Review of Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol

[Janet Kimetto]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol" by J.L. Haynes.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol, J.L. Haynes first orients us on how the world works. There are various universes, and there are light beings who pass judgment on the inhabitants of the various universes. These are the Elb, or more specifically, the five Celestial Witnesses of the Elb. "But what if they are found wanting?"

We learn from Lord Kae-Rai on page 17 that, “If the five unite, the result is always closure for the species dominant… in this case humankind.” They've already set their eyes on Terra (Earth). The five elemental Elb each accuse humankind of particular crimes, including but not limited to: using metal to create weapons, destruction of rain-forests, water pollution, nuclear annihilation, the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, wrath, gluttony, and sloth), among other things. Those are reasonable charges, aren't they?

A small special team sets out to save Terra. It initially consisted of Zara Hanson, Ansebe, Sub-Rohza, Fez-Pyan, and later on, Æther the Golden Ascetic. But how will this group save the human race when the Elb seem stronger than them in all aspects?

Fez-Pyan's character was the bright side of this book. I loved his spontaneity, his special brand of insanity, and how much Gnash adored him. He was easily my favorite character in the story. I looked forward to all his scenes. I could never guess what he'd do or say, and sometimes even he could not know. I knew I'd love him when he told Sergeant Rogers on page 55, “So, I told the voices inside my head that I question my sanity, and they said we’re one-hundred-percent with you on this, even though it’s completely irrational.”

On the other hand, a big part of the book was complex and not easy to comprehend. I struggled with it and ended up reading it in more time than I usually would. I'd have appreciated it if a glossary had been included at the end. As it stands now, getting through the first half of the book is harder than getting through the last half - for the reason that the reader gets familiar with the story as they keep reading. A glossary would really be helpful.

I rate Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol 3 out of 4 stars. If I could, I would give it 2.5 stars (2 stars for the first half, 3 stars for the last half). The errors I noticed were not more than ten. Science fiction lovers will enjoy reading this book.

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Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol
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[Kaushiki Parihar]

A team to save Terra from the Elb; the story do sounds intriguing. But, it's a pity that the book was complex. Science fiction book needs to be comprehensive for the readers to imagine the author's creation of the world. Anyhow, thanks for the beautiful review.

[MsH2k]

I'm sorry this read was so complex. I must confess, I was having a hard time keeping up with all the names and entities you mentioned at the beginning of the review. Thankfully, Fez-Pyan provided some light-hearted relief--what a fun character!

I don't read much science fiction, so I'll skip this one, but I loved your thorough and entertaining review!

[Unosthetic]

It sounds like an intriguing story but it would be better if the author added a glossary or just put it with comprehensible words. Thanks for the great review.

[Janet Kimetto]

A team to save Terra from the Elb; the story do sounds intriguing. But, it's a pity that the book was complex. Science fiction book needs to be comprehensive for the readers to imagine the author's creation of the world. Anyhow, thanks for the beautiful review.

True that. I've never read a book that I thought needed a glossary before this one. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

I'm sorry this read was so complex. I must confess, I was having a hard time keeping up with all the names and entities you mentioned at the beginning of the review. Thankfully, Fez-Pyan provided some light-hearted relief--what a fun character!

I don't read much science fiction, so I'll skip this one, but I loved your thorough and entertaining review!

I kept reading because the reviews I had read talked about a slow start but promised a beautiful ending. I didn't even mention all the characters and the entities, so you can imagine, but Fez-Pyan was something to look forward to!

I can only recommend this one to those who love science fiction. Thank you so much for your kind words, MsH2k!

[Janet Kimetto]

It sounds like an intriguing story but it would be better if the author added a glossary or just put it with comprehensible words. Thanks for the great review.

I agree. The story is intriguing, a glossary would really help. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Clare Jose]

“So, I told the voices inside my head that I question my sanity, and they said we’re one-hundred-percent with you on this, even though it’s completely irrational.”

He sounds absolutely hilarious. I would love to know more about him.

Though parts of the book are complex and difficult to understand, I'm still curious about the world-building and writing. So I'll keep this one in mind for the future.
Thank you for the lovely review.

[Asma Aisha Ansari]

As a fan of sci-fi novels, I will love to read this book because I like its characters and plot.
And your review was delightful.
Thanks for this amazing review.

[Neshboy Aburi]

I would like to see how they save the human race that somehow seems to always press the self destruct button. Good review, I like it.

[Janet Kimetto]

“So, I told the voices inside my head that I question my sanity, and they said we’re one-hundred-percent with you on this, even though it’s completely irrational.”

He sounds absolutely hilarious. I would love to know more about him.

Though parts of the book are complex and difficult to understand, I'm still curious about the world-building and writing. So I'll keep this one in mind for the future.
Thank you for the lovely review.

You'd love him, he's absolutely hilarious. I hope you enjoy reading it when you get the chance. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

As a fan of sci-fi novels, I will love to read this book because I like its characters and plot.
And your review was delightful.
Thanks for this amazing review.

Then this book is for you, I hope you get the chance to read it. Thank you so much for your kind words!

[Janet Kimetto]

I would like to see how they save the human race that somehow seems to always press the self destruct button. Good review, I like it.

You wouldn't guess the how, do read to find out. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Starilanka Glowy]

That is an interesting read. However, the complexities at the beginning might ruin it for me. Thanks for the excellent review.

[Starilanka Glowy]

That is an interesting read. However, the complexities at the beginning might ruin it for me. Thanks for the excellent review.