Betrayed (House of Night, Book 2) [Paperback]

P. C. Cast (Author), Kristin Cast (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2007

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night.  She's come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Marked:

"The trials of growing up are presented in the new and original context of a vampire society, and they're woven into a thoroughly entertaining story....This promises to be a highly addictive series."
-Romantic Times (four and a half stars)

From the Inside Flap

Betrayed, the second installment in the bestselling House of Night series, is dark and sexy, and as thrilling as it is utterly shocking.

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite group. Best of all, Zoey’s made some new friends and she finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. And despite the best efforts of her mother and step-loser John to humiliate her publically during parent visitation, she’s earned the respect of her professors and High Priestess, Neferet.

Then the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night, straining human-vamp tensions in Tulsa to a breaking point. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she finds herself drawn into an intoxicating forbidden flirtation that threatens to distract her from the growing crisis. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night. Too late, Zoey begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves, and she must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1ST edition (October 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312360282
• ISBN-13: 978-0312360283
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (259 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Vampires

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Impressive October 11, 2007

By Melissa Henstra VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Zoey Redbird is the most powerful vampyre fledgling the House of Night has ever seen. In fact, as far as anyone knows Zoey is the most powerful fledgling in vampyre history. She has been touched by Nyx(The Goddess of Night.) It's clear by Zoey's accelerated rate of change and ever growing abilities that she is meant for somthing profound. But for all that Z still has to go through all the growing pains that come with being a teenager. She's got boys coming out of the would work. There's her almost ex boyfriend Heath, who she's imprinted with
and who's blood she craves, Zoey's Vampyre Superman, upper classman Eric Night(yep that's really his name.) And to help complicate matters, Zoey seems to be conecting on a very personal level with part time tacher and poet Loren Blake who is as amazing as he is forbidden. Whats a girl to do?

Zoey has taken over leadership of the Dark Daughters and Sons, and is determined to change the school oganization from an elitist clique to a group with meaning, value and substance. she is getting comfortable in her skin and things are getting easier to deal with. But Zoey's strength is about to be tested again. In new and truly terrible ways. She must learn to cope with a soul deep sadness, deal with a betrayal that cuts to the bone, and keep a promise that may turn out to be impossible.

Any doubts I had about this series were erased with this book. This for me is one of those reads that make you grumble at being interupted and reevaluate the need for sleep and food, then grumble some more cause the wait till the next book(in this case Choosen in March '08) is intirely to long.

You should know that unlike most of P C's books this is not a stand alone story. You don't abosolutely have to read Marked first to understand Betrayed But it really helps and I recommend it highly. If you read Marked and weren't thrilled with it, please reconsider and read Betrayed. It really is that good!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Sequel June 3, 2008

By Tamela Mccann TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Betrayed, the second book in the House of Night series, picks up where Marked left off--Zoey, newly Marked as a vampyre fledgling, must take up her new duties as Leader of the Dark Daughters. Along with her good friends Stevie Rae, Erin, Shaunee, and Damien, Zoey wants to find a new direction for the group after the ouster of nemesis Aphrodite. Amid all the stress of drama of perfecting a circle casting, Zoey's love life is also in turmoil. She finds herself attracted to not just two boys, but also a very sexy young professor who seems to be attracted to her as well. What will Zoey do about obsessed ex-boyfriend Heath, whose friends are disappearing at an alarming rate? And what about the fledgling vampyre Erik, who is everything Zoey should want? Betrayed is indeed quite dark in tone, and the story takes a tragic turn just when Zoey should be celebrating.

After a bit of a slow start, Betrayed picks up nicely around fifty pages in or so. The storyline takes place over just a few days, and it is action-packed. Zoey's grief and shock are well written, and her boyfriend dilemma is believable as long as it's between Heath and Erik. But Betrayed is not without fault. The idea of a professor, even a young one, flirting shamelessly with a sixteen year old is just icky. The "Twins" are so superfluous that I feel they are forced into scenes. And if teens actually continuously used language the way these teens do, I'd be very, very surprised. Not over the cursing itself, but just the general conversation seems so stilted.

While I did enjoy Betrayed more than I initially thought I would, it could do with a bit of housecleaning to rid itself of too much coincidence and too little realistic interaction among the teens. I also think that much of the "vampyre" rituals seem to be more "witch-like" than they should be. But in general I did enjoy the story and I still like the whole idea of The House of Night and creepy undead creatures and people who aren't what they seem to be. I'd love to give this one 3.5 stars for general entertainment.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Betrayed is Right! January 24, 2009

By faeriemyst VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Maybe once upon a time I wouldn't be as picky about this book, but this was a disappointment compared to the first. The little things that bothered me in the first book magnified and expanded in this one. The 'Aww, shucks. Little ol' me?' routine and attitude of Zoey is wearing, to say the least. C'mon, give her some flaws or something, nobody is perfect and the false modesty is cloying.

Now the bane of the book (and series thus far)... the 'Twins.' Ugh, need I go on? The authors repeatedly bash the reader over the head with how alike they are but how different they look and how they grew up. Almost every sentence they utter contains the word twin. Such as, 'Twin, I get what you're saying.' 'Twin' this, 'twin' that! WTF? No one speaks like that. Which brings up a whole different issue with the unrealistic dialogue, but I won't get into that. I think the 'Twins' are supposed to add comedic value, but they don't, they're just annoying and I wish they'd die in the vampire transition (horrible of me I know). They're one-dimensional, don't have any depth, and are pointless to the story except for being part of the elements, which they can be replaced I'm sure. We get that they're twins, but not, we get it! We don't have to be hit over the head time and again!!

Now for the basic plot. Not as interesting as the last, but okay. Hated what happened nearer the end and I don't really get why it was done. I could have offered two other alternatives. ;P The three love interests? Overkill to the nth degree. Are we supposed to like Zoey, or hate her? I think it'll be a while until I pick up the next book, if I even do that, but I do wonder what'll happen to you-know-who. (Don't want to give anything away for those who want to read it.)