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aprice91's review against another edition
The ebook had too much missing content. Sections at the beginning of multiple pages were missing, causing it to be confusing to read
joydrop7's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
The compulsion to solve puzzles that cross his path draws an expert puzzle maker into a mystery of historic proportions in Danielle Trussoni’s The Puzzle Master.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Enduring a brain injury in his late teen years that altered how he sees the world, Mike Brink is able to see and solve patterns in a manner that others aren’t capable of. Parlaying his ability into creating puzzles Brink has had a successful career as an expert puzzle maker (and solver), which is a reason his name is written on a perplexing puzzle by a woman, Jess Price, who is incarcerated for a strange murder she’s thought to have committed at Sedge House. Called to the prison to solve the puzzle, Brink arrives and quickly finds himself deeply drawn to Price, in addition to the need to understand the puzzle. Unable to let this enigma go, Brink soon becomes involved in something much more complicated and far reaching than he could have anticipated, garnering the attention of powerful people, as the culmination of the work of a Jewish mystic, a Parisian porcelain dollmaker, and Jameson Sedge, who determinedly pursues a path toward immortality, results in an outcome with shocking implications.
Told through the perspectives of two men, the letter of another, and the journal of one woman, a tale laden with hints of conspiracy and a heavy layer of secretiveness is revealed that has sweeping implications for the world’s future. Ambitiously including aspects of the religious, artistic, scientific, and mysterious, the story moves at a relatively quick pace but was slowed at times by lengthy, though interesting, descriptions of characters’ pasts as it tried to incorporate a bit too much, diluting detailed focus of the concepts raised. Though the characters are reasonably fleshed out, when referring to them in the text it’s done interchangeably using their first or last name and this inconsistency comes across as an odd choice (or sloppy editing). The world presented in the novel incorporates the pandemic, mentioning it periodically throughout, anchoring the story in contemporary reality a way that didn’t feel necessary, especially when considering the more supernatural elements presented in the latter portion that create a more surreal drive to the adventure.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Enduring a brain injury in his late teen years that altered how he sees the world, Mike Brink is able to see and solve patterns in a manner that others aren’t capable of. Parlaying his ability into creating puzzles Brink has had a successful career as an expert puzzle maker (and solver), which is a reason his name is written on a perplexing puzzle by a woman, Jess Price, who is incarcerated for a strange murder she’s thought to have committed at Sedge House. Called to the prison to solve the puzzle, Brink arrives and quickly finds himself deeply drawn to Price, in addition to the need to understand the puzzle. Unable to let this enigma go, Brink soon becomes involved in something much more complicated and far reaching than he could have anticipated, garnering the attention of powerful people, as the culmination of the work of a Jewish mystic, a Parisian porcelain dollmaker, and Jameson Sedge, who determinedly pursues a path toward immortality, results in an outcome with shocking implications.
Told through the perspectives of two men, the letter of another, and the journal of one woman, a tale laden with hints of conspiracy and a heavy layer of secretiveness is revealed that has sweeping implications for the world’s future. Ambitiously including aspects of the religious, artistic, scientific, and mysterious, the story moves at a relatively quick pace but was slowed at times by lengthy, though interesting, descriptions of characters’ pasts as it tried to incorporate a bit too much, diluting detailed focus of the concepts raised. Though the characters are reasonably fleshed out, when referring to them in the text it’s done interchangeably using their first or last name and this inconsistency comes across as an odd choice (or sloppy editing). The world presented in the novel incorporates the pandemic, mentioning it periodically throughout, anchoring the story in contemporary reality a way that didn’t feel necessary, especially when considering the more supernatural elements presented in the latter portion that create a more surreal drive to the adventure.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mbfox's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mariemaistrop's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Not the worst book I read but not the greatest. At first it was interesting but around page 250 it takes a turn I didn’t like.
I hate not finishing books so I kept on reading but honestly it wasn’t very satisfying, it’s all over the place.
I could’ve done without the whole religious/out-of-body/supernatural aspects. I really don’t like it when writers explain everything that happened by some supernatural fictional solution, it seems too easy somehow. I still wanted to know how it would end, so I kept on reading, but it wasn’t worth much.
I hate not finishing books so I kept on reading but honestly it wasn’t very satisfying, it’s all over the place.
bookalechemist's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
kheabutter's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
secondhandreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Honestly it's a bit of a hodge podge. A fun read the way a bad movie can be fun, but that's about all the merit I can give it. The plot is all over the place and doesn't seem to have been incredibly well thought through. The actions of the characters often seem motivationless, even when the author is clearly trying to portray their motivations. The story manages to feel all over the place and predictable at the same time, just vaguely interesting enough to get through it. Also, the "romance" in this book is dismal, forced, and unnecessary in an egregious way. The most compelling bits are the small stories within the story.