Bewitched & Betrayed (Raine Benares, Book 4)

Lisa Shearin has done it again this is the fourth book in her Raine Benares series and each book is better than the last..Lots of action.,magic..,intrigue..with a little Romance on the side..Raine is just as stubborn as always and a magnet for trouble..and she still has her sense of humor..This series is a must read..i am already waiting for the next book.

I have to say, if you're looking for a series that's packed with action (with a dash of romance) then you've come to the right place. I found this series when the author released the second book. I've been keeping up with it ever since. Normally I lose interest after a few books due to weird plots, poor writing, what-have-you. Not this time. I have all the Raine Benares books, they are on my 'keeper' shelf and I re-read them from time to time. I've been waiting for the newest book forEVER (it seemed like it anyway) and I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. Fights, betrayals, disguises, true love, evil getting its rear kicked, and some brand new and fantastic characters make this entry into the Benares series well worth the price. I won't spoil it for everyone by putting story details in here (read it for yourself!) but I will say that I love it, have already recommended it to some friends, and am now waiting impatiently for the next one. Great series and fantastic latest entry! Now if only I can make it until the next one...

I've found that with each Raine Benares book, I have been enjoying the series more and more. Bewitched and Betrayed is my by far my favourite so far. I won't spoil you all but I WILL say that Raine makes a choice in this book between her two suitors. It was done really well and I very much enjoyed all of the steamy bits. Mychael's character was really well fleshed-out in this book. In the previous books I always felt like there was a lot more to know about him and in this one we really learn a lot. Not everything of course (because what fun would that be?) but enough to make him a more enticing character and to make me want to learn even more. Raine also seems to be understanding the Saghread and the power it's given her in this book a lot more now. With the earlier books, it was still very much a new experience but now Raine really has a clear understanding of how she can use it without feeding it. I love all of the characters and they are just as fun in this book as they are in the others. Tam, Talon, Mychael, everyone in the Benares family... The dialogue between them all is just so well-done and is always fun to read. Raine's plethora of zingers also never fail to entertain. I felt a lot more closure with this book than I did with the first three. There are still a lot of loose ends and issues that need to be addressed, but I feel like B & B gave me enough answers to keep me satisfied. In summary, I would recommend this book if you have read the previous three because I think it's even better than the first ones. And if you haven't read the other books yet, I would definitely recommend all four and would also add that I am really jealous that you have four really good books to go through!

In this fourth novel you have to admire the story as it starts out with an action packed kick that most authors don't get to until the middle of theirs.Raine is off and running hard again,trying to stay alive and figure out where her two men belong in it. We again get to visit a world of misplaced magics,shady characters,and check in on our favorite pirates. Some of the new persons introduced are just as well developed as the one we have come to know and love in the past. The easy flow of Mrs. Shearins's stories and fast paced action has this reader awaiting the next installment!

Well to start off with, this is the fourth in the Raine Benares series by Lisa Shearin. This book starts a few weeks after 'The Trouble with Demons' with Raine hunting down the souls of six evil mages who had the temerity to escape from the Saghred (a soul sucking rock bonded to our Raine), which included her arch-nemesis Sarad Nukpana who's quite pissed off with her! The first line was a hook, that just kept me reading. Any book that starts with: "I was being chased by a pissed-off naked guy with a knife. A really big knife." is a win! The troubles just add up, she has an umi'atsu bond with Dark Mage Tam and Guardian Paladin Mychael, which if found out by the council will result in her execution... or theirs, which an elf council member with a taste for self- righteous retribution, power and a belief in elven superiority knows about (cliff-hanger from last book - whats he gonna do? :P ), Tam is framed and falsely imprisoned, The sagred steps up its 'seduction' trying to tempt Raine into using it, the head of the Goblin secret service drops by (with dimples! I loved her character!), Nukpana goes on an elf killing spree with a high ranking elf official next on his to-kill list... And the Reapers are back. In force. They would love to suck the souls out of the saghred (unfortunately through Raine which could cause her soul to go bye bye too). So.. fun times, Death, False imprisonment, Assassins, Political Intrigue, Sneaking and Breaking and Entering, Undercover shenanigans as hired 'hitmen', (low-key) Romance, very powerful (threatened) teenagers causing havoc... (Talon and Piaras of course, who else?) And Seafaring Businessmen. Wouldnt be complete without the Seafaring Businessmen (i.e. Pirates) Oh and BIG EXPLOSIONS!!! We also finally get the goods from by-the-book Mychael about his past! Very very juicy, intriguing and surprising insights into his character. :) As to continuing subplots that ran through the other books? We finally get a resolution to the love triangle - Raine Benares, "Tamnais Nathrach, a goblin aristocrat, nightclub owner, and quasi- rehabilitated dark mage" and "Guardian Paladin Mychael Eiliesor, Commander of the Conclave Guardians" as well as being "a master spell-singer, healer, and warrior, lethally skilled in battlefield magic". The choice, while it felt natural and not forced, would have been disappointing to me (I was rooting for the other guy), but the character she choose had been more fleshed out in this book, so it wasn't all bad (I wasnt disappointed)! :P There also wasn't much angst or drama made about it, so that was good too! Also to the supporters of the 'losing' team, we are promised that he will be taken care of and that his fans will be pleased! While the last book seemed to just add trouble to Raine (most of which was resolved of course) it didnt really push the story very forward. This one does, and also sets the scene for more Raine Benares related mischief to happen elsewere in this world! (G