A Betrayal in Winter continues the story of Otai Machi in the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham.  A Shadow in Summer lays the foundation for Otah’s hero journey into becoming what has been destined for him.  Even though, he did not choose his destiny.  The actions of the Galt Empire have forced Otah into a position where his role in the Khaiem takes shape.

This second book of the Long Price Quarter picks up where A Shadow in Summer ends.  Otah learns his father Khai Machi has been assassinated, and he has been framed for the murder. Otah works in the shadows to clear his name and eventually establish his own claim to the power that his father left behind.

Along the way, he will have to endure the fall out of his decisions he made in A Shadow in Summer.  And those relationships he thought was solid will become tested in the journey to his destiny.

Abraham continues his creation of a fascinating world of the Khaiem and the political machinations are as compelling as the principal characters affected by what is happening around them.

A Betrayal in Winter is a worthy sequel and must be read after A Shadow in Summer.  I’m looking forward to Book 3, An Autumn War, to continue the story of Otah Machi.  Halfway through this quartet, Abraham has written an original fantasy series that belongs with the best that the genre has to offer.  Highly recommended!