Faces of Betrayal

Symphonies of Sun & Moon Saga - Book 1

Fiction - Fantasy - General
384 Pages
Reviewed on 05/09/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Daniele Cella was born and raised in Rome, Italy, where he attained a Masters' Degree of Science in Communication at the Università La Sapienza. He now lives in Toronto, Canada. Daniele’s interest in fitness and nutrition, compelled him to write his first book, Intermittent Fasting: Using Intermittent Fasting to Re-Shape Your Body and Your Life. Since then, and in conjunction with a friend, Daniele decided to write something closer to his passion for fantasy fiction and the result was Faces of Betrayal, which is the first book of the dark fantasy saga Symphonies of Sun & Moon.
When he has time to relax, Daniele loves to read all sorts of books and comics, especially in the sci-fi, fantasy and thriller genres. He likes to exercise by working out and follows the roleplaying games market with great interest after he was one of the Italian translators for Pathfinder, a successful roleplaying game.
Daniele is also a keen traveler and takes several trips a year, discovering new places and people, immersing himself in their cultures and learning as much as he can from the experience. He often punctuates his trips with extreme moments of terror, like when he took a bath with Great White sharks in South Africa and combines this with his other interests of photography and video editing.
In the future Daniele hopes to continue with his adventurous lifestyle, exploring the countries of the world and then entertaining people with his stories.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Teresa Syms for Readers' Favorite

Faces of Betrayal: Symphonies of Sun & Moon Saga – Book 1, by Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi, highlights the royal wedding of Prince Isao to Ren, the second-born of Nari Clan. The intention of the royal wedding is to finally unite the clans and bring peace to the Empire after many years of struggle and unrest. By uniting the clans of Prince Isao and Ren, the Emperor believes he is bringing peace after a brutal past. Immediately after the wedding, treachery, betrayals, murder and deception are unearthed as the influence of a crimson moon looms heavily over the Empire and its festivities. As our heroes peel back the layers of the events, they uncover a deeply woven plan of deception and betrayal. Dark pasts are uncovered, assassins are exposed, and deep, lasting bonds are forged. Can the Empire be reclaimed by Isao? Will the Empire be lost forever, or will its true leader claim their rightful place?

Layer upon layer of intrigue, betrayal and deceit have been created by Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi in the dark fantasy novel, Faces of Betrayal: Symphonies of Sun & Moon Saga – Book 1. Inside the pages of this book is a brilliant web of intrigue that consumes the reader as they follow the protagonists during their battles, struggles and trails, as they attempt to achieve their destinies and save the Empire from certain destruction. At first, I was unsure what path the authors were laying down for the reader to walk along. However, as I read on, a light and clarity formed as the authors cleverly uncovered each character’s journey, and how all were intertwined, making me cheer on Isao in his plan to fulfill his rightful place destined by his father. This is a complex book that links the main characters' destinies together. From the very beginning, I was drawn into the web of lies faced by Isao and Ren. Are they mere pawns in the games created by the evil that has swept over the Empire? This is a fantastic read that has left me wanting more from these authors.

Anne-Marie Reynolds

Faces of Betrayal by Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi is book 1 of the Symphonies of Sun & Moon Saga. The Clans of the Empire are gathering to celebrate a Royal Wedding. Prince Isao is to marry Ren at the Imperial Palace. Ren is the second born of Nari Clan and for the first time in many years peace reigns – but not for long. The crimson moon brings forth betrayal, betrayal that has long been buried. Deception is layered thick and the layers begin to peel away. The Secret Triad is powerless to stop the events that come to pass, events played out by those who have darkness in their past. The Empire will fall to those who are willing and able to kill for it, unless something or someone can stop it.

Faces of Betrayal: Symphonies of Sun & Moon Saga Book 1 by Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi is a deep and dark novel of betrayal and deception. This is an original story with a unique plot and plenty of action. The story is written in a way that makes you feel as though you are living it, as though you experience everything the characters experience and while not all the characters are likable, all of them are very well developed and realistic, in as far as fantasy characters can be realistic. The issues that are faced are real enough and dealt with in a realistic way, leading to a story that is involved and in-depth, a story that you won’t want to end. And, if book 2 isn’t too far away, the story will continue.

Michelle Randall

In another world, in another place, in another time, warriors and clans rule the world. Marriage is a contract to bond clans and ensure peace, but sometimes betrayal taints the contract. In Faces of Betrayal by authors Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi, we follow a number of different players in a complex tale of war, peace, marriage and betrayal, power and greed. There are a number of characters and each has a chapter(s) to tell what is going on from their point of view. Through all these different views, we learn of greed, the desire for power, and detailed plans to wrench power from those who have it instead of taking it through peaceful means. There are also some complete innocents in this story that are swept up in the aftermath of the betrayal, and even though they don't know the full extent of the betrayal, they have to forge a way in this new world on their own, without knowing who they can actually trust.

Authors Daniele Cella and Alessio Manneschi have created a unique world with its own history of war and peace that is slowly unraveled as you travel through the Faces of Betrayal. Each person that we meet in the story has a different view, a different knowledge of what is happening, and a different connection to each of the other people. Everyone is intertwined together, yet it is not until the end of the book that you finally realize how they are intertwined together and what their roles were in the fates of these other people. This is a well written story that keeps you reading because you feel the need to fully understand what is going on, and you only get glimpses of the big picture until the very end, and even then you are left reaching for the second book to figure out more. There is some sex and lots of violence as there is a war taking place, but it is all well written and definitely fits in with the story. Given all that, I would recommend this to adult readers.