Absolutely fantastic read which I haven’t been able to put down!!! I love this book so much!! It’s a great follow up!!

Full reviews to follow on publication day!!

I love historical fiction and I enjoy the odd ‘fantasy’ story and was overjoyed that i had been accepted to read an early copy of this book. Sadly, I think that this was just a step too far for me, I really didn’t ‘get’ what was going on and was baffled by the ‘grand jeu’. I didn’t connect with the characters and found that overall the story was complex, drawn out and bemusing. I doubt I could even retell/recall what I actually read.
Imaginative, unique and obviously written by a talented author but unfortunately on this occasion, it wasn’t for me. Sorry.

Wow!

I was absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read this book and i’m so glad I have!

I’m usually a thriller, crime related book reader, so this is a different style of novel for me but it drew me in completely. The story was descriptive, clever and it kept me hooked.

I loved the characters, at first they were quite awkward and it took me a while to warm to them but overall I liked them. They were tough ones to crack but I think this is how Bridget wants them to come across.

As for the ending, the twist, amazing!! Honestly did not see it coming but what a good surprise!

Bridget is clearly a super talented author because the storyline was so clever and the ideas in there ! I always admire when someone can create a whole ‘new world’ in a book but yet when you read it, it feels real and that you are part of their world.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this opportunity. Such a good read and I’d definitely recommend.

Leo Martin has schmoozed his way into a high government post but makes the mistake of criticising his leader. Now he must resign and go back to his old boarding school as a guest. The school where he won the amazing accolades of creating the winning Grand Jeu in his second year rather than his third. If he refuses he knows enough about his government to realise he’ll meet with an unfortunate accident so his only option is to back and learn more about this national icon. On his arrival he’s shocked to discover that the coveted role of Magister Ludi, scandalously awarded to a woman despite girls being banned from the school, is actually held by the Claire Dryden sister of his old rival who committed suicide when Leo won. The 2 are drawn together and quickly become caught up in the intrigue the government has created around the school but Claire can never forgive him for his role in her brother’s death.
Collins has created a marvellous world, with strong characters and plot and I was hooked on the first page. However I struggled with the constant descriptions of creating the grand jeu told in the flashbacks towards the halfway point in the book. I wasn’t quite sure what it was and found the constant references to the works of past creators in their quests to create even better ones quite dull. They do build up the plot and the relationships between the characters but I almost gave up reading. Then all of a sudden the book came together for me and I read the second half pretty much in one sitting. I’d love to give this 5 stars as I did love the characters, both Leo and Claire and the more minor characters such as a Simon and The Rat but only if I hadn’t had to read so much grand jeu. Well worth reading for the beautifully imagined world, richly diverse characterisation and tense plot.

The quest for creating a game suitable for the grand jeu, a mysterious contest, is what fills the days of pupils at exclusive academy Montverre. It’s all that matters and for Léo Martin, a former student, it was something at which he excelled. But he wasn’t the only one. Back he’s back at his former school, his political career in tatters, and resigned, if not content, about returning to what he used to do. While there he meets Magister Ludi, Claire Dryden, the grand jeu’s highest officer and is drawn to her, but unsure why. The game between them is complicated and highly layered but without each other’s secrets being admitted, there’s no hope of resolution. I found this to be a high concept story, beautifully told, believable and almost ageless. Very exciting.

** spoiler alert ** I didn't particularly enjoy the first part of this book,I had too many questions that weren't being answered (who,why,what,when) and I felt as if I'd started on book 2 and missed a lot.
I put it down several times.
Then I picked it up,and just stopped thinking about logistics,and enjoyed it.
The school,the scholars,the rivalry.... I'm still not 100% sure what the game is,but I've got a better idea what it means to people.
I got swept up in the final pages,and was cheering the main characters on.
Enjoyable,if a slow start

I was fascinated last year by 'The Binding' by Bridget Collins and was so excited to receive an advanced copy of her book 'The Betrayals'. Unfortunately for me this book did not live up to expectation. The story constantly refers to the 'grand jeu' which is ment to be some sort of a game but after completing the book I am still unsure of what it actually is!! There was a twist near the end of the book which I had worked out earlier on but others may find this interesting. I found the book a struggle to finish to be honest. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Betrayals is a captivating and magical read, that is so engrossing it's virtually impossible to put down. It's plot feels original and fresh despite the school setting. An absolute must read.

I loved this book a lot. I always like books set around schools but this is different to most I have read because it centres on adults who run the school or used to be students, not the students themselves. Leo is a politician that was fired, and sent the school he attended, Montverre, where students train for the grand jeu, a mysterious contest that is never really explained in the book. I imagined it to be musical, but that might be the metaphorical interpretations. Claire is the newest Magister Ludi of Montverre, the only woman to have had the role. She has to prepare her grand jeu for the Midsummer Games, but is struggling for inspiration.

My favourite parts of the book were from Leo's diary entries from when he was a second year student at Montverre. He is in constant competition with Carfax, a genius of a student who is always top of their class. When the two are forced to work together on a pairs assignment, Leo is dreading it, but the two form a connection.

This was a magical book, with characters that are flawed and make a lot of mistakes. There is one huge twist but a lot will see it coming. I can't say I did, though, but I was very wrapped up in the writing style which was really engaging for me. Overall, loved it, can't wait to get my copy later this year.

While I did have some issues with certain aspects of The Binding, I did find it to be an absorbing read. The Betrayals promises a similarly generically historical setting with a far less compelling story (I had to slog my way through the first four chapters of this book). There is an overuse of the words 'grand jeu', so that these words are used indiscriminately, appearing in weird contexts were they don't even make sense (feel free to disagree). Also, I was irritated by the belated explanation—if we can even call it an explanation—of what this 'grand jeu' is (especially considering that up to that point the words 'grand jeu' have been used incessantly!). And why just not call it the 'great game'? Because using French words lends an air of mystique?
While other readers may find this to be a genuinely intriguing read, I'm not all that taken by the novel's forced air of mystery. The writing too left something to be desired (with phrases such as "her heart trembled in her bones as if they're hollow" and "her heart is beating so hard the rest of her feels unreal: she could be floating in space, a ghost with a thundering pulse").
If you unreservedly loved The Binding chances are you will like The Betrayals far more than I did.