Blog Tour | The Enigma Game
Hello everyone, today I am part of The Enigma Game blog tour, and I have a review of this fabulous book! Thanks to Bloomsbury and Faye for organising and allowing me to join!!
Title: The Enigma Game
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 14th May 2020
Series: Code Name Verity
Genre: YA, Historical, WWII
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Windyedge Airfield, Scotland. World War II.
Louisa Adair, newly orphaned and shunned for her mixed-race heritage, has come here to the edge of the world to look after an old lady with a dark past. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart is a flight lieutenant whose squadron is posted to the airfield over winter. Ellen McEwan is a young woman held hostage by the German pilot who lands at Windyedge one wild stormy night carrying a terrible secret.
Three young people desperate to make a difference in a war that has decimated their families, friends and country. When the means to change the course of history falls into their hands, how will they use it? And when the enemy comes looking for them, who will have the courage to strike back?
A thrilling story of wartime secrets, international intrigue and wild courage from the award-winning author of Code Name Verity, with three young heroes you’ll never forget.
Thank you to Bloomsbury UK and NetGalley for providing me with an EARC copy of this novel!
I read Code Name Verity a few years ago and absolutely adored it, but for whatever reason I didn’t actually realise that there were any other books connected to it. In reality there is a sequel, and this book is a prequel to the action that occurs in Code Name Verity. Knowing that this book was going to feature some of the characters that I got to know and love in that previous novel made me very excited to pick it up!
Wein has a wonderful emotive way of writing, as soon as I began reading this book I was sucked in, I was in love with all the characters, and fully invested in the story.
The book is narrated by a number of characters, and I love each and every one of them! Louisa is a bold and brave 15 year old who moves to Scotland for a job, and refuses to let anyone stop her just because of the colour of her skin. Ellen, is a RAF driver, who is proud to serve her country, while hiding her Traveller heritage. Jamie, the same Jamie from Code Name Verity, is a flight lieutenant who would do anything for his squadron.
I sometimes find that multi-POV books can fall flat, with too many voices and not enough time spent on anyone, but this was definitely not the case here. I loved every single character in the novel, and I eagerly awaited every character’s POV.
While we’re discussing character, a special shout-out must go to Jane, an old woman that Louisa is hired to look after. She is fiery and wild and I adored her! She was so stubborn and refused to live her life on anyone’s terms but her own.
In addition to a wonderful cast of characters, the book is also filled to the brim with action. Spies, bombs, air-raids and aerial battles, this novel has it all. But the novel is also filled with love and joy, and it is an incredible read.
I also want to give a special mention to the geographical setting of the novel. All the action takes place around Aberdeen, and the surrounding areas. As someone who currently lives in Aberdeenshire, I particularly appreciated the local dialect that the author used, it was pretty accurate, with a nice and accurate use of Doric, and descriptions of Aberdeen that were particular to the time. I was very impressed by this!
Overall I really enjoyed this novel, it was a wonderful YA historical read, and I would highly recommend it, and Code Name Verity to all!
