Dragon Age: Deception

Dragon Age: Deception

by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Fernando Heinz Furukawa (Illustrator)

BioWare's bestselling fantasy franchise lives on in these canonical comics from Dark Horse!

Olivia Pryde hasn't worked an honest day in years. Once an actress, she now lives by the con, and has come to Tevinter with a new Calix Qintara, the heir to a wealthy house. Once she approaches the young man, she quickly realizes that he is not exactly who he says he is--and she may be in too deep.

This hardcover collects Dragon Deception #1-#3.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Video Games, High Fantasy, Media Tie In

72 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2019

About the author

Nunzio DeFilippis is married to Christina Weir; together they have written a large number of graphic novels. They have written superhero comics but also created original comics and graphic novels of many genres, from YA fantasy to sports to horror to crime drama.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story meanders a bit as it follows around a couple of grifters who meet and instantly hate each other. We do meet some characters from previous Dragon Age stories. The art is not great. It was too cartoony for me.

Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was slightly disappointing, considering it's from Dragon Age realm.

I don't normally like to comment on art style, but given that the cover is absolutely gorgeous I was a little disappointed by how "cartoonish" the actual story art was.

The story itself was pretty slow and with the exception of the two things listed below the spoiler warning, didn't appear to add much to the lore.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Basically the entire book follows two petty swindlers who are trying to get enough money to leave Ventus before the Qunari attack. They spend most of the book arguing about who is the better thief. Literally, that's it.

Eventually we find out two major developments, who is in possession of Bartrand/Meredith's lyrium idol (which gives me hope that Fenris will finally be put back into the spotlight) and how far a certain Wolf's reach really is...both of these things come at the very end of the story (and I mean the very end).

Other than that the only part that really saved this book was seeing both Dorian and (briefly) King Alistair again, plus Vaea and Ser Aaron (Dragon Age: Knight Errant). But unfortunately, even they could not rescue us from the boring empty plot.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I'm going to make it to DA4, I'm too damn excited and it's probably at least a year off...and then these extra stories are coming out and I'm just too ready.

I have a new Mabari to love!

[Clare Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instead of reading anything I’m supposed to I read this reallllly short Dragon Age graphic novel. Idk it was fun! Nothing of real substance that I’ll forget by tomorrow but I had fun while reading it. Also Dorian was in it because I guess he’s the fan fav lol. Alistair was also in it for a PAGE which gave my rating a whole star lol.

Also like the art in this was cute but the COVERS for these graphic novels oh my god?? I would frame them I wish every page of the story was that art!!

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one isn't good. It hits the ground running a million miles an hour, throws way too many new characters at you at once, and never answers questions about why all these people are even there or how they know each other. Random unmarked flashbacks make the timeline hard to follow. Teia and Viago's introduction was unmemorable and makes no sense in this setting.

[cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

umm this was sort of a mess

[V K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best thing about this was Dorian being back
Really didn’t care about the relationship between them.. it came out of nowhere?

[ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art wasn't my style, and the pacing jumped a bit. still, interesting new characters to our fun little outcast squad.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

IM SO UPSET THEY KILLED OFF OLIVIA noooooo what a milf I'll never get to see in game now :'( god damn it

[crybby · Rating 5 out of 5]

yooooo this was really good - I wasn’t sure about it when I started it but I’m so glad I stuck with it!

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragonage as a series has so much potential for stories within its lore. From mage hunting duos, to wandering Knights and squires, to grifters looking to con royalty, this book touches on all of those scenarios and more.

We get to revisit some of the characters from previous volumes in this one. It was a good way of making the universe feel cohesive and part of a grander whole. However, I think the plot itself in this story is pretty thin. Pretty much its just an excuse to get all the characters from the past into one story. Which is a fun concept, but the story should've been more fleshed out to really make it worth it.

The art is a bit on the cartoony side, but for the most part it works. Sometimes it can lean a bit too cartoony, but there are other times, especially the more action heavy scenes, where it looks pretty badass.

Recommended for fans of the previous volumes.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of the reviews complain about the art, but I didn't see a problem with it? It didn't seem cartoon-y to me at all. I mean, sure, Calix looks like a Disney prince, but that's not a huge deal for me.

The characterization wasn't very impressive; everyone seems pretty one-dimensional. Story was cheesy. But I still enjoyed the read!

Summary for my reference:

Takes place post-DAI in the Tevinter city Ventus, which is actually the Qunari city Qarinus. The city is in a tense state because the qunari are very close to taking it back. There is an old recluse mage holed up in his estate in the city, and Olivia Pryde arrives in the city looking to investigate this estate, though I can't remember why. She chats up Calix, who is supposedly the mage's son, but it turns out he's a swindler using the name to con money out of people. The pair stumble into Ser Aaron Hawthorne from "Knight Errant," who enlists them to help he and Vaea break into the old mage estate (I can't remember why they are interested either, though I think it's because the mage is thought to have been involved with the Venatori). There's some hinting that Ser Aaron and Olivia had a fling in the past, but she winds up having a one-nighter with Calix for some reason so that doesn't really go anywhere. They get involved with some crows, a mage girl whose family has ties with the Venatori, and Dorian, who is interested because he's investigating people with Venatori ties. As they are running amok through the mage estate, though, the qunari launch their final attack to take back the city, so chaos breaks out. They discover the mage is long dead, and an elven slave has been running the show for a mysterious master. As the group makes their escape, Olivia stays behind and dies holding off the qunari raiding the estate. Ser Aaron and Vaea return to their business, and Calix, taking Olivia's last name as he admires her and her sacrifice, joins up with Francesca the mage girl to go off adventuring or whatever.

[Václav · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4 of 5 for yet another DA tale, following previous qualities)
I can just copy and paste the comment made on Knight Errant. Everything holds. We have another couple of main characters (and few more), which are much shadier than the previous one, harder to relate to (by choice) but still fun to follow and enjoyable to get to know them.
One downside, which started with the previous tale - the books are getting thinner. Yes, the length is perfectly used for the introduction story, but when reding is fun, it's bit bummer to fly through only 90-ish pages of it. Or almost 70 here (and next one is only 3 issues long too).

[Eldin Stråth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I owe you an apology. I see the world in black and white. Good people and bad people. Drunks, and those who can simply give up drinking. We are all, likely, somewhere in between"

Mer av Dorian, vilket aldrig kan gå fel. Den här gjorde lite ont i mitt hjärta också, och får mig att förstå ännu mer varför alla ogillar the qunari så mycket. Mabari-hunden var jättesöt, all hail till Autumn

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, turns out I read these 3 books in the wrong order, so this should have been the first one, then the other two starring Fenris. 🤣

I'm glad I ended up getting this one, though, because it cleared up the backstory of the Calix and his Mabari. ❤️

[BookCupid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the imagery, the comic started with so much information to suddenly explode into action. Not too sure what to make of it, but interested enough to keep on reading the next.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I cry? 😭😂

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huh. I like that, in some way, all of these comics are connected. I wonder where the story will end.

[Bubbles · Rating 2 out of 5]

plot was so rushed and I didnt care about the characters. but hey at least dorian is in it

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ambitious and sad

[KalishnaKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragon Age: Deception has interesting concepts that really would have served better with more time dedicated to them. 90 or so pages is not enough for us to get to know the characters, build the relationships, and dedicate time to the conflict present.

I enjoyed the concept of a small time actress that became a con artist because she saw it as a way to play the “ultimate role” (and score extra cash), as the roles she wanted weren’t presented to her. However, where the comic falls flat is in the execution.

All and all- I have a feeling that this comic is going to set up either more adventures or a cameo for Calix in the next Dragon Age game or other media.

The bad
For example, we’re told by Olivia she’s a master con artist through her debates with Calix (who the story tells us is an amateur con artist) but what we see doesn’t really match her bravado. For example, when we are first introduced to her, she is disguised as a magister. Calix is able to call her bluff by simply stating that she shouldn’t know what the scam “the chasind prince” is as a magister. This is a perfect time for the comic to attempt to show us her skill as a con artist- but she just gives in. This doesn’t even make sense as I’m not sure magisters can’t know what scams are. Plenty of people have knowledge outside of their station- look at Dorian. What they decide to show us instead as a display of her skill is her knowing enough to not try to scam Dorian. When Calix tries, he fails as the magister Dorian calls him out on his scam.

There are strange inconsistencies, like the deal they make between each other on who is a better con artist. Whomever loses has to leave town. But- wasn’t Calix trying to con people to get enough money to leave town to begin with since the Qunari are about to attack? Why is this a deal?

To prove she’s a better thief in this competition, Olivia then decides to confront Florian and Francesca by…“brilliantly” interrupting them by stating their randomly interfering with her investigation of House Quintara (who calex is impersonating being a member of). What? This makes no sense, they’re just sitting at a bar talking to the dude…this shouldn’t have worked out, at least not without more explanation. To make matters worse, Calix and Olivia’s contest just ends up on them snitching on each other. All of this does not show us she’s a master con artist at all.

Another inconsistency occurs when we get an Alistair cameo. While seeing my one true king to my Queen Cousland always lights up my life, seeing him run into Slim Couldry and not recognizing him did not. They should have met each other in Dragon Age Origins.

The romance is also haphazard, as they don’t go into detail much with Olivia’s relationship with Sir Aaron. He was a mark she fell for. The feeling was so mutual that both thought about each other for 7 years and Sir Aaron spends a lot of the text enthralled with “redeeming” her. Because it is not fleshed out, what we as readers essentially see might as well be a one stand that these two obsess over for 7 years.

Then there is the weird moment where, after stating she’d take Calix under her wing, she sleeps with him instead while Sir Aaron sulks?? According to her, Calix had been wanting her the whole time when it felt like that came out of nowhere. The only thing that I could see as “foreshadowing” to any sort of attraction is when she drops a bad double entendre about how “doing him” is her current job when they first meet…which was cringe inducing.

All of these concepts would have been, had they been executed better and not shoe horned into 90 pages.


the good
Anyway- there’s a lot to knitpick with this comic’s story. I could go on further but this review is already long enough.


We find out that there is a mysterious elf impersonating his master, Gaius, who was confirmed to have been working for an agent of Solas from a writer’s forum post. However- he has never met Solas and we know from the comic that he traded a “red lyrium weapon” with FENRIS’ old master’s family without Solas knowing. This has fascinating implications.

I also really liked Olivia’s sacrifice scene and how only her dog knew her true self. I enjoyed the Antivian Crow cameos, seeing Dorian, and the characters of Faea and Sir Aaron.


With all this said- don’t let this make you think I didn’t enjoy it- in fact I still had a lot of fun reading this comic. I really liked the extra bits of story and lore we received.

[Ghosty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ooooh boi, okay. So this is a 1.5, 2 if I'm being generous.
For me, this was the least enjoyable Dragon Age tie-in content I've read so far. I had high hopes after Knight Errant improved on Magekiller, but Deception had similar issues to Magekiller. My expectations were also higher due to the fact that I ordered this one physically, whereas I read the previous two online...

1. The art
For the most part it was fine, and just like in Knight Errant the background characters had much more variety in design. But often times the art was distractingly...off-looking. It just didn't feel very 'Dragon Age'. Especially Calix and Olivia's designs...why are their noses Like That lmao. Though I will say seeing Tevinter buildings and such was really nice! In general, the environmental/background art fit the Dragon Age tone and aesthetic pretty well.

2.Pacing and General Plot
Quite the downgrade from Knight Errant. This comic took me longer to read than the last two as I was just plain bored. The pacing was super slow at the start and then suddenly super fast, and despite all that, the ending/resolution still felt weird and rushed. The character motives (especially for Olivia) never seemed very clear either. Though maybe that was deliberate? I picked this up and put it down again too many times to really tell.

3. Characters
Okay, Vaea and Hawthorn were the saving grace for me here. I do actually love them and their dynamic, as I stated in my Knight Errant review . It was nice to see how much more comfortable they were with eachother. Olivia Pryde was...okay? I liked her enough I suppose, though at times her motives and desires were unclear. I would have liked to have gotten to know her better but er....guess that won't be happening lmao. Calix, however, ANNOYED ME SO MUCH. Omg I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't...'get it?' did anyone else find him annoying? His design was kinda hard to look at, but other than that it was just so weird how quickly he grew attached to Olivia to the point of taking her last name!! I mean, come on! That made me cringe, especially as it was how the comic ended....yeesh . Maybe I'm being too harsh idk...

[Katie Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love being in Tevinter and I find myself really loving every new character introduced (Dragon Age does character like no other) but I found myself wanting more from this one! It felt so short (even compared to other three issue Dragon Age comics) and that meant some of the characterisation felt a *little* rushed.

The story was so twisty and grey and inspirational - it truly hit all the Dragon Age themes for me.

Every time I see Dorian, I want to squeal with happiness. He's just so good and even though he wasn't a main character, it's always a pleasure to see him again. (and ugh, so in character to stay behind and help people. Such a hero.

I can't wait to spend more time with these characters in Blue Wraith and beyond!

[Katie_Potatie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would enjoy this novel a lot more if I was invested in the world of "Dragon Age".

The premise was really good, and the main character was fantastic. But ultimately it fell flat for me as someone just coming into the narrative.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh! Oh, well, I suppose when you have an ever expanding cast they can’t all be winners.

It feels like there are too many elements in this story, not all of which are utilised fully and many of which don’t pay off. By the end most of the ideas didn’t connect with each other in any meaningful way. Even the few times we get to see the con artists at work were underwhelming and amounted to about a page each of someone else making a distraction and them finding things off screen, which is only moderately better than the times they tried to lie to people and it falling apart every time. Where is the Deception the novel is named after? The story itself is framed as if Olivia was pulling off something incredible, but she absolutely wasn’t, and in the end she herself only provided a distraction. I would have loved to see her actually do anything successful and live up to the potential she so clearly has.

And ok let’s talk about the characters too. Olivia herself was the only one who really conveyed who she was to the reader, and it’s such a shame that she *checks notes* has to die heroically to make up for the sin of sleeping with a man when another man might have been in love with her seven years ago maybe? Her interest in Calix BAFFLES me and comes out of nowhere, but it also being the core central conflict of the story that she has to be redeemed for only makes it ten times worse. Even if it made no sense to me there was no reason why she couldn’t do it, and yet everyone acts like it was some kind of horrible thing she did to everyone involved. And then Sir Aaron has his whole “I only see the world in black and white” speech and No he absolutely does not! That’s what the previous graphic novel was all about! Vaea is right there! SHE’S ON SCREEN. THEY MENTION IT ON THE PAGE. I know they were trying to pull off some kind of arc where Aaron overcomes his biases from the power of Olivia being nice sometimes but it completely undercut the far better story that preceded this one that handled that idea much better.

Overall it’s hard to sum up how frustrating it is to see so many interesting ideas completely fall flat, with so many characters misrepresented or wasted in the process. Still, I almost feel like 2 starts is a bit harsh from me but the more I think about the plot the worse I feel about it, so I'm just going to move on.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am essentially trash for any and all things Dragon Age, but this was a bit disappointing. Sure, there was a stellar appearance by one of my faves, the enigmatic Dorian Pavus, and we finally got to see a little bit of Tevinter. That didn’t quite make up for how uninvested I felt in the story and characters.

For those who (like me) have either forgotten the events in Knight Errant or haven’t read it at all, there’s an unshakeable feeling that the story would make sense with some additional background information. It didn’t make Deception impossible to follow, but does make the plot a bit less meaningful.

I’ve generally been impressed with the art in previous Dragon Age comics; personally, I found the art in Deception a bit too cartoonish especially when compared with the gorgeous cover.

Overall, this is a fine edition to the Dragon Age universe. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading and it’s always great to see beloved characters from the games. I might think twice about buying the next release in the series, though, unless I hear better things about the art and story.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another rollicking good read in the world of Thedas penned by DeFilippis and Weir. It was wonderful to see Vaea and Ser Aaron again and meet some new recurring characters drawn from the dark, rich tapestry of Tevinter (and on top of that, we get to see Dorian again!). This is a good heist story about grifters and other elements of the moral in-between in this universe such as the Antivan Crows, and at the heart of it is the complex romantic and moral relationship of Ser Aaron (honest knight) and Olivia Pryde (duplicitous con artist...with a heart of gold?). A bit too short - only 3 issues - for it to be developed as much as I would like, but intriguing and enjoyable nonetheless with some tantalizing insight into Solas' machinations and the movement of dangerous red lyrium artifacts into enemy hands. Can't wait for the next series as well as all this portends for the plot of the fourth game.

[Simen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps the momentum going from 'Knight Errant', but dials up the scheming, backstabbing, and political intrigue. The story follows Olivia Pryde, a charming con artist trying to scam her way through life - until she crosses paths with a mysterious elven agent, a Qunari, and more trouble than she bargained for.

It’s got a smaller, more personal scale compared to the big epic battles of other Dragon Age stories, but that works in its favor. The cast is sharp, the writing is witty, and the pacing feels tight. Vaea and Ser Aaron return from 'Knight Errant', tying the arcs together nicely, while also pushing the larger story forward.

The art is clean and expressive, and the focus on lies, power plays, and survival in a post-Inquisition Thedas gives it a refreshing edge. It’s basically a fantasy heist with heart - and it works.

Great characters, fun twists, and just enough lore to keep hardcore fans satisfied without overwhelming newcomers. A worthy follow-up.

[ur didact · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think this is the first DA comic i like more than the average user here, not less. i liked the 2 returning characters from knight errant, and the new protag. but the resolution to her is also why i cannot rate this any higher, cos i thought the ending was quite unnecessary and another lacklustre finish devoid of imagination (though, not as worse as yavana's writing, which is peak horrid). i also think it was a mistake to focus so much on her relationship with calix, which seems such a mismatch and unlikable duo, since they come across more childish than anything else. what they became by the end was just ???? made me roll my eyes, and nothing that captivated me as a dynamic. it's okay, i don't think any of these comics demand extreme investment from the audience.

[Bree H. Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t super sure what to expect from this volume given how much I enjoyed The Silent Grove volumes, but was a little more iffy on Magekiller. Fortunately, I actually really enjoyed this and thought it was pretty good despite its flaws.

I think from the start the comic did a really solid job at establishing the cast and their motivations. Every time a character I hadn’t previously met was introduced I felt like it was quickly established who they were and their motivations. This allowed for the comic to more easily go into their pasts and provide extra depth from that. It also allowed for the quick establishment of any shared past between characters and their dynamics.

This comic also EASILY had my favourite art so far. Something about it was soft in a very nice way and it was more pleasing to my aesthetic taste than the other comics had. It did a really solid job at conveying emotion and character. A solid mix of the style’s strengths and character designs that went together in a really satisfying way.

Finally, I like how this expanded on the larger word and connected to and referenced other characters from other content. However, part of me wonders if these nods to other characters and events ended up sacrificing the story. Overall it moved very quickly and it made the pacing feel off. Due to everything moving so quickly, while I could buy into relationships established from past experience, I had a much harder time buying into the relationships of people who had just met. Everything felt like it was moving so quickly I couldn’t get invested because I didn’t feel like the characters were given the time to get to know each other. When some plot beats hinged on characters having close relationships, I just didn’t feel like they were there.

Overall it was just alright, it wasn’t my favourite from this series, but it wasn’t the worst either.