Review of The Codebreaker's Tale: An Alexandria Rising Prequel

[Sarah Schmidt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Codebreaker's Tale: An Alexandria Rising Prequel" by Mark Wallace Maguire.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Codebreaker’s Tale: An Alexandria Rising Prequel is a mystery thriller written by Mark Wallace Maguire. Though this is set before the events of The Alexandria Rising Chronicles, it can be read as a standalone.

Winston Worsley, a codebreaker, is recruited for his skills in espionage and tracking by the Lux Corporation. All the organization’s teams of agents have gone dark, and they need someone with a special skill set to investigate these disappearances. His first partner does not cut it, so he later teams up with Andrew O’Neal, a man familiar with Atlanta and who Winston finds to be a better fit. With the aid of Mary Celest, the best agent in the field, they track down the whereabouts of Origin, escaping assassination attempts and dodging tails in the process. The trio winds up at a safe house on the edge of town, unearthing a more convoluted conspiracy than they bargained for.

I liked how absolutely boss-like Mary Celest was portrayed. Her introduction, even before her actual appearance, already made her my favourite person in the book. The fact that she was nicknamed ‘The Verve Noire,’ as well as the moments when she lived up to her name, made her the best part of this story.

To say this was an action-filled story would be an understatement. The entire story revolves around a hunt for a code-named antagonist. The settings weren’t exactly lacking, but despite the multitude of action scenes, I never felt invested in the story as the descriptions were bland. There is only a torture scene that got very graphic, which warrants a content warning. Some expletives are also present.

My dislike stems from mainly Winston’s characterization. His machismo seemed forced and overdone, and his inner monologues came off as conceited. He tended to put down most people around him, leaving a bad impression from the very beginning. Maybe the length of the book wasn’t enough to insert some substance into his personality, but I was simply not wowed by any of his apparent skills.

The most memorable thing about this book was its writing style. Using run-on statements and sentence fragments, Maguire creates an atmosphere reminiscent of staccato verbal gunfire, increasing the pace of the plot. There were some scenes that this effect meshed nicely with, though it kind of unbalanced those that were not so fast-paced or filled with action. I had the offhand thought that the narrative seemed to be chasing me to finish the story. I found several errors that were definitely not style preferences, however. I assume that this book has not been professionally edited.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. The number of errors noted and the discordant feel of the writing, as well as the unlikability of the main character, made for a deduction of two stars from my final rating. I would recommend this book to people who like two-hour mysteries, especially those featuring villainous masterminds. Lovers of detective fiction might also find this an entertaining read. I do not believe that people who enjoy suspenseful stories would enjoy this book. On account of the profane material, I think this book is best suited to a mature audience.

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The Codebreaker's Tale: An Alexandria Rising Prequel
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[collinsogw555]

This sounds interesting and I am curious to know if the codebreaker was able to find the reason for their disappearance. Great review.

[Kanchan Bhil]

The overall plot of the story seems good. I hope the author tries to incorporate some professional editing rounds for the betterment of the book. Thank you for your review!

[Amy Luman]

A prequel! Even better than the first book in a series. I want to see what happens with the story. I can deal with the dislike. Thanks!

[Theana De lima Araujo]

Thank you for the wonderful review. This looks like a good book that just needs some editing. I kind of like this arrogant sort of character you describe, it could be an interesting perspective. Have a great day!

[NetMassimo]

The plot seems overall good but reading a book full of errors can become tiresome, adding to the novel's flaws. Thank you for your honest review!