Review of The Devil Pulls the Strings
-
Beckygold1996
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 11 Apr 2022, 22:34
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-beckygold1996.html
- Latest Review: The Devil Pulls the Strings by J. W. Zarek
Review of The Devil Pulls the Strings
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Devil Pulls the Strings" by J. W. Zarek.]
The devil pulls the strings is a modern-day fantasy tale by J.W zarek which hooked and reeled me in right away considering that it isn't my normal genre. When I first picked the book up, I felt quite out of my comfort zone. However, I connected instantly with the character and the story had such an elegant flow in it. The book is enhanced with magical beings, time travel, action, humor, and originality. There's a wonderful, touching, layered relationship between Boone and his friend, Flynn. It explores good and evil, love for friends, family and nation, and other complex themes in a nuanced way. Boone Daniels has problems. He battles claustrophobia, gut-wrenching guilt, a cannibalistic shape-lifting spirit that appears whenever he's enveloped in darkness since age six and he almost kills his best friend in a joust. But when he fills in for his injured friend at a New York City gig, he ends up meeting the gig's contact, professor stone at his NYC brownstone where his body falls from the balcony and the place explodes with gunfire. Boone soon stumbles on his true purpose for being in New York -to stop Sinti from summoning the devil and stop Baba Yaga, an immortal entity who has been trapped in a deep sleep for centuries, from destroying NYC. Along with his new friend, Sapphire, Boone helps a secret organization fight a long-time war with the Dragon and Nymph society.
The DeviI pulls the strings was a great read that didn't take itself too seriously. J.W Zarek was able to convey that through his protagonist’s sarcasm and hilarious jokes. I love the fact that some of the information the author uses is factual and conforms to the original mythology but in some areas, the author bends mythological rules in unique ways which I enjoy even more. The storyline flows swiftly and is spellbinding from the first page to the last. The plot was also very interesting and not all predictable and generic. The various settings in the book were great. Some parts were written traditionally, but this alternated with a more staccato style that gave a sense of urgency to more intense scenes. The characters are all well written. My personal favorite was Baba Yaga. Her lines never ceased to make me laugh.
However, this book gets broken up a bit by start-stop flow of writing. Not everything flows perfectly as it started slow and I had a hard time getting into it. There was a lot of rambling, repeating, and going from here and there, and back again without much vivid details except for a few buildings and it reminds me of learning how to drive stick. You stay in the wrong gear too long and you are going to stall out until you shift.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It's the kind of book that keeps you gripped even after the very last page. It sucks you in with the intricate detail, making you feel like you really are in Wentzville, MO, New York City, and 1813 Genoa, Italy.
I have no doubt that fans of the fantasy genre will love this one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes action, mystery, self-discovery, magic, and classical music books. A story that is fun from start to finish. I hope to read more books by J.W Zarek in the future, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this one.
******
The Devil Pulls the Strings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The devil pulls the strings is a modern-day fantasy tale by J.W zarek which hooked and reeled me in right away considering that it isn't my normal genre. When I first picked the book up, I felt quite out of my comfort zone. However, I connected instantly with the character and the story had such an elegant flow in it. The book is enhanced with magical beings, time travel, action, humor, and originality. There's a wonderful, touching, layered relationship between Boone and his friend, Flynn. It explores good and evil, love for friends, family and nation, and other complex themes in a nuanced way. Boone Daniels has problems. He battles claustrophobia, gut-wrenching guilt, a cannibalistic shape-lifting spirit that appears whenever he's enveloped in darkness since age six and he almost kills his best friend in a joust. But when he fills in for his injured friend at a New York City gig, he ends up meeting the gig's contact, professor stone at his NYC brownstone where his body falls from the balcony and the place explodes with gunfire. Boone soon stumbles on his true purpose for being in New York -to stop Sinti from summoning the devil and stop Baba Yaga, an immortal entity who has been trapped in a deep sleep for centuries, from destroying NYC. Along with his new friend, Sapphire, Boone helps a secret organization fight a long-time war with the Dragon and Nymph society.
The DeviI pulls the strings was a great read that didn't take itself too seriously. J.W Zarek was able to convey that through his protagonist’s sarcasm and hilarious jokes. I love the fact that some of the information the author uses is factual and conforms to the original mythology but in some areas, the author bends mythological rules in unique ways which I enjoy even more. The storyline flows swiftly and is spellbinding from the first page to the last. The plot was also very interesting and not all predictable and generic. The various settings in the book were great. Some parts were written traditionally, but this alternated with a more staccato style that gave a sense of urgency to more intense scenes. The characters are all well written. My personal favorite was Baba Yaga. Her lines never ceased to make me laugh.
However, this book gets broken up a bit by start-stop flow of writing. Not everything flows perfectly as it started slow and I had a hard time getting into it. There was a lot of rambling, repeating, and going from here and there, and back again without much vivid details except for a few buildings and it reminds me of learning how to drive stick. You stay in the wrong gear too long and you are going to stall out until you shift.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It's the kind of book that keeps you gripped even after the very last page. It sucks you in with the intricate detail, making you feel like you really are in Wentzville, MO, New York City, and 1813 Genoa, Italy.
I have no doubt that fans of the fantasy genre will love this one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes action, mystery, self-discovery, magic, and classical music books. A story that is fun from start to finish. I hope to read more books by J.W Zarek in the future, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this one.
******
The Devil Pulls the Strings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Devil Pulls the Strings by J. W. Zarek
