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.

I'm still in my MM fantasy era, so I HAD to try out Ben Alderson's upcoming release A Betrayal of Storms. Y'all, if you want all the romantasy vibes but in something unapologetically queer, THIS IS IT. It's a fae (fey in this case) fantasy with political intrigue, warring courts, hidden powers, and a hot bodyguard romance all in a queernormative high fantasy world. Really exciting stuff, definitely worth checking out!

The story is told from half-fey Robin's POV. He grew up in the human world and knows nothing about his heritage until he's kidnapped and taken by Hunters looking for a payout. Though he frustrated me a bit throughout the story, I enjoyed figuring things out alongside him. His guard, Erix, y'all - possessive-protective MMC GOLD. He takes his job of keeping Robin safe SERIOUSLY, and I was all about it.

OMG y'all, there are so many twists in this story! Some of them were a little predictable, but most of them had me second guessing everything I knew up to that point. There's a lot of court posturing and political intrigue as the fey courts prepare to go to war against the humans, but there's SO much going on behind the scenes, it's just wild.

A Betrayal of Storms was originally indie published, but Ben got picked up by a publisher and each book is being rereleased. I'm so excited to see where this series goes, and so thrilled that there will be more queer romantasy on the shelves! Thank you to Angry Robot and Ben for the opportunity to read this one.

I really wanted to like this! And I did, but I wish I'd enjoyed it more. I think this could have done with some more editing and character work, but the idea was fun!

I enjoyed this book. The storyline was decent and carried throughout.. a decent MM forbidden romance between personal guard and heir to a throne that was unknown.. it was gripping until the very end

A Betrayal of Storms is a whirlwind of magic, fey politics, and brooding warriors that’ll sweep you off your feet faster than a fey prince with a hidden identity.

Ben Alderson take us on a ride through a realm where humans and fey are on the brink of war, and love just might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Meet Robin Vale. No, he's not your average broody teen; he's a half-fey, half-human hero with some serious identity issues. Oh, and he’s the last Icethorn heir, which makes him the unwitting key to stopping (or starting) a war between realms. No pressure, Robin. He’s spent his whole life fearing the fey, only to find out he’s the one they’ve been waiting for….talk about an awkward family reunion.

But Robin’s not alone in this icy mess. He’s got Gideon, a fey warrior who’s as dangerous as he is distractingly hot, and Althea, a no-nonsense fey princess who’s ready to take on anyone (human or fey) who threatens her people. Together, they form a team that’s equal parts loyalty and snark, because if you’re going to save two realms from war, you might as well throw in some biting one-liners, right?

The tension? Yum. The stakes? Through the enchanted roof. With monsters resurfacing, realms on the verge of destruction, and fey magic crackling like a live wire, Robin has to figure out if he’s going to embrace his legacy or let the power within him tear everything apart. And let’s not forget the political intrigue that’s juicier than a forbidden fey love affair (and trust me, there’s plenty of that too).

Alderson spins a tale of betrayal and discovery where nothing is as it seems. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, someone’s stabbing someone else in the back (sometimes literally). But beneath the chaos, at its heart, A Betrayal of Storms is about finding your true self, even if that means confronting a past steeped in pain, betrayal, and a whole lot of ice magic.

The romance? Sizzling. The action? Nonstop. The emotional stakes? Higher than a fey on pixie dust.

If you like your fantasy with swoon worthy romance, action, and a side of betrayal, A Betrayal of Storms is your next must read.

While I liked the story and it does follow a lot of the plots from ACOTAR and FBAA and other popular MF books, it kind of really fell flat.
I honestly don't love HFN without the other books being readily available as I don't really want to wait to finish it.

The main reason for the low rating was the editing, or lack there of. Ben's books always have a few errors in them, but this one was ridiculous. The punctuation was all over the place and there was giant blank spaces.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ben Alderson and I’ll be honest, it definitely won’t be my last! A Betrayal of Storms is most definitely a LGBTQ ACOTAR in terms of general theme that I didn’t know I needed in my life!
Alderson has created a world that focuses on the four seasonal realms of Fey Land and across the border the human lands and the politics, dynamics, fears and dynamics that create worlds on the border of war! This world building is rich in life, variety, regions and cultures and doesn’t shy away from presenting characters in multiple shades, including those I love the most – morally grey! The magic system is logical and well defined, and it was really clear about how that magic is owned and inherited, the bigger the family, the weaker the magic, and only those in the ruling families can perform magic, with a few anomalies to keep the reader on their toes!
The story itself focuses on the arc of the main protagonist Robin, who I absolutely adored. He really grows during this story, from his very sheltered and I would almost say over-protected childhood, which at times comes across a touch petulant and naïve but, his character is truly underlined by a strong moral compass. His frustrations in only being given information pertinent to the questions he asks, rather than being told the whole story is understandable but, in the world of the fey, this should be expected. He wants to see the best in everyone and this isn’t always to his benefit, as you will see but, in Erix, his faith is truly fulfilled.
Erix is such an interesting character who immediately makes Robin his priority, calling him ‘little bird’ and protecting him body and soul, although there is much more to Erix that is yet to be discovered, that truly has me interested and eager to learn more about him. Althea is such a strong female character, grounded in her belief and faith in her own power and strength, family is everything to her, and her friends are family too and I have to admit I loved the banter between her and Erix. There are a number of other characters including Tarron, whose personal motivations are truly intriguing and play a huge role in the direction of the plot direction but, I’m not going to spoil the plot for you.
There’s a lot that I could tell you about A Betrayal of Storms but in doing so I would spoil what is most definitely an interesting and intriguing first book in a series but, if you love political intrigue, countries on the edge of war, a budding romantic relationship, emotional, political and romantic tension, and of course magic and fey, then this is definitely a series to start.
I truly enjoyed A Betrayal of Storms, reading the whole book during a day at the beach and I can’t wait to pick up the next books in the series and I urge you to do the same.

Thank you so much Angry Robot for sharing this arc with me in exchange for my honest review.

While similar in many aspects to his A Court of Broken Bonds series, especially with the four courts/kingdoms aspect of things, along with creatures who are similar in look to dragons, though limbless, so I suppose they'd be Wyrms in a manner of speaking, there is enough different about A Betrayal of Storms to make it distinct.

It is refreshing to see a book about the Fey/Fae that has more than just Summer Court and Winter Court, the addition of Spring & Autumn, therefore completing the seasonal cycle is a nice touch. I also enjoyed that the Ruling Families were the only ones with magic and how rather than strengthen their magic the larger the family got, the weaker it became because the magic was a finite resource and divided the more members were added to a family. The concept of the magic having to be claimed and also being able to run wild and become dangerous if unclaimed and uncontrolled is something I hope continues to be explored.

I'll admit I struggled with this book but that could be because generally Romantasy isn't really my preferred genre.

Robin is a great character though he does occasionally come across as spoiled and entitled, expecting answers and information to be given when he doesn't always ask questions, or perhaps not the “right” questions. He is achingly naive in some senses and while it allowed for some aspects of the story to proceed it was slightly frustrating, especially when that naivety came along side distrust and suspicion.

I adored Erix from the start, his immediate fascination with and willingness to protect Robin, his little bird, was adorable. I am very curious if we're going to find out more about Erix's nickname, how he got it and what it entails.

Althea was incredible in her ferocity and power, I adored her and her relationships with her family, her friendship with Erix and her budding friendship with Robin. They really were so much fun and their banter and teasing made some of the more frustrating passages move quicker.

Tarron, most of what I could say about him would be a spoiler so I will simply say he was an interesting character with seemingly understandable motivations and I am curious to see what his actions in this book reap going forward.

Overall, another excellent book from Ben Alderson, incredible world building and one hell of an ending that makes me equal parts anxious and curious for the next book in the series. 4.25 stars

First, I’d like to say thank you for the e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

Now, I really wanted to like this book. I have been seeing the author’s TikToks advertising his books for so long, and I always think that they sound amazing! I keep giving them chances thinking that maybe I’ll like the next one, but I think that Ben’s writing style just isn’t for me.

A Betrayal of Storms should be every queer fae fantasy readers’ dream, and I’m sure for some, it is! But for me the world wasn’t fleshed out enough and the characters fell a little flat. It just didn’t really grab my attention. I’ve been fighting a reading slump, and this book seems to have pushed me further into one.

I’m absolutely positive that people will love this book! I just know I’m not one of those people.

Sadly this book was only a 2.5 star for me. While the world-building is intriguing, the characters feel underdeveloped and lacking depth, making it difficult to connect with them emotionally. I wanted to read based on the tik tok I saw showing it as "the prince falls in love with his personal guard instead of his princess" and while this is true it just felt forced.

Ben Anderson’s A Betrayal of Storms is a sweeping epic that immerses the reader in a world where power, politics, and magic intertwine like the twisting winds of a coming storm. From the very first chapter, the story sets its tone—dark, brooding, and filled with the tension of an impending cataclysm. Anderson crafts a world that feels simultaneously vast and intimate, giving readers a sense of both the grand stakes involved and the personal struggles of his complex characters.

What stands out most is the world-building. Anderson doesn’t just sketch out a setting; he breathes life into it. The different regions, cultures, and systems of magic are intricately detailed, providing a rich backdrop for the narrative. The titular "betrayal" becomes a motif not only in the political machinations but also in the characters' personal relationships, lending emotional weight to the sprawling plot.

The characters themselves are a mix of familiar archetypes and fresh takes, especially the main protagonists who grapple with moral ambiguity. Anderson excels at presenting characters who are not wholly good or evil, but somewhere in between—a reflection of the chaotic world they inhabit. Each of them feels deeply human, driven by their own fears, desires, and motivations, which makes their journeys compelling.

However, where A Betrayal of Storms shines brightest—its detailed world-building—can sometimes be its downfall. The pacing suffers from the weight of its own ambition. There are moments where the plot feels sluggish, bogged down by exposition or descriptions that, while beautifully written, take away some of the urgency from the central conflict. For readers who appreciate diving deep into a world, this will be a bonus; for those looking for a faster-paced narrative, it might feel overwhelming.

Thematically, the book explores betrayal not just as a plot device but as a philosophical question—who can be trusted when even the elements themselves seem to have turned against humanity? This lends a layer of introspection to the otherwise action-heavy plot, adding depth to Anderson’s story. The unpredictability of alliances and shifting loyalties keeps readers on edge, never allowing us to fully settle into any one assumption about where the story is headed.

In conclusion, A Betrayal of Storms is a book that rewards patience. It’s not a light read, but for those who enjoy their fantasy dense with lore and nuanced characters, it’s a highly satisfying one. Anderson’s ability to blend the personal and the epic makes this story stand out in the crowded genre of high fantasy. It may not be perfect, but it’s undeniably an impressive feat of storytelling that leaves the reader eager for the next tempestuous installment.