Excellent, well written with plenty of plot twists and unexpected turns. Great character development, and I absolutely love how the author weaves and interconnects his worlds. This book expounds on many of the elusive characters in previous novels in the Muirwood, Mirrowen and Kingfountain worlds. Jeff Wheeler's books are a great read for adults, as well as teen's. He manages to write a thoroughly interesting story without gratuitous sex, heavy violence or foul language.

new author for me, but I've been eyeing his books for a while. He is very good at crafting a world and characters. His characters are very three dimensional and you feel their wants and needs. His worlds are well written and diverse. This particular book has a retelling of King Arthur's story in it. Different in many ways but the themes are the same. The Author does a good job of drawing you in and creating an epic tale that spans more than one book. I definitely recommend this author. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, I must say that I was given a free, early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Anyone who believes all books which base their plot-lines on older, classical stories, are derivative and boring, clearly haven't read anything by Jeff Wheeler before. This series, The Dawning of Muirwood, especially this book, The Betrayed, bases its start on the Arthurian Legends. But that is just the start. This book intertwines every bit of lore from each of his other books and series and brings all the hints of the history you have been wondering about to culmination. Beyond the story, and plot, what I really loved about the book, is the characters. Even minor, supporting characters have a truth to them that makes them real, and not just flat - a part of the background or scenery. This extra depth of every person you interact with being alive, elevates this story from good, to excellent. I am so grateful to my friend for introducing me to the stories of Jeff Wheeler and I can not wait to enjoy his next adventure which I'm sure will transport me away to another magical world.

This book was a perfect ending to this series. It was beautifully written and kept you on your toes.

Oh my goodness, I don't think I have ever had so much fun figuring little puzzles out! This story is an absolute joy to read for all lovers of fantasy (although it isn't a stand-alone). It incorporates incredible world building, real and nuanced characters, twists and turns that keep one eagerly devouring every page and a finale resolution that leaves one sighing with a huge smile edged with just a bit of melancholy because the adventure is over.

For readers who have enjoyed previous series from this gifted author, this book the absolute bomb! It is chock full of little revelations that tie into so many other series's story-lines (don't worry, if you haven't read them, you'll never even notice) it's like crystal light-bulbs popping everywhere ... and repeatedly. SO many times in this book, I stopped and thought, "Oh! THAT is who she becomes" or "So, THAT is why the world is this way in the other series!" It ties so many small, almost unnoticeable threads together so superbly. I truly stand all amazed at the talent it takes to accomplish such a feat. And it does this in a way that new readers are just being subtly informed in a way that will help them if they continue on to other books, while those seasoned fans are being enlightened and delighted!

And, all this happens as one is completely submerged and loving every word of a truly masterful culmination of a tale very well told!

Jeff Wheeler is an amazing writer. This book is just as amazing as his other books. I enjoyed the characters development and his ability to make the people feel real. I love the book and recommend to all.

I was very excited to read the conclusion of this series and I am a huge fan of anything Arthurian. However, I felt like the middle dragged a lot and then picked back up at the end of the story when they leave Andrew and Ella. I enjoyed the tie into the future generations of their family line. I think once I take some time away from this world I will want to read the others set in the future.

4.5/5
I loved the first two books in this series, so it wasn't surprising that I adored this conclusion. There were so many loose ends from the earlier books that I needed resolutions for and this book did not disappoint. The continued connection and development between the MC was *chef's kiss* I always recommend this author's books to any and all fantasy lovers.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Jeff Wheeler does it again in this masterful ending to the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy - perfect for fans of classic high fantasy, Arthurian legends, Shakespeare, and the type of story that immerses you from start to finish. His worldbuilding is immaculate, his characters interesting, and his storytelling captures your heart, imagination, and attention in a way few authors can achieve.

I love Eileen and Hoel and the whole cast of characters in this book and trilogy - their story, along with Celyn and Stright and Andrew and Essylt, is one of turmoil and pain, but also hope and learning to believe in yourself and others. It's a beautifully done story and I just love the magic and intrigue and politics we get to explore along the way. You will feel the pain and joy and confusion and certainty right along with Eileen and by the end, you might even start to believe in the Medium a bit yourself.

Jeff Wheeler is an incredible storyteller and I can't recommend his books highly enough!

I have seen Jeff Wheelers name and books around and have always wanted to check him out. This prequel trilogy was my first time ready his work and I really enjoyed myself!!! I can see why he is so popular, will definitely be checking out his other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for this eARC.

Amazing! Fantastic ending to a fantastic series!

Well, I've already gushed quite a bit over this new series so I was THRILLED to be able to read this ARC a couple of months before it is released. I was NOT disappointed.

This is the last book in this trilogy that takes us back to the VERY beginning. We get to learn many secrets and get to see EXACTLY how the events that we are told about in much later books actually came about (remember this series is a prequel). This is NOT a stand alone. You have to at least read the two previous books in this series to even slightly understand what is going on. I am going back in forth in my mind whether or not it would be smarter to actually start with this series and move forward with each series in the correct order timewise, or to do what I did and basically start at the end and go backwards. Part of me wants to go back and reread the books now that I have all of this information - between this and the Ransom series - we got to learn all kinds of new and great info, but I digress.

This series has Eilean and Hoel arriving in the other world with the aim of trying to retrieve the tome that was stolen by the Queen. What I LOVED about this book was having that light bulb go off in my head every time I learned a new fact that made something else click into place (again, something from the future books). But, with that being said, this story in itself was action packed and thrilling. There was drama, action, betrayal and some great feats of magic were displayed.

I loved the way the relationship between the two MC's has developed and this book begins to solidify what we saw developing in the prior books. I also enjoyed the small bits of Myrddin's journal entries that we got to read at the beginning of each new chapter. Those were pure gold.

I'm not going into any spoilers, but I will say that this book held my attention from beginning to end. Once it got going, I had a hard time putting it down (in fact, I was leaving on a trip and found myself reading when I should have been packing). My only regret was that since this is an advanced copy, there was not an audio version out yet. Oh well, it was worth it.

Mr. Wheeler, another fantastic entry to an amazing and wonderful world. I'm looking forward to the next series you said that you have coming out. Count me in - I'm there :)

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

I don't know what happened. I really loved Jeff Wheeler when I first started. All his series really captivated me and I couldn't get enough. The stories had so much action and intrigue. This series just hasn't done it for me. It seems somewhat bland and very slow. The action seems almost delayed or non-existent. Maybe I am just expecting too much. either way I just walked away disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jeff Wheeler, and 47North for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Book opened up to a strong start and then I had to DNF it because I had not yet read the first two of the trilogy. I was enjoying myself and did not want to spoil the first two books by continuing.

This is just another amazing story by Jeff Wheeler. I have read every one of his novels and this one really tied together the worlds of Kingfountain and Muirwood. You find out about the great flood and how Brythonica was spared. You find out about the Leerings in the Kingfountain world and how they got there!! You find out how the other Muirwood books tie into this prequel series and it’s just so good. The planning and forethought that Jeff uses when crafting his works is so thorough. All of his worlds tie together, all the magic and religious beliefs tie together and it’s just superb.

I’ve really enjoyed this series so I was excited about this book but unfortunately it’s very underwhelming. We left off the last book with Eilean and Hoel about to go through the mirror gate which was an exciting cliffhanger and one I found especially intriguing as I love the worlds in the author’s other books. I first found the author with his Kingfountain series so it’s especially disappointing that this book is a lackluster origin story for that series and Muirwood. The book poorly manages the current timeline with chapters interspersed that flashback to a different time all while slowly revealing different historical elements. I vaguely remember different parts referenced but it’s been too long to really understand the vague picture. This may be a book that would be a lot more interesting if the other books were fresher but the great thing about his books has always been that you can jump into one series without knowing any backstory which is definitely not the case here. We stop any forward momentum on the series at all and completely ignore everything that had been going on so there is no satisfying conclusion. I usually have trouble even putting down one if the author’s books but for the first time I had trouble even picking this one up to continue. If you are confused by all the things suddenly thrown in here and want to understand them you should check out Kingfountain and the original Muirwood series.

Also a slight warning, compared to his usual books this one has slightly edgier material. While still in no way graphic this one does elude to a rape by trickery and the victim wanting to kill the result of that act upon finding out. There is also a king who takes servants at his whims, they cannot object because of course he is the king. I’ve given my tween son the Kingfountain series to read because his writing has always avoided anything graphic but again this book does take a change in that regard. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Betrayed, the third book in the Dawning of Muirwood Series
Pub date: February 21st 2023
Available on Kindle Unlimited
(You have time to read Book 1:[book:The Druid|59028267][book:The Druid|59028267] and Book 2: [book:The Hunted|59985161] )
A lovely ending to a sweet & fast series. ,
I enjoyed this book! No spoilers of course but the romance was very poignant and sweet. I enjoyed the twists that happened with the villain/plot. I kept in mind that this trilogy is going to be the entry point to Muirwood for many, Is it as good as The Wretched of Muirwood & the following books in that trilogy? No. Lia has a vibrancy to her that Wheeler might never be able to replicate. But I think that it's still a good story that will speak to its readers and make them want to keep reading the Muirwood & Kingfountain books.
Also, THIS COVER. It's one of my favorite covers of this year. I love looking at it, so very much.
Thank You to Netgalley for the ARC! all thoughts are my own

The Betrayed
by Jeff Wheeler
Pub Date: 21 Feb 2023

Bound by more than the search for a fantastical stolen tome, Eilean and Hoel plummet through the mirror gate into Leoneyis—a world on the brink of disaster as its sovereign’s reign begins to unravel. Enemies converge to destroy King Andrew, who has become headstrong and paranoid. His influence is undermined, and his kingdom is vulnerable. That’s what happens when a king is betrayed by a queen.

The Queen of Brythonica is not just the rival of an anxious king. She’s in possession of the ancient tome that Eilean and Hoel seek, which could help her achieve immortality. She knows Eilean is coming for her, and she is every bit the match for the young wretched. After all, they learned under the same master.

Eilean’s first mission: save King Andrew’s court lest it disappear under the floods of the Deep Fathoms. Her second: retrieve what is rightfully hers from the clutches of the Queen of Brythonica. To do so means confronting the queen in a duel of wits and magic.

The fate of Leoneyis is left to Eilean. She must save one world to secure the future for which she is destined in her own.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

Whenever there is a new Jeff Wheeler book coming out in the near future I check at least once a week to see if it is on Netgalley yet and it makes me so happy when there is! I really can't get enough of his books. This was amazing, everything I wanted- but of course I want MORE! Please don't ever stop writing.

The betrayed has a very an authentic and captivating storyline. The build is on point, the characters will make you laugh, feel and fall hard.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

this was a great conclusion to the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy by Jeff Wheeler, I've been a fan of Jeff Wheeler for a while now. I know i;m in for a good time whenever I read something from Mr. Wheeler. This book does what I wanted it to and it did the characters justice. It was a great conclusion to a great series.

“Of course. Maderos didn’t trust you at first, did he? He tested you to see if you were truly loyal to Aldermaston Gilifil.”She nodded. “He was the one who pointed out the inconsistencies in the Aldermaston’s reputation. But it was when he brought Celyn back to life that he won me over. He didn’t have to do that. People die of illnesses every day. He did it because he knew I cared for her.”