What do you think?
Rate this book
Adventures of a Villain-Leaning Humanoid #4
Deception and Damage
Oh snap! The gods, the ones everyone thought were just the original heroes and villains?
Oh yeah, they're really for real baby.
Up to their ears in gods popping in and out at all hours of the day, Meg and team have yet another new problem. No, it's not that so-called blessing Hera (bundle of joy, that one) claimed to have bestowed on Meg by that lakeside.
Something is going around eating people and I don't know about you, but that shit's not good for anyone's diet.
With some old friends stopping by to lend a hand, while secrets and lies get exposed, can our intrepid team of misfits figure out what exactly it is the gods are after?
Here we go again...
Oh yeah, they're really for real baby.
Up to their ears in gods popping in and out at all hours of the day, Meg and team have yet another new problem. No, it's not that so-called blessing Hera (bundle of joy, that one) claimed to have bestowed on Meg by that lakeside.
Something is going around eating people and I don't know about you, but that shit's not good for anyone's diet.
With some old friends stopping by to lend a hand, while secrets and lies get exposed, can our intrepid team of misfits figure out what exactly it is the gods are after?
Here we go again...
221 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2022
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Read
March 18, 2024JAMIE WHERE’S THE NEXT ONE?! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO MEG AND GREG.
And the rest of the Super Scooby Gang, of course.
Will circle back with more thoughts.
Thoughts as I read [SPOILERS]:
- I was not expecting Meg to get pregnant and have Greg’s reaction in the first ten pages, but my OTP are nothing if not romantical and to the point, lmao.
- Not sure how anyone’s figuring they’re going to keep Meg in a bubble of protection given how many people are after her. Virgil’s totally right about that. I was a bit surprised by how quickly she just agreed to exit the superhero world, but I have a feeling it’s not going to last very long.
- Glad they got their quiet off-page wedding, but I do wonder why they even care about the rest of Greg’s family’s reaction enough to have a fake follow up wedding?? Like, the nice sisters know that truth, so why do a fake wedding for the disapproving mother and the rude brother who don’t want you together and who are outwardly rude to Meg? Why even bother, like? Meg’s way too chill about them and I’m annoyed on her behalf, lmao. Curious to read Flightpath’s reaction. I feel like he’ll be more supportive.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
My review of Fear and Fury is here.
My review of Torment and Tarnish is here.
My review of Scorn and Sorrow is here.
My interview with author Jamie Jackson is here.
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
And the rest of the Super Scooby Gang, of course.
Will circle back with more thoughts.
Thoughts as I read [SPOILERS]:
- I was not expecting Meg to get pregnant and have Greg’s reaction in the first ten pages, but my OTP are nothing if not romantical and to the point, lmao.
- Not sure how anyone’s figuring they’re going to keep Meg in a bubble of protection given how many people are after her. Virgil’s totally right about that. I was a bit surprised by how quickly she just agreed to exit the superhero world, but I have a feeling it’s not going to last very long.
- Glad they got their quiet off-page wedding, but I do wonder why they even care about the rest of Greg’s family’s reaction enough to have a fake follow up wedding?? Like, the nice sisters know that truth, so why do a fake wedding for the disapproving mother and the rude brother who don’t want you together and who are outwardly rude to Meg? Why even bother, like? Meg’s way too chill about them and I’m annoyed on her behalf, lmao. Curious to read Flightpath’s reaction. I feel like he’ll be more supportive.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
My review of Fear and Fury is here.
My review of Torment and Tarnish is here.
My review of Scorn and Sorrow is here.
My interview with author Jamie Jackson is here.
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
November 13, 2022
Another fabulous book in the series! It was so great to be back with Meg and the gang. Let's see, plot first. I enjoyed how this one felt more spread out. There wasn't just one thing going on but rather a bunch of smaller things. It made everything feel...I don't know, more believable? Like, realistic? Look, it's a book/series about super heroes and villains, so I hope you get what I mean. It's not every day that the events of your life are, well, bigger than life. Most of this series so far has been about The Big Events, but this one felt more relatable? Words escape me but I hope that made a little sense.
The characters! Hi, I'm still a massive Virgil fan and always will be. I adore him. Now here's something I wasn't expecting: Ranger has totally grown on me. He's like a sweet, eager puppy. The whole group has become this really great found family that I want to spend more time with no matter if they're solving villain-related crime or razzing each other about the past.
Overall? This series just keeps getting better with every book. There are Big Things Afoot and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Especially with that ending!
The characters! Hi, I'm still a massive Virgil fan and always will be. I adore him. Now here's something I wasn't expecting: Ranger has totally grown on me. He's like a sweet, eager puppy. The whole group has become this really great found family that I want to spend more time with no matter if they're solving villain-related crime or razzing each other about the past.
Overall? This series just keeps getting better with every book. There are Big Things Afoot and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Especially with that ending!
December 6, 2022
This series never disappoints! One wild ride after another. Meg and Greg are encountering all new challenges, both in their personal and superheroing lives. Old gods, new drama, and unexpected twists. Definitely worth a read!
December 12, 2022
The last few weeks had been nice and quiet, actually. No monsters, no gods popping in, just the run of the mill bad guys… Which probably meant something big was about to happen.
OK, I just have to get this off my chest and I apologize in advance for screaming like this… but OMG, no one puts their nose in anyone else's hair that much! And if I had super-powers and someone kept pushing me in the small of my back to move me around - in my space mind you! - I would peel their skin from their head to their toes and use it as an unwelcome mat! Thank you, I feel much better now.
How do you manage to be so sickeningly cute together? You’re giving me cavities.
Well, kids, I could essentially copy and paste my review from Book 3 here into my comments for "Deception & Damage". This book was a very mixed experience for me and I have to admit I struggled with even wanting to give this one 3 stars, mostly because I'm more frustrated than anything else right now. I mean, there are bursts of some really top-notch action - for example, the "sniper scene" and also the bar fight (and beyond) with the cyclopes - all of which were very, very cool! However, these are offset by what I found to just be frustrating sections of gooey-ness that served little to no purpose by this stage in this already 4-part series. I just get the impression that we are not progressing much and are re-hashing some of the - in particular - personal issues far, far too much. I just don't feel like there's any growth occurring - and no, just talking things out as a team or a family or whatever they're calling themselves now - and it's hurting the overall narrative tremendously. And that's not even minding Meg's "condition" which didn't bother me whatsoever (Greg's constant belly-listening, yes, but not, um, the other stuff)!
My power is as ancient as the world itself.
Look, I've read a LOT of these super-hero series where the villains and heroes all operate in really gray areas for one reason or another. Yes, the government is often involved and here, again, I think including both Virgil's whole "freelance" aspect as well as Greek mythology as a parallel story-line is fantastic. But why are we just filling bits up without coming to any kind of partial conclusion along the way? We still have no input about Meg's parents conversation with the press. We still have more than a few open character arcs or events that have no real closure or indication that we are continuing. At some point, the readers - that is, me - would like to close those bits out and move on to the next emotionally scarring aspects of our journey!
I was not going to cry about being kidnapped while wearing my pajamas, damn it!
If the intention is to make these episodic glimpses part of ONE big story, fine, go for it. For me, I have to confess that isn't a great nor desireable approach as each book is lacking it's own identity along the way. Even in stories or series that I would compare to this one - for example, Lexie Dunne's "Superheroes Anonymous" series or Dan Jolley's "Gray Widow Trilogy" - there was a significant break between books which gave them not only like I said a separate identity but a reason to keep on reading besides just, well, ending the book in mid-thought and double-checking to make sure I hadn't skipped something.
"How many tales do you remember where the monster ate people?"
"A lot."
Look, maybe it's just me but right now I feel like the series is heading, if not in the wrong direction then it's certainly just dragging too much. I like the heroes, I like their powers, I like how real they are, I like their banter and I especially like that they're fighting things that seem to be - by all accounts - unreal. I just wish we were cutting away the bits where these aspects are not being addressed in a way that moves us forwards. This includes any other insecurites that are being addressed and repeated ad infinitum versus moving us to an ever-greater vision of what lies ahead. That is what's missing to me and may ultimately make me hesitant to pick up the next chapter when it's ready, at least not before I see some other reviews first. I just don't feel like right now I'll be missing much, sorry, or at least not much that I can't just assume would happen anyway. We'll see.
There was only the sea, the sand, the whispers, figures, shadows and me.
OK, I just have to get this off my chest and I apologize in advance for screaming like this… but OMG, no one puts their nose in anyone else's hair that much! And if I had super-powers and someone kept pushing me in the small of my back to move me around - in my space mind you! - I would peel their skin from their head to their toes and use it as an unwelcome mat! Thank you, I feel much better now.
How do you manage to be so sickeningly cute together? You’re giving me cavities.
Well, kids, I could essentially copy and paste my review from Book 3 here into my comments for "Deception & Damage". This book was a very mixed experience for me and I have to admit I struggled with even wanting to give this one 3 stars, mostly because I'm more frustrated than anything else right now. I mean, there are bursts of some really top-notch action - for example, the "sniper scene" and also the bar fight (and beyond) with the cyclopes - all of which were very, very cool! However, these are offset by what I found to just be frustrating sections of gooey-ness that served little to no purpose by this stage in this already 4-part series. I just get the impression that we are not progressing much and are re-hashing some of the - in particular - personal issues far, far too much. I just don't feel like there's any growth occurring - and no, just talking things out as a team or a family or whatever they're calling themselves now - and it's hurting the overall narrative tremendously. And that's not even minding Meg's "condition" which didn't bother me whatsoever (Greg's constant belly-listening, yes, but not, um, the other stuff)!
My power is as ancient as the world itself.
Look, I've read a LOT of these super-hero series where the villains and heroes all operate in really gray areas for one reason or another. Yes, the government is often involved and here, again, I think including both Virgil's whole "freelance" aspect as well as Greek mythology as a parallel story-line is fantastic. But why are we just filling bits up without coming to any kind of partial conclusion along the way? We still have no input about Meg's parents conversation with the press. We still have more than a few open character arcs or events that have no real closure or indication that we are continuing. At some point, the readers - that is, me - would like to close those bits out and move on to the next emotionally scarring aspects of our journey!
I was not going to cry about being kidnapped while wearing my pajamas, damn it!
If the intention is to make these episodic glimpses part of ONE big story, fine, go for it. For me, I have to confess that isn't a great nor desireable approach as each book is lacking it's own identity along the way. Even in stories or series that I would compare to this one - for example, Lexie Dunne's "Superheroes Anonymous" series or Dan Jolley's "Gray Widow Trilogy" - there was a significant break between books which gave them not only like I said a separate identity but a reason to keep on reading besides just, well, ending the book in mid-thought and double-checking to make sure I hadn't skipped something.
"How many tales do you remember where the monster ate people?"
"A lot."
Look, maybe it's just me but right now I feel like the series is heading, if not in the wrong direction then it's certainly just dragging too much. I like the heroes, I like their powers, I like how real they are, I like their banter and I especially like that they're fighting things that seem to be - by all accounts - unreal. I just wish we were cutting away the bits where these aspects are not being addressed in a way that moves us forwards. This includes any other insecurites that are being addressed and repeated ad infinitum versus moving us to an ever-greater vision of what lies ahead. That is what's missing to me and may ultimately make me hesitant to pick up the next chapter when it's ready, at least not before I see some other reviews first. I just don't feel like right now I'll be missing much, sorry, or at least not much that I can't just assume would happen anyway. We'll see.
There was only the sea, the sand, the whispers, figures, shadows and me.
June 8, 2024
The gods are not the only enemies our heroes must fight
Another great entry in a series that keeps getting better. Not as bloody or serious as the Watchmen or the Boys, it still asks the question of how a person with superpowers would live in the ordinary world. Meg has to deal with morning sickness on top of fighting against the plots of the gods and a hidden human(?) enemy. Plus she has to have dinner with the in-laws. The last one is possibly the toughest test of all.
Another great entry in a series that keeps getting better. Not as bloody or serious as the Watchmen or the Boys, it still asks the question of how a person with superpowers would live in the ordinary world. Meg has to deal with morning sickness on top of fighting against the plots of the gods and a hidden human(?) enemy. Plus she has to have dinner with the in-laws. The last one is possibly the toughest test of all.
November 13, 2022
Another fantastic installment in the Villain leaning series. Meg and Greg are meant to be. Ranger has somehow become the voice of reason and Maniac just needs more snacks. Virgil is still ever ready for *almost* anything. But seriously, a cliffhanger? Ugh!
July 23, 2023
Another thrilling adventure with Meg and the gang, and as always, I am left wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews