Review: Bewitched and Betrayed

Bewitched and Betrayed
by Lisa Shearin
Ace Books – $7.99

Reviewed by Superwench83.

Any novel that begins with the words, “I was being chased by a pissed-off naked guy with a knife,” is a hook for me. And in typical Lisa Shearin style, Bewitched and Betrayed continues to hook the reader beyond the first line, pulling you along cliffhanger after cliffhanger, barbs and gibes in ready supply.

If you haven’t yet fallen in love with Raine Benares and her weapon-laden, spellsinging companions, now is a fine time to pick up the first book and work your way up to Bewitched and Betrayed. You could read them out of order, I suppose, but I recommend starting from the top. Bewitched and Betrayed resolves a series-long subplot thread which you will be dying to learn the answer to. So unlike those of us who have devoured each book as it came out, you don’t have to wait for the resolution. Instant gratification!

As for those who have long anticipated this release, you won’t be disappointed.

In Bewitched and Betrayed, it’s business as usual for Raine–which means it’s not usual business at all. She’s fought goblins and dark mages and hordes of demons, but this time she’s fighting death itself, in its many and varied forms. It seems that her dead enemies don’t have the courtesy to stay that way, and the lives of people she loves–one of whom she’s finding out just how much she loves–are at risk. Meanwhile, Reapers have set their sights on Raine, who is a source of thousands of souls, thanks to her bond with the soul-sucking rock called the Saghred. But even these concerns must be set aside when a dear friend is falsely imprisoned and a high-ranking official is put on an evil mage’s to-kill list.

Not typical for most girls, but then again, Raine has never been average.

I always find it hard to discuss sequels and series without giving something away, yet without speaking in such general terms as to make my words completely useless. So for already-established fans, let me just say that you can expect more of the stuff you love about the Raine Benares books–sexy goblins and sexier (in my opinion!) elven Guardians, wry and witty humor from Raine, explosions, political intrigue…and pirates, of course. Oh, excuse me, not pirates. They’re “seafaring businessmen.”

Plot-driven adventures with characters so vivid you feel like you’re right there with them through every disaster. These books are like potato chips–you can’t stop eating them up. It’s a rare gift to craft a book as riveting as Bewitched and Betrayed. Lisa Shearin has written four of them. The adventure continues with Con and Conjure next spring, and I cannot wait!