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Chaos Gate #1
The Deceiver
A human girl trained in the arts of darkness steals the soul-stone of one of the seven Lords of Chaos, and is prepared to begin a reign of terror in the name of the servant of Chaos
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1990
6 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Louise Cooper
152 books229 followersLouise Cooper was born in Hertfordshire in 1952. She began writing stories when she was at school to entertain her friends. She hated school so much, in fact—spending most lessons clandestinely writing stories—that she persuaded her parents to let her abandon her education at the age of fifteen and has never regretted it.
She continued to write and her first full-length novel was published when she was only twenty years old. She moved to London in 1975 and worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer in 1977. Since then she has become a prolific writer of fantasy, renowned for her bestselling Time Master trilogy. She has published more than eighty fantasy and supernatural novels, both for adults and children. She also wrote occasional short stories for anthologies, and has co-written a comedy play that was produced for her local school.
Louise Cooper lived in Cornwall with her husband, Cas Sandall, and their black cat, Simba. She gained a great deal of writing inspiration from the coast and scenery, and her other interests included music, folklore, cooking, gardening and "messing about on the beach." Just to make sure she keeps busy, she was also treasurer of her local Lifeboat station.
Louise passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She was a wonderful and talented lady and will be greatly missed.
She continued to write and her first full-length novel was published when she was only twenty years old. She moved to London in 1975 and worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer in 1977. Since then she has become a prolific writer of fantasy, renowned for her bestselling Time Master trilogy. She has published more than eighty fantasy and supernatural novels, both for adults and children. She also wrote occasional short stories for anthologies, and has co-written a comedy play that was produced for her local school.
Louise Cooper lived in Cornwall with her husband, Cas Sandall, and their black cat, Simba. She gained a great deal of writing inspiration from the coast and scenery, and her other interests included music, folklore, cooking, gardening and "messing about on the beach." Just to make sure she keeps busy, she was also treasurer of her local Lifeboat station.
Louise passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She was a wonderful and talented lady and will be greatly missed.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 3, 2020
This is book 1 of a trilogy which follows on from the original trilogy about the conflict between Chaos and Order, and which told the story of Tarod, who was one of the Chaos gods in human form. At the end of book 3 of that trilogy, a hard-won Equilibrium was achieved in which Order had to concede a place in the human world to Chaos. They now share the day/night hours between them. As part of the agreement, neither can intefere in human affairs unless a direct appeal is made.
Some years have passed when the current story starts, and life has settled down to a comfortable and prosperous one for the people of the various provinces. Yet there is a glimmer of trouble when the dying Head Initiate at the magicians' castle, who held the post at the time of the first trilogy and was a sometime friend and later enemy of Tarod, indicates that the birth of a child to a visitor is an omen of something sinister. He soon dies and the problem is forgotten, by all except Karuth, serious minded daughter of the new Head Initiate, and possessed of an uncertain psychic ability as well as being a trained mage and physician.
The baby is adopted by her great-aunt, the head of the Sisterhood Cot, one of the triumvirate of leaders (along with the High Initiate and the High Margravine, the political leader, who lives on Summer Isle), and all seems well apart from the growing girl's headstrong, willful character until at her fourteen birthday party an event occurs which triggers off eventual disaster.
The story is possibly a bit drawn out until it becomes clear just who Jglora's father was and what his plans are for her and humanity, and for the gods of Chaos. However, I did like the character building which is natural and believable. Certain characters are very sympathetic and it is therefore a jar when tragedy strikes them. The growing disagreement and distrust between Karuth and her younger brother, is also believable, with the young man following the same rigid and hidebound outlook of those who have preceded him in the post.
(Minor note - gorgeous cover but wasn't sure if that was supposed to be the anti-heroine or Karuth - Karuth does invoke a fire elemental at one point but she is seated at a table, uses a crucible not being silly enough to hold it in a cup, and she certainly isn't wearing gorgeous clothing like that - not her style!)
I rate this at 4 stars and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Some years have passed when the current story starts, and life has settled down to a comfortable and prosperous one for the people of the various provinces. Yet there is a glimmer of trouble when the dying Head Initiate at the magicians' castle, who held the post at the time of the first trilogy and was a sometime friend and later enemy of Tarod, indicates that the birth of a child to a visitor is an omen of something sinister. He soon dies and the problem is forgotten, by all except Karuth, serious minded daughter of the new Head Initiate, and possessed of an uncertain psychic ability as well as being a trained mage and physician.
The baby is adopted by her great-aunt, the head of the Sisterhood Cot, one of the triumvirate of leaders (along with the High Initiate and the High Margravine, the political leader, who lives on Summer Isle), and all seems well apart from the growing girl's headstrong, willful character until at her fourteen birthday party an event occurs which triggers off eventual disaster.
The story is possibly a bit drawn out until it becomes clear just who Jglora's father was and what his plans are for her and humanity, and for the gods of Chaos. However, I did like the character building which is natural and believable. Certain characters are very sympathetic and it is therefore a jar when tragedy strikes them. The growing disagreement and distrust between Karuth and her younger brother, is also believable, with the young man following the same rigid and hidebound outlook of those who have preceded him in the post.
(Minor note - gorgeous cover but wasn't sure if that was supposed to be the anti-heroine or Karuth - Karuth does invoke a fire elemental at one point but she is seated at a table, uses a crucible not being silly enough to hold it in a cup, and she certainly isn't wearing gorgeous clothing like that - not her style!)
I rate this at 4 stars and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 28, 2022
Como todo primer libro de una trilogía y proviniendo de una trilogía anterior, este se tiene que dedicar a explorar los personajes y sus interacciones que, obviamente, son importantes porque resultan el eje de la trama. Después dicen que están mal explicadas cuando no es así, presten atención. Por un lado, Narid-na-Gost haciendo de némesis y quienes interactúan con él, sobre todo Ygorla; por el lado de la Península de la Estrella, el viejo líder, entonces sus hijos, Tirand y Karuth; también estarán presentes el Margrave de la Isla de Verano y la superiora de las Hermanas cuyo título no recuerdo.
Así es como la mayoría piensa que deberían arrojarse a la acción. Pasaron 60 años, el personaje principal no es Tarod y por tanto, tenemos humanos para entretenernos como personajes principales. Siempre habrá dioses, sólo que esta vez toca que estén relegados. Así que si llegan muy apresurados con la trilogía anterior, esta no es como esa, es distinta.
El mundo sigue siendo gobernado por tres lugares y tres personas, el Margraviato y los dos sacerdocios (el femenino y el masculino), dos tipos de dioses, Caos y Orden. Eso sigue estando y algunos personajes también, lo demás es nuevo y lo viejo hay que explicarlo.
Así es como la mayoría piensa que deberían arrojarse a la acción. Pasaron 60 años, el personaje principal no es Tarod y por tanto, tenemos humanos para entretenernos como personajes principales. Siempre habrá dioses, sólo que esta vez toca que estén relegados. Así que si llegan muy apresurados con la trilogía anterior, esta no es como esa, es distinta.
El mundo sigue siendo gobernado por tres lugares y tres personas, el Margraviato y los dos sacerdocios (el femenino y el masculino), dos tipos de dioses, Caos y Orden. Eso sigue estando y algunos personajes también, lo demás es nuevo y lo viejo hay que explicarlo.
December 26, 2017
nos encontramos de nueva cuenta con más de este mundo. ahora, seguimos viviendo otra aventura al lado de otros personajes, 60 años después de lo acontecido en el libro anterior. Parece que no habría algo nuevo o que iba a perder el encanto, pero creo poder afirmar sin lugar a dudas que la continuación es tan buena o incluso mejor que la primera. Igorla se entera que es hija del caos, y es enseñado por su padre para ir dejando a relucir todo su potencial. son los traidores del Caos, y con esto la nueva ola de destrucción y una posible guerra acecha. orden y caos habían decidido que los humanos serían los que decidieran a quién seguir. el inicio de una nueva aventura que te pondrá los pelos de punta y queriendo saber qué más pasará.
March 7, 2020
Reseña no publicada aún.


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October 23, 2025A human girl trained in the arts of darkness steals the soul-stone of one of the seven Lords of Chaos, and is prepared to begin a reign of terror in the name of the servant of Chaos
May 7, 2025
Buen comienzo para la saga, creo que tiene lo que es indispensable para un primer tomo, te deja con ansias del segundo.
Los primeros capítulos me parecieron un poco lentos y desconcertantes, varias muertes inesperadas de personajes que parecían tener mucho más para dar. Pero hacia la mitad la revelación de la verdadera naturaleza de la protagonista pone todo lo demás en perspectiva (sólo era el marco de las líneas principales) y la trama se recupera.
De los portentos, que pareciera debieran abundar por el tipo de mundo fantástico que se describe, se habla más de lo que ocurren, salvo en sueños y apariciones, y justo cuando parece que las cosas se van a poner movidas e interesantes en el mundo de los mortales… ¡se acaba el libro! Voy a tener que hacerme con la continuación, porque aunque algunas situaciones son un poco trilladas, y no estoy segura de que esté del todo bien escrito, me cautivaron ciertas ideas, el alma de un dios encerrada en una joya, los dioses de El Caos vs los de El Orden, la potencial y antagónica pareja Karuth-Strann (dos personajes que opacan a todo el resto salvo a Ygorla) y toda la dinámica entre dioses y mortales, un tema que es mi debilidad.
Y por supuesto, esa ambigüedad que destilan los dos bandos, el Orden es el que nosotros llamaríamos “los buenos”, ¿los dioses del caos son los malos? El Orden nunca movió un dedo y no parece preocuparse más por los mortales que los dioses del caos, el reino de los mortales con sus dos lunas, es sólo un plano donde ejercer el dominio compartido desde el equilibrio. Es un plano que dominar, un reino a disputar..
Los primeros capítulos me parecieron un poco lentos y desconcertantes, varias muertes inesperadas de personajes que parecían tener mucho más para dar. Pero hacia la mitad la revelación de la verdadera naturaleza de la protagonista pone todo lo demás en perspectiva (sólo era el marco de las líneas principales) y la trama se recupera.
De los portentos, que pareciera debieran abundar por el tipo de mundo fantástico que se describe, se habla más de lo que ocurren, salvo en sueños y apariciones, y justo cuando parece que las cosas se van a poner movidas e interesantes en el mundo de los mortales… ¡se acaba el libro! Voy a tener que hacerme con la continuación, porque aunque algunas situaciones son un poco trilladas, y no estoy segura de que esté del todo bien escrito, me cautivaron ciertas ideas, el alma de un dios encerrada en una joya, los dioses de El Caos vs los de El Orden, la potencial y antagónica pareja Karuth-Strann (dos personajes que opacan a todo el resto salvo a Ygorla) y toda la dinámica entre dioses y mortales, un tema que es mi debilidad.
Y por supuesto, esa ambigüedad que destilan los dos bandos, el Orden es el que nosotros llamaríamos “los buenos”, ¿los dioses del caos son los malos? El Orden nunca movió un dedo y no parece preocuparse más por los mortales que los dioses del caos, el reino de los mortales con sus dos lunas, es sólo un plano donde ejercer el dominio compartido desde el equilibrio. Es un plano que dominar, un reino a disputar..
February 3, 2011
In 280 pages, The Deceiver covers twenty years of set-up for the rest of the Chaos Gate series. In itself, it doesn't make a satisfying reading experience.
The story: a demon of Chaos plots to seize power in the mortal and higher realms by training his half-human daughter in sorcery and by stealing an artifact which will give him power of life and death over one of the gods. Once he's got that item, it will be tricky for the other gods to intervene without getting their brother killed. Opposing him? Well, it's hard to say just who the hero's supposed to be at this point. Point of view characters are numerous, though by half-way through the novel we're spending most of our time in Karuth's head, Karuth being daughter and sister to successive High Initiates. (The High Initiate is this world's head sorceror.) Karuth knows something's wrong, but all she can do is puzzle over hints and omens. As soon as the villains set out to reveal themselves, the book ends.
I did like some of the world-building details---there's a neat scene in which Karuth summons a spirit. However, none of the characters is particularly complex or compelling, and I was seriously impatient with the pacing. (Granted, these days I'm making that second complaint about most high fantasy.) Can't say I'll be seeking out Part 2.
The story: a demon of Chaos plots to seize power in the mortal and higher realms by training his half-human daughter in sorcery and by stealing an artifact which will give him power of life and death over one of the gods. Once he's got that item, it will be tricky for the other gods to intervene without getting their brother killed. Opposing him? Well, it's hard to say just who the hero's supposed to be at this point. Point of view characters are numerous, though by half-way through the novel we're spending most of our time in Karuth's head, Karuth being daughter and sister to successive High Initiates. (The High Initiate is this world's head sorceror.) Karuth knows something's wrong, but all she can do is puzzle over hints and omens. As soon as the villains set out to reveal themselves, the book ends.
I did like some of the world-building details---there's a neat scene in which Karuth summons a spirit. However, none of the characters is particularly complex or compelling, and I was seriously impatient with the pacing. (Granted, these days I'm making that second complaint about most high fantasy.) Can't say I'll be seeking out Part 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2023
I...I really wanted to like this. I am really glad I found out about this author and I might read some of her other stuff. It was really cool to find a book that was readable and had interesting world building just at the used bookstore. Unfortunately this book is sort of in a Lord Dunsany mode with a lot of summary and large swaths with no real conflict. Halfway through I discovered this is the first of a new trilogy in a world that has six previous books. The first came out in the seventies, so there's a lot behind this book. And therefore a lot that I just didn't understand the significance of.
It was hard to finish for those reasons, but you might like it. I'll be on the lookout for the earlier books by this author.
It was hard to finish for those reasons, but you might like it. I'll be on the lookout for the earlier books by this author.
December 7, 2024
Louise Cooper wrote some of my favorite fiction when I was in my late teens and early 20s. It's difficult to set a "star" rating for her "Chaos Gate" series, because I have so much emotional entanglement with the trilogy (the "Time Master" trilogy, 1986) that preceded it. On the one hand, I was thrilled to spend time with Tarod again... but then, thirty years or more later, some aspects of the book struck me as a little bit self-indulgent. Still, I enjoyed them. I may have to re-read the "Time Master" again, just out of curiosity... ;)
July 20, 2016
This book & trilogy could have easily warranted only a 3 star rating, but Ygorla Morys is such a hot mess of a vilian it elevates the entire trilogy. I was reading on Louise Cooper's website where someone saw the cover art featuring her, and a friend wanted to know more about her. Cooper's comment was something like, you really don't, she's a bad girl. Not as good as the Time Master trilogy, but another fun story in the same world.
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July 25, 2011fun
November 30, 2012
The time master trilogy was enjoyable but this trilogy just didnt catch my attention the way that one did, still finished it but something was lacking...
May 17, 2023
I just re read the first three books and would love to read this next. Does anyone know where it could be found as an ebook?
March 22, 2015
Mediocre continuación para la sobresaliente saga de El Señor del tiempo. Me enganchó tan poco que no me leí las continuaciones.
February 16, 2020
This is another one that I somehow missed when I read the rest of the series years ago. Good thing I am weeding out my books.
January 11, 2021
Esta saga que sigue al SEÑOR DEL TIEMPO fué el broche de la obra. Me gustó muchisimo, recordemos que cuando se escribió internet no era lo que era hoy día.
April 6, 2021
Interesantes personajes e historia bien escrita
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews