The BetrayalsThe Betrayals

Exiled back to Montverre, an ancient and elite academy hidden in the mountains where his fate hangs in the balance, Léo Martin, in the rarified world of learning he once loved, feels a strange connection to the new Magister as the legendary Midsummer Game approaches.
"An intricate and utterly spellbinding literary epic brimming with enchantment, mystery, and dark secrets from the highly acclaimed author of the No.1 international bestseller The Binding. The Betrayals is a beautiful dystopian romance about coming of age as an artist and the love affair artistic collaboration can be, while also being an acute political novel about the fate of spiritual values in a totalitarian system. A rich delight. - Sandra Newman, author The Heavens and The Country of Ice Cream Star If your life was based on a lie, would you risk it all to tell the truth? At Montverre, an ancient and elite academy hidden high in the mountains, society's best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu - the great game - an arcane and mysterious competition that combines music, art, math, poetry, and philosophy. Leo Martin once excelled at Montverre but lost his passion for scholarly pursuits after a violent tragedy. He turned to politics instead and became a rising star in the ruling party, until a small act of conscience cost him his career. Now he has been exiled back to Montverre, his fate uncertain. But this rarified world of learning Leo once loved is not the same place he remembers. Once the exclusive bastion of men, Montverre's most prestigious post is now held by a woman: Claire Dryden, also known as the Magister Ludi, the head of the great game. At first, Leo feels an odd attraction to the magister - a mysterious, eerily familiar connection - though he's sure they've never met before. As the legendary Midsummer Game approaches - the climax of the academy's year - long-buried secrets rise to the surface and centuries-old traditions are shockingly overturned. A highly imaginative and intricately crafted literary epic, The Betrayals confirms Bridget Collins as one of the most inventive and exquisite new voices in speculative fiction."--