Shadow of Deception by Lucy Smoke – A Book Review

Posted March 31, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Dystopian, Reverse Harem, Reviews, Sci-Fi / 1 Comment

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Shadow of Deception

(The Sky Cities – Book 2)

by Lucy Smoke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Slow Burn RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

Explosive and emotionally complex, this book continues the riveting journey Cassie and her guys are taking, quite literally, through the sky. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

Nothing is what it seems…

Basra is the eternal city—A paradise filled with relics of the old world. But whispers on the wind speak of destitution and hopelessness. There’s decay beneath the city’s surface.

And paradise is filled with lies and deceit…

As an ambassador for Tartarus, it’s my duty to bridge the gap between us and the other cities. We need these alliances now more than ever. Duty or not, I will seek out the truth of Basra.

Or die trying.

Thoughts on Shadow of Deception

Things are moving at a fairly quick pace for Cassie, especially after the heartbreaking events in Book 1. She is slowly recovering, and thankfully, Lucy Smoke offers a truly respectful look at grief and what it can do to a soul. Some books, no matter how well written, treat grief and the aftermath as a simple plot point – a crutch to move a character forward, not the defining and brutal moment it truly is.

Here, Cassie suffers and feels the full ramifications of grief and sorrow. It doesn’t take over the narrative, nor become the singular focus of the pages – but there is a certain respect and reverence to the progress, an awareness that events of loss will change a person, forever. I appreciated that .

As for everything else, the story is moving and exciting – offering up a complicated plot that delves into the dark underbelly of a pristine sky city, and all the machinations you know it hides.

Favorite Line

“The road away from home is not so pristine as you might think,” he says. “It’s always sad when one leaves home. No matter how much you hate it.” (6%)

Pros:

Well written.
Complex and woven.
Grief is respectfully expressed and shown truthfully – everyone suffers grief differently and there is no true timeline.
The emotional aspect to the relationships are growing.

Cons:

Sometimes the interaction between the characters feels like it jumped in place.

Perspective

First Person with limited Multiple POV

Ending Type

Cliffhanger

Rating

Upper YA to Adult

Romantic Dynamic

MMMMMF

Character Age Range

Adult

My Final Verdict on Shadow of Deception

Slamming both into emotional upheaval and machination based, this Dystopian Sci-Fi pokes at all the right parts, while still thrilling the heart with a complex romance simmering in the background. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Published October 1st, 2018
274 Pages