House of Night book 2
ISBN: 9780312360283
I purchased this book.
Betrayed, the second book starring Zoey Redbird, recently marked by the goddess of the night, Nyx, and destined for great things, starts off with a thick, back story heavy first chapter that’s an example of the worst the Cast writing gets. Things appear shallow and skewed, with the misunderstood female-goddess-powered vampires facing off against the domineering, bone-headed male “People of Faith” (a cult of Christians) types. And with Zoey’s super special, empowered friends railing against meanies, while themselves being judgmental and snobbish.
But don’t stop there, because once the series and situation so far has been summed up the Casts move on to tell a completely different story.
Fresh off a victory over meanie, vampyre elitist Aphrodite, Zoey finds herself the leader of the elite House of Night school prep club/sorority the Dark Daughters and Sons. She immediately puts the people who helped her take the position from Aphrodite at her side as prefects as she struggles to make the club something more than the nasty, abusive thing it had become.
But Zoey doesn’t know it all, and isn’t exactly prepared to handle what Nyx starts to reveal to her. After much preparation Zoe’s first Full Moon ceremony as Priestess in training begins to go well, with her friends all showing an affinity for an element that makes them solid choices for the role Zoey has put them in (and it makes Zoey’s choice seem less like nepotism and more like foreshadowing, or even prophecy.)
But Fate—or something worse—takes Zoey’s best friend and roommate from her when Stevie Rae collapses after the ceremony and appears to fall prey to a failed Change (when a Marked teen’s body rejects the Change to a vampyre and instead, dies.) When Zoey’s semi-stalker ex-boyfriend Heath vanishes soon after Zoey is shocked to be given a vision which shows her Stevie Rae is responsible. To save Heath Zoey must tear away another layer of the mystery surrounding the House of Night, which leads her to the only person who seems to believe her and maybe even knows what is going on—Aphrodite.
What could very well be taken as a cliché tale of super special (underestimated) teens proving to the world how much better than ordinary they are instead becomes something else. Again Zoey represents a girl struggling to find her own place in the world, and in herself, when the people around her seem determined to ruin her or rule her. When everyone else says her instincts are wrong Zoey is forced to follow them, or lose people she loves.
Furthermore this book introduces additional complexity by showing that Dark doesn’t always mean evil and Light doesn’t always mean good. Actions speak louder than compliments, familiar roles and even religious affinity.
After the initial chapter, religious and female power overtones are relaxed and worked better into the tale, even to the point of glancing off the idea that only women getting “favored” by one god is as unfair as only men being “favored” by another. Even Zoey’s more annoying friends, Shaunee and Erin, are toned down while the plot is proceeding and take a stronger supporting, instead of agitating, role.
The plot as well is a nice mix elements that is similar to those seen in other well liked long running series, like the Harry Potter books. While there is, one can assume, one primary evil, it’s minions are many, and unexpected (by Zoey anyway). And the solution is never as easy as pointing and declaring “There’s the bad guy.” Instead the characters must weave their way through their destined conflicts, which even include their differences with each other.
Zoey’s voice keeps the darkness in check with wit, snark, a special kind of confidence, and determination. A good read for teens, and even adults still fighting with teen issues, Betrayed is a good, easy read that manages to keep some meat on its bones with out becoming either too heavy or too fluffy.
Reviewed for 
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe