Omens took me one week to finish. Visions nearly three weeks.
Deceptions? Two days. Or rather, one evening + one morning. And that should tell you everything you need to know about this book.
What’s it about?
I …
Well, you see …
The story starts when …
*huff*
Deceptions is a really weird book. Structurally, I mean. There isn’t really much of a main plot. Yes, lots of things happen …
- Olivia and Ricky’s relationship intensifies
- Gabriel is arrested for murder
- James — Olivia’s ex-fiancé — transcends from “disgruntled ex” to “creepy stalker”
- Olivia finally gets to meet Todd
- Lots of visions
… but these are all secondary features, which serve as a frame for world-development and exposition.
AKA: Deceptions is an information dump.
Mind you, it’s an information dump I thoroughly enjoyed. There’s action, some great banter between characters, and some really heart-warming moments (and heart-wrenching backstory). And Olivia is just as blind as the reader on how the fae world works, so the information — when it comes at you — is most welcome. Things hinted at in the previous two books start falling into place.
Things I liked:
All that I’ve liked before. The Gabriel. The Ricky. The banter. The twist on folklore. The human villains. The magic-realism fusion … This is an accessible, fun, and readable series.
The twist on the chosen one. **spoilers** The overall premise of Cainsville is that Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky are sorta-reincarnations of an ancient love triangle. A love triangle that ended … poorly. Blissfully, all the characters have a level of self-awareness, and none are content with their pre-determined destiny. (Or, as it’s described: With the experience and insight of multiple lives, they’re not going to make old mistakes.) It leads to some interesting character development as they reflect on their roles and choices.
What I Didn’t Like
The asylum. A personal thing. Asylums in movies, books, and TV shows creep me out. Like, massively. And the one in the Cainsville series is like my worst nightmare.
Favourite Quote:
He pointed to the bandage on his neck. “Elf bite.”
“Vampire elf?” Gabriel said.
“There is no such thing as vampires.” I turned to Ricky. “He keeps hoping for them, and he’s always disappointed.”
“I am not—” Gabriel began.
“Are too.”
Final Thoughts:
** runs to shelf for Betrayals **
The Details:
- The Book: Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
- Published: 2015, Random House Canada
- My Copy: Personal copy
- Read date: May 25-26, 2019
- Rating/5: 🧝🏻♀️🧝🏻♀️🧝🏻♀️🧝🏻♀️
The Geeky Jock 
That’s a funny intro to your review. But very telling! Lol. How many are in the series?
Ha ha 🙂 Yes! There’s a direct correlation between speed and interest! (Or, speed and number of papers I’m avoiding.)
Five in total! I’m hoping to have them all wrapped up by tomorrow evening!
Lol. Totally understand that.