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A review by jscarpa14
The Black Circle by Patrick Carman
5.0
When Amy and Dan receive an early morning telegram, they sneak away to the airport to find out just who exactly knows where they are and secrets about their past that only Grace would know. What they discover are two plane tickets, passports and disguises as well as a clue to discovering who send them and why. With a flight that leaves in an hour and a thirty six hour deadline to find clues in six different cities Amy and Dan head off to Russia leaving Nellie and Saladin behind. The task before them is impossible and they have no choice but to enlist help. With limited option they choose to put their trust in Hamilton Holt. The two teams split up passing information back and forth as they race to meet the deadline, but will they make it in time? Who is the mysterious N.R.R. – a friend helping them locate a clue or a foe leading them into a dangerous trap? And will the Holts double cross them as everyone else has?
Carman adds an extremely interesting installment to the 39 Clues series with The Black Circle. In this fast paced, well written novel readers are immersed in information about Rasputin, the Romanovs and multiple other notable Russian figures. The information for the most part follows with the rest of the series and I didn’t notice any discrepancies. If there are any they aren’t obvious. While the novel answers some questions from previous books, it also raises many others and you’re left wondering yet again just who can be trusted. You learn more about the Madrigals, but still don’t exactly understand who they are or what their purpose is. You’re brought back into Lucian territory with Lucian leaders and suspicion is cast on different characters. The book is written mostly in a close third person offering a variety of point of views. It’s educational, exciting and thrilling from beginning to end.
The characters stay for the most part true to form. We have some decent scenes in both Amy and Dan’s points of view in which their characters continue to grow and flesh out. Characterization also continues with Hamilton and Irina. We also see a little bit of Ian with a follow through of him actually feeling something for Amy, but ignoring it because of his values I guess you’d say. We’re finally getting the picture that these characters are not all good or evil, more their lives have shaped them into what they are.
Overall an excellent installment from Carmen, can’t wait to read more
Carman adds an extremely interesting installment to the 39 Clues series with The Black Circle. In this fast paced, well written novel readers are immersed in information about Rasputin, the Romanovs and multiple other notable Russian figures. The information for the most part follows with the rest of the series and I didn’t notice any discrepancies. If there are any they aren’t obvious. While the novel answers some questions from previous books, it also raises many others and you’re left wondering yet again just who can be trusted. You learn more about the Madrigals, but still don’t exactly understand who they are or what their purpose is. You’re brought back into Lucian territory with Lucian leaders and suspicion is cast on different characters. The book is written mostly in a close third person offering a variety of point of views. It’s educational, exciting and thrilling from beginning to end.
The characters stay for the most part true to form. We have some decent scenes in both Amy and Dan’s points of view in which their characters continue to grow and flesh out. Characterization also continues with Hamilton and Irina. We also see a little bit of Ian with a follow through of him actually feeling something for Amy, but ignoring it because of his values I guess you’d say. We’re finally getting the picture that these characters are not all good or evil, more their lives have shaped them into what they are.
Overall an excellent installment from Carmen, can’t wait to read more