Review // The Disillusioned - D.J.Williams

Published - 1st May 2013
Publisher - Westbow Press
Format - PDF.
Synopsis - A mother's suicide threatens to destroy a family legacy. Her sons, Sam and Daniel, are forced to leave their comfortable worlds behind and search for a woman they believe can unlock the secrets that have remained hidden. They are propelled into separate journeys from Los Angeles to the heart of the Zambezi, where they are forced to confront a man known as Die Duiwel, the Devil. On their adventures they will find themselves in a place where death is one breath away, where thousands of children are disappearing into the darkness, and where the woman they are searching for is on the hunt for revenge. When they stand face-to-face with the forgotten slaves of Africa, they will fight to redeem what has been lost.

The Disillusioned was sent to me by the author a while ago in exchange for an honest review. I happily found within this book, a truly emotional and heartfelt story full of mystery, intrigue and a genuine concern for both the characters and the reality behind their fiction.

As with every good mystery, you have to claw your way through all of the lies and deceit surrounding Sam and Daniel's family to get to the bottom of a wonderfully disturbing book. The Disillusioned features mental health problems, suicide, child labour, kidnapping, murder, religion and so much more.  It is fast-paced from the beginning though a little distant to begin with though after moving some way through the book and learning about the characters and who they are, I can't help but feel that the initial cold start was intentional and brilliantly done. In just one moment, the lives of two brothers drastically change and we follow them as they uncover a barrage of secrets and lies whilst discovering who they are, and the type of people they want to be.

As I've already said, the book has great characters and the writing is perfect for the book. D.J.Williams isn't afraid to tell it like it is and the plot was so well described (without constant reiteration) that I could picture it perfectly - not always a good thing considering the topic but still. I could definitely see it being a movie full of action and intrigue. The Disillusioned could very well be held at the centre of important and intelligent discussion as there is quite obviously more to the story than what is on the pages. A great novel from D.J.Williams and if it sounds like something you'd enjoy then I suggest you do so, soon!