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A review by xan_van_rooyen
Betrayal's Shadow: Book One: Mahaelian Chronicle by Dave-Brendon de Burgh
3.0
Lots of mixed feelings about this one.
On the one hand, I really enjoyed all the traditional aspects of this fantasy novel and even the traditional delivery of narration - multiple third-person POVs, backstory woven into the narrative, flashbacks etc. But at the same time, it was often these same traditional techniques that frustrated me. At times, it was hard keeping track of who was who and where they were and why I should care because of the numerous POVs - this meant I didn't connect with the characters the way I wanted to and didn't really find any characters I wanted to route for.
Being traditional fantasy, there is also an abundance of presumably straight, male characters in what is clearly a patriarchal world. The role of women in this story didn't impress me, sadly, with the females relegated to being servile wives, whores, and victims of rape and abuse. I do hope things change and that the few female characters we've been introduced to in this first book become stronger characters as the series progresses.
On the one hand, I really enjoyed all the traditional aspects of this fantasy novel and even the traditional delivery of narration - multiple third-person POVs, backstory woven into the narrative, flashbacks etc. But at the same time, it was often these same traditional techniques that frustrated me. At times, it was hard keeping track of who was who and where they were and why I should care because of the numerous POVs - this meant I didn't connect with the characters the way I wanted to and didn't really find any characters I wanted to route for.
Being traditional fantasy, there is also an abundance of presumably straight, male characters in what is clearly a patriarchal world. The role of women in this story didn't impress me, sadly, with the females relegated to being servile wives, whores, and victims of rape and abuse. I do hope things change and that the few female characters we've been introduced to in this first book become stronger characters as the series progresses.