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 " As a Jewish person who loves sci-fi and historical fiction, Jigsaw: Beginnings, a novel about time-travelling Jewish resistance fighters, was the perfect read for me. Action-packed, emotionally captivating, and packed with highly-nuanced characters who must test their limits in the fight to preserve history, this novella ticked all the right boxes for a highly compelling read!"  

Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it. Jigsaw: Beginnings by David Alyn Gordon is an absorbing and dangerous time travel novel landing a couple of students in Italy during World War II. The entire group was on a school tour of Italy when two of them, Mariah and Noah, spy a resistance armband on the ground, in perfect condition. Moments later they are surrounded by a bright light and transported back to the dangerous time around World War II where their adventures began. Beginnings was violent and real: people died, and it was not on a battlefield. It was in a lab and on the street and in front of a firing squad. It was raw and rough, a true portrayal of the time and of the people who put themselves at risk for a cause. For Mariah and Noah it took history out of the classroom and into their lives, an unparalleled experience, making the chance of glamorizing war a forgotten memory. It is a book not to be missed.  

 Jigsaw: Beginnings is a gripping adventure through World War II Italy. Noah and Mariah, two teens from 2017 Arizona, have been ripped back through time to 1943 Italy. There, they witness the history from their textbooks as it unfolds before them. Join them as they attempt to survive and escape the Axis powers and Allied bombings to return to their own time. Beginnings is filled with vibrant and captivating characters, action-packed sequences, nuanced historical references, and heartbreaking tragedy. This book was a wonderful surprise and kept me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to seeing what is next for these heroes of time!

 Love the book! A witty, suspenseful page-turner.

If you love sci-fi, history, or both, you'll love this book. The historical fiction mixes well with the science fiction, and the author brings the characters to life page after page. This is one that had me bargaining, just one more chapter then I'll go to bed, only to read many more. You'll become invested in the character's lives, and introspective about the history of the period. This piece does a great job of integrating historical thought with futuristic feeling outcomes. A captivating must-read.

 An action-packed, thought provoking, and intriguing piece of science fiction, Jigsaw: Beginnings, by David Gordon, leaves the reader waiting for the sequel! Personally, I truly enjoyed the weaving of Arizona references into the fabric of the story and the accuracy of the descriptions of Italy. I found  the book to be an absorbing and entertaining look at the history of World War II. 

 An interesting take of the time travel adventure. Who of us, as children or young adults, did not wonder what it would be like to leave our humdrum lives and escape into another world or time?. What if it was unplanned and terrible beyond anything you imagined. The Author takes our young characters and thrusts them into a world only known to them from History books. A world at war. What begins as an idyllic vacation turns into much more. The story blends in humor as well as exquisite detail of locations in Italy and America that really puts the reader in a place that they are there and demonstrates the differences that time makes to a place. I have avoided spoilers to the plot twists of which there are a few that keeps the reader on their toes.

As full disclosure, I personally know the author, and as such, found it difficult to write a totally objective review, but since I did like like it, felt I would be remiss if I didn’t. 

 This is a fast-paced story that I’ve read in one sitting. Although it targets young adult readers, I found the plot highly entertaining.

The story took place in 2017 and 1943/1944.

In 2017, a group of graduates, 3 boys, 3 girls, and their teachers, traveled to Italy. What looked like a fun trip at first turned out to be a real adventure, especially for some of them. Mariah and Noah stood out among the characters. And not because there were emotionally involved. Well, a love story is not excluded, but their role went beyond that.

In 1943, under Mussolini’s military surveillance, scientists invented and put the time machine in function. In WWII, the time machine had a central place in the story, which was meant to be used for military purposes. Here we met Mariah and Noah again under the code names of Mona and Bernini. How was that possible? Oh, no? Did they travel back in time? Apparently, they did. But how? It came as a surprise to both of them as well as the reader. To survive under war conditions, they decided to play along as USA agents. The entire time they spent in the past, they tried not to reveal information about WWII that could alter the future of the events as they were. “History can’t be rewritten,” they said. And they were right.

Full of twists and turns, the story makes you wonder what will follow next. As this was the first installment in a trilogy, I look forward to reading the other two. 

 I enjoyed reading the first book in the Jigsaw series by David Alyn Gordon. Jigsaw Beginnings is a time-travel story for YA audiences with a historical fiction theme: WWII. And it is a puzzle indeed. A mind-twisting, paradoxical puzzle that will leave you breathless. During a class trip to Italy, 2 of the students, Noah and Mariah, get an up-close and personal experience of the country during World War II. In 1943 Italy, Mussolini is desperate to turn the tides of the war. He puts the scientists to work on a secret weapon: teleportation. In one failed experiment, Noah and Mariah are transported from 2017 to 1944, and one heck of a history lesson! The paradoxes are just beginning when we they meet themselves as characters in 1944: Bernini and Mona. Whoa! What’s happening? Read to find out if they can change the course of history and would they want to? As an aside, this book could have used some better editing; small errors here and there add up. 

 This is such a unique story line! I loved that it was based in WWII and I did not see what was going to happen in the end! You get a lesson in history with lots of intrigue. Makes you wonder if something like this actually happened and if we could do this - the possibilities are scary. Looking forward to reading more of this series. 

 Jigsaw Warheads by David Alyn Gordon is a fast-paced conclusion to the previous book: Jigsaw: Beginnings. The war is over and all players are scrambling to find a place for themselves. Some are interested in disappearing, some in righting old wrong, and some in working toward a new future. The perception of the future is different for many. There is still the resistance. Memories are long and do not forget the wrongs. Lots of shooting. Lots of death. Plenty of movement from one place to another. Plenty of time-hopping. People are ready for a quiet life; the children are adjusting to a new family. The Team preparing to return to there own time, ready for a new mission. The timeline has remained stable. All is well.

A consuming narrative of what might have been. If you are a fan of science fiction, you will enjoy it. If you are a fan of history you will find it intriguing. Interesting. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Jigsaw Warheads by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

 The next chapter for our time guardians is fast paced and covers some very difficult topics. And poses more pieces to the puzzle. The pages seem to turn themselves as you get deeper and deeper into the story. Mariah and Noah are still saving history as each adventure unfolds. How far would you go to preserve history? These are the questions they have to answer every day. Can you live a full life having been born in one time and transferred to the past? Or jumping from time to time to lend a hand where you are needed? Will Mariah and Noah be successful is preserving the time line as we know it? Hopefully this question will be answered in the next book. Mr. Gordon descriptions of the past and the quandaries the two face are very well written and make the reader feel the confusion and strife the characters are feeling. The stories spark interest into a very dark and secret history that must not be forgotten. 

 Jigsaw Full Circle by David Alyn Gordon is the conclusion of a trilogy of a science fiction/history story, which included the Fascists of Europe during World War II including Germany and Italy. It all got very complicated with a group of high school students who got caught up in a time travel narrative and some of whom later became agents for the Foundation, a group of persons holding themselves responsible for interfering in sensitive matters in history, while at the same time maintaining the time line. There was a lot of violence: people getting shot and blown up, not that that wouldn't have happened. It is really not my genre, so forgive me for seeing it as I do.

It is a complicated story with far too many characters, many of whom have multiple identities. It can be difficult to follow, and would be better as a movie or TV show where there were faces and uniforms to help. Time travel is complicated and difficult to write. I am not sure a person can have dated his own ggg grandmother. It takes far too much thought to be certain.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Jigsaw Full Circle by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

 How can so much happen in such a small book? Just when you think everything is over and Mariah and Noah will get to lead something closer to a normal life, things change. Full of adventure and blossoming love Jigsaw Full explains some mysteries and gives some new ones to wonder about. Mr. Gordon's world of time guardians is one that is a pleasure to visit and makes you question how things might have been had one decision or action been different. I can only wonder what happens next. 

 I could not put this book down! So many twists and turns and out comes that I didn't see coming! I am happy that the time travel devices that are used in the stories are fictional (at least I hope that they are). I hope that there will be more stories to this series! 

Perfect ending to a fabulous trilogy!

 I have very much enjoyed this entire trilogy, and this final book did not disappoint! It provides satisfaction to the reader in completing the story of Noah and his friends as they travel through time in an effort to save/preserve history as they know it.

This book is every bit as exciting as the first two! There is a lot going on during the Mussolini regime, and it was interesting to see the main characters trying to play their roles without letting anyone know they were from the future, and thereby changing it.

Second, the characters were written well, with their own unique personalities. Even some of the more minor characters (and historical figures!) were interesting in their own right. I enjoyed seeing how they have developed over the course of the series, and seeing how everything ended up for them.

Another fun aspect of this book was trying to wrap my mind around time travel. Can the past be changed? If so, should it be? There's a lot to think about in addition to enjoying a good story.

While you could probably enjoy this book as a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting with the first book, Jigsaw Beginnings. There is a lot of plot and character development happening, and I think you'll enjoy it more if you experience it from the start.