Series Review: The Dark Betrayal Trilogy – Nichole Chase

Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out. Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

Series:  The Dark Betrayal Trilogy
Release Date:  July 29, 2011
Publisher:  Nichole Chase
Source:  Amazon, via my own wallet
Buy the book at:

One short week turned Ree McKenna’s life upside down. Not only does she have the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she still has to juggle homework, a job, and a curfew. While Ree tries to find her footing amidst the chaos, the Dark Ones and their champion are busy hunting down any humans that have a touch of the gods running through their veins. Allies have turned into foes, and enemies have become stronger.
The world is growing darker, but the passion between Ree and two irresistible guys blazes hotter. Romantic ties from a past life will threaten to break Ree away from the love of her life and will cloud her judgment. In order to follow her heart, Ree will break rules put in place by the gods, risking her life and the lives of her friends in an act of Mortal Defiance.

Series:  The Dark Betrayal Trilogy

Release Date:  December 2011

Publisher:  Nichole Chase

Source:  Amazon, via my own wallet

Buy the book at:

 

FOR MATURE YA AUDIENCES. This novel contains violence and sexual situations.

While darklings ransack the city, Ree and her friends will learn the depth of the gods’ manipulations. Unsure of who is really on their side, Ree must accept her destiny and assume the role of leader. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. Death is waiting for them in every shadowy corner. People will die, love will be tested, and the fate of the world will be decided–one way or the other.

No more running.

The final battle is here.
The conclusion of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy

Reviewer’s Thoughts:

This was one of those series that I started because book number one was free and managed to get sucked right into the storyline…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The series follows Ree and her friends as they discovered they are the group that was meant to decide who wins the epic battle between Earth’s Gods and those of an alien race.  Each side will use whatever they can to ensure their side wins, including Ree and her brother, but at what cost?

I enjoyed the series.  Ree was a girl who had to deal with a lot and most definitely deserved her the moments when she would whine.  But what I enjoyed most about her is her growth.  By the time the the third book comes around, Ree has truly embraced who she is, what her family’s role is in this war and decides she isn’t going to be anyone’s pawn…despite what the Gods think.  It was truly remarkable transformation, considering how Ree was when we first met her.

Then there is the love triangle between Ree, Paden and Roland.  Ree loves Paden.  Paden has very strong feelings for Ree, but thinks he’s breaking his vow to her brother if he acts on them.  Roland has been waiting many hundreds of years for his soul mate to be reincarnated and he thinks that’s Ree.  You can see how that would be interesting and fun (especially when Roland tries to use Paden’s good intentions against him).  But fun or not, these three had a lot to weed through when it came to figuring out who Ree was meant to be with.

This series had a little bit of everything, which made it fun to read.  The characters sometimes came across as a little whiny, but if you remind yourself they are 17 and 18, you can move on.  My only wish was we had more interaction between Tristian and Ree.  I wanted Ree to understand why Tristian chose the path he did.  She may have gotten her final closure with him, but she never really got they whys of it.

If you or someone you know is looking for a quick and easy YA paranormal series to pick up, consider this one.