Review by nic_75 -- Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles
-
nic_75
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 08 Dec 2019, 16:09
- Favorite Book: The Cult Next Door
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 12
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nic-75.html
- Latest Review: Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles
Review by nic_75 -- Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles
[Following is a volunteer review of "Guardian of Deceit" by William H. Coles.]
Guardians of Deceit by William H. Coles is an engaging and fun read. The story centers on the changing life of Darwin, a teenager sent from Pittsburgh to live with his football star uncle in New York. Luther, Darwin’s uncle, lives a lavish, egotistical, and inappropriate lifestyle. A regular womanizer, abuser, drug user, and gambler, Luther cares only about himself, and he makes sure everyone, including Darwin, knows that. As the story unfolds, readers are introduced to several characters, plot lines, and plot twists. The pace of the story will have readers moving steadily through action while looking forward to discovering the resolutions of conflicts.
There are times when the continually alternating characters and twists in the story begin to feel a bit like a soap-opera. This overstimulation might leave some readers feeling like the depth of some characters was sacrificed to maintain the fast momentum of an ever-evolving storyline. Overall, I felt the development of the supporting characters to be sufficient. I was impressed with the author’s dedication to the continual development of Darwin, and his attention to world-building.
I will say, I found myself wishing that Coles had written this story across two books. I would have been more satisfied with a deeper exploration of Darwin in his teen years, enabling me to really become invested in him and some main supporting characters. A second book would have allowed readers to revisit Darwin in his young adult years and take a more compelling journey into his development through medical school. Though, the ending leaves room for a sequel. If there is a follow-up book, I hope Coles takes the time to go a little deeper with each character, and not focus quite so much on overloading the storyline.
There were a few places throughout where I noticed misspellings and incorrect tenses. In general, those editorial mistakes did not detract from my overall enjoyment. However, such mistakes threaten to be a distraction for some readers, especially because there is so much going on within the story. Fast-paced stories that expect the reader to keep up and remain invested have an added burden of needing to be close to perfect editorially.
Not quite a mystery, not a full crime drama, more than a coming of age story, Guardians of Deceit is difficult to classify. It truly has a little bit of everything and should appeal to fans of each of those categories, especially readers who love a good drama spiced up with intrigue! Overall, this book will leave readers feeling satisfied and looking for more work by Coles. Because of some editing errors, not because of the story itself, I rate this story 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Guardian of Deceit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Guardians of Deceit by William H. Coles is an engaging and fun read. The story centers on the changing life of Darwin, a teenager sent from Pittsburgh to live with his football star uncle in New York. Luther, Darwin’s uncle, lives a lavish, egotistical, and inappropriate lifestyle. A regular womanizer, abuser, drug user, and gambler, Luther cares only about himself, and he makes sure everyone, including Darwin, knows that. As the story unfolds, readers are introduced to several characters, plot lines, and plot twists. The pace of the story will have readers moving steadily through action while looking forward to discovering the resolutions of conflicts.
There are times when the continually alternating characters and twists in the story begin to feel a bit like a soap-opera. This overstimulation might leave some readers feeling like the depth of some characters was sacrificed to maintain the fast momentum of an ever-evolving storyline. Overall, I felt the development of the supporting characters to be sufficient. I was impressed with the author’s dedication to the continual development of Darwin, and his attention to world-building.
I will say, I found myself wishing that Coles had written this story across two books. I would have been more satisfied with a deeper exploration of Darwin in his teen years, enabling me to really become invested in him and some main supporting characters. A second book would have allowed readers to revisit Darwin in his young adult years and take a more compelling journey into his development through medical school. Though, the ending leaves room for a sequel. If there is a follow-up book, I hope Coles takes the time to go a little deeper with each character, and not focus quite so much on overloading the storyline.
There were a few places throughout where I noticed misspellings and incorrect tenses. In general, those editorial mistakes did not detract from my overall enjoyment. However, such mistakes threaten to be a distraction for some readers, especially because there is so much going on within the story. Fast-paced stories that expect the reader to keep up and remain invested have an added burden of needing to be close to perfect editorially.
Not quite a mystery, not a full crime drama, more than a coming of age story, Guardians of Deceit is difficult to classify. It truly has a little bit of everything and should appeal to fans of each of those categories, especially readers who love a good drama spiced up with intrigue! Overall, this book will leave readers feeling satisfied and looking for more work by Coles. Because of some editing errors, not because of the story itself, I rate this story 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Guardian of Deceit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles
