Review of The Devil Pulls the Strings

[Janet Kimetto]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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Boone Daniels almost kills his best friend, Flynn Michaels, in a jousting accident in Wentzville, Missouri. But Flynn's band, the Village Idiots, has a Saturday gig in NYC, and he's no longer in any shape to perform. Flynn then makes Boone promise to cover for him. Boone has this special affinity for music, which makes him the best possible replacement. Unbeknownst to Boone, he's playing into the hand of fate, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

Boone, who'd never stepped foot outside of his hometown, has a lot to contend with in NYC. A dead body, a beautiful girl, portal travel, lost not-been-heard-in-over-a-hundred-years Paganini's music, secret societies, immortals, time travel, Devil summoning, and more to keep a reader glued to the pages. He and the beautiful girl, Sapphire, have to try and find the lost music, run for their lives, and maybe save the world. And Boone still has to deal with a wendigo that's haunted him since the age of six. Faced with multiple choices, does he make the right one in the end?

As is already apparent, The Devil Pulls the Strings by J. W. Zarek combines several fantasy elements to tell an interesting story. I'd had it on my list for quite a while because fantasy is my favorite genre. I loved the Domovoi, their portrayal, and their role in the story. That said, Pip was my favorite character, what with his speech process and what he did in the end. Baba Yaga was a pleasant surprise and a big part of the story. I'll mention that she's the witch who lives in a hut standing on chicken legs because the explanation is more common and easier to remember.

I encountered a few scenes that were a little confusing, though. One such scene happened during the last performance by Sapphire, Boone, and Professor Wickhamby. When fighting broke out, I kept waiting for the audience to react. I think the explanation for that should have come before and not after. This way, the reader gets to give the scene their full attention. And although generally intriguing, some parts about Baba Yaga and her sisters were confusing.

Additionally, since there were neither dragons nor nymphs in the Dragons and Nymphs Society (at least that we're told about), the name is a little bit misleading given that this is a fantasy book. Naturally, I expected dragons, nymphs, and maybe others. But in this case, it consisted of vampires, werewolves, gargoyles, and maybe others. Plus, we hardly know anything about the other society's members (the Lavender and Roses Society). We don't know what kind of supernatural beings they are, only that they are something because one of the members had lived well beyond what is normal for a human.

I rate The Devil Pulls the Strings 3 out of 4 stars. I do not give it a lower rating because, despite the negative aspects I mentioned, I enjoyed reading it. I also only noticed a couple of errors, not enough to affect the rating. I recommend it to those who enjoy reading fantasy stories. I also recommend it to those who'd be interested in the musical aspect of the story. Sapphire plays the violin, and Boone plays the guitar. Music is only used as a means to an end, though, so I wouldn't put a lot of weight on that front.

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The Devil Pulls the Strings
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[MsH2k]

This is a unique storyline, even for the fantasy genre. I like how the author includes music in the mix, and the cover seems to do justice to this story. I'll not read this book, but I enjoyed the adventure through your excellent, descriptive review! Thank you for the glimpse into Boone's wild adventure.

[Mildred Echesa]

The title and the book cover are what attract me the most. I think from the title...it seems he does not control his music career. I am looking forward to read this book.

[Amy Luman]

I find the idea of fate interesting. I have always thought that people make their own decisions and life is not rigidly planned by others. I do like that Boone and Sapphire have a chance to save the world.