Review by Disquisitive -- Guardian of Deceit
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Disquisitive
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Review by Disquisitive -- Guardian of Deceit
[Following is a volunteer review of "Guardian of Deceit" by William H. Coles.]
Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles is a fast-paced and exciting fiction book. The main character Darwin Hastings is a teenager who goes to live with his cousin Luther, a famous football player, after Luther becomes appointed as his guardian. The beautiful exterior of the house gives Darwin no warning as to the dysfunctional situation inside. He quickly discovers that his cousin is morally bankrupt and that the others residing in the house have their own agendas. Darwin is interested in a career in medicine, and a nearby physician takes Darwin under his wing to mentor him. But things get complicated quickly after the physician invites Darwin over to dinner to meet his family. Throughout this book, Darwin has to find a path for his future while caught between the often conflicting wishes of his guardian Luther, the others in the household, and the physician's family.
During the course of this book, a few pieces of artwork featuring specific scenes are depicted. Additionally, chapter headings display an icon indicating a hint of what is to come. These features add a beautiful extra touch to the reading experience.
What I liked most about this book was the high level of excitement and drama. I admit that going into the book from reading the blurb, I was a little sceptical that any writer could hold the reader's interest with a story essentially involving people living in a house. My misgivings were completely laid to rest by the compelling writing of author William H. Coles. As I read this book, I felt as if I was on Darwin's journey with him, encountering celebrities, dealing with moral dilemmas, driving fast cars, and more. The book was so much more than a group of people in a house! The author does not dwell on the parts of Darwin's story where nothing much happens. Frequently, paragraphs commence with "A few weeks later..." or "A month later...", with the result that the reader is exposed only to the parts of the story which have a bearing on the plot and the ongoing drama. Another thing I liked about this book was that the author has the reader rooting for the main character from the first page of the book. Darwin is a very likeable character who has to navigate some difficult choices and does so with aplomb. While there is a lot of excitement in this book, it also tackles some serious topics. In particular, the author explores the topic of class both in terms of social prominence and in terms of money.
What I disliked most about this book was the poor level of physical description of the characters. No character has their appearance described in any detail: usually only hair colour or eye colour is mentioned and nothing more, if even that much. The apparel worn by the characters is often described a little more than how the characters looked. I struggled to envisage Darwin and many of the other characters. The lack of physical descriptions is not a major criticism and may not matter much to readers who prefer to make up their own minds how a character looks. After all, much of the drama in this book is driven by people’s personalities and not their looks.
Readers who enjoy watching movies in the drama genre will be certain to enjoy the book Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles. It has everything: celebrities, intrigue, death, action, moral dilemmas, and much more. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of its ability to hold anyone's interest and its professional level of editing. Another factor contributing to this rating is that the characters always act consistently within their own motivations. The excitement that occurs does not appear contrived in any way by the author but instead flows naturally out of the personalities and desires of the characters. In conclusion, this book has a wide appeal and does an outstanding job of holding the reader's interest.
******
Guardian of Deceit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles is a fast-paced and exciting fiction book. The main character Darwin Hastings is a teenager who goes to live with his cousin Luther, a famous football player, after Luther becomes appointed as his guardian. The beautiful exterior of the house gives Darwin no warning as to the dysfunctional situation inside. He quickly discovers that his cousin is morally bankrupt and that the others residing in the house have their own agendas. Darwin is interested in a career in medicine, and a nearby physician takes Darwin under his wing to mentor him. But things get complicated quickly after the physician invites Darwin over to dinner to meet his family. Throughout this book, Darwin has to find a path for his future while caught between the often conflicting wishes of his guardian Luther, the others in the household, and the physician's family.
During the course of this book, a few pieces of artwork featuring specific scenes are depicted. Additionally, chapter headings display an icon indicating a hint of what is to come. These features add a beautiful extra touch to the reading experience.
What I liked most about this book was the high level of excitement and drama. I admit that going into the book from reading the blurb, I was a little sceptical that any writer could hold the reader's interest with a story essentially involving people living in a house. My misgivings were completely laid to rest by the compelling writing of author William H. Coles. As I read this book, I felt as if I was on Darwin's journey with him, encountering celebrities, dealing with moral dilemmas, driving fast cars, and more. The book was so much more than a group of people in a house! The author does not dwell on the parts of Darwin's story where nothing much happens. Frequently, paragraphs commence with "A few weeks later..." or "A month later...", with the result that the reader is exposed only to the parts of the story which have a bearing on the plot and the ongoing drama. Another thing I liked about this book was that the author has the reader rooting for the main character from the first page of the book. Darwin is a very likeable character who has to navigate some difficult choices and does so with aplomb. While there is a lot of excitement in this book, it also tackles some serious topics. In particular, the author explores the topic of class both in terms of social prominence and in terms of money.
What I disliked most about this book was the poor level of physical description of the characters. No character has their appearance described in any detail: usually only hair colour or eye colour is mentioned and nothing more, if even that much. The apparel worn by the characters is often described a little more than how the characters looked. I struggled to envisage Darwin and many of the other characters. The lack of physical descriptions is not a major criticism and may not matter much to readers who prefer to make up their own minds how a character looks. After all, much of the drama in this book is driven by people’s personalities and not their looks.
Readers who enjoy watching movies in the drama genre will be certain to enjoy the book Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles. It has everything: celebrities, intrigue, death, action, moral dilemmas, and much more. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of its ability to hold anyone's interest and its professional level of editing. Another factor contributing to this rating is that the characters always act consistently within their own motivations. The excitement that occurs does not appear contrived in any way by the author but instead flows naturally out of the personalities and desires of the characters. In conclusion, this book has a wide appeal and does an outstanding job of holding the reader's interest.
******
Guardian of Deceit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy
