Cover Image: Lords of Deception

Lords of Deception

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Member Reviews

In a typical me fashion, Lords of Deception sat on my shelf for too long before I got around to it. This is an engaging and intricate novel, with multiple threads weaving together to form complex relationships and intertwining plot-lines.

It took me a little while to get into the book. There are a lot of names and places introduced in quick succession. Each chapter – to start with – follows a new character and it’s tricky to work out where friendships, allegiances and rivalries lie. I started each chapter going “…and you are?”

However, once you start to figure it out, and some of the story-arcs start to cotogether, it’s an enjoyable read. It’s one big mystery – who are the assassins? – wrapped up in court etiquette, power-grabs and characters who’d like to be left alone but aren’t given the choice.

Arthan is his father’s heir, but doesn’t expect to come to power so quickly when his father is murdered. Thrust into a world of politics and lies, Arthan must prove he is truly his father’s son and try and keep the peace. He’s an instantly likeable character; he wants to prove himself and is eager to learn. He has genuine relationships with those around him and is one of the few honest characters in the book.

I’d put Arthan in position as the central character, although there are numerous who all play their part to varying degrees. Arthan shows the most character development though; the man at the end of the book is not the boy who started it.

In terms of intrigue, Arasemis is the forgotten son of a noble family, believing it is his destiny to change the fate of the world through the use of his carefully selected and highly trained team. Several sides to Arasemis are shown, making it harder to see who the real man is.

There are characters you like (Millie, a princess who spends her time thieving), and characters you don’t (Fetzer, a pompous arrogant man who believes he’s better than anyone else). But it’s clear who you’re supposed to root for.

The plot is complicated. The changing narration slows the pace down and does cut through some of the tension (it’s hard to have good and bad guys when you get to know both sides). However, once I’d figured out who was who, I was drawn in and engaged with the fights and their unexpected surprises. There’s no guarantee who will survive, making it a gripping and suspenseful read.

The alchemy adds a refreshing hint of “magic” to the book. You can’t trust everything is as it seems, as weapons have extra flourishes and armour can be made to do the impossible. I love that there is still more to explore here.

Lords of Deception is a solid read. Politics dominate at times, but the settings, characters, and hints towards magic/alchemy effectively draw you in. I’m intrigued by how the series is going to play out and am looking forward to more.

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An exciting reader's hook commences a compelling epic fantasy. A medieval type setting offers scope for thrilling action, adventure, and character development. As a rogue scholar determines to change the march of history, a young nobleman of integrity navigates politics and weaknesses of those in power.

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Unreadable

I simply could not read this. If it were a later book in a long series I might think that the problem is that I did not know enough about the world being discussed. But this is a debut.

Especially in the early chapters, Mr. Fuchs conveys nearly every single thing through dialog between people we don't know, about things we know nothing about. There is almost no factual scene setting, no political background, and very little that established the relationship between characters. And for some reason I found people's names irritating. This book was not for me.

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This book (I had an ARC) was really well written - I enjoyed it a lot. It describes a crumbling kingdom on the brink of war with its neighbours, as the nobles beneath the king jockey for position and shadowy powers scheme to bring everything crashing down. The narration rotates through the characters with each chapter (a bit like the style of Game of Thrones) and cleverly reveals the plot as this characters experience it. The story is pacy and I found it hard to put down. Can’t wait for book two.

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You can get bad books, average books, good books and then there are books you wish you could wipe from your memory so that you can relive the experience of reading it for the first time again. This is one of those books!

Lords of Deception – An Earthpillar Novel is set in a medieval fantasy setting with a weak king and nobles struggle to remain loyal. The chapters are given in characters points of views, which as always helps the reader get a better understanding and connection. The plot is unique and moves at a great pace, (can't say more without giving away spoilers), the characters themselves are fascinating and relatable. It is refreshing to get a book in which you have a warrior scholar in the one vessel as I'm used to so many books having either one or the other. I cant wait till the next installment, and this series is my new obsession.. Christopher C. Fuchs.....write faster!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Loremark Publishing for this electronic advanced readers copy of this novel in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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This tale was quite intriguing. It's been a while since I've read a medieval-like high fantasy novel. I also liked the idea of Arasemis being a warrior-scholar. Usually, a character is designed to be one or the other. I found all the characters to be intriguing and I loved that it jumped from one character to another. I prefer to be able to capture the story from multiple perspectives, so I love being able to follow different characters!

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I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the sequel. Characters are well developed and plot moves quickly. The plot was unique.

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