books_plants_hikes's review against another edition
2.0
This book, I am sure, took so much time and effort to own so I am very sad to say I just could not follow the plot easily. The concepts I could only understand a basic, overview level and I found myself constantly trying to keep up feeling as though I was a step behind and missing some important fact.
The book had such potential but just did not connect for me.
The book had such potential but just did not connect for me.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know what to expect from this book going into it since it has gotten such mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it a lot! It was sort of The DaVinci Code meets a romance novel! Also kudos to whomever was in charge of marketing for this book, it came in a really nice box with the book and 17 cards with the puzzles the characters have to solve in the book, so you can try solving them before hand or along with the characters. A very cool hook! Overall a really fun and enjoyable read. I look forward to more from this author.
guinevere_s1994's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the book well enough while I was reading it, but I don't feel inspired to read it or anything like it again. I don't particularly puzzle-solving type novels; even who whodunnit stories it's always the sleuths and their way of working that interests me more than the puzzle element. Since a lot of this book rested on solving a puzzle/series of puzzles I wasn't that invested, especially as some of the means to get to the solution felt like a stretch to me. The prose could be a bit heavy-handed and the characters, while not particularly bad in any way, didn't capture my affection greatly either.
ginnikin's review against another edition
Oh, book, you are so fired. Gah. It's obviously a da Vinci Code ripoff. Sorry, Siân's midnight-blue eyes and copper-coloured hair? Wut? Will's distracting beauty? Wut? Just ugh.
Also, I just glanced at the riddle cards, but hello incomprehensible mish-mash jumble of just about every kind of mysticism imaginable. yuck.
Also, I just glanced at the riddle cards, but hello incomprehensible mish-mash jumble of just about every kind of mysticism imaginable. yuck.
m_kayk's review against another edition
4.0
This book fits the category "book with a plant on the cover or in the title."
I was a little unsure of this book as the author spends a few chapters with a non central character...sort of. However, that was completely intentional as I understood the story. The romance between Alex and Lucy added a nice touch, but was not overwhelming to the overall plot, and how Hardie developed their relationship worked for me.
My biggest objection to the story was the jumps between characters' thought processes without any segue. It sometimes went one paragraph was Simon, the next Lucy - and they were not in the same room.
Overall, I think this is one of my new "will recommend" titles.
I was a little unsure of this book as the author spends a few chapters with a non central character...sort of. However, that was completely intentional as I understood the story. The romance between Alex and Lucy added a nice touch, but was not overwhelming to the overall plot, and how Hardie developed their relationship worked for me.
My biggest objection to the story was the jumps between characters' thought processes without any segue. It sometimes went one paragraph was Simon, the next Lucy - and they were not in the same room.
Overall, I think this is one of my new "will recommend" titles.
crisly's review against another edition
1.0
Did not finish this book.
I never did that before, and is frustrating, but four letters: FAIL, this book is a BIG FAIL
I never did that before, and is frustrating, but four letters: FAIL, this book is a BIG FAIL
bibliophilelinda's review against another edition
2.0
The descendants of John Dee, Queen Elizabeth's spy/alchemist/magician/counselor, must protect ancient knowledge from falling into the hands of a rouge Christian sect. Sounds good, right? And, the book is beautifully written. But the plot is boring, the storyline sometimes hard to follow, the associated puzzles completely unnecessary, and the entire novel felt too contrived. As Hardie's first novel it was a valiant attempt. Perhaps her subsequent books will have a bit more structure.
stacey987's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggled with how many stars to give this book. There was some aspects to it that I really enjoyed, I love a good historical quest with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. However, there were some parts that I just really felt did nothing for the story and if anything made it more difficult to follow. I felt that the clues of the quest became far far too complicated and involved far too many long winded explanations that were really difficult to follow. I appreciate that if it was too simple then I would be questioning how it managed to stay a secret for hundreds of years, but I really feel that the whole thing just became a jumble of clues and riddles. I'm not even quite sure how they ended up solving everything! However, this may have been affected by the fact that I mostly read at night when quite tired and often fall asleep reading which probably didn't help me keep everything straight, and overall I did enjoy reading it and looked forward to picking it back up again every night which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.