A review by iamivan91tx
Deviation by Heather Hildenbrand

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

The Clone Chronicles trilogy continues with Deviation. It is the story of Ven, an Imitation. In the book’s world, Imitations are clones meant to serve a variety of roles, like posing as their Authentics. Ven’s Authentic is Raven Rogen, the daughter of a rich and powerful businessman. This man, Titus, deployed Ven after his daughter suffered repeated kidnapping attempts. Ven's goal was to draw out the attackers so Titus could apprehend them. It wasn’t long before Ven learned stuff that completely changed her worldview. 

After a few weeks of posing as Raven, Ven found out that Titus isn’t the man she thought he was. It turns out that the kidnapping attempts on Raven were part of a rescue effort. Daniel Ryan, Raven’s boyfriend, tells Ven about Titus’s true goals with the Imitations. As their creator, he has nefarious plans they can help him achieve. This surprised me a little bit. Given the first book’s synopsis, I thought the general public (or at least wealthy people) would know about Imitations. No one does except some of Titus’s most trusted allies. 

Ven, who already realized she wasn’t the obedient clone that Titus wanted, didn’t take much convincing to oppose him. At the end of Imitation, Ven met with Morton, an Imitation freedom fighter. Ven was hoping they wanted to free her, too. To her slight disappointment, Morton told Ven he wants her as a spy. Since she’s close to Titus, Ven is well-positioned to take him down from the inside. Ven is too decent to refuse helping Morton. This was revealing of her character. Raven Rogen wouldn’t have accepted the request without protesting or asking for something in return. 

In the previous book, Titus discovered that Daniel was stealing his Imitations. The latter is now imprisoned at Rogen Tower for questioning. To avoid public suspicion, Titus released an Imitation of Daniel, called Neil. He seems a lot more of a novice than Ven. She’s not sure whether she can trust Neil with her plans, though. Neil plays his role as best as he can, with guidance from Ven and Linc (Ven’s bodyguard/boyfriend). It’s anyone’s guess whether Neil is on Titus’s or Ven’s side. 

A new character joins Ven’s circle of trust. He’s Obadiah, the son of a powerful politician. Ven feels drawn to him because he reminds her of Ida, a close friend. Ven feels she can trust Obadiah to help him with the Imitations. He turns out to be an excellent ally. Obadiah and his father have the power to help Ven take down Titus. Ven is also thrilled when she finds that Obadiah shares many traits with Ida. They’re both sprightly and optimistic. And yes, this is for a reason, as Ven soon discovers. 

Linc also proves himself invaluable. It’s convenient for Ven to have a bodyguard who won’t report her “transgressions” to Titus. At first, Ven and Linc didn’t seem like they’d end up together. Linc honestly believed Ven was the real Raven Rogen, so he saw her as shallow and uppity. Once Linc got to know Ven, he started falling in love. Ven fell for him as well, in part because he takes her on motorcycle rides. She’d never been on one before and enjoyed it. Ven also appreciates that Linc sees her as an individual, not as a worthless copy of someone else. 

From a few reviews I’ve read, some readers felt that Deviation was only build-up for book three. I don’t see why they would think that. More than enough stuff happens for Deviation to merit its own book. Ven must forge alliances and find ways to bring Titus down. She must also come into her own as a leader. The other Imitations look up to Ven, even though she’s no more special than any of them. I kept reading to see whether Ven would succeed. She’s a great protagonist, a girl you become invested in. There’s no way I’m skipping the last book. Although this isn’t my favorite sci-fi series, it’s still excellent.

My rating: ★★★★

4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!