The Devil Pulls the Strings

Boone Daniels, a charismatic musician and jousting competitor at Renaissance Faires, finds himself in a difficult situation when he accidentally injures his friend and opponent during a competition. Apologetically, he offers to cover for his friend's music gig at the Annual Dragon and Nymphs Society Charity Ball. He is told to meet with Professor Stone, and things begin to unravel quickly as he makes his way to New York City. After meeting the Professors assistant, Sapphire Anjou, Boone gets pulled into a world full of magic, and he must complete several quests to stop the impending destruction of New York City.

This story blends together several different elements such as folklore, history, time travelling, magic, mythology, and secret societies. All of these together make for a very interesting read. The events that occur take place over centuries, but are woven into the story in a very short time frame. This may cause the reader to get lost in the storyline as it does jump around quite a bit. While the world building is certainly intriguing, a stronger foundation needs to be laid explaining the rules of the world and how all of the different components come together. The reader may find this story to be a bit chaotic. However, “The Devil Pulls the Strings” is definitely one of a kind. It is quite an interesting book, and the characters are well developed. J. W. Zarek appears to have a boundless imagination and is able to develop an engrossing atmosphere that makes for one epic adventure.

Jennifer Shepherd