Betrayal by Jean Rabe

How much is too much? What counts as an act of betrayal? For Dhamon Grimwulf, these questions are constant. Two questions override them, though: How can I rid myself of the dragon scale affixed to my thigh, and what’s it doing to me? Earlier, before Dhamon became a thief, a warrior for an immense red dragon, Malystryx, placed one of her scales on him, making him her puppet. Fortunately, two dragons were able to break the spell. In the process, the scale became jet black with a streak of silver running down the middle. Now, his scale occasionally sends out waves of pain which temporarily incapacitate him. There is a good side to this, too. The scale allows him to perform feats no human should be able to do. He can lift entire wagons with his bare hands, and his senses have become very acute. What is the dragon scale turning him into? Dhamon’s best friend, Maldred, who is actually an ogre mage, helps him on his journey to find out… or does he? Dhamon doesn’t know that Maldred is hiding a dark secret. Maldred is stabbing his friend in the back, though he doesn’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know just how badly.
This book was very intriguing. Jean Rabe is adept at weaving a web of deceit and lies, mixed with adventure, magic, and mystery. My favorite part in this story was when Dhamon confronts the ogre king, Donnag. Donnag had sold Dhamon the supposed sword of Tanis Half-Elven, a dead war hero. Dhamon suspects that the sword is a fake, and he threatens to kill Donnag. I liked that part because it described Dhamon toying with the king. This book was awesome, and I recommend it to people who enjoyed the first book in the series, Downfall.