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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great New Series, October 12, 2007
This review is from: The Betrayed (The Gifted Series, Book 2) (Hardcover)
Book two of The Gifted Series is even better than book one, if that's possible. The Gifted are finding more members as they stumble along, trying to do God's will, but not sure what's expected of them. Daria, the healer, Father Piero, Tessa, Gianni, and Hasani, are searching for the missing parts of a mysterious map, but they're not the only ones. They are in a race against time and evil men who deny God and want to destroy his band of believers. Lord Abramo Amidei, the evil Sorcerer, hopes to destory The Gifted, one by one, until no one is left, except Daria. As he closes in on them, the members of the small band face danger, deception, and betrayal in their search for the truth.
The Betrayed is an amazing, beautifully written book, and The Gifted is simply one of the best series I've found in a long time. The Begotten, book one, and The Betrayed, book two are must reads for fans of thrillers and religious history. Both are highly recommended.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The enthralling journey continues...., September 23, 2007
This review is from: The Betrayed (The Gifted Series, Book 2) (Hardcover)
Lady Daria and Father Piero continue to seek out the lost parts of the Pauline letter they are convinced will light their way. Surrounded by her faithful knights, the young child Tessa with her own gift of discernment, Daria continues to heal and the Gifted's powers and faith strengthen. The sorcerer feels their spiritual growth and plans well to slowly and methodically destroy Daria's friends by exposing their weaknesses and taking Daria for his own. Drawn in to a trap by a once faithful friend, Daria's small band of spiritual warriors and friends are wrongfully accused, sold in to slavery, tortured and slaughtered, and her own soul laid bare. God's prophecy for the Gifted suddenly seems beyond their grasp.
Lisa Tawn Bergren does not let up in the sequel to The Begotten. In this intensely powerful novel the Gifted are tested beyond their own power to stand firm as the evil one plans a concerted attack to bring Daria to his side. The adventure is gripping and the heartache palpable yet newer members drawn to the Gifted provide comic relief in a world sliding into despair. When I read the last page of The Betrayed and closed the book, I was disappointed not to find myself on one of the islands of Venice, so rich and descriptive is Lisa's writing!
Piero's plainness and humility, Gianni's strength and devotion, Vito's humour and Hasani's visions all play a part in this captivating story that leaves you gasping for breath, challenged in your faith and eagerly anticipating the final instalment, The Blessed. Trust me, you want to read these books, live the adventure and delight in their truth.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Faith filled thrill ride of lost Gospel, September 20, 2007
This review is from: The Betrayed (The Gifted Series, Book 2) (Hardcover)
The Betrayed by Lisa Bergren is a thrill-ride in the vein of The DaVinci Code and The Rule of Four, but with better writing and a believable plot. The sequel to The Begotten, the book picks up with Daria, Father Piero, Gianni and the rest of the Gifted in Venice trying to figure out where God wants them to go next. A little background plot: It's 14th century Italy, and a fragment of a lost letter to the Corinthians by Paul prophesies of a group of people called The Gifted who will join together under the symbol of the peacock to battle the Sorcerer and his dark forces. Daria heals, Father Piero has the gift of wisdom, Gianni has faith, Hasani sees visions, Tessa discerns good from evil, Zola who betrayed the group in The Begotten has the gift of tongues. Daria and the gang fled Siena after pursuit by Abramo Amidei, the Sorcerer who wishes to enslave the Gifted's powers for evil. A cardinal from the Vatican is also pursuing the Gifted in hopes of using them to advance his own position in the church to Pope. Each group holds a piece of the lost Letter. The Gifted discover pieces of a map have been hidden throughout the churches of Venice and begin the hunt trailed by Amidei and the cardinal. Politics twine throughout the tale making friends and enemies difficult to distinguish. An enemy now may be an ally later and vice versa. A new member of the Gifted makes himself known in a spectacular way. I love Bergren's attention to detail throughout this series. She made Siena and Venice come alive with rich descriptions. The characters are well-rounded with the Gifted slipping in their faith occasionally, and Amidei's allies questioning his actions as well. Bergren's attention to small detail is amazing: Abramo Amidei's name is itself an attack on God. Translated the name means: Abraham God's friend, nice touch! Trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together for the Gifted is just as exciting for the reader. After reading The Begotten, I had to force myself to hold onto The Betrayed for a couple of weeks before reading it. It was so compelling, I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out, and while it looks as though the series is intended to end with the next, I sincerely hope not. This is one of those series that I would love to just go on and on. Adventure, swashbuckling, romance, faith, mystery, this book has it all.
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