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carter1315's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katbenimble's review
3.0
3.5 stars rounded to 3
This book had some interesting twists and turns. It did make me cry a couple of times when Z-man was talking about how much it cost to get a hoverchair for his daughter! I thought Malgus was a pretty good copy of Darth Vader... but Aryn was written really well. And I'm glad she didn't turn to the dark side.
This book had some interesting twists and turns. It did make me cry a couple of times when Z-man was talking about how much it cost to get a hoverchair for his daughter! I thought Malgus was a pretty good copy of Darth Vader... but Aryn was written really well. And I'm glad she didn't turn to the dark side.
madoc_mattox's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
The ability to create a character both filled with hate and anger as well as love and compassion that makes sense is difficult. This author did that twice. I really enjoyed this exploration of the Dark side. These pre-episode 1 books I wish were separatists and not the Empire but other than that, it's great.
rachelguthro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
reythaen's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dsullivan's review
This book was so bad I couldn't finish it. After reading about one third of the book, I decided not to put myself through the embarrassment of reading it any further. For a sense of closure, I looked up the full plot online. Knowing what happens in the rest of the book, I have no regrets about not finishing it.
The author will describe a scene and then immediately provide an exhaustive list of what that description means. For example, he might say there were people running around a hospital, then list doctors, nurses, surgeons, injured and family of the injured. It's redundant and laborious.
Characters are not consistent from one second to the next. One character can't find it within herself to lie to another, then a paragraph or two later she lying to them. A leader tells two of his subordinates to leave the room, then calls to one of them on their way out and tells him something meant for both of the subordinates to hear. Not only that, when they start to leave again, he tells the other subordinate to stay.
Both of these types of annoyances may be forgivable from time to time, but they start becoming unbearable when they happen so often. Additionally, I found some of the dialog to be corny, descriptions out of place in the Star Wars universe, and the author seems to have something against the use of contractions.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that even if the writing was perfect, the plot would still be ridiculous.
The author will describe a scene and then immediately provide an exhaustive list of what that description means. For example, he might say there were people running around a hospital, then list doctors, nurses, surgeons, injured and family of the injured. It's redundant and laborious.
Characters are not consistent from one second to the next. One character can't find it within herself to lie to another, then a paragraph or two later she lying to them. A leader tells two of his subordinates to leave the room, then calls to one of them on their way out and tells him something meant for both of the subordinates to hear. Not only that, when they start to leave again, he tells the other subordinate to stay.
Both of these types of annoyances may be forgivable from time to time, but they start becoming unbearable when they happen so often. Additionally, I found some of the dialog to be corny, descriptions out of place in the Star Wars universe, and the author seems to have something against the use of contractions.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that even if the writing was perfect, the plot would still be ridiculous.
ftedatchley's review
2.0
Deceived is based on the popular online game Star Wars : The Old Republic. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is set in the Star Wars universe thousands of years before Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star, but pays great tribute to the movies. There are Jedi and Sith, Smugglers and Bounty Hunters fighting for freedom or power.
I enjoyed the novel (and thank you to the friend who gifted it to me) but I would only give it two stars.
The story of Decieved centers around one of the iconic events potrayed in the game’s trailer – the sacking of the Jedi Temple. This is actually one of the books primary faults for me. For as talented a writer as Mr. Kemp is, I’ve already seem this battle portrayed in with stunning visual effects in the game’s trailer. I skimmed the scenes that described the battle. I already had a clear vision in my mind. Now, if you aren’t familiar with the game or if you hadn’t seen the trailer, his descriptions of the battle are quite vivid even if he does use the word crosscut far too often.
What Mr. Kemp attempts to do is a Paul Harvey like ‘rest of the story’. Here is another place the novel threw me. The title and cover art all show the Sith (evil Jedi) who sacked the Jedi Temple, yet the novel opens with a smuggler on a smuggling run. Eventually, it all comes together, but when I first picked up the book, I had to do a double take. It didn’t make any sense. I didn’t know who this person was or what he had to do with the attack on the Temple.
Eventually, you meet the main four protagonists, and here again I think the link to the game hurt the novel. It almost felt like the author was pressured to include specific classes from the game to help market them. “Here, we will put Vrath in the story for the Imperial Agent players.”
Another element that threw me out of the story was Mr. Kemp uses some odd descriptions, almost like he’s trying to hard. For example, “A yawn escaped past his teeth.” I would have to stop and reread.
The book suffers from something of a muddled middle, and I had to fight to stay with it. The last quarter is the best part. The four characters come together and each changes and learns from their encounters. I was even a bit surprised by part of the ending (though another part I could see coming from a parsec away).
There are other books also set in the universe, but I think if I’m going to consume a story from Star Wars the Old Republic, I’m going to play the online game rather than read a novel.
I enjoyed the novel (and thank you to the friend who gifted it to me) but I would only give it two stars.
The story of Decieved centers around one of the iconic events potrayed in the game’s trailer – the sacking of the Jedi Temple. This is actually one of the books primary faults for me. For as talented a writer as Mr. Kemp is, I’ve already seem this battle portrayed in with stunning visual effects in the game’s trailer. I skimmed the scenes that described the battle. I already had a clear vision in my mind. Now, if you aren’t familiar with the game or if you hadn’t seen the trailer, his descriptions of the battle are quite vivid even if he does use the word crosscut far too often.
What Mr. Kemp attempts to do is a Paul Harvey like ‘rest of the story’. Here is another place the novel threw me. The title and cover art all show the Sith (evil Jedi) who sacked the Jedi Temple, yet the novel opens with a smuggler on a smuggling run. Eventually, it all comes together, but when I first picked up the book, I had to do a double take. It didn’t make any sense. I didn’t know who this person was or what he had to do with the attack on the Temple.
Eventually, you meet the main four protagonists, and here again I think the link to the game hurt the novel. It almost felt like the author was pressured to include specific classes from the game to help market them. “Here, we will put Vrath in the story for the Imperial Agent players.”
Another element that threw me out of the story was Mr. Kemp uses some odd descriptions, almost like he’s trying to hard. For example, “A yawn escaped past his teeth.” I would have to stop and reread.
The book suffers from something of a muddled middle, and I had to fight to stay with it. The last quarter is the best part. The four characters come together and each changes and learns from their encounters. I was even a bit surprised by part of the ending (though another part I could see coming from a parsec away).
There are other books also set in the universe, but I think if I’m going to consume a story from Star Wars the Old Republic, I’m going to play the online game rather than read a novel.
jecamp86's review
4.0
Very interesting view of the dark side in this book. Also seemed like a lot of treachery involved. Great read
ncalv05's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
ktonalderaan's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The beginning of this book took a little while to draw me in, honestly. Once everything had been laid out, however, it was excellent. That twist at the end really shocked me and was one of the most exhilarating moments I've encountered in a book. The characters and the drama are all so incredibly well-written, too. Fantastic work.