Essential Book of Hanjie: And How to Solve It

I have bought this for my 13 yrs old but I like it too, be sure to follow the directions it can get confusing but not to bad after you get the hang of it and are started on a right path.

I had never done a Hanjie puzzle before I found this book. I'm now hooked!

I bought a copy of this book for a very bright 9-yo. Excellent investment. The instructions are enough to tell a tyro what the goal is, but not so much that all the discovery is mechanical. He thinks it's fine that he does not know whether a given puzzle is relatively easy or hard before he starts it. If you are bothered by getting stuck, you might not like this. If you greatly enjoy the "Aha!" experience when you get unstuck... you'll have them here. After solving some of the puzzles in this book, the kid has his own bag of tricks which were NOT explained, but which he invented. This is excellent.

This is probably the definitive book of Hanjie. The book is broken up into grid sections, starting from a 10 x 10 grid and ending with a 30 x 40 grid. Towards the end of each grid section, the puzzles become increasingly harder. For instance, if there is eight 25 x 25 grids, the last two or three will be more advanced. I have completed over 100 of the puzzles, and as the author states, you never have to guess to solve the puzzles. There may be times where you seriously question that statement; however, there is always a discreet solution buried in the tiny boxes. Out of all the Hanjie books I have completed, this has been by far the most enjoyable. The only critique I have, is the instructions are elementary, and unless you know how to solve Hanjie puzzles already, will leave you questioning the more advanced puzzles. However, a little research on "how to Hanjie" on the Internet will dash any need for instructions.

This is a great book for Hanjie beginners. I would recommend this for someone who hasn't attempted these puzzles before. There is an easy to follow How to Play section, and handy tips on how to use deduction to complete the puzzle. The cover states 'Over 150 Puzzles!' however, there are exactly 150. The puzzles grids range from 10 x 10 squares to 30 x 40 squares. The paper is thick and a good quality, I've used inky pens and they haven't bled through to the puzzle on the next page. At 5.3 x 6.8 inches this book is smaller than many others, this makes it easier to fit into my bag. Unfortunately the puzzles have no difficulty rating. The size of the grid doesn't neccessarily reflect how complicated the puzzles may be, so I've found myself staring at the grid trying to guess if it will be challenging. While I am no where near completing this book, I have been enjoying this type of puzzle for many years and have found the puzzles in the first 2/3 of the book very easy. Overall I'd rate Essential Book of Hanjie as 5 stars for a beginner and 3 stars for someone looking for challenging puzzles.