realm vs the fae realm. The types of magic were really interesting too, with different members of families having differing powers along a theme.

I enjoyed the romance thread in here - particularly the comments from some of the friends Robin had made. There's just always something great about the dynamic when a character falls for their guard.

With the title "A Betrayal of Storms" it's fair to say that while reading you're fairly certain there will be a betrayal. I thought the build up of this was done really well, as you're not certain which of the characters that betrayal will come from.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

Robin Vale is half fey however he has spent his whole life living amongst humans and doesn’t know anything about his fey side including having very sparse information about his mother (from whom he got his fey heritage). That all changes when a group of men from his village see him as a quick way to earn some money, kidnapping him and selling him to a band of fey Hunters.

Alderson does an incredible job balancing an incredibly engaging romance plot with a sizzling slowburn romance between Robin and his fey bodyguard. The book is chock full of twists and turns that I could never see coming and kept me engaged from start to finish. The romance between Erix and Robin felt authentic and I really appreciated the care and time that Alderson put into fully fleshing out this romance.

I really enjoyed the magic system that is divided into seasonal courts and feels somewhat element-based but with scope to be so much more. I loved the unique touch of making the magic of each court a finite pool so the more family members there are, the weaker the magic. This was a really cool unique touch that I had not seen before.

Overall, I had a really great time reading this story that feels wholly unique. I eagerly anticipate seeing where the story and Robin’s journey takes us next.

I did not finish this one. It was an interesting idea but poorly executed. I just could not get into the characters or the story at all.

I really loved this book. The tension and development between characters was so much fun to follow and pairing that with a well developed and created work led to a great book.

If you're don't want to read full review of the book, at least know this: gay fae written by Ben Alderson is exactly what your life is missing!

This book, basically, have all my favorite things: one bed/stag and forced proximity tropes, gay prince falling for his smug guard that would die and kill for him, fae, dragon(not the tipical kind 😏), spice, kick-ass female, mystery, assasins, dangerous but beautiful magic!

"A Betrayal Of Storms" was almost perfect. I found myself drawn to characters, as most were very loveable and relatable.

Oh, and be prepared to feel rage for Robin. As he was not treated the way he should have been. But that's all I can say without spoiling this beautiful book 😊

That was fun !!
I knew the author from one of his other series so I kinda knew that the writing would be my style but I have to admit that I liked this one a little less.
I think that I'm just over with the Fae THEY ARE EVERYWHERE and I'm tired .
I had a digital copy of the indie version of it so when I was reading the net galley version I was also reading the other and I have to say that the editing team worked on that one . Some dialogue changed and some description were less vague and sometime less is better because there were some looong chapter in the indie .
Overal a good book but not a memorable one

Wow! This author has done some amazing work and talent within this book. From the very first sentence of this book I didn't want to stop reading the book. The writing style of this book was absolutely amazing as it gave such an amazing flow and read. The story developed so nicely and to a point I just wanted to be able to find out what was going to happen next. The characters developed incredibly throughout the book. With the challenges in which they had to face were very interesting. When it comes to the ending of the book and what happened. I want to continue the series, to be able to know what happens next.

Slow start and didn’t pull me into the story like some of my other recent reads. Robin just seemed dry, eh, and WAY too trusting of literally everyone 🙄. All his discovery was just asking people questions and them giving him answers pretty immediately. Which is fine, but like make it exciting. Romance felt instalove as well and a tad forced. Plot “twists” were predicable.

Honestly, only finished this because it was an ARC and wanted to say I finished it for the review.

2 star.
DNF. I'm not enjoying this book as much as I thought I would. It's not holding my attention. While not my favorite, I acknowledge the author's effort and creativity. But I want to explore author's other works.

The writing style was tedious, which made it difficult to stay engaged with the story.
However, I still recommend giving it a try; you might find it enjoyable.
(90 pages/20%)

Betrayal of Storms - Ben Alderson

Thank you to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return for a honest review.

Overall rating 4⭐️

Betrayal of Storms shows the story of Robin, who is 1/2 Fey but lives with his father in the “real” world. He is kidnapped (this is not a spoiler it’s literally mentioned right at the beginning of the book) and turned over to an organisation collecting Fey for an unknown purpose. About to die, Robin realses a power he didn’t know he had and that’s just the beginning.

I love love LOVE Erix and Robin (can we take a moment to appreciate the nickname Little Bird 😍🥰) The slow burn of these two characters is definitely a slow burn but trust me it’s worth the wait for this!!

The magic system is definitely interesting and is unlike another other fantasy I have read and I cannot wait to see Robin grow into this power and regain the court.

I’m so excited that I have received the second book of this series as an ARC and cannot wait to continue reading this series!!

I did receive this as an ARC for the re-release in exchange for an honest review.
I also bought several copies on my own because I love this author's stories and writing.
That being said this was a predictable story with some interesting twists. It wasn't perfect but it was fun and I did enjoy reading it.

Captured from his human village by hunters, half-fae Robin is thrust into a world of politics, courts, intrigue and monsters. Can Robin tame his newfound magic powers, make allies in the Autumn court, and figure out his feelings for his bodyguard? I really enjoyed this fun adventure, filled with entertaining characters, vivid world building, romance, lies, and action.

A Betrayal of Storms, the first in Ben Alderson's Realm of Fey series, is an exhilarating fantasy adventure. It brings together political intrigue, magic, and romance to create an unputdownable high-stakes read. Set in the richly depicted fey realm of Wychwood, the story follows Robin Vale, a half-fey who has lived among humans until his fateful capture and subsequent discovery of his true heritage as the lost heir to the Icethorn Court.

Why I Picked It Up
The stunning cover initially grabbed my attention, but the “lost heir” trope sealed the deal. I reached out to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy, and I’m thrilled I did.

What I Loved:
Plot & World-Building: With familiar elements like the lost heir trope, the story is fresh and engaging, set in a world where each fey realm holds unique powers tied to its royal bloodline.
Characters: Robin is refreshingly grounded, bringing common sense into an unpredictable fey world. His chemistry with Erix adds layers to the story without overshadowing the main plot.
Atmosphere & Detail: Alderson’s descriptive prowess shines, painting the Autumn Court with warm hues and seasonal scents that enrich the magical setting.
Magic System: The four fey realms each have their unique powers, adding a layer of complexity to the stakes Robin faces, especially as he alone must unlock his Winter Court inheritance.
Intrigue: Plot twists, assassination attempts, and conflicting loyalties kept me glued to the pages well into the night.

Ratings
Plot: 8/10 – A refreshingly executed take on the lost heir trope.
Characters: 8/10 – Robin, Erix, and Althea make for a dynamic, well-drawn cast.
Atmosphere: 9/10 – A highly immersive, sensory-rich world.
Writing Style: 9/10 – Alderson’s detail-oriented prose is a delight.
Magic System: 10/10 – Intricate and high-stakes, elevating the story’s tension.
Intrigue: 10/10 – Impossible to put down.
Logic: 8/10 – The world feels authentic and compelling.
Spice Level: 3/5 – A balanced romance that compliments, not overshadows, the plot.
Enjoyment: 10/10 – I already want to read it again.

Final Thoughts
A Betrayal of Storms is an expertly woven tale with captivating characters, an intricate world, and plenty of surprises. Perfect for fans of high-stakes fantasy, this first installment promises an unforgettable series.

A Betrayal of Storms is one of my favorites by Ben Alderson, and this was a great re-read. It is the great start to the series and I'm looking forward to seeing how the new editions of the rest play out. Can't wait to get the printed versions to add to my library :)

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I couldn't get behind the writing or the execution of the plot. There was so many grammatical errors and repetition throughout the book that it just kept me from getting immersed in the writing. The characters themselves were all quite unlikeable or irritating and the world building was also really bland and confusing as if not a lot of effort had been put into any of it. Not really what I had expected at all.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

This is an easy to read romantasy, and while it is not wildly original, it does have a couple of concepts I did find interesting. This book was previously self published, but has been revised, and I have never read the original so I cannot say how big the revisions are. I did read Lord of Eternal Night by the same author and will say this one is much better and you can see this one has been profesionally edited. I did notice a couple errors, mostly word choices that seemed wrong, but I assume that's because I read an ARC and those hopefully won't make it into the final version.

The story follows Robin, a half fey who grew up among humans. When he is captured by human fey hunters, and then rescued by fey princess Althea and body guard Erix, Robin finds out his fey mother was the queen of the Winter court, and he is no the sole heir to that court. He needs to settle into life in a fey world he doesn't know, and prevent a war with humans some fey are planning to start.

I liked the concept of this war in particular. Most of the story and worldbuilding is pretty much what you've seen before in books like these, but the power balance between humans and fey is more equal here, and the fey wanting to start a war are doing it because of human hunters capturing fey. Robin, who grew up among humans, knows most humans aren't involved with this and doesn't want them hurt, but I can get behind the motivations of the people on both sides, even if I don't think this war is a good idea.

The romance is predictable, but it does take a moment to develop and didn't feel too rushed. The LI is a very typical hypermasculine fey guy and did make me roll my eyes at time but it wasn't so bad I didn't want to continue reading, and I appreciate he does respect Robin's wishes even when he's being overprotective.

Althea was my favorite character. She's a princess from a different court with lots of siblings and she's the only fey royal going on missions to free captured fey, and she is a close friend to Robin throughout this book.

The pacing is pretty good, and it was easy to keep reading and remain interested, and nothing was very complicated. Overall, I think this book is great for inexperienced fantasy readers who want to read something with queer romance.

4.5

This is one of those books that seems to just grow and grow until finally I seem to be obsessed and I’m not even really sure how it happened. I’m liking it for a while and then all of a sudden I’m losing it.

High fantasy with an MM romance. And size difference. And bodyguard.

I’m so excited to share my review for the amazing A Betrayal of Storms by Ben Alderson today! Thank you so much to the amazing Angry Robot Books for my beautiful copy!!

I loved reading the Darkmourn Universe series on KU and I have been so excited to read A Betrayal of Storms!

There is so much I loved about this book but I want to start off by saying how much I loved the worldbuilding! It’s one of my favourite elements in any book and I really enjoyed how Ben Alderson crafts the worldbuilding in this story (and in all the previous books of his that I’ve read!) He has a great way of introducing the reader into the world he’s created that completely captures you! The descriptions made me feel like I was walking the golden lined streets of Aurelia and feeling the ice cold of the Icethorn Court alongside our characters and that is one of my favourite feelings to experience when reading!

Plus, I loved the action throughout the story! It was heart racing and there were so many amazing twists and turns - I literally gasped out loud so many times my mum asked if I was ok 🤣

And I can’t finish the review without mentioning the fantastic characters! Robin is a great main character with quick witted sarcasm, compassion and a lot of inner strength! I loved the chemistry he had with Erix and I’m so excited to see what happens next with them both! Also, I loved how dynamic and fun our side characters were!

A Betrayal of Storms is a fantastic introduction to what is going to be an enchanting series - I’m so excited to read more!