Podcast Review #129: Betrayed: Book 2 of the Turner Chronicles
originally published April 30, 2012
Title: Betrayed – Book 2 of the Turner Chronicles
Author: Mark Eller
Genre: Fantasy/Alternate Universe
Released: 4 April 2012
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: podcast, ebook
Rating: R for graphic violence and sexual situations
Many months ago and many podcast reviews ago, I reviewed Traitor by Mark Eller. I really enjoyed it. I eagerly awaited the sequel. And waited. And waited. Finally, the wait was over and Mr. Eller released Betrayed the second in the series. Now the only question was, was it worth the wait?
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: The War is over. Isabella has won, and the Talent Master is dead. Aaron Turner now lives in N’Ark, Isabella’s capital, where he mourns his murdered wife and son. All he wants is to tip a bottle, stare at walls, and recover.
But they won’t leave him alone.
The Isabellan government and slavers both want him dead. Savages look to him as their prophesied savior. His lawyer wants to control him. His neighbors and friends have been murdered, and a once dead shaman declares him a servant of her One God.
Aaron has to make things right. His honor demands it.
Dusting off his guns, he sets aside his grief, readies his Talent, and declares a one man war against a nation that has betrayed him, the Clan, and itself.(Stolen from Podiobooks.com)
Production: Mr. Eller does a proficient job with the production of Betrayed. There are instances of repeated lines, and I did notice a few places where atmospheric noises leaked in, but I doubt the average listener will have anything to complain about while listening to this story.
Grade: B+
Cast: Mr. Eller does quite a nice job reading his story and has that quality of many of the best narrators that while not overly inflecting his voice for different characters, still completely differentiates them by simply using his voice. I truly enjoyed listening to his reading of his story.
Grade: A
Story: This is a sequel. You really need to read/listen to Traitor, before listening to Betrayed. Don’t jump in on the second story. You’ll miss a lot and Betrayed will suffer for it. However, this is a extremely tight story and is done very well. Where Traitor happened on a very small scale, focusing on Aaron Turner and the small towns he lived in. Betrayed focuses on a larger stage, both in number of important characters and in the amount of traveling. Mr. Eller promises this will continue and the third book will happen on a world scale. The graphic violence and graphic imagery described did indeed make me squirm and I strongly encourage you to listen to this one out of the hearing of small children.
Grade: A
Verdict: Loved it. Much better progression of the story that I had anticipated and am greatly enjoying where this story is going. I encourage those of you that enjoy alternate universe stories to give this one a listen.
Disclosure: I’ve never met, talked or tweeted with Mr. Eller. Nothing was offered or accepted in return for this review.
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