Series: Wielder World
Volume: 2/?Publisher: Self-Published/Lagomorph Press
Genre/s: MM Urban Fantasy
Length: -
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✰
Wielder, August Whalen is the owner of the Black Castle bar and a small smuggler. So when someone tosses a corpse at the back of his bar, August understands that because he is a rather imperfect citizen, hiding the dead guy from the police can end up really bad for him. The more so because the murder case involves a Wielder with a power similar to his. Therefore, the man informs the Bureau of Wielder Services about the corpse. Unfortunately, the situation becomes much more complicated and Angus is forced to join dangerous Mara Murda cult to help BWS capture the person responsible for killing the man tossed at the back of his place.
"Center of Deception" is the second novella and at the same time the second part of "Wielder World" series. The great advantage of this story is the fact that it complements the previous one, meshes with it, and they create one whole. Thus, it sheds more light on what happened before and during "Edge of Desperation", complements our knowledge of the events that took place there and the people who took part in them. What's more, the novella also pushes forward the construction of the universe in which it is embedded. Thanks to this, we learn more about the skills and abilities of people with all kinds of paranormal powers, we have the opportunity to better understand their limitations and consequences of Wielding the Nerve of the World. What is also very important is the fact that we have a better insight into the world of the series which gives us the opportunity to once again look at the incredibly interesting problems of society, which means discrepancies between women and men and the superiority of the former over others.
I think that in this novella equally interesting is the fact that it brings us closer to the Mara Murda cult, which really is the heart of this volume's story, and was a very important element of the previous one's. "Center of Deception" focuses on this topic from the beginning to the end. The reader learns more about the cult from the inside, about the principles that rule it and observes its dynamics. Thus, the cult is the second main character of this novella. The first one is August, whose history revolves around Mara Murda. I think that in this context it is also worth noting that Nat Kennedy in a pretty good way shows the trouble August gets into, how difficult it is to get out of it and how bad he feels because of it. Therefore, the way in which the cult and the man are built mush with each other, affect each other and constitute the heart of this novella.
In comparison with the previous volume, in "Center of Deception" we see much more action, which doesn't speed up our heart rate every time, but is undeniably interesting and thanks to it we can take a closer look at the paranormal side of "Wielder World" universe. It is also worth adding that this time the author decided to surprise us by introducing an unforeseen plot twist, and she really succeeded. This is all the more important because some parts of the novella coincide with what happened in the previous installment of the series. So the reader can't say that there's nothing new and fresh in "Center of Deception", as it is far from the truth. The author has made an effort to make us interested in her series and thus encourages us to reach for the next volume.
Finally, I would like to raise the subject of August himself, as he was the side character in the previous volume, and now became the lead one, so his significance in this series increased noticeably. I think that his construction is extremely interesting, because he is a positive figure, but not "crystal clear" one. I admit that I like the way he was presented in this novella, because it is thanks to it that he differs from other lead characters, from Kyle and Reggie. What has the unique charm in the case of August is the fact that he doesn't live in accordance with the law, and he engages in this whole thing with the cult not because he wants to but because he's forced to do it, but there's no doubt that he generally is a good person who adheres to certain values. As a "chivalrous thug" character, he has an irresistible charm and that's how he easily conquers the readers' hearts, which is one of his advantages.
In summary, "Center of Deception" is a novella better than the previous one, but at the same time it complements it, which certainly makes the whole series better, or at least its beginning, as that's where we are at the moment. The story is very interesting, well-written, addictive and definitely encourages us to read the next volume. I recommend it!
Headcanon: August cooks vegan dishes for Kyle once a week.
Fanfiction idea: August and Kyle on a date at the club.
AU idea: August is a loner living in the forest in a small cabin. He's a professional hunter who sells animal skins. One day, he meets a young man near his cabin, it turns out that Kyle got be lost and separated from his friends. August decides to help him, but the nearest city is far away, and he plans to go there no sooner than in a few days. Kyle have no other option than to stay with him and wait.
MOODNOARD IN PROGRESS
Thanks again for your thorough and wonderful review! I enjoyed meshing this novella with the previous one and glad you liked that and my plot twist! Yes, August would totally cook for Kyle once a week. Now I gotta slip that into book 4! Thank you again for your thoughtful review.
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