Review of The Devil Pulls the Strings

[Reema Aydieh]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Devil Pulls the Strings" by J. W. Zarek.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The panic attacks and guilt Boone experiences along with a wendigo, who has been stalking him since he was six, led him to New York City after he almost killed a friend in a joust. As he leaves Wentzville, MO, for the first time to cover Flynn’s big break gig in NYC, he promises to meet Professor Stone and perform with the band. However, things quickly turn awry when Boone bumps into Sapphire and a piano falls from the balcony with sheets of music and Professor Stone himself right in front of them on the sidewalk.

The situation becomes even more complicated when the men responsible for the professor’s death see them. Sapphire, who ends up being Stone’s student assistant, drags Boone to meet Stone’s friend, Professor Wickhamby, who says the music sheets Stone was looking for can summon the devil. As a result, the fate of the world rests on Boone, who will have to find all three sheets of Paganini’s music before they fall into the wrong hands. In addition, he will have to outrun the wendigo and prevent Baba Yaga, the mother of all witches, Siniti the immortal who trapped Baba Yaga, and vampires, from unleashing hell and destroying New York.

The Devil Pulls the Strings by J. W. Zarek combines time travel, mythology, secret societies, and music in this fantasy novel set in modern-day NYC. It is an exciting tale with a lot to offer. There’s a paper copy as well as a digital version; you can pick between e-books, audiobooks or the podcast series (although not all episodes are available yet). In fact, from what I’ve seen on J. W. Zarek’s website, The Devil Pulls the Strings will be available as a graphic novel in the future. Yes, young adults and adults will find their hearts pumping with excitement reading this epic fantasy adventure journey of a haunted musician trying to outplay the supernatural.

Boone is my favourite character from this book. His sense of humour adds to the story, providing the story with humour while they face evil and save NYC. Although the story has supernatural elements, each character’s experiences and descriptions feel real. Each scene gives more conflict than the previous one, making the reader wonder if they will find the music sheets in time. I enjoyed it when each new character Boone encounters gave him a gift or a piece of advice that served a purpose in the plot. Undoubtedly, this book kept me reading page after page, trying to see if they would succeed in the end.

I don’t think there’s anything I hated about this book. After all, I enjoyed every intense, humorous, adventurous part of it. Its fast-paced writing fits the story perfectly. It hooks readers into fantasy adventure, never letting them rest until they have their answers. For that reason, I’d recommend The Devil Pulls the Strings to anyone willing to listen while I list my favourite parts of this book.

To sum up, I encountered zero errors while reading, which proves they edited the book to perfection. For that and all the positive points already stated above, this book gets four out of four stars from me. Again, I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys stories with characters thrown into tough situations and fighting to save the world. There’s a battle between good and evil with time travel, supernatural elements and interesting music sheets. Will Boone let the devil pull the strings? Certainly, one haunted musician can save the world and convince you to tag along on his journey.

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The Devil Pulls the Strings
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[Raymonda onwuka]

The Devil pulls the string sounds like a suspense filled book. I wonder who exactly killed the professor. Thanks for the great review.

[Reema Aydieh]

The Devil pulls the string sounds like a suspense filled book. I wonder who exactly killed the professor. Thanks for the great review.

It was suspenseful! I couldn’t stop reading before I found answers.
Thank you for taking the time to read it.

[Towfiq Juma]

One of the most striking aspects of the book is its world-building. The descriptions of the various locations in the book are vivid and immersive, making it easy to picture the settings in your mind. The book also explores complex themes such as power, morality, and loyalty, which add depth and complexity to the story. Great review