Early Review--Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong

Olivia Taylor Jones's life has exploded. She's discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town's mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé.

Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Kelley Armstrong is one amazing writer!! Her Cainsville series only continues to prove that by getting better and better with each and every book! It's definitely way different from her Otherworld series, as I've said in past reviews, but it's still a marvelous and enthralling tale just the same!

Deceptions is the third book in the series, and unlike her Otherworld series, you have to read this series in order from the beginning or else you're going to miss so much! It's like missing an episode of LOST and then, trying to pick up in the middle and being totally lost! This series is very intricate and detailed. There's so many things to it that are hard to explain, but yet, as you're reading the book, it makes total sense and is easy to absorb. Though, trying to explain that to others, not as easy!

For now, I believe Olivia's end game is to see her birth parents set free. She and Gabriel have already established that one couple they supposedly murdered, wasn't actually committed by them. Olivia and Gabriel will have to continue to look into every detail of her parents' past crimes. 

In the meantime, we still see bits of Cainsville and the fae that live there. There's also more digging into the story, Matilda the Crone and how it connects to Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky. I still find myself a bit confused with the events concerning the fae and how it all pieces together, I'd like to say that I'm understanding it, but not completely. Again, it's one of those things I can grasp when reading, but turning around to explain to others leaves me at a loss for words. Just know that there are great threads of mythology regarding the fae in this one and that it's enjoyable! I especially like seeing the connections of the old tales to Olivia's current predicaments.

Things get really intense with this one. As we started to see in Visions, Olivia's ex-fiance, James, is turning into an obsessed stalker. We get to see more of that and it has a decidedly dangerous outcome that leaves Olivia, Gabriel, and even Ricky in hot water.

Speaking of Ricky, we also see his relationship with Olivia continue to grow. I find I really like these two together. Though, there does seem to be a possible, sorta love triangle going on when it comes to Gabriel and Olivia as well. But Gabriel is still his stoic self and I just can't see them together. Again, the possibility of a relationship doesn't mean there will be. There's also possible reasons for it that go back to the fae lore. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of this in further books to come. And though romance doesn't play a huge role in this series, I do like seeing bits and pieces of it. It has an interesting effect on Olivia and Ricky's lives.

We also continue to get an occasional chapter that comes in Gabriel, Ricky, or another character's point of view. These are always interesting chapters, I think, because they give you new perspectives on the going ons of things. It's not just seeing the world through Gabriel's eyes or learning what he's thinking, which is nice since he's such a frustratingly, mysterious guy, but we also see the plot in a new way. You'll see a bit of the story with new eyes and gain a better understanding of it. And I really like that!

I also liked that the title itself played a bit of a role in this one. Olivia's visions continue to happen and there are times when we are deceived by what's happening. The visions happen so seamlessly that one moment Olivia is in the present and the next, she turns and suddenly finds herself in a vision. Being able to tell vision from reality becomes a struggle, and hence the deception! A very nice play on words and title choices!

Cainsville is truly one of the most unique series I've ever read! It's mysterious and creepy, fascinating and exciting! There's a lot of details woven into the pages and plot. I'm astounded as I read every word. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. And when I try to describe it too myself, I can't get much past mysterious and enthralling, because it is those things to the depths of their core! If you haven't started this series yet, than I once again, cannot recommend reading Omens, the first book, enough! It's truly one of the best series I've read!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars


Deceptions releases August 18, 2015