Rating: 
Summary: Dynamite Dark Fantasy. Suspenseful, Intriguing, Ingenious!
Review: "Laws of the Blood: Deceptions" is my first Susan Sizemore novel ever, and though I came in on #4 of the series, it was surprisingly easy to become engrossed in this dark and seductive world of vampires. "Deceptions" is a gripping tale peppered with sporadic and brutal violence, smart writing, wit, humour, and some kick butt characters! I must add, however, that the story seemed a bit slow to get going, though this may be a byproduct of my coming in on the 4th book in the series. But once the story did get going, I couldn't put the book down. Upon reflection, I think I would enjoy the first hundred pages much more a second time around."Deceptions" tells the story of Olympias, an immensely powerful vampire who has long reigned as the Enforcer of Washington D.C. She was once the wife of Phillip of Macedon and mother of Alexander the Great, and her age can be measured in millennia. But Olympias is in for some trouble. A gifted psychic and his team working on a top secret government project are on the verge of discovering the existence of vampires, and it's Olympias's job to make sure they don't. Which normally would be a simple enough matter, only she has fallen in love with the leader of the project, military man Mike Falconer. To make matters worse, Mike is the very same man that one of the baby vampires in the area has chosen for her companion. Add in Olympias's human servant, Sara, questioning her master's choices and becoming dangerously preoccupied with a suicidal vampire, and things are starting to get uncomfortable for Olympias. And into this scene rife with unrest has walked a very dangerous man, Roger Bentencourt. He's the companion of one of the local nest leaders and he bears a deadly grudge against Olympias. Determined to bring about Olympias's destruction, he'll use every problem and frustration to his own advantage. And while Olympias is preoccupied by her complicated romance with Mike Falconer and dealing with a dozen situations begging for her attention, Bentencourt may just succeed! "Deceptions" is fast-paced, exciting, and entertaining. The characters are strong and well developed and I really grew to like both Olympias and Falconer. Olympias's much-loved hellhound, is wonderful, and is one of my favourite characters! This book is not for the faint of heart, but Sizemore has created a fascinating and original society of vampires, known as the Strigoi in this series, that vampire fiction and fantasy fans will NOT want to miss. "Deceptions" is compelling, riveting, and sometimes shocking fare, and I, for one, loved it. I'd like to see Olympias get a second book, as she most certainly deserves, if not demands one! So read this book, it comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Dynamite Dark Fantasy. Suspenseful, Intriguing, Ingenious!
Review: "Laws of the Blood: Deceptions" is my first Susan Sizemore novel ever, and though I came in on #4 of the series, it was surprisingly easy to become engrossed in this dark and seductive world of vampires. "Deceptions" is a gripping tale peppered with sporadic and brutal violence, smart writing, wit, humour, and some kick butt characters! I must add, however, that the story seemed a bit slow to get going, though this may be a byproduct of my coming in on the 4th book in the series. But once the story did get going, I couldn't put the book down. Upon reflection, I think I would enjoy the first hundred pages much more a second time around. "Deceptions" tells the story of Olympias, an immensely powerful vampire who has long reigned as the Enforcer of Washington D.C. She was once the wife of Phillip of Macedon and mother of Alexander the Great, and her age can be measured in millennia. But Olympias is in for some trouble. A gifted psychic and his team working on a top secret government project are on the verge of discovering the existence of vampires, and it's Olympias's job to make sure they don't. Which normally would be a simple enough matter, only she has fallen in love with the leader of the project, military man Mike Falconer. To make matters worse, Mike is the very same man that one of the baby vampires in the area has chosen for her companion. Add in Olympias's human servant, Sara, questioning her master's choices and becoming dangerously preoccupied with a suicidal vampire, and things are starting to get uncomfortable for Olympias. And into this scene rife with unrest has walked a very dangerous man, Roger Bentencourt. He's the companion of one of the local nest leaders and he bears a deadly grudge against Olympias. Determined to bring about Olympias's destruction, he'll use every problem and frustration to his own advantage. And while Olympias is preoccupied by her complicated romance with Mike Falconer and dealing with a dozen situations begging for her attention, Bentencourt may just succeed! "Deceptions" is fast-paced, exciting, and entertaining. The characters are strong and well developed and I really grew to like both Olympias and Falconer. Olympias's much-loved hellhound, is wonderful, and is one of my favourite characters! This book is not for the faint of heart, but Sizemore has created a fascinating and original society of vampires, known as the Strigoi in this series, that vampire fiction and fantasy fans will NOT want to miss. "Deceptions" is compelling, riveting, and sometimes shocking fare, and I, for one, loved it. I'd like to see Olympias get a second book, as she most certainly deserves, if not demands one! So read this book, it comes highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An attempted coup in Washington - vampire-style
Review: Deceptions is a wonderfully entertaining novel, in many ways the best of the first four books in Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, yet there a few aspects of the story that weaken it a little bit, in my own estimation. I actually think the author had a little too much fun writing such an obviously crowd-pleasing novel, and this led her to extend the magic of coincidence just a little too far. There is more than enough exciting action to be found in these pages to make up for any flaws, however. Deceptions takes us to Washington, D.C., always a dangerous place. This turf belongs to Olympias, ancient vampire and exceedingly powerful Enforcer of the laws; not only does she have to keep the local population of blood-suckers at bay, she has the added task of making sure no one in the government learns about the actual existence of her kind. After centuries of exercising vast power, she has begun to slip a little, entrusting a lot of authority (not to mention work) to her slaves, especially her secretarial slave Sara. Olympias has chosen a bad time to start nodding at the wheel because Roger Bentencourt, the Companion of a local vampire, is bent on revenge and the acquisition of power without having to wait around for his eventual transformation from vampire's Companion to actual vampire. Bentencourt sets in motion a plan to turn the local nests against Olympias, culminating in what should be unthinkable - usurping her power and replacing her with one of their own (one whom Bentencourt knows he can manipulate and control). Olympias indirectly plays into the usurper's hands by ordering all of the nests out of the territory and seemingly stealing a young fledgling's chosen mate. Bentencourt is slick, gaining influence over members of Olympias' own slave nest as well as some special humans who enter the picture. Michael Falconer leads a group of Watchers (men and women who practice something akin to remote viewing), and Falconer finds himself in the middle of a vampire mess when a young vampire seeks to make him her Companion, after which point Olympias takes a very strong interest in him. The inclusion of the Watchers into the story adds a new and fresh element to events that works quite well. As if all of this isn't distraction enough for Olympias, the presence of a suicidal vampire makes things even more interesting. There is a lot of exciting action throughout this book, and several nice touches that play well and add originality to Sizemore's vision. I just thought there were a few too many coincidences for my blood; the very source of Bentencourt's hatred for Olympias is rather laughable, and there is another highly coincidental plot point I won't mention for fear of giving something away. I also have trouble accepting the fact that a vampire Companion, no matter how smart he might be, could hide his nefarious intentions from a number of incredibly psychic vampires - that is the major sticking point for me. Characters also have an annoying habit of engaging in flirtatious dialogues in the midst of trouble with a capital T. Still, you will find some of Sizemore's most fascinating characters in Deceptions, with Olympias assuming the distinction of being my favorite character of the series up to this point. Whatever qualms I have about the story, there is no denying this is a book that can deliver loads of entertainment to the reader.
Rating:
Summary: For those of us who like this kind of thing . . .
Review: For those of us who like this kind of thing, this is the kind of thing we like, to steal a quote. Don't be put off by the comic book covers on this series. I mean, who needs 6 knives? Even vamps only have 2 hands, and you need one to hold the girl/guy. And, if you are going to wear torso body armor, shouldn't it cover the whole torso? And the said body armor is hard to sneak around American streets in. Most authors have no input into cover art, so I don't blame Susan Sizemore. Enjoy the stories, each book is getting better. Number 5, tentatively titled "Heros" is due out in September 2003, according to the author's website.
Rating:
Summary: What?
Review: I really liked this book, even though the first hundred pages or so were hard to get into. You might enjoy jumping from character to character throughout a chapter, but find it jumpy and broken. Such plot lines sometimes leave me skipping entire sections to get to a narrative by characters I like. I, however, decided to slog through the book, and it gets much better as time goes on. My favourite characters, in order form most liked to okay then are Andrew, Sara, Falconer and then Olympias. The scene changing gets better later on, I think, because you come to like ALL the characters, so there is no need to jump ahead. I tend to judge on last impressions however, so I belive four stars is a good review.
Rating:
Summary: For those of us who like this kind of thing . . .
Review: I thought that this book had a more cohesive feeling than the last one. It felt less like a three volume novel was shoe horned into a rather thin mass market paperback. It also helps if the reader has some knowledge of Alexander the Great. Sizemore tries to keep her vampires true to their own code of behavior. What would be moral and rational in a human would be suicidal in a vampire. Well, actually there is a suicidal vampire in this book as well. I liked Olympias the Enforcer. She reminds me of strong women I know who have put a lid on their personal lives because of some bad experience and channel their energy into work. Having the viewpoint move from character to character doesn't really bother me and all of the strands came together rather nicely. This is one of the better entries in this series.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Stronger Books in this Series
Review: I thought that this book had a more cohesive feeling than the last one. It felt less like a three volume novel was shoe horned into a rather thin mass market paperback. It also helps if the reader has some knowledge of Alexander the Great. Sizemore tries to keep her vampires true to their own code of behavior. What would be moral and rational in a human would be suicidal in a vampire. Well, actually there is a suicidal vampire in this book as well. I liked Olympias the Enforcer. She reminds me of strong women I know who have put a lid on their personal lives because of some bad experience and channel their energy into work. Having the viewpoint move from character to character doesn't really bother me and all of the strands came together rather nicely. This is one of the better entries in this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Great reading!
Review: Let us hop on over to Washington, D.C. Hey, it is the capitol of the USA's mortals, why not for the capitol for the USA's vampires as well? Olympias has long reigned as the Enforcer of Washington, D.C. She is the one ultimately responsible for every strigoi in the country. With "the Enforcers' Enforcer" away on a long overdue vacation, Olympias has even more to deal with. Sara, Maggie, and Gerry are Olympias's slaves. They are the ones that Olympias delegates most of the work to. Sara is the one considered to be Olympias's right hand person. And it is she that is sent to talk to Andrew, a suicidal vampire in the area wishing for Olympias to kill him. Why? Because Andrew thinks he is going insane. Andrew is convinced he is seeing ghosts. The local vampires are upset at Olympias, who is demanding all the nests to vacate the area within a month. Rose, a local nest leader, is the most upset due to the fact that she has lived in that area longer than any other vampire. It is the only place she has ever considered to be "home". Her companion, Roger, sees potential and begins using everyone in an attempt to kill Olympias and eventually take over as leader. Then there is Colonel Mike Falconer, who is over a government project, the Walker Project. His group are very "gifted" and walk the astral plane. And for the first time in centuries, Olympias is considering having a companion. It all adds up to trouble with a capitol T. ***** Excellent! Very well executed! (Pardon the pun.) Book 4 is even better than the last, and that is definitely saying something. I hope to see these main and secondary characters again in future books. With all that I am seeing, this is shaping up to be series that fans will want to keep reading about for years! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid this book
Review: Life is too short to read bad books but I forced myself to slog through this mess because I enjoyed the previous books. I had some hope that this would redeem itself. It did not. The characters were poorly characterized. Only the Falconer character had any depth and then I could see no reason why he would want to have anything to do with Olympias. She was by far the least interesting character and why would anyone care about her? She was singularly unpleasant. Basically, read your old Laurell K. Hamilton's again and forget this mess.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid this book
Review: Life is too short to read bad books but I forced myself to slog through this mess because I enjoyed the previous books. I had some hope that this would redeem itself. It did not. The characters were poorly characterized. Only the Falconer character had any depth and then I could see no reason why he would want to have anything to do with Olympias. She was by far the least interesting character and why would anyone care about her? She was singularly unpleasant. Basically, read your old Laurell K. Hamilton's again and forget this mess.
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