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.

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.