The Master Craftsman

I have had the pleasure of reading other books by Kelli Stuart in the past. I was excited to have the opportunity to read her latest release, The Master Craftsman. I was far from being disappointed. It is by far my favorite I have read by her to date. I was fascinated by the unique storyline and loved learning more about the history of the Faberge'. I liked following along trying to find out what the characters will learn and able to solve the mystery. I loved every single page. The Master Craftsman will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars. Readers who enjoy reading historical fiction and those with dual time lines will definitely want to pick this one up. I will be looking forward to more like this by Kelli Stuart in the future. I received a paperback copy of The Master Craftsman from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

This book was informative. I learned a lot about Fabergé eggs, and of course had to look them up. I had a hard time, though, connecting with the characters from the past. I didn't really find them to be likable. The present characters, I didn't really connect with, but I enjoyed the action. However, it was very predictable. When things happened that I had pegged from the beginning, I lost interest in the book. I'm not sorry I read it, but I don't think I'll read it again.

"Those who work with excellence always stand the tallest." This is my first book by Kelli Stuart and I am totally blown away. The author's skill in melding history, fiction, and suspense to create a spell-binding dual timeline novel is truly masterful. I felt like I was living with the Faberges in Russia during the early 1900s and equally felt like I was on an exhilarating treasure hunt with Ava and Nick during the present time. I learned quite a bit about Russian history through the eyes of Karl Faberge and loved learning about the man behind the exquisite creations. The story is plot-driven and moves at a fast clip with plenty of gasp-worthy twists and turns. Karl Faberge and his wife Augusta along with his employee Albert make up the characters in the past. The present time's cast of characters is large; it includes Ava and her mother, Ava's estranged treasure hunter father Nick, and Ava's neighbor Zak along with several other minor characters. I felt the greatest affinity for Karl, who had the most prominent and introspective voice. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction and dual timeline fiction would absolutely love this incredible journey. This is definitely on my top reads of 2022 list! I received the book from the publisher via Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.