gillian_barbieri 's review for:

The Master Jeweler: A Novel by Weina Dai Randel

2.5

adventurous informative mysterious 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

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While I enjoyed the premise of the story and learning about Shanghai’s history, I found myself very frustrated by the lack of clear motivation from the main characters. It was unclear to me what really motivated Anya to peruse being a jeweler and what caused Issac to train her. There were simple justifications, but the character development was lacking. 

I also felt the dialogue was very stilted throughout. Overall I would recommend for the historical aspect, but the writing could be more refined. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy.