Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Betrayals by Bridget Collins. After reading The Binding by the same author I was excited to read this.
Set at a boarding school, young men are being taught the Grand Jeu, a game which combines art, music, literature and more. The story changes from the perspective of the different main characters, and also from past to present.
I found the story rather hard to get into at first, the grand jeu game was complicated to follow, and the characters were uninspiring. Towards the end it became clearer and of course I wanted to find out what happened, but although I found it a pleasant story, there were parts which didn’t seem to tie together.

Magical, immersive and absolutely captivating! I love Bridget Collins' writing, it's unlike anything I've ever read before! Couldn't wait to get stuck into this latest novel from her, and I was not disappointed. If you loved the Binding then you'll definitely enjoy this, it's fantastic.

At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there, but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters. Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu’s highest office of Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses an odd connection with her, though he’s sure they have never met before.  
Both Léo and Claire have built their lives on lies.  And as the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, secrets are whispering in the walls.

I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this read having not been a fan of 'The Binding'. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised and intrigued by Collins' second adult novel. We begin by meeting Léo and we gain a sense of this dystopian world they are occupying. Slowly we learn about Montverre and the esteem it holds. From near the beginning I was hooked and interested to see where this would go. As the read progresses, Collins unveils more about the mysterious academy and the secrets it holds.

This has chapters set in the present and the past and as the book goes on, Collins brings the two together until they meet and result in a crescendo. There is a twist which I have seen described as shocking, I thought it was obvious and saw it coming early on but it was still a good twist and injected some much needed energy into the read. As this gets near the end, the energy does fade somewhat and I thought the last section was quite lacklustre.

Overall, 'The Betrayals' was an enjoyable read, full of mystery and betrayal.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

This is a strange novel to review. I think the novel itself feels like a bit of a game, although the stakes therein are real.

There's lots of misdirects and I think that a familiarity with The Glass Bead Game might result in a different take away.

The grand jeu is never properly explained. I think had I cared more about what the actual game was I wouldn't have enjoyed this, but to be honest I wasn't that concerned about the game itself but more about the world that the novel set up around it.

Can I see why people might not like this novel? Absolutely. Did I like it? Yes, and more than The Binding. I found more food for thought in this one, more to take away from it and a more believable central relationship.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book was completely absorbing and had me intrigued from the very beginning.

If you're looking for historical fiction which is moving, absorbing and has a 'wow moment', then look no further! This book has it all!

Leo has returned to his place of study and has to face a lot of his old ghosts. He's uncomfortable and hesitant to throw himself back into college life, but in doing so he begins to discover what really happened between himself and former students.

Every year the students have to take part in creating a Grande Jue... throughout the book we are intrigued as to know what it is - is it a musical piece? Is it a mathematical game? What is it?! We never fully know and that's what is so intriguing about the book - you don't NEED to know, instead what matters is what's involved in creating it - passion, intelligence and creativity.

I found this book so beautifully written that I cannot wait to read more from this author, I'll definitely be looking up her previous work.

A fantastic, moving and beautifully crafted story which will stay with you.

This authors first book was outstanding, this second book is I think, also outstanding but it is very difficult to be sure! The whole book is written around a game, of which we never quite find out what it is.... and so it is both a wonderful and awful book. I find it almost impossible to review as I both loved it but felt frustrated by it. Perhaps this is its point. Looking forward to a third novel. Bridget Collins writing is exceptional, I hope the next storyline does it justice.

CW: Suicide (off page)

I requested The Betrayals from Netgalley because I Loved The Binding. And I really enjoyed this book as well, just not quite as much.

And that is mainly due to the setting. It may be me, but I never really quite managed to wrap my head around the world and its politics. I understood the main plot lines, but never felt really able to Get the bigger picture. Is this book magical realism? Historical fiction? What really is this Game, and why is this school so important when it comes to the political climate? The atmosphere is certainly there, but I would have loved a little bit more ‘infodumping’ I guess to make it all make sense in my head.

Like in The Binding, it is the characters that make this book great for me though. We mainly follow Léo across two time lines, both when he is a student for the first time at Montverre, and when he returns ten years later after being fired from his job in politics. We see his relationship develop with Claire, the first and only female to become a magister at the academy, and how this relationship is influenced by his past actions. This is so well written. The characters feel real, and although their actions are frustrating at times, you can understand them. I did see the reveal coming, and the romance wasn’t quite satisfying in the end. And yet this book intrigued and compelled me.

There are many elements in this book that otherwise would turn me off (dark academia itself being one of those), and yet Collins has written this book so well that I actually enjoyed them. This book leaves me whole unsatisfied, whilst completely in love with it.

I loved this story and couldn't put it down.
it's enthralling, great characters and plot, excellent world building and character development.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I somehow managed to miss THE BINDING, so when I had the chance to read and review this, I jumped at the chance. I'm glad I did.

THE BETRAYALS is a well-written and engaging mystery. Collins has a real gift for writing atmosphere, and her prose is excellent throughout. The author's world-building is excellent, albeit purposely vague at times (it works very well).

An interesting and enjoyable first experience with this author's work. I look forward to reading more by Collins in the future. (And catching up with The Binding.)

Another great book by Bridget Collins. Not at all w hear I expected but loved the magical elements of this book. Saw the twist coming a mile off but still an enjoyable read

I had not read any of Bridget Collins' YA books or indeed her debut adult fiction novel The Binding (but heard good things) so I was really looking forward to exploring a new author's writing.

The Betrayals is set at an exclusive school called Montverre, set almost in a monastic atmosphere up away in the mountains (France?) where talented male scholars are trained in the 'grand jeu' which appears to be a magical, fantasy game blending maths, science, music and literature. Students aim to produce a powerful 'grand jeu' and be declared a gold medalist as this can open up work opportunities once they graduate.

The story is told through the eyes of Léo Martin, a young man whose family has a basic background, so he aims to use the school to achieve more in life. Ambitious and driven he aims to devise the perfect 'grand jeu'. At the school he makes few friends, everyone is actually just out for themselves if it means higher marks. He befriends a school misfit "Aimes" following a joint project and soon realises their relationship runs deeper than friendship.

The story splits between the eyes of Leo at the school and years later once he has graduated and returns to the school following losing his posting as a government official and exiled to the school to focus on the 'grand jeu' by the Prime Minister, where he bumps into Magister Dryden, a female academic, the first the school has known who seems strange and familiar to Leo at the same time.
Leo works with Magister Dryden to help educate her in the 'grand jeu' and they soon start to realise just how interwoven their lives have been.

I loved the atmospheric description of the novel, the setting was perfect, echoes of monasteries / remote schools like a boarding school, aged and cold helped evoke this cold daunting imposing place on student's lives. There is a really emotional and well thought out sub plot to the story, which at times I was probably more engaged in.

I did see the 'plot twist' coming, but think it was handled well and was impressed with how drawn in I was to the writing style and the setting. The reason for three stars is that at times the "grand jeu" almost over-rode the plot and I struggled to get to grips with just what that added to the story, if the focus had been more on the relationships and the situation between specific students I think this would have drawn me into this mysterious world even further.

Will definitely read other Bridget Collins pieces of work following this story.

This is sad, because I really wanted to love this. I adored reading The Binding by this author, hence why I was ecstatic to receive an advanced copy, but after so many tries of reading this, I have to admit defeat.

Collins’ definitely has a talent for writing prose. It’s beautiful at times, but most of it I found overblown and a bit purple, making it distracting and annoying. Sometimes I’ve read authors whose prose is beautiful enough to elevate the story, but Collins’ has an issue with storytelling that makes it hard to follow the plot events.

I noticed this in The Binding too, and that is her stories never have a grounded sense of where it is. It was overly confusing in what she wanted to focus on, and the characters were paper thin to the point that the wind could blow them away and I wouldn’t notice their absence. Everything is so vague. I still can’t tell what this story is about, or what it was trying to tell. Because of that I could never connect with it because what am I being told here? I didn’t want to give up, but this book is empty, and a waste of time.

It’s such a shame because I loved The Binding, but this was not very well constructed.

After loving "The Binding", I was super excited to find out that I had been sent an eARC of Collins' newer release "The Betrayals". All I can say is that if you liked The Bindung, then you would also love this.

If everything in your life was based on a lie, would you risk it all, to tell the truth?
At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Leo Martin was once a student there but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters.

There is something special about Collins' writing that just works perfectly for me. She managed to create this world that was beautifully described with a setting that was nothing short of dreamy. An elite school based in the mountains? Now you're talking my language! Everything about the school and characters screamed dark academia to me, so if that is your vibe, I recommend adding this to your TBR. Whilst I usually love the use of multiple POVs, I actually wish that we had only followed two of the characters as opposed to four. The other two POVs weren't bad, but they felt a little unnecessary. My only other critique would be that I would've preferred a little more information surrounding the grand jeu. I understand that it is supposed to have that air of mystery, but I was so fascinated by it that I just wanted to learn more.
On a final note. I did NOT see the twist coming?! It took me by complete surprise and I had to reread a couple of pages to let it sink in.

I loved this book and really struggled to put it down (what is sleep anyway??). Well worth a read and I definitely would love a physical copy for my shelves!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A strange and complex story with lots of atmospheric writing. The writing is good and draws the reader in.
But there is a lack of explanations with so much for the the reader left hanging. It was frustrating as it made it difficult for the reader to get into and the Rat storyline didn't make much sense either.
On the whole an OK read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
I loved The Binding, this author’s first book for adults so I was incredibly excited to read The Betrayals.
Set in an elite school called Montverre, the students are taught the skills and techniques of the Grand Jeu by Magisters.
For me, the Grand Jeu is never fully or satisfactorily explained. It seems to be a mixture of maths and music and the aim for each student is to write the best one each year. Perhaps it was just too subtle for me, I do like clear explanations.
The story is told from different characters perspectives and time frames. It was easy enough to keep track of the story from this respect, the writing is absolutely beautiful and very atmospheric but the actual story itself didn’t grab me and I found it hard work. I expected a lot of scene setting at the beginning as is usual, but, for me, the book was a bit of a slog.
Perhaps if I’d read Hermann Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game first ( the author says at the end of her book that this is where she drew inspiration from) I might have understood the references more, but unfortunately The Betrayals isn’t going to be a favourite read for me.

I'm honestly still not sure what this book was even about but I kind of enjoyed it. It is a little slow in parts and I'm not sure about the relevance of the rat but *shrugs*

https://lynns-books.com/2021/01/14/the-betrayals-by-bridget-collins/
3 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Didn’t Quite Work for Me

The Betrayals is a book that I part read and part listened to and I will say before starting this review that I do love the way that Bridget Collins writes. She has a way of instilling her works with so much atmosphere that even though the story wasn’t quite my ‘thing’ I still wanted to continue reading.

This is a novel with a historic feel although I’m not entirely sure the year in which this takes place. We begin by making the acquaintance of Léo Martin, a disgraced politician. Basically Léo had the temerity to disagree with one of the party lines and as a result finds himself demoted to a backsticks position that actually involves a return to his old school. Montverre is an old school academy where bright young things pitch their wits against each other in an old fashioned game known as the Grand Jeu. Léo left the school after a tragedy and his return now sets in train a strange unwinding of the past and some startling revelations along the way.

This is a story with a few POVs. Obviously Léo. Léo has become complacent over the years, used to his own importance and lulled, in fact, into thinking that his opinions matter much more than they do. He’s forgotten to keep his head down and is now facing the outcome of his own overblown self importance. In fairness to Léo he is actually making a stand against a party line that is very harsh and his removal from office gives him time to stand back and see just how extreme things have become. The politics here are not particularly named but there is an almost fascist feel to the place as though things are on the brink of change, tolerance is low and there’s an underlying current of fear and suspicion. We also have Léo’s pov from his days as a student told through the pages of a journal that he wrote at the time and so from this you would be right in thinking that the story does jump back and forth in order for us to discover what happened way back when. The third pov is Magister Ludi – this is the highest office that can be held at Montverre and is currently held by a woman called Claire Dryden. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that this shocking admission of a female into a very male centred world and a much sought after position came about through some sleight of hand and it would be an understatement to say that not all the old bastions within the Academy are happy with the ways things have panned out. Finally, a character known as the Rat – a very unusual perspective and one that I won’t elaborate on here for fear of spoilers.

So, what I liked about this first. I loved the writing. As I mentioned above Collins is really amazing at setting the tone and The Betrayals is brimming over with atmosphere. On top of that I am a little bit of a sucker for any story that’s set within the walls of a school or other learning establishment and the one here is a grand old building with plenty of dusty corridors, dark spaces and secret histories. There is also a lovely slow reveal of past secrets that went in a direction that was surprisingly and happily unexpected.

What didn’t work too well for me was a combination of wanting more clarity on the grand jeu and what the school was actually about and an overall feeling of not only missing something fundamental along the way but also that the plot didn’t really live up to it’s promise somehow. I’m not really phrasing that very well but for me it felt like there was going to be a lot more substance to this than the actual outcome left me feeling. Again, I think this is probably down to me not picking up an underlying message or perhaps expecting there to be more to this than was actually intended.

Overall, although this one didn’t totally win me over I would still not hesitate to pick up more books by this author. She has a style of writing that really works for me and so even though the content for this one didn’t work it’s magic I remain only too happy to read more books by her in the future.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Mr Rating 3 of 5 stars

I'm a bit in two minds about this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed the plot (although it was slow to get started and I feel like the book could have lost around 50-100 pages...) and really wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. I liked the characters - they felt well-rounded and like real people who made mistakes but were still likeable. I also love Bridget Collins's writing style - it's beautiful and lyrical while still being very readable.

However, the concept of the 'grand jeu' just didn't work for me. It's clear that as the reader you're not really supposed to understand what the grand jeu is exactly but for me it just felt pretentious, and as it's such a big part of the book it really started to grate on me.

So, like Bridget Collins's first book The Binding, this was almost on the way to being a really good book for me but frustratingly it just fell a little flat.

I enjoyed The Binding, the author's debut novel so was interested to read her second novel. However, though the writing was beautiful, the story was too slow for me and I could not finish.

I'm not really sure what to make of this book. On one level it appears intriguing and is I admit, beautiful written. Hoever it does not quite make it as a great read for the following couple of reasons. One, i did not warm to or understand the characters so I had no sense of 'cheering anyone on' throughout the book. Secondly, it took a long time (possible half the book) to set the scene before any real action occured. Lastly from me, I did not enjoy the way the themes of power, sexuality and ambition were dealt with amongst the characters. Sadly this book was not for me although I would consider such genre in the future and would consider reading the recommended 'The Binding' as it seems popular amonst reviewers and I admit that B. Collins is a talented author.