Book Review: Betrayal in the Highlands by Robert Evert

Betrayal in the Highlands by Robert Evert

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Series: Riddle in Stone #2
Publisher: Diversion Books
Publication Date: September 2013

With goblins hot on their heels after escaping the Under King’s clutches, Edmund, his loyal friend Pond and the unruly puppy named Becky try to maintain their tenuous hold on freedom, only to come face-to-face with the troll Edmund met when he’d started his ill-fated search for Iliandor’s treasure. But if there’s one fantastic thing about Evert’s atypical hero, its been Edmund’s journey from middle-aged, stuttering, self-doubting librarian to middle-aged, stuttering, one-eyed survivor who’ll risk his life to keep even a troll from standing in his way or hurting those he cares about.

With the wealth Edmund and Pond abscond with after defeating the troll, they are able to find temporary lodgings as noble adventurers to the south. Not long after their arrival, a mysterious letter warns of great peril and soon, Edmund learns that Norb, now married to the love of Edmund’s life, has been spilling Edmund’s secrets back in the Highlands. One of those secrets is the fact that Edmund is a magic user, a group that continues to be persecuted.

Edmund, joined by a couple more companions, must make his way back to Rood to stop Norb, avoiding goblins and a deadly new enemy who wants the secret of the riddle in stone along the way.

The best part about the previous book, Riddle in Stone, was the goblins and Edmund’s struggles while in captivity. He had to learn to rely on his wits and his meager magical spells and he had to learn to make some very difficult life and death decisions without anyone but himself to rescue him.

Betrayal in the Highlands spends most of its time with Edmund hoping for a quiet life and deliberating this with his inner voice and with his companions. Unfortunately, for a book about adventurers, there is far too much time spent talking instead of adventuring.

Still, there is an excellent story hidden away in there if some of the conversations could be cut down. When we finally get to the meat of the story, we also get back to Edmund’s continued character development as he grows from survivor into leader and hero, leading into a third book that promises a lot more goblin time. And I do so love Evert’s goblins…

With thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.