After reading Bridget Collins' The Binding, I was super excited to read her next installment The Betrayals.

The first chapter completely drew me in.
It's gripping, dark and spellbinding. It really intrigued me and kept me hooked until I got to the next chapter and I just felt that the magic had been lost. The rest of the book is a very slow burn and unfortunately the storyline just wasn't for me. That said, I have heard lots of good things from others who really enjoyed reading The Betrayals.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Harper Collins for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins is a unique fantasy tale from the author of the best selling "The Binding". Once again we have compelling characters in a complex world filled with rules both written and unwritten. The book tells the story of Leo, a former Government minister who is forced to return to Montverre, the exclusive school he attended in his youth , where he studied the mysterious Grand Jeu, something the author describes as an arcane and mysterious game. Those students who master the Grand Jeu are looked up to, and guaranteed success in virtually any sphere they wish to enter. Times are changing however, and as the government becomes more prescriptive about who can and should play, and becomes focussed on the purity of the players, Leo's concern costs him his position. On his return to the school he is surprised to discover that the Magister Ludi, the master of the game is a woman, something that would never even have been dreamt of when he was a student. Despite having ever met Claire, the Magister, before, he feels a strange familiarity, Returning to his former surroundings leads him to dwell on him time as a student and the friendship he formed there, but as his interactions with Claire become more tense, it seems like she is hiding something.
This is a slow burn of a book, so if you like your reads fast paced and action packed this may not be the book for you. The world building is different to any I had experienced before, and though I would not describe it as incomplete, it does require the reader to put some thought into it too. We follow two timelines, present day and Leo's past time in the school which is described in a series of diary entries, and we also have two perspectives , those of Leo and Claire. This may seem a little confusing at first, especially the time shifts but the reader will soon get into the swing of it. Personally I preferred the diary entries, but both timelines had points of interest, and I found the almost dystopian politics added an interesting extra dimension,
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Binding is one of my favourite reads, so when I had heard about this I was so excited. Thank you to Netgalley for an eArc for honest review.

The story is set at a mysterious boarding school where the male students study the Grand Jeu. We follow Leo, who is a former Gold Medal student and disgraced politician returning to the school reluctantly. And we follow Claire, the first woman to be allowed to teach at the school. Both have a secret that connects them and undoes them.

There is just something about Collins writing that just does it for me. She has this great way of creating a subtle world that is not like our own but is not high fantasy. Don't go into this expecting it to be fully explained it is not that sort of story. It has a vague pre- second world war atmosphere. We don't get a resolution to this like you would in a classic dystopian story. It is not that sort of story.

This isnt going to be a book for everyone. If you can handle a bit of weirdness, a bit of not knowing then this might just be a book for you.

I liked the twists and turns of the story, I loved the slow reveals. I loved the message of the book. The Binding is still my favourite but this was a definite 5 star read for me as well.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK and Bridget Collins for this ARC. An absolutely gorgeous book that deserves to be savored. I read this book slowly as I was so captivated by it that I didn't want it to end. Stunning descriptive writing, the story draws you in as it ever so slowly unfolds. A magical read.

Brilliant, complex, a masterpiece!

The betrayals is a complex web of a story that explores what it means to be human. The story is told by Leo as a student, Leo as an adult, and The Rat.

While the beginning is confusing as I tried to figure out who was who and what the Grand Jeu actually is. The first fitted into place beautifully as the book went on. The writing is beautiful and easy to read, which kept me going even when confused. The second, I still don’t have figured out. I guess it will always be part mystery.

I loved that the book appeared timeless, it feels like it is set centuries ago but also on the present.

The complicated lives of the characters kept my attention from beginning to end. Just like a Grand Jeu, the book has a central theme and motifs brought in about religion, equality, women’s rights and so much more.

This is a book that I feel I will return to and think of often.

A beautiful, captivating tale.

I loved The Binding so had high expectations for this book. Maybe that's why I feel a bit let down. There were elements I loved - the grande jeu, the relationship between Leo and Carfax, the scholarly setting - and others that didn't quite work or weren't developed enough. For instance, the fascist regime was almost incidental to the main plot yet was obviously very important and could have been better interwoven. The sexist treatment of women was glanced upon but never fully explored and challenged.

Some people will hate the ambiguous ending. I actually didn't mind it but I did feel some plot threads needed more resolution. Either the book should have been another 100 pages or it could do with a sequel. I definitely need time to think about this book so my rating might go up or down over the next few days.

I'm always initially attracted to a Bridget Collins book by it's cover. Superficial, I know. The Binding didn't live up to expectations but this book sure does. It reminded me of a dark Hogwarts and the enigmatic 'grand jeu' game whose mystical qualities never get fully explained, just adds to the atmosphere. The book was fast paced without being action packed which I find is also the sign of a good read. Brilliant, thank you @netgalley for the opportunity of reviewing this book.

The Betrayals is an imaginative and spell-binding fantasy that’s driven by intriguing relationships and compelling emotions, but a blurry narrative that leaves too much up to your own interpretation.

With a book like this, it’s all about the emotion you feel while taking the journey. Bridget Collins’ descriptive narrative will either leave you floating through it as you indulge in the elegance of her words, or you may become overwhelmed with the fantastical elements and somewhat lose your way.

For me, it was the latter. While I ended up loving the characters and how the story came together in the end, I was so lost in the setting that I found it difficult to get into. Set around a mysterious game called the grand jeu, I had absolutely no idea what this was. An art form that is part music and mathematics and part philosophy and history, the grand jeu is the country’s national game. So you can get some idea of what it’s supposed to be, but the description is so vague that I couldn’t understand its purpose, so I was often left frustrated with not knowing how to visualise the story in my head.

There are some dystopian elements to the setting with a focus on politics and the government’s influence which I was interested in, but I couldn’t understand exactly what was going on outside of the academy, either. And then there’s a subplot told through a third narrative that doesn’t link into the story until the very end, which became something else that hazed my understanding of it.

While Collins is undeniably a beautiful writer, the premise was far too ambiguous for me. There was just too much that got in my way of enjoying this story completely that I couldn’t appreciate the finer qualities. Whenever I started to enjoy it, something else would drift in and interrupt my focus. Still, you become engrossed by a desire to know how the multiple narratives are going to weave together, and the impressive twists certainly succeed in pulling you into the story, eventually.

If I could have made better sense of the setting and concepts, the stories of Leo, Carfax, and Claire would have really captivated me. Part of me is pining to know what will happen to them next, so I would still be interested in a sequel if Collins were to write one.

I found this an incredibly hard book to review. It is set in an elite boarding school in the mountains in an unspecified, but certainly dystopian, country. The pupils study and play the grand jeu, the country’s national game, a mixture of mathematics, music, poetry and meditation. It is discussed and described countless times in the book and I was still no wiser as to its form by the end. It was distracting and diverted from what is a well written and rather lovely story of teenage friendships and older passions. I’m not sure it totally works as a novel, the grand jeu is so complex and vague that it doesn’t really work as a metaphor or as something to bring the story together. There is also a sub plot involving 2 minor characters which just seems to be there to create an important event at the end of the book. I enjoyed it but I didn’t find it a very satisfactory read, and the end tailed off without a conclusion for any of the characters.

This story was intriguing and also deeply frustrating to read. Set in a fictional, European country under what seemed to be a dystopian government, the story is based in a school in the mountains where students and teachers study the 'Grand Jeu', competing with each other to be the best at this art form. The book was well written, with interesting characters and multiple timelines which worked well together, and you definitely felt fully immersed in the story. However, the sheer frustration of not knowing what was going on did, at times, overwhelm my enjoyment. I never really, entirely, got to grips with what was happening or indeed, what the 'Grand Jeu' really was. Perhaps that was intentional, but it made the reading feel like a dream; you come away with a pleasant, but very hazy, memory of what you experienced.

This is the part where I usually add in my own brief summary of the book, and whilst I loved this book, I have just finished it and have no way to explain it. It is a book you should go into blind, it might not be for you if you're not a fan of open endings. But if you're willing to enter blindly, you will be treated to a tale of mystery, bittersweet romance and political intrigue.

Told from 3 perspectives. Leo Martin, a disgraced ex politician who is forced back to his old school to study the Grand Jeu. Leo's story is told in both the present and past tense through diary entries. We learn about his first time at Montverre, and these diary pages play an important part in the overall story. The Magister Ludi, the first female Magister and the one in charge of teaching the Grand Jeu, she has a link with Leo, one which grows deeper and deeper the more of the story is uncovered. And The Rat, whose story line at first seems strange and unneeded, but add's extra depth and history to the story.

While Leo's chapters definitely brought more to the overall story line, weaving in bits of information, just enough to keep you engrossed but not quite enough for you to guess the outcome, it is only towards the end of the book that the Magister Ludi and the rat's chapters are brought into a sharp focus. Their stories are harrowing and life altering in a way, and they really help to bring to light the ego of man that is shown throughout the book. None of the characters in this book are overly likeable, there were non that I felt linked too, and yet you find yourself engrossed in their stories. There are a multitude of side characters we meet throughout the book, Leo's classmates from his years at Montverre, the other Magisters. And while there are one or two that might worm their way into your hearts, the majority are wholly unlikable, filled with political and familial snobbery, and all have one thing in common, they want change and at the same time want things to stay as they always were.

The Betrayals didn't have quite the same instant grab as the Binding. The story weaves between perspectives and years, hinting at ideas, but never quite leaving you with enough information to work it all out. I will admit took me a lot longer to get into the plot and to get invested in the characters, but by the end I was engrossed, I desperately needed to know the answer to the mystery of how these stories were entwined, hours had passed and I had finished the book without even realising. Collin's lyrical writing style makes it easy to get swept away in the story, and her descriptions have you right there along side the characters while they walk, eat and perform the Grand Jeu.

You have to go into this book knowing a part of you wont be sated at the end, I'm not a lover of things left unexplained but Collins left me with a great understanding of the Grand Jeu and yet no way to explain it, no way to bring it to light. It's part music and mathematics, philosophy and history, life and death. It brings us closer to God and yet keeps us at arms distance. And while the Grand Jeu plays a large part in the story, it's not what it's about. It's about betrayal yes, but also love and humility and trust. It lulls you in with a false sense that you have every idea where the story is going, until you don't. Each chapter brings a new twist to the story and you are constantly left guessing how it will play out.

There are so many themes brought to light in this book, the frail male ego, the battle between politics and religion, the misogyny of the male gaze, and yet at it's heart it is a romance. It's a tale of two people thought lost to one another, of how love doesn't always overcome all, and that fear can be it's greatest enemy. The romance is bittersweet, and at first you will be hard pressed to find it, but once it worm's it's way into your heat, their story has your gripped until the last few pages.

I will admit to saying I found this slow starting, there were time's I wondered whether I would ever get the answers I sought, whether I would ever grow to like the characters, ever become invested in the story. But swiftly, and without me ever realising The Betrayal's caught me in it's grasp and took me on a journey I couldn't help but love.

The Binding was probably my 'book of the year' in 2018 so was very excited to start reading Bridget Collins' next book. However I am sad to say I really struggled with it.

The book is set at a school in Montverre where pupils are instructed in the 'grand jeu'. Leo Martin, a former pupil of the school, finds himself back at the school when disgraced from his political job. So as his mind goes back to his time as a pupil at the school, we gradually piece together his past. While in the present, 'the Party' (the current government) appears to be attempting to gain control of the school and thus also the grand jeu.

We are never really given an explanation of the grand jeu, although it seems to be the country's national game, and when I was reading I felt as though I was lost in a performance of the game. I just couldn't get to grips with the book. Everything seemed a bit obscure. The whole purpose of the game was unclear and although it was obvious that the extreme government was closing in on the school as laws became more stringent, I'm not sure what the persecution of Christians had to do with the narrative. Clearly there had also been some past murkiness at the school which is alluded to by the character of The Rat, but her story seemed to fizzle out at the end.

There were moments when I suddenly felt as though I was going to get into the story - especially during Leo's time as a pupil at the school, when the characters really come to life. The relationship between Leo and Carfax is brilliantly portrayed, showing the tensions between their friendship and mutual support and their competitiveness. I also loved the connection between the past and the present when it is revealed. However a lot of the time I felt in the dark. And if the grand jeu was supposed to be the national game, I wasn't completely sure why nobody at the school stood up more convincingly against the Party.

I'm sorry to say the story wasn't for me although I still love Bridget Collins' descriptive writing.

I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

I finished this yesterday & I'm still not sure what I think of it.

At the heart of it Collins is a storyteller & this does lead to slow parts where there is a lot of scene setting. However she does keep things intriguing, dropping breadcrumbs for the reader to follow. The creation of Montverre is wonderful, I could really picture it hiding up in the mountains.

I did struggle with it at times though & found the middle section a bit of a slog. The idea of the grands jeux were fascinating but not fully explored & the secondary story, which really intrigued me, seemed only to be there to help wrap up the ending.

I loved The Binding & I don't think that helped as this has a completely different feel to it.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Not gonna lie - the cover drew me in
However, I was not disappointed in the slightest

I would probably best describe this as quirky - and this is very much a compliment

A very different and unique writing style, I was totally engrossed. I loved the use of language
absolutely loved this

A new author to me - I can't wait for more

The Binding was a hard act to follow and author has excelled herself.
Inspired by the Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse, the novel features a game or Grand Jeu which is an art form or national sport studied at the exclusive boarding school, Montverre. Games are composed following an intense study of music, poetry, mathematics and meditation and are performed on a chess-like floor. I found this so intriguing and would love to “see” a composition.
The dual timeline story is beautifully told and centres around two rival students who initially compete then are forced to collaborate to write a near-perfect grand jeu. Ten years later Leo, one of the students now a disgraced politician, is blackmailed into returning to the school and there he meets the Magister Ludi who happens to be the mysterious sister of his school enemy. As the title suggests, it is a story of love and betrayal. It is a bildungsroman.
Saying anything more would spoil the enjoyment of reading it.
If you enjoyed The Binding, you will love this.

Imaginative. This is well written and gives an escapist dystopian feel of belief in the setting of Montverre, a school in the mountains where Leo returns as a previous student now his political career is ruined.
It seemed slightly Hogwarts meets '1984' at times but that's not wholly a criticism and the themes of love, loyalty and the overpowering ideology which forces threats to the main characters was a grown up idea captured within a slightly surreal world.
Took me a time to get into the plot but I liked to see the evolving relationship between Claire and Leo and how the 'magic' of school days and innocence can be so easily corrupted.
Hard to make such a novel convincing and I'm not usually a fan of dystopian fiction but a reasonably engrossing read.

The Betrayals has a relatively slow start. It takes the reader a while to get situated at Montverre and accept that they will likely never understand the grand jeu. Because, while the grand jeu as a concept is crucial to the book, understanding it is not relevant. What I do think readers also need to be aware of is that The Betrayals is utterly and completely different to The Binding. Both are gorgeously written and brilliant stories, but need to stand on their own. I think that there might be quite a few readers who loved The Binding who will not enjoy The Betrayals simply because the subject matter is very different, the characters are older and the tone is more literary.

Personally I loved The Betrayals. Once I got into it, I couldn’t stop reading and I ended up reading the second half in one sitting. Both Léo and Claire are multi-layered, complex characters aware of their own shortcomings and trying to better themselves. Once the story starts coming together it is glorious. There is politics, there is intrigue, there is so much intellectual smugness it is amazing and horrible at the same time. I think The Betrayals might even count as dark academia, which is completely in trend right now.

As with The Binding, I found this book one I could sum up in two words: "beautiful" and "odd".

Very much meant as a compliment, this beautiful and odd book is a work of art. Collins is a sculptor, who carves her prose with an artistry that anyone could be envious of. It is sheer natural skill, and she works her words with a talent that is a wonder to see on our shelves, especially with this only being her second book. I can't wait for a third.

I found everything about this novel utterly captivating. Having enjoyed Bridget Collins’ debut novel, ‘The Binding’, I was looking forward to more of the same and ‘The Betrayals’ certainly delivers.

The novel has a wonderful mix of gripping plot, atmospheric setting and exploration of the character’s relationships, motivations and flaws. The twist, when it comes, is both clever and artfully explained.

Told through the viewpoints of a handful of individuals, including one character’s decade-old diary entries, it is initially a little tricky to pinpoint when and where the story takes place, though a couple of descriptions assist the reader with this, for example when a character browses an archive and some dates are revealed. Those already familiar with Collins’ work will recognise the suggestion of this being some kind of alternate reality, though this has fewer fantasy elements than ‘The Binding’.

The most mysterious element of the novel is the plot point that the book centres around, the teaching and learning of the ‘grand jeu’, seemingly a kind of intellectual performance piece based around mathematics, music and literature. One of the main characters, Claire Dryden, the Magister Ludi, gives a speech describing the grand jeu, or game, and throughout the text we are given a taste of the themes and aspects of playing it, but I never really felt I fully understood, and it seems that this is the intention. The author includes a note at the end of the book in which she says that she was inspired by a similar game from literature and describes it as ‘elusive’. Indeed, this is not the only aspect of the novel that can be described this way - individual characters are elusive themselves; emotionally, sometimes physically, and often with the truth.

It took me some time to ‘settle’ into reading this novel, due to trying to ascertain the timeframes involved, the nuances of the grand jeu, and – I confess – checking one or two words in the dictionary! I thought my vocabulary was fairly extensive, but Bridget Collins has expanded it further! That being said, once immersed in the world of Montverre and the Schola Ludi with Léo, Carfax and Claire, it was hard to put the book down!

In summary, though this book differs from ‘The Binding’ in some ways, it is still a rich, deeply enjoyable novel that brims with sexual tension. This is a perfect autumnal read and, for me, secures Bridget Collins as a favourite author. As ever, I’m extremely grateful to HarperCollins and to NetGalley for the advance copy on which this review is based.

Having greatly enjoyed The Binding, I was looking forward to reading this follow-up book from Bridget Collins.
Unfortunately, I struggled to finish The Betrayals, finding this dystopian-esque tale very slow to get started and with it’s rather unpleasant characters and that fact that the Grand Jeu was never properly explained, it just didn’t grab my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.