by Erin Phillips
publisher’s synopsis
Before she can rise above them all, she must first fall.
I’m on the precipice of a cliff.
One light breeze away from falling off.
At 16, Eden Fortin sees nothing but a bright future ahead of her. With a valuable promotion on the horizon, she is granted a coveted spot as a debutante alongside her wealthy friend, Fallon Riviere, an important step in escaping the sordid South Bout and securing a future with her beau, Myles Taillefer, the son of a powerful representative. But the happily ever after of Eden’s fairytale rise will be more dangerous than she realizes.
Hunter Calder, an indentured servant in the Riviere household, is far too familiar with the family’s schemes. Forced to pay off his father’s debt, he discovers a dark secret about the mysterious grimoires Cartier City uses to maintain order. However, revealing the truth might not provide the freedom he seeks.
As Eden becomes overwhelmed with the requirements of high society, her rivals uncover the means to her undoing. Just as grimoire magic works in ripples, so the ruin of Eden Fortin will be the catalyst for bringing Cartier City to its knees.
Filled with suspenseful mystery, shattered dreams, and dire consequences, the first book in this sweeping reimagining of Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece, The Count of Monte Cristo, invites you into the resplendent world of Cartier City and will make you question everything you know about happy endings.
If you’ve ever been intrigued by The Count of Monte Cristo, but intimidated by its size or the fact that it’s a classic, The Betrayal of Eden is a great way to experience the story in a fresh, fantasy setting.
Personally, I enjoyed Hunter as a main character more than Eden. Maybe it was because I’m somewhat familiar with the first part of The Count of Monte Cristo, but I didn’t really get a sense of tension from Eden’s chapters since I knew what was going to happen in the end. Hunter, however, seemed to have more intrigue and things happening. Again, this might also be in part to simply know the plot of The Count of Monte Cristo, but Eden’s character felt a little naive at times.
The little bit of grimoire magic that had page time was very cool, and it’s clear that Phillips has thought through and fleshed out the magic system. I’m sure it will be very fun to see how everything plays out with the grimoires in future novels.
Now, a quick note about the grimoire magic. I know that people have differing convictions about reading magic and what type of magic they read. The grimoire magic system involves spoken spells. It’s only briefly in one scene, but if you’re uncomfortable with that type of magic, just be aware that it is in the book.
The plot retells The Count of Monte Cristo well, while also having some unique elements. My only problem with the plot is that there wasn’t much that concluded by the end–that there wasn’t an individual plot to the novel alongside the series plot. It set up everything fantastically for the coming books, but I would have preferred for it to feel a little less like just set up.
Overall, The Betrayal of Eden is a great start to Phillips’s new series and will leave readers eager to find out what happens next to Eden and Hunter. I only wish that it had a stronger plot arc of its own.
Cautions: moderate romance; several kisses; brief, non-graphic moderate violence; see note on magic above
(I received an eARC from the author and was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Betrayal of Eden releases May 6, 2025.)
Hailey Huntington 
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