True Colors of Betrayal by JC Kang (2016)

Legends of Tivara – True Colors of Betrayal by JC Kang (2016) – After defeating the Last Dragon with the power of her singing, Kaiya can only rest briefly before her ailing father sends her off to negotiate with the aggressive Teleri.  The task will reunite her with her childhood friend Tian.  Neither of them are children anymore and the challenge of her task will send them in directions they never expected and for which Kaiya is particularly unprepared.  Friends will die and compromises will have to be made if they and the Dragon Throne are to survive.

The story of the princess who can channel music through her singing continues to be pitch perfect.  I mentioned before (Book 1 and Book 2) how much I enjoy the world created by author JC Kang.  In book three he takes it the next step.  As Kaiya matures, so do the issues that face her.

I should note right here that the Teleri nation is brutal in its treatment of women, especially those of conquered peoples.  The Teleri have been cursed and can not bear enough male children to maintain their culture.  Consequently, they take the women of defeated and vassal nations as tribute.  It is, to put it simply, a culture of rape. While none of the scenes in the book are graphic, neither do they shy away from acknowledging what is happening here.  Kang handles the subject with great delicacy.  He walks the border between portraying the horror of what is happening without ever becoming gratuitous.  It’s not an easy task and he handles it well.  At the same time, it may not be appropriate for all readers.

“True Colors of Betrayal” continues all the things that I have enjoyed so much in the previous installments.  Great storytelling, solid characters, believable problems and solutions within the universe created.  Now we begin to add the more complex issues that are faced as we all become adults.  The expectations of family and society, the deaths of those closest to us, choices that do not offer us simple or even desirable options.  Many of the characters we have come to know as we read these books will be forced to change.  One of the things that impressed me with J.K. Rowling’s work in the “Harry Potter” series was that as the characters grew up, so did the storytelling.  JC Kang is managing to do the same thing with his fantasy series.  It bodes well for those of us who await each new volume eagerly.

Why I Liked the Book – Love the added complexity to the storytelling


Why You Will Like the Book – The continued exploration of a clearly envisioned universe by a talented storyteller.

Rating -**** Recommended

Legends of Tivara – True Colors of Betrayal will be available starting on August 31.

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.