Deformed - (Kings) by Henri Marotz (Paperback)

About the Book

Book 2 in the Kings Series is a near-future, re-imagining of Shakespeare's Richard III. This story begins where Othello left off, in an America that has emerged from its second Civil War. Deformed follows the story of Richard Duke, the brilliant but deeply flawed Secretary of Defence determined to attain the U.S. presidency by any means necessary.

Book Synopsis

Ugly is never skin deep.

In the fourth book of the Kings Series, this near-future re-imagining of Shakespeare's Richard III is set in an America that has only recently emerged from the bloody and bitter 2nd Civil War. Weakened by years of unrest and the sudden suicide of their charismatic president, Othello, America is surrounded by foreign enemies who see an opportunity to strike.

Richard, Secretary of Defense, is disgusted by the incompetence of Othello's successor and the sycophants who enable him. Flawlessly handsome, charming, and witty, Richard is aware that his outward beauty means few take him seriously. But if they saw a fraction of the bitterness and bile that mangle every fiber of his interior . . . they'd know to beware.

Richard embarks on a murderous path to power that will ultimately change the course of human history. Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end.

About the Author

Henri is an award winning playwright with a love of books in general and classical literature in particular. He enjoys taking inspiration from the classics, including Shakespeare, updating and retelling the story in a modern context while trying to retain the core truths that underpin the originals.

Pulling from works including Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and The Tempest, as well as works by notables such as Ibsen and Euripides, Marotz finds the "inner core of universal truth" in these classics and brings that truth to a new setting for a modern audience.