THE BETRAYAL

As the daughter of Libertis’ leader, Angelette Arabella appears to live a privileged life, but not everything is as simple as it seems.

Angelette’s powerful father, Valerius, rules with an iron fist, and not even his own family members are safe from his cruel treatment. Valerius was always Angelette’s hero, but when her mother and brothers mysteriously disappeared right before her 10th birthday, Angelette began to question what kind of man her father truly was. During the ensuing five years she’s spent alone with her father, Angelette has had to engage in a delicate subterfuge to convince him that she’s still the naïve, loving daughter he believes her to be. When Angelette discovers a secret magical room in her school, it’s the first step in finally finding a way to join the rebels who are working against her father. The magical elements of Ogden’s debut are disappointingly underdeveloped, a feature that goes hand in hand with the generally weak worldbuilding. Little concrete information is provided about the story’s setting, leaving readers with more questions than answers about the rules of the world. Flat characterization, stilted dialogue, and inconsistent pacing further plague the book. All main characters are cued white.

An interesting premise let down by lackluster execution.