3 out of 4 stars
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Guardian of Deceit is a work of literary fiction written by William H. Coles. Coles has received critical acclaim for his character-based style of writing and mastery of character development in this novel and other writings throughout his literary career. Coles style is based on his belief that what happens in the plot is determined by the actions of the characters. So, in typical Coles style, Guardian of Deceit has the elements of drama, romance, crime, action, mystery, and more, all resulting from the development of the characters in the book.
Guardian of Deceit is the story of Darwin Hastings. The story begins a little more than five years after the death of his parents. Darwin is a junior in high school and is sent to live with his cousin Luther, who happens to be a star player in the NFL and is now Darwin’s legal guardian. By all appearances, Luther seems to be living a charmed life as one of the most talented and highest paid athlete’s in the world. However, as Darwin soon learns, appearances can be quite deceiving.
Despite the apparent luxury of the mansion on the affluent suburban street, Darwin found himself in a cold and silent place where everybody’s behavior was guarded and secretive. Despite his circumstances and the obstacles presented along the way, Darwin remains focused on his goal of becoming a successful doctor. At the same time, he earns the trust, confidence, respect, and love of everybody in the house and, in fact, everybody in his life.
Meanwhile, Luther’s life began spinning out of control mostly due to his gambling addiction and substance abuse. Darwin, being the most responsible and sensible in the story, emerges as the leader, while remaining true to himself and achieving his goals. Darwin Hastings is an excellent example of Coles’ literary style, as his character develops through his actions and reactions to situations he faces in life. In other words, Coles uses Darwin’s behavior throughout the story to develop and reveal his true character.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars3. I enjoyed reading this book. The story is well-written, exciting, and entertaining. In true Coles style, the story is full of interesting characters, most of whom are not really who they appear to be because they are all hiding their true emotions and feelings. It is interesting to discover the characters’ true personalities. The only reason I did not give the book four stars is because of some editing errors I noticed while reading.
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Guardian of Deceit
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