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enchantedbibliophile's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
For a while there I lost interest in everything I read. Life got a bit overwhelming and I just quit every book.
My mission now is to catch up and read on.
And this one was so easy to just fall back into.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I enjoyed the take of the love triangle. It being there, but not being there.
Finally knowing who the killers are and their why behind it was really satisfying. It almost feels like I can quit the series now, which is good since I don't have the next books.
But I will most probably find them at some point and finish the series
My mission now is to catch up and read on.
And this one was so easy to just fall back into.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I enjoyed the take of the love triangle. It being there, but not being there.
Finally knowing who the killers are and their why behind it was really satisfying. It almost feels like I can quit the series now, which is good since I don't have the next books.
But I will most probably find them at some point and finish the series
katyanaish's review
4.0
I liked it very much. That said, sometimes I want to punch Oliveden.
Mostly as it relates to Gabriel. Here's my beef:
Look, I get that Gabriel is a challenging personality. I didn't much like him in the first book, and I don't know that I'd have the patience to handle him. But if she's going to choose to be friends with him - as she has, over and over - she has to choose to try and understand him, rather than fly off the handle every time his response to her seems a little flat. She always thinks he's pissed at her and/or judging her, and thus far, he never has been. Gabriel is the guy who has taken everything she's said as legit, and has never doubted her word.
Further, in this book she lies to him twice. Okay, lie by omission, but still lie... both times with disastrous consequences.
Lie / Secret 1 - Her mother said that she knew concretely that Gabriel killed James.
This was a big deal. Her mom got that info from somewhere, and it was an indication that they needed to be wary. Honestly, how dare she not tell him. And then he gets arrested in the most humiliating way possible... with this seeming to come out of left field for him. All while she could have given him the heads up.
Lie / Secret 2 - That Gabriel is Gwynn.
This one really is ... well, to me it is unforgivable. He's been so supportive of her, and she makes him think he's the only one she shares all the visions / secrets with ... when she is holding back a huge one that actually pertains to him?! He needed to know. And as soon as she decided to keep it from him, I knew that he was going to find out in the worst possible way, and it would blow up their relationship. Which of-fucking-course it did. Even worse, in this instance she didn't even give him a little bit of time to work through the information. They're riding back together in the car, and he says he doesn't believe it, and she leaps to all kinds of shitty conclusions about him ... again. That they're not friends, that he's saying she's crazy, blah blah fucking blah. She gets out of the car in the middle of nowhere, and then is mad that he left her there. Hey, fucking Oliveden: don't make this about you. You aren't the victim here. You fucked up. You let him be blindsided by an enemy - again - and you are taking personally his immediate reaction to this insane news. Get the fuck over yourself.
Now, Gabriel did go over the top on this a little - cutting off contact with her?? - and I wasn't entirely sure from the narrative... was Tristan mind-fucking him? Because in his chapter, even as he's doing these things, his voice (in his head) is staying, no, stop, don't do this.
Regardless, though, he's allowed to react badly for a couple days. I mean, come on. That's some shit-tastic news.
But overall, I love the unfolding of the story, and I am dying to continue onwards. I also loved that I was right
Hooray!
Mostly as it relates to Gabriel. Here's my beef:
Spoiler
I feel like she's not making any effort to get to know him. Like, the man is freaking terrible at expressing emotion, so he comes across as cool and/or judgmental. Even when he utterly does not intend to. Oliveden has learned this repeatedly - many times she's gotten pissed while he's left not understanding what he did, and then it gets resolved and she gets he doesn't mean it that way ... only until the next time where she overreacts to something similar and the cycle starts all over again.Look, I get that Gabriel is a challenging personality. I didn't much like him in the first book, and I don't know that I'd have the patience to handle him. But if she's going to choose to be friends with him - as she has, over and over - she has to choose to try and understand him, rather than fly off the handle every time his response to her seems a little flat. She always thinks he's pissed at her and/or judging her, and thus far, he never has been. Gabriel is the guy who has taken everything she's said as legit, and has never doubted her word.
Further, in this book she lies to him twice. Okay, lie by omission, but still lie... both times with disastrous consequences.
Lie / Secret 1 - Her mother said that she knew concretely that Gabriel killed James.
This was a big deal. Her mom got that info from somewhere, and it was an indication that they needed to be wary. Honestly, how dare she not tell him. And then he gets arrested in the most humiliating way possible... with this seeming to come out of left field for him. All while she could have given him the heads up.
Lie / Secret 2 - That Gabriel is Gwynn.
This one really is ... well, to me it is unforgivable. He's been so supportive of her, and she makes him think he's the only one she shares all the visions / secrets with ... when she is holding back a huge one that actually pertains to him?! He needed to know. And as soon as she decided to keep it from him, I knew that he was going to find out in the worst possible way, and it would blow up their relationship. Which of-fucking-course it did. Even worse, in this instance she didn't even give him a little bit of time to work through the information. They're riding back together in the car, and he says he doesn't believe it, and she leaps to all kinds of shitty conclusions about him ... again. That they're not friends, that he's saying she's crazy, blah blah fucking blah. She gets out of the car in the middle of nowhere, and then is mad that he left her there. Hey, fucking Oliveden: don't make this about you. You aren't the victim here. You fucked up. You let him be blindsided by an enemy - again - and you are taking personally his immediate reaction to this insane news. Get the fuck over yourself.
Now, Gabriel did go over the top on this a little - cutting off contact with her?? - and I wasn't entirely sure from the narrative... was Tristan mind-fucking him? Because in his chapter, even as he's doing these things, his voice (in his head) is staying, no, stop, don't do this.
Regardless, though, he's allowed to react badly for a couple days. I mean, come on. That's some shit-tastic news.
But overall, I love the unfolding of the story, and I am dying to continue onwards. I also loved that I was right
Spoiler
that her parents did in fact do some shit to fix her spine ... so they aren't totally innocent, making this all an interestingly complicated plot. Also, the Mommy twist was also awesome.Hooray!
aliyyahj's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
alexandrabree's review
4.0
I am sitting here wondering what is left for the next novel? This whole series is just so captivating I can't stop babbling on about it. Just perfect, exactly what I needed right now. Took me way longer to finish this than I wanted I just couldn't put in the time and I found reading in small bits and pieces was frustrating.
I generally find series that are longer than a trilogy overly long, with characters growing stagnant and repetitions starts, as if they added more books to the middle for marketing purposes that have nothing to contribute to the story. But Armstrong can do no wrong with these, its fresh and just as fast paced and action packed as the first. Even the character tropes have been spruced up enough to work. Not going to go so far as to say they are welcome but they at least fit well with the story and don't diminish it in any way!
I generally find series that are longer than a trilogy overly long, with characters growing stagnant and repetitions starts, as if they added more books to the middle for marketing purposes that have nothing to contribute to the story. But Armstrong can do no wrong with these, its fresh and just as fast paced and action packed as the first. Even the character tropes have been spruced up enough to work. Not going to go so far as to say they are welcome but they at least fit well with the story and don't diminish it in any way!
nikshelby's review
3.0
"Chandler eased back in his chair, chortling to himself, and I realized he wasn't a sociopath at all. That would imply an inability to recognize ethical boundaries. This was a man who recognized such lines and delighted in pulling others over them, because it proved they were no better than him."
"Everyone has people like my mother in their lives. They're frustrating and flawed, and there are things both in them and in our relationships with them that we'd like to change, but ultimately we have to accept who they are."
"Everyone has people like my mother in their lives. They're frustrating and flawed, and there are things both in them and in our relationships with them that we'd like to change, but ultimately we have to accept who they are."
maggie1903's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
smuttea_matcha's review against another edition
5.0
Armstrong is killing me. Killing me! Each time I think my ship (Gabriel and Liv, obvi) is going to set sail, she just blows me in another direction. I can't handle this anymore. When is book 4 coming out? WHEN!?
Also, a realization that Ricky is Jax from Sons of Anarchy and Gabriel is Henry Cavill but with more looming and intimidation.
Deceptions was such a step up from Visions for me and I think it's because I felt like Visions was set up too much as a triangle and I was still rooting hardcore for Gabriel and Liv. It was tough to keep up with the mythology and the proper terms. You'd think that by book 3 I would have... Deceptions also focuses more on the dynamic of Gabriel and Liv, giving us more insights into Gabriel and his characteristics as well as his motives while also slamming the Ricky/Liv pairing in our faces. It's such a relief to read of Liv struggling with her developing feelings with Gabriel as much as she tries to fight the "fate" of their original dramas. I really, really enjoy that Armstrong emphasizes that while the three might be reincarnations of all those people, they're still their own people and have the independence to make their own decisions that do not tie in with the original cast. I really loved that. It's also adorable to read of Cainsville cheering on and shipping the Gabriel and Liv pairing. Ugh, until next time Armstrong, hopefully she GIVES me more of what I want. T_T
Also, a realization that Ricky is Jax from Sons of Anarchy and Gabriel is Henry Cavill but with more looming and intimidation.
Deceptions was such a step up from Visions for me and I think it's because I felt like Visions was set up too much as a triangle and I was still rooting hardcore for Gabriel and Liv. It was tough to keep up with the mythology and the proper terms. You'd think that by book 3 I would have... Deceptions also focuses more on the dynamic of Gabriel and Liv, giving us more insights into Gabriel and his characteristics as well as his motives while also slamming the Ricky/Liv pairing in our faces. It's such a relief to read of Liv struggling with her developing feelings with Gabriel as much as she tries to fight the "fate" of their original dramas. I really, really enjoy that Armstrong emphasizes that while the three might be reincarnations of all those people, they're still their own people and have the independence to make their own decisions that do not tie in with the original cast. I really loved that. It's also adorable to read of Cainsville cheering on and shipping the Gabriel and Liv pairing. Ugh, until next time Armstrong, hopefully she GIVES me more of what I want. T_T
patchworkbunny's review
4.0
I love the mythology of the Cainsville universe. Olivia’s visions are getting more frequent, and possibly more dangerous, which fill in gaps in the fae’s history. As one elder tells her, she can’t rely on the fae to tell her what’s what, they’re all a bunch of liars looking out for their best interest.
I missed the Matilda of the Night significance until I read the short stories in Led Astray, so I’m not sure if that was just me or if it won’t be so obvious going in. It’s a pretty important part of this third book but the myth is recapped a bit if you’re still clueless.
I was reading quite happily thinking isn’t it nice for a woman with a boyfriend to have such a close male friend with no weird love-triangle going on, but then this Matilda business throws a spanner in the works. The fact that they are reliving an ancient cycle of events suddenly brings into question whether Gabriel is something more to Olivia. The elders have explained that the same decisions aren’t made each cycle, so fate isn’t controlling them, but she doesn’t dismiss it outright.
I’m not quite sure why they’re marketing these as crime, other than that may be a more buoyant market at the moment. If you’re expecting a thrilling mystery escapade, you might be disappointed. It’s more about exploring Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky’s links to the mythology they are wrapped up in, whether they like it or not.
There’s a portion that seems very much a repetition of something that happened in Visions, even so that Olivia actually comments as such. It feels like Kelley is running out of plots which would be a shame as the universe is promising. I did enjoy Deceptions, but it’s not as strong as the first two books in the series, which I loved.
I missed the Matilda of the Night significance until I read the short stories in Led Astray, so I’m not sure if that was just me or if it won’t be so obvious going in. It’s a pretty important part of this third book but the myth is recapped a bit if you’re still clueless.
I was reading quite happily thinking isn’t it nice for a woman with a boyfriend to have such a close male friend with no weird love-triangle going on, but then this Matilda business throws a spanner in the works. The fact that they are reliving an ancient cycle of events suddenly brings into question whether Gabriel is something more to Olivia. The elders have explained that the same decisions aren’t made each cycle, so fate isn’t controlling them, but she doesn’t dismiss it outright.
I’m not quite sure why they’re marketing these as crime, other than that may be a more buoyant market at the moment. If you’re expecting a thrilling mystery escapade, you might be disappointed. It’s more about exploring Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky’s links to the mythology they are wrapped up in, whether they like it or not.
There’s a portion that seems very much a repetition of something that happened in Visions, even so that Olivia actually comments as such. It feels like Kelley is running out of plots which would be a shame as the universe is promising. I did enjoy Deceptions, but it’s not as strong as the first two books in the series, which I loved.