The Betrayed

I hate going so long between posts, but I'm still fighting with the switch in meds. I know that I am so blessed in my life, I count my blessings every day. I love my husband, children, family, friends, and job. I have so many things I am grateful for, but when the pain from my rheumatoid arthritis is as bad as its been lately, it's hard for me to think about anything else. I don't blog, because I don't feel that I have much to say that wouldn't come across as whining, and I hate whining, especially from me! This post is torture to even write, but I think it's important to explain why sometimes I post every day and other times it's a week between entries. Last night I got enough sleep and woke up without crying in pain for the first time in a week. As of tonight, I'm setting myself an earlier bedtime so that I don't let myself or anyone else down by being unable to do all I need to.

The Betrayed by Lisa Bergren is a thrill-ride in the vein of The DaVinci Code and The Rule of Four, but with better writing and a believable plot. The sequel to The Begotten, the book picks up with Daria, Father Piero, Gianni and the rest of the Gifted in Venice trying to figure out where God wants them to go next. A little background plot: It's 14th century Italy, and a fragment of a lost letter to the Corinthians by Paul prophesies of a group of people called The Gifted who will join together under the symbol of the peacock to battle the Sorcerer and his dark forces. Daria heals, Father Piero has the gift of wisdom, Gianni has faith, Hasani sees visions, Tessa discerns good from evil, Zola who betrayed the group in The Begotten has the gift of tongues. Daria and the gang fled Siena after pursuit by Abramo Amidei, the Sorcerer who wishes to enslave the Gifted's powers for evil. A cardinal from the Vatican is also pursuing the Gifted in hopes of using them to advance his own position in the church to Pope. Each group holds a piece of the lost Letter. The Gifted discover pieces of a map have been hidden throughout the churches of Venice and begin the hunt trailed by Amidei and the cardinal. Politics twine throughout the tale making friends and enemies difficult to distinguish. An enemy now may be an ally later and vice versa. A new member of the Gifted makes himself known in a spectacular way. I love Bergren's attention to detail throughout this series. She made Siena and Venice come alive with rich descriptions. The characters are well-rounded with the Gifted slipping in their faith occasionally, and Amidei's allies questioning his actions as well. Bergren's attention to small detail is amazing: Abramo Amidei's name is itself an attack on God. Translated the name means: Abraham God's friend, nice touch! Trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together for the Gifted is just as exciting for the reader. After reading The Begotten, I had to force myself to hold onto The Betrayed for a couple of weeks before reading it. It was so compelling, I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out, and while it looks as though the series is intended to end with the next, I sincerely hope not. This is one of those series that I would love to just go on and on. Adventure, swashbuckling, romance, faith, mystery, this book has it all.

So here's to hopefully more regular entries!