Reviews - A Most Peculiar Tale, Indeed

120 reviews for:

A Most Peculiar Tale, Indeed

Bianca Marais

3.71 AVERAGE

ssejig's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This was an interesting story that I probably would have enjoyed more as an ebook or hard copy. There are a number of puzzles in this book that would have been good to see. There is a website but my library book was returned before I could combine the two.
I also was not expecting the fantasy elements that came into the book. There are a lot of moving parts and the chapters switch around points of view so it's a lot to keep up with. The base story is that Destiny Whipp is invited to an island to become an archivist for a reclusive family who are actually wizards fighting for power.

silverhill's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

northcoastwanderer's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

cinn48's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

blanketed_in_books's review against another edition

3.5

Some plot points I guessed but others felt like bombs that dropped in out of nowhere. And I couldn’t tell if I was continuing because I was captivated or just hoping the next chapter would finally make sense. With multiple chapters having me go “wait, what?”. And sometimes... it made sense? Sort of? Some questions are answered by the end, but many things remain ambiguous or open to interpretation.

One unique feature was the inclusion of puzzles throughout the book. While not essential to the core story, they added a fun interactive element. Some offered bonus lore if solved, and even if you didn’t solve them, the key is provided at the end so you can still access the information if you want.. A few were easy to breeze through, while others (like Puzzle Twelve) had me restarting multiple times and only out of sheer determination did I get it figured out. It definitely added time to my reading experience but made it more engaging that’s for sure.

By the end, the whole thing was reminiscent of the “Once Upon a Time” show. Which even to me seems a bit like a weird comparison for a murder mystery story but if you’ve watched the show and then read this book you’ll understand.

In the end, this was a unique and engaging break from my usual reads. I may not have loved every part, and I’m definitely still left with questions, but I can’t deny the experience was compelling.