Synopsis from Amazon:
Demons are no longer legends... And with Nessix's soul in their clutches, they've grown bolder in their conquest of the island nation of Elidae. The fleman armies, devastated by the loss of their general and with only Mathias to blame for her fate, are challenged with a more ominous battlefield than ever before.
But even with the assistance of their vile goddess, the demons still have a trying war ahead of them. Divine forces rise in a manner Abaeloth had long ago hoped to forget, driving rivals from across the realms to face one another at last. Haunted by memories of the past, lies of the present, and dreams of a future that would never be, the fleman armies and the men who lead them must rally together behind their love of Nessix to save her and Elidae both.
But even with the assistance of their vile goddess, the demons still have a trying war ahead of them. Divine forces rise in a manner Abaeloth had long ago hoped to forget, driving rivals from across the realms to face one another at last. Haunted by memories of the past, lies of the present, and dreams of a future that would never be, the fleman armies and the men who lead them must rally together behind their love of Nessix to save her and Elidae both.
>>>>>>>>>
My Review:
What can I say? Schneider plays the long game!
The last book, Devotion, ended on a particularly traumatic note, leaving me conflicted as to my feelings toward it, hence the reason I almost dreaded reading this one. I didn't want to open myself up to those feelings again, for fear that it might go from bad to worse... Until I couldn't dance around it anymore...
BOY AM I GLAD I DID!!
BOY AM I GLAD I DID!!
The first bit was tough, understandably, because it picks up right where Book 1 left off--which was not a good place, let me tell you! (Fun fact: Schneider actually wrote the two books as one story, but decided--and rightly so--that it was too much for just one book, so she split it in two, that's why it is the way it is)
But then the story takes a turn, and things that were left hanging and falling apart and unanswered in the first book are resolved, answered, and slowly start to heal. The first book was about Nessix and Matthias as the noble heroes fighting against the odds that are stacked against them to accomplish their noble goals, in spite of the obstacles standing in their way.
This time, at least one of the obstacles--namely, Brant--shows up as an unexpected ally, and the big villain is shown to have an even bigger villain behind him, and big actions are required to trounce the big villain.
Schneider's "long game" is far from over! She teases out the events with admirable skill, trickling them out bit by bit, advancing them along, keeping the reader enthralled and heightening the suspense by stages, until an even deeper plot is set in motion, which will carry implications even further through the series.
On the whole, I am in awe of Schneider's world-building. There's a rich history, geography, and dimensionality to Abaeloth, and the characters within, not just the mortals like Brant and Veed and Nessix, but also the demons themselves, Matthias as an immortal paladin, and the deities like Etha, Shand, and Inwan--each of whom are just as flawed as the mortals. Such strange names, the sheer number of characters might boggle the casual reader, but Schneider imbues them with such character and vivid personalities that the mental pictures spring clearly to mind!
But then the story takes a turn, and things that were left hanging and falling apart and unanswered in the first book are resolved, answered, and slowly start to heal. The first book was about Nessix and Matthias as the noble heroes fighting against the odds that are stacked against them to accomplish their noble goals, in spite of the obstacles standing in their way.
This time, at least one of the obstacles--namely, Brant--shows up as an unexpected ally, and the big villain is shown to have an even bigger villain behind him, and big actions are required to trounce the big villain.
Schneider's "long game" is far from over! She teases out the events with admirable skill, trickling them out bit by bit, advancing them along, keeping the reader enthralled and heightening the suspense by stages, until an even deeper plot is set in motion, which will carry implications even further through the series.
On the whole, I am in awe of Schneider's world-building. There's a rich history, geography, and dimensionality to Abaeloth, and the characters within, not just the mortals like Brant and Veed and Nessix, but also the demons themselves, Matthias as an immortal paladin, and the deities like Etha, Shand, and Inwan--each of whom are just as flawed as the mortals. Such strange names, the sheer number of characters might boggle the casual reader, but Schneider imbues them with such character and vivid personalities that the mental pictures spring clearly to mind!
I would definitely give Deception a solid *****4.5 STAR***** rating, and I will say I felt a lot better about the ending to this one than I did at the end of the last one! Everything isn't resolved by any stretch of the imagination, and there are definitely amazing things in store for the rest of the Tales of The Fallen--and I, for one, cannot wait!
Further Reading: (Epic Fantasy/Awesome World-Building/Angels Vs. Demons/Supernatural)
Tales of the Fallen--Katika Schneider
-Devotion
-Deception* (This book)
-Devotion
-Deception* (This book)
Alexi Sokolsky: Hound of Eden--James Osiris Baldwin
-Burn Artist
-Blood Hound
-Burn Artist
-Blood Hound
The LouisiAngel Series--C. L. Coffey
-Angel in Training
-Angel Eclipsed
-Angel Tormented
-Angel in Training
-Angel Eclipsed
-Angel Tormented
Judah Black Series--E. A. Copen
-Fortunate Son (prequel novella)
-Guilty By Association
-Blood Debt
-Fortunate Son (prequel novella)
-Guilty By Association
-Blood Debt
The Grave Reports--R. R. Virdi
-Grave Beginnings
-Grave Measures
-Grave Tidings (novella)
-Grave Dealings
-Grave Beginnings
-Grave Measures
-Grave Tidings (novella)
-Grave Dealings
The Time Tree Chronicles--Lisa Rae Morris
-The Emergence
-The Emergence
The Chronicles of Lorrek--Kelly Blanchard
-Someday I'll Be Redeemed
-I Still Have A Soul
-I'm Still Alive
-Do You Trust Me?
-You Left Me No Choice
-They Must Be Stopped
-Someday I'll Be Redeemed
-I Still Have A Soul
-I'm Still Alive
-Do You Trust Me?
-You Left Me No Choice
-They Must Be Stopped
No comments:
Post a Comment