Ben Alderson will be no stranger to anyone into BookTok. His exuberant personality, attuned reading taste and passion for books comes across with every video or post he releases.
It was no surprise then that his independently published works have done well, especially with those glorious covers. (Gay Little Mermaid, anyone?)
Well, now he has joined forces with innovative publisher Angry Robot Books in his first traditionally published series; Realm of Fey.
Robin Vale is part fey, from his mother’s first; the mother who disappeared leaving him with his human father.
In this first book, A Betrayal of Storms, Robin is attacked at night in his home then awakens in an obsidian cage on his way to who knows where. All he knows is he has been kidnapped by Commander Rackley’s order.
When he reaches camp, there are lots of cages filled to bursting with bloody, dirty captives including children.
They are held by Hunters and their leader ‘The Hand’; those who capture anyone with fey blood, for a price. With some, their blood has value, but for the rest, it simply means death.
His rescue comes in the form of Althea Cedarfall, princess and all round badass warrior. She is magnificent; tall, broad, a skilled fighter in breeches with long ‘poppy red’ curls falling down past her shoulders. And she’s funny and indomitable.
Accompanying her is Erix, a Berserker warrior and royal guard, who is ordered to look after Robin as they return to the fey realm.
There are four courts, and as part of the Wychwood Accords, peace is supposed to exist between humans and fey, with humans unable to pass through the barrier separating them.
However Althea has set foot in Durmain (human realm) to find Robin, the last living Icethorn who can claim the Icethorn throne. It is the only thing that might halt a war between the species.
Along the way we encounter the gryvern – evil winged beasties, Gyah, also a warrior and a little of something else, Lady Kelsey of the Cedarfall court, Tarron Oakstorm and Orion, Althea’s brother who is a spoiled, petulant prince. All of them fascinating characters.
We have genuine danger, power battles, political intrigue and sizzling heat between Erix and Robin with plenty of spice including the ‘one bed’ trope.
As Robin becomes more immured in fey society and political shenanigans, he learns that none of them can be fully trusted, but he does gain many allies.
Some of the fight scenes are very grim; Alderson doesn’t hold back on the graphic descriptions especially with the gryvern, which offsets the glittering aspect of fey society.
Grief affects quite a few characters in the book, though it is through Robin’s point of view that we learn how much it can impact a person.
This is both exciting fantasy romp and gay romance; fun, bursting with energy, wit and spark.
Though this particular story arc ends, there’s a couple of narrative hooks ready for book two.
And I can’t wait for the follow up.

Having read and enjoyed A Betra;yal of Storms previously, I was delighted to be approved for an eARC of the re-published version and enjoyed re-visiting the Realm of Fey. The plot was very much as I recalled, with the edits polished the language - I had fun reading some chapters in parallel to see what changes had been made.

This is for you if you enjoy romantasy, but want a queer couple at the centre. The novel is told from Robin's perspective in first person narrative. It's an action-packed read with immersive world building, and you'll find yourself second-guessing who to trust as half-fae Robin navigates the court of the fae and decides whether he wants to take up the mantle of heir.

Give this series a try if you love:
🍁 political intrigue
🍁 romance and spice
🍁 lost heir x bodyguard
🍁 fae and magic
🍁 ACOTAR, but make it gay

A Betrayal of Storms is the first book in a four book series. Books 2 and 3 will be re-released this side of Christmas, with the final book out in the summer of 2025, so you won't have to wait long for the conclusion!

I was provided with an e-ARC copy by the publisher and this is my most honest review.

A Betrayal of Storms is an exhilarating addition to the fantasy romance genre, this novel masterfully intertwines magic, identity, and the struggle for peace in a world on the brink of war.

Robin's character development is one of the novel's highlights. His journey of self-discovery is poignant and relatable, as he grapples with his identity and the legacy that comes with it. The friendships he forms, particularly with Gideon, a fierce fey warrior, and Althea, a headstrong princess, add depth to the narrative. Their relationships are beautifully rendered, blending moments of tension, camaraderie, and budding romance that will leave you eager to see how they unfold.

The pacing is well-executed, perfect balance of action, suspense, and emotional moments. The plot twists are cleverly woven throughout, keeping me engaged and guessing about what might happen next. Just when I think I have figured things out, there's a new surprise that heighten the stakes and deepen the intrigue.

One of the most compelling themes in this book is the exploration of power and its consequences. Robin’s struggle to embrace his heritage while contending with the expectations and fears of those around him adds a layer of complexity to the story. This theme resonates strongly, reflecting the personal and societal challenges that often accompany the pursuit of peace and understanding.

Overall, A Betrayal of Storms is a captivating tale that balances fantasy, romance, and deeper reflections on identity and belonging. The rich world-building, well-drawn characters, and engaging plot make this a must-read for anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure. Prepare to be swept away into a world of magic and intrigue—you won’t want to put this book down!

(I hope I can read the second book in advance too because ugghhhhh I need it now!!! *grabby hands*)

2 ⭐
"Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash," a bit exaggerated, in my opinion.
On the other hand, there is nothing different from all the other 500 books on Fae that are out there.
While it is a queer M/M romance, I have read better. And more engaging.
This story fell flat, there was no plot. And 90% of the times, I am really not bothered by bad writing (I did read Zodiac Academy and I loved it), but in this case....it really annoyed me.
I am struggling to remember more about the book, but it has been a while since I read it, and I did not want to leave a bad review on it. I forgot about it in the meantime...
This is a book I would not recommend to my friends.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC for this book!

Where do I even begin?? I loved this book so much. It gave me ACOTAR vibes while bringing a unique and intriguing storyline. There were so many characters that I liked. The MM romance was great and checked all the boxes for me. The setting was beautiful and enchanting. I am so pumped for more ice magic in the books to come. I absolutely think this is a solid fantasy story and has really good potential for the next books in the series!

I think this book has potential to be good, but the execution fell short. I didn’t connect with the characters, the dialogue was clunky, and the pacing of the plot was all over the place.

There are quite a number of extreme reviews on this book and I seem to land somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed parts of it, the plot was interesting, but it definitely lacked the polish that a lot of other fantasy/romantasy books have. I wasn’t quite as off put by the MC as some other reviewers but I did find his personality a bit lacking and could not figure out why/how Erix became so enthralled with him right from the get go? And if I see “little bird” any more I may lose it. The redeeming factor was definitely the last 20% which was where things really got interesting. I’m almost intrigued enough to continue on with the series?

A Betrayal of Storms hits the ground running from page one. Robin is a half-fay who has grown up in the human realm hiding his fae heritage and knowing nothing about his mother. When he is woken up in the middle of the night by hunters who aim to sell him for money, he knows that he is in trouble. While in a prison camp, Robin discovers that he surprisingly does have fae powers, and suddenly finds himself in the Wychwood, realm of the fae. Beyond that, Robin is the last living heir to the Winter Court, who was brutally murdered decades ago. Robin is thrust into a world that he knows nothing about, dealing with powers he has never experienced, and finds himself facing a decision that will determine the fate of a war and beyond that, the humans as a whole. But, that is assuming he can live long enough to determine what his next steps will be.

I loved this book. Robin is someone who just wants to survive, and is suddenly forced into a game of politics that he is vastly under prepared for. His development throughout the book is outstanding. His character is a great depiction of what it can be life to live with, or experience anxiety. While readers are privy to Robin's fears, he is able to put on a face of calm and determination when it matters. His love interest is amazing. I like how the two of them complement each other. The attraction between Erix and Robin feels sudden in many ways, and in some ways their story feels rushed. With that being said, I also found myself at the end of this 400+ page book when I thought I was only half way through so I might have been enjoying it so much that what felt sudden in the moment was more drawn out. Either way, I appreciate how despite the fact that Robin and Erix act on their attraction to each other, it is clear that they still have a long way to go, and I am excited to watch how that continues to develop in the trilogy. I truly cannot say anything bad about this book. There were some plot twists that I saw coming, however, there were even more that I did not. That is the sign of a great book, when plot twists happen that are unexpected amongst the ones that as a reader you can see coming. I cannot wait to read book two and book three. I need the entire trilogy in my hands ASAP. There is so much more I want to experience. I want to know what Robin will do moving forward, and how his role at the end of this book will impact the politics in the next book. I am excited to experience more of the world, meet more royals, and learn more about the Winter Court. I want to know it all. While the character development was on point, so was the world building and political intrigue. There is so much room for growth in the world building, plot, and political intrigue. That is not to say that what was needed wasn't included, just that there is more I want to see/experience that was not necessary to this particular book. If it was given I think the book would have been too overwhelming. I cannot recommend this enough to all lovers of fantasy and fantasy romance.

Thank you to Angry Robot, Ben Alderson, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of A Betrayal of Storms in exchange for my honest review.

“Anything left forgotten for long enough becomes a monster. But monsters can always be slain… by the right person.”

Summery-
With a war stirring between humans a Fey all things change when the heir to the ice court is found. Robin Vale, a poor boy from a small town, is quickly thrust into a world he never wanted, a world he was taught to fear and hate. He is forced to quickly adapt to his new world and his new kingdom in order to save those he cares for. Aided by Princess Althea of the summer court and his own person guard Erix, he sets out to save his father and restore a kingdom he never desired to be part of.

Having read this one before its traditional publishing debut makes this particular book special to me. This series is my top favorite of all of Ben Alderson’s work and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to finally read book 4 next year! That being said the edits and rewrites for this book are spectacular, they really elevate the characters and all the plot twists! These plot twists set a strong precedent for the expectation of the following books and be ready for even more whiplash than this one will bring you! Follow Robin into the realm of the fey and be prepared, for all is not as it seems!

Rating - 5⭐️
Spice - 2.5 🌶️
World building - 4🪐
Magic - 4❄️

I received this book as an ARC. This is my personal opinion. It was another brilliant by Ben Alderson. I loved it, I couldn't put it down once I started it. I finished it in one go. I loved the way their relationship is developing. I'm Loving the story line so far, it keeps you guessing on what is going to happen next. Which is keeping it interesting.

I very much literally stumbled upon Ben here on insta and wow how grateful I am of my doom scrolling in the middle of the night! This book had my interest on peek all the time with the plot being fun and well developed as well the characters. The twists in the story really made me second guess everything and I love to be tossed around a bit towards the right direction. It was the perfect mix of fantasy and romance and the action came from the very start to keep me hooked instantly! Love that!

Fey and bodyguard romance? OMG say no more. We meet Robin who’s basically thrown into the arms of Erix, his protector after he saved him the Hunters to be selled. We learn that Robin knows very little about his ancestry and what he’s really capable of (the sneak peak at the beginning was just delicious crumbles!). Robin’s unknowing gifts leads him to the path of a new world he’s only heard about and is walking head first into court politics and possible war with humans and fey.

LET ME TELL YOU the tension between these two popped like a balloon from their first encounter. Erix has bodyguard written in bold gold letters all over him. He’s possesive and does everything to keep Robin safe. Everything he says is so giggle and feet kicking friendly. It’s something about his tone 😮‍💨But there’s is so much more to his character that’s yet to be discovered! I’m on my toes, but I’m so here for it.

Robin really grew on me through the story. He’s put as spoiled and naive at first but he really did grew on me the more I got to know him. He’s struggling with his identity and doesn’t really know where he belongs. To then learn all the new information being pushed into this face. That’s a lot. He’s really funny though and the banter between him and Erix is so good! I’m very happy how Robin’s character developed for him to feel stronger and believe in himself.

Thank you Ben, NetGalley and Angry Robot for sharing this arc with me in exchange for my honest review 🤍

I really enjoyed this dip into Fae magic, hidden identities and found family. There is political plotting between rival kingdoms, a host of powered people including shapeshifters and the betrayals are definitely bountiful!

The entire plot is queer friendly and no big thing is ever made about same-sex or otherwise relationships and I quite enjoyed the prince/bodyguard romance. Robin really did need a keeper occasionally but what do you expect when people kept him in the dark!

Robin may be half fae but he has never had any powers and thought himself safe in his little village. But he's scooped up by the Hunters and is in for a sticky end until he manages to somehow break himself out and then assist in the rescue of the other fae by a warrior princess. When he's taken through the portal to the Fae world he soon learns that everything he thought he knew about himself is a half-truth.

Enter Erix, hot private guard, annoyingly cocky and overprotective. They have a sparky chemistry from the start and I actually quite enjoyed the nickname, I thought it was a good pun on Robin's name. Then we have Althea, warrior princess and all around human denouncer. There are a host of other secondary characters who are soon working together to ensure Robin lives long enough to claim his throne.

Sure some of the tropes and plot twists were a wee bit predictable but there really isn't anything new in the book world. Sometimes I could have throttled Robin for being a bit too passive and allowing everyone to just hold back information constantly. Erix can be a bit high-handed and over protective but otherwise he was quite an enjoyable character.

I'm quietly hopeful for this series and I really hope that book 2 can tie off a couple of outstanding storylines.

Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
3.5/5

A Betrayal of Storms is the start of a MM fantasy series-The Realm of Fey- that was originally self-published but has been reworked and now is being traditionally published. Robin Vale is a half fey living a quiet life with his human father when he is sold to local fey Hunters and taken to a camp where fey are being tortured and killed. Robin has always thought he had no special fey gifts, but as his life is threatened his gift is revealed and once he is rescued by fey from the Cedarfall court, he learns his ancestry is quite special. Robin then enters a world he never thought to see or experience and is thrown into court politics as well as a potential fey-human war. Robin needs to not only learn about his own personal history, but he must learn to control is gift, while trying to prevent the war from breaking out.
This was an entertaining read that kept my interest throughout, and the story moved at a quick pace. This does lean more towards the romantasy side of fantasy, and the queer rep is well done, and there are a couple of spicy scenes (honestly, I was hoping for more!). The story doesn't break any new ground, but the chosen one trope combined with found family are always a favorite of mine and there were a couple of good twists which made for a satisfying ending. There was definitely opportunity for more character growth, and there were times when I wanted the story to slow down a bit for more growth and backstory. Althea was a favorite character, and I would have liked to have expanded the relationship between Robin and Tarron. As this was my first read of one of Ben's books, I am looking forward to seeing how his writing grows with the next novels in the series and hopefully the world expands to more of the fey courts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC copy of A Betrayal Of Storms.

While the story was good and I enjoyed the world building, I felt like the characters lacked a bit and this made it hard to connect to them.

Because of that I had trouble getting into the book and staying engaged in it, which ultimately lead to me not really enjoying the book unfortunately.

~The Prose~
As a big fan of Ben Alderson’s Darkmourn series, I was so excited to receive the ARC for Betrayal of Storms. This book is classic High Fantasy at it’s finest with the small town half fae boy discovering he is royalty and all the perils and privileges that come with it. I want to credit Ben for being so consistent with strong world building and highly descriptive scene setting. I feel so immersed in the story with the way he describes the characters and their surroundings and actions in great detail without pulling a Chaucer and taking half a chapter to describe a meadow. The plot is filled with action and mystery and the perfect splash of spice. I especially appreciate the queer-normative world. Too often queer romances fall on the crutch of homophobia to manufacture strife and while there are a few instances of it that wasn’t the driver of the main character’s struggles.
~The Cons~
The end of this book would technically be considered a “Happy For Now” which in my opinion is a very tricky fence to straddle. Finding the balance between leaving the plot open for future resolution and giving the reader enough closure to be content till the next book is a challenge. I can’t decide if the book needed one more or one less chapter to find that balance but as it is now something is just slightly off in an undefinable way. Thank goodness there will be a quick release calendar so we are not held in limbo for too long.
~The Bon-Bons~
While there definitely seems to be less spice than in other Ben Alderson books I have enjoyed, the spice ends up being an curious window into our MMC’s head. Watching the way he approaches sex as a comfort/distraction while warring with his emotional attachments gives his character a particular depth I wasn’t expecting.

Action from the very first page to the end! This book is packed with fast paced action and cute banter between Robin and his guard Erix! I love the two and their interactions. The fact Erix has to be around Robin 24/7 as his personal guard only makes it better!
Loved it, though there were a few parts that contradicted themselves or repeated something from a page prior, but that's most probably because it's an ARC.

A Betrayal of Storms offered a solid premise rooted in juvenile escapism, but the execution falters. The writing lacks cohesion, often feeling bloated and awkward. For instance, phrases like “as though they were freshly sharpened knives that required the handle of care” could be streamlined. Tautologies throughout the chapters contribute to a dragging pace, and the language fluctuates between sophisticated and simplistic, hautè and high school.

The story's setup is slow, with clumsy world-building and forgettable characters. Robin comes across more as a generic fae princess than a future king. Repetitive phrases like “I have more questions to ask but won’t ask now” appear multiple times before the halfway mark, undercutting the narrative's flow. These moments of ponder are, without fail, then answered duly by another character. The great reveals are simply presented.

The open-door spice scenes feel forced due to a lack of established romantic tension or relationship building. While I anticipated an m|m led fey story to join the pantheon of cis-gender leads within the genre, significant tightening of the writing is necessary before I consider moving on to Book 2.

I received an eARC provided by Angry Robot and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

With characters that you have to love. The world building, political system within the fey as well how their powers work is amazing and I really love how it's written.

After reading and loving the indie edition of this book, it felt great to be back in the realm of Wychwood and watching Robin's journey where it all began. The new traditionally published version was amazing to read, it felt familiar but refreshed in a way that didn't make me feel like it was a reread which is always a bonus. I loved the revised content that helped paint a picture, understand the content even more and fall in love with all the characters all over again. The book kept me on my toes again, captivated me and kept me wondering what was around the corner and there were twists, turns and shocking revelations at every turn.

Robin was incredible in this. He felt like a different character to the one I'm used to, this time I could understand his frustration with the situation and this essence of feeling incredibly lost while everybody was worshipping him. Erix, again, I loved his character, this time it was great to understand more about him, I still loved his banter with Robin. And Althea, I love Althea and her friendship with Robin is just incredible and she is very relatable while being a forced to be reckoned with.

I loved my return to Wychwood and I really recommend people check out this series because this made me fall in love with it all over again

Absolutely this new high fantasy read! Both the magic and the LGBTQ representation made this a standout read for me. Robin’s story pulled at my heart and I loved how developed he was a character already because it made him and the novel shine! All the side characters were mega interesting and I really hop e we build on our knowledge of them all in futures books! Al the twists and turns kept me hooked and engaged tilll the very end and can’t wait to see what happens next.