Our journey continues with Deceit, the second installment to The Light of the New World series! If you've made it to this tab, then you probably already know there could be potential spoilers for those of you who haven't read Bloodlines yet. If you find yourself in that boat, then it's recommended you return here once you've finished.
Alright, you've been warned! Here are a few reminders to get you prepared for Deceit.
So, here are a few things that happened in Bloodlines to remember. First, Francis is our villain. Not only did he plot the Robins-Port massacre, stage the attack in Servitol with Vallis, and murder the king, but he also poisoned an entire dining hall full of homeless peasants so he could use the power of their souls to resurrect a forgotten god! "But I thought Francis was the son of the Great-Hammer, a famed war hero that every Navalethian knows the story of? He's not supposed to be the bad guy!"
And then there's Alric, a war veteran trying to make a living with his best friends while dealing with the ghosts of his past. But that past has many names, one of them being Quiver, a Native prince, son to the great Nara'Sier. There's a history there yet to be uncovered, but what we do know is that their history is written and stained with blood, and it was during a time when Alric earned his title, Wolf. Speaking of ghosts...was that really Meyra we see at the end, standing there on the dock with Alric after his second visit with the mysterious Traveler? Maybe Alric's bump on the head is worse than it seemed, or maybe Meyra's return is something more, something real.
Speaking of Quiver... Talk about a welcome home party! After surviving the attack from the Howlers, a battle for survival in which a youngling named Sparrow ended up a meal for these savage beasts, Quiver comes back to his village and is met with a cold welcome. Thread, his long-term friend and complicated love interest, was pleased to see him, but Elder Roku was not. After a trial, Quiver is banished from his village, leaving Thread and the rest of the villagers to their ill fated night when suddenly the Howlers reappear. After leaving with both Rasca and Masco, Quiver intends to journey through Navaleth to a place called the Crooked Tooth, the same place our other characters seem to be headed, where he will be reunited with a brother he thought long dead.
Hot-tempered and ready to explore the world, Trevor survives the attack in Robins-Port only to find death and fire on his heels all the way to Servitol. Before that, however, he discovers that his uncle Dodge has been lying about his biological parents, that his father actually murdered his mother! As mentioned from Tom in a brief conversation, Trevor's bloodline is poisoned by his father's actions, which means he cannot sire any children. Not that it bothered him much, given the only future he saw was with Sarah, who has been nothing but distant ever since they escaped Robins-Port together. Moving forward, it appears that Trevor is also left to endure his childhood tormentor, Warren, the boy he blames wholeheartedly for Tom's death during their escape from Servitol.
Finally, what is happening to Sarah? After her near escape from Robins-Port, she's hearing a woman's voice beckoning to her, relaying a strange message beyond her understanding. Not only is she suffering from a memory of being lost in a dark tunnel, as well as what horrific event came during that, but she's starting to see things differently. The first time was when Benny ventured into her mind. Sarah envisioned herself standing on a cliff overlooking a plain of destruction when a dark phantom came from the shadows, a hooded figure that spoke in the cold voice of death. Then again at the Great-Hammer Inn when she, Dodge, Alric and Benny met up with Harvin, Destro, and Marcus Gorman. Just before leaving the tavern, Sarah noticed Marcus's eyes were pure black, but only for a brief moment. Aside from all of this, she is Benny's niece? What!? And what's in the letter she tossed into the fire at the cabin? What was written in her mother's letter that was so important to bring to the king?
Alright, now that the recap is over, it's time to get down to what Deceit offers.
Well, plainly put, it picks up RIGHT after the events of Bloodlines, and I'm happy to say that the events previously noted above are not forgotten. Answers will come, though, like everything else, they will bring more questions. As stated previously, these are mere threads in a complex web of an ongoing plot. Also, the editing process for this book was much more intense than Bloodlines, which will minimize distractions from both grammatical and formatting mistakes.
Bloodlines offered a lot of characters, but Deceit brings secondary roles to light. We know the Brotherhood, but do we actually know the Brotherhood? It's time to uncover the other members of the gang, to see what makes them tick. Baron isn't just an arachnophobe, just as Garth and Merrick aren't just archers. There's more to each and every member, as we will soon discover.
Speaking of characters--THERE ARE MORE! One in particular has been invited as a new POV (which, in hindsight, is the reason why this book is a bit longer than its predecessor). You all know the name Vallis, but you still don't know who he is or why he's working with Francis. Aside from that, we get to meet the Dukes of Navaleth, along with some big-baddies only briefly mentioned through the first book but who we've never seen on stage.
It's fair to say that Deceit's pacing is similar to Bloodlines, but you don't feel the same drag as when you first divulged into the characterization and world building before. We're invested in our characters now, and we have a genuine sense of where our characters are, so what's happening to them now, and how, matters greatly. If you find yourself in a lull, just think of it as the rollercoaster climbing to the top where you'll soon plummet to the ground on the other side.
Lastly, before you make your decision to continue the journey you've stumbled into, if there's one thing that's guaranteed about this novel, it's that, like Bloodlines, the story will live up to its title. Deceit is all about... Well, finding out who the real deceivers are, as well as how our characters are being deceived.
You can read a full synopsis under the Book tab, as well as follow-up with reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon! If there are specific questions you have about the book, feel free to email me through the Contact tab. I would love to hear from you!
All purchases can also be made from the Book tab.
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