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The Puzzle Ring

by Kate Forsyth (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 224 ratings · 39 reviews

Hannah Rose was not quite 13 years old when she discovered her family was cursed. . . .

The arrival of a mysterious letter changes Hannah’s life forever. One day she is an ordinary teenage girl. The next day she discovers she is heir to a castle in the Scottish highlands—a castle that was cursed more than four hundred and forty years ago.

The curse has haunted her family for...more

Paperback, 443 pages

Published June 1st 2009 by Scholastic

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Sep 20, 2009 Cat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, uk-edition, favourites

This was a fantastic book! I was enchanted right from the cover (which is beautiful!) until the last page. Kate Forsyth is a fabulous writer and really knows how to weave a story. Magic, history and faerie lore all nicely woven together. It's a great stand-alone novel, though there's an opening that would allow for a second book if it should happen.

I did not want to put this down - so I guess it's a good thing I woke up at 2AM and couldn't get back to sleep - I finished the book in one night!

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Oct 02, 2011 Eibhleann (Jodie) Gardiner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the last of my "just trying out the fantasy genre" books and I have to say it was really good. The others were okay and did get my interest but these aren't the most amazing books I've read or the most complex. It took me all of two seconds to work out where the first loop of the puzzle ring was hidden and the character had to be told by the person who hid it. Mind you she was 12 and I'm 21 but still.

You can definitely tell this book is intended for a younger audience close to the ages...more This was the last of my "just trying out the fantasy genre" books and I have to say it was really good. The others were okay and did get my interest but these aren't the most amazing books I've read or the most complex. It took me all of two seconds to work out where the first loop of the puzzle ring was hidden and the character had to be told by the person who hid it. Mind you she was 12 and I'm 21 but still.

You can definitely tell this book is intended for a younger audience close to the ages of the main characters around 12. But that doesn't mean adults like me couldn't enjoy it, it was a good read I like how she used historical facts and scientific theories in the book. And how she doesn't dumb-down things, there were words in there that I didn't know the meaning of, so it was good I learnt a few things.

Her story ties in well with the true events and her characters are believable people ... Well Roz got on my nerves a bit with the whole close minded fairies aren't real what not bit. But that might be because I had spent the whole book reading about them and imagining all the things the characters did the their realm so I was expecting her to be more inclined to the whole thing. But hey she was a science teacher after all. The plot is easy follow and some mysteries are quite fun to work out on your own or just wait for them to be revealed it would be up to you. Since I read a lot of fiction crime novels I always like to try and work who the bad guy is and what this piece of the puzzle means.

I also like how the author didn't expect you to know all about the background like what exactly fairies are and how they are depicted in Scottish mythology, or what happened during the reign of Mary Queen of the Scots or much about the landscape of Scotland. She explained all these things in great detail and even taught me how to do cryptic crosswords (which is us something I've always wanted to know). So in short this is a good book for a quick weekend read I think on a nice sunny day outside or even on a rainy weekend where’s isn’t a lot to do and you have some hot chocolate. I would suggest this try flipping to the back of the book bake the cake there and then read. May just improve the atmosphere a little wish I thought of it while I was reading it.(less)

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Feb 26, 2010 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, youngadult

The Puzzle Ring is a marvelous adventure that mixes Scottish lore and fairy tales with the modern day. The world of Scotland and the historical world equivalent are so well described that you really feel apart of what is taking place. The characters have their strengths and weaknesses and this is probably one of those rare books where you really see how much the characters do not simply meld into the new setting, but remain modern day teenagers in attitude even throughout their adventures. They...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Puzzle Ring is written in the vein of great traditional fantasies. In the information that came with the book, it was likened to the Chronicles of Narnia and I certainly think it has that daring magical adventure feel to it. Hannah is living in Australia with her mum Roz when a mysterious letter arrives addressed to the Countess of Wintersloe. Roz soon admits that back in Scotland Hannah would in fact have the title of Lady. Her father was a Lord but he disappeared the night after her birth....more The Puzzle Ring is written in the vein of great traditional fantasies. In the information that came with the book, it was likened to the Chronicles of Narnia and I certainly think it has that daring magical adventure feel to it. Hannah is living in Australia with her mum Roz when a mysterious letter arrives addressed to the Countess of Wintersloe. Roz soon admits that back in Scotland Hannah would in fact have the title of Lady. Her father was a Lord but he disappeared the night after her birth. Hannah begs her mum to take her back to Scotland. She is excited by the possibility of a big adventure. And thus our story begins as we return with Hannah to the land of her father and journey into the mystery of The Puzzle Ring.

I wish I had read this book back when I was ten years old. I think I would have read it again and again. Hannah is a great heroine who is determined to break the family curse. The story is brimming over with tradtional tales of Celtic mythology, of fireside stories and magical dreams. I most certainly would love (even now) to suddenly discover I am actually a Scottish Lady and am the heir to a castle or grand house. I spent most of my childhood dreaming of magical adventures like this. Many characters in this story had a great appeal. Donovan for his rebellious streak and love of nature and wildlife. Angus for his sixteenth century ways. Linnet for her courage. Roz for reminding me of my sister and her love of all things science. There is a character for everyone in this book.

The scenes that take place in the time of Mary Queen of Scots were thoroughly entertaining and this is where Max became a comic genius for me. I kept laughing out loud at his gruesome facts. I think he must have swallowed a Horrible Histories book and this makes the book have a real appeal for boys too.

Overall, The Puzzle Ring is a mysterious and magical adventure. It called to the child within me and made me feel ten again. Forsyth expertly played on the fears of the target audience as the characters tell stories around the fire. This is a wonderful epic fantasy which will take you on a journey into the past and into the Otherworld. It reminded me of my childhood dreams and I will be buying a copy of this for the school library. I am convinced it will be a hit with the 10-12 age group.
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Jul 25, 2011 Book Bazaar added it · review of another edition

One of the best junior fantasy novels I have read in ages.

Kate Forsyth has written a gripping fantasy novel full of history and Scottish myth , faery tale and folklore. Hannah’s quest to find her father and restore the puzzle ring involve her new Scottish friends as well as characters from the time of Mary, Queen of Scots and a mythical water-horse. The main characters are appealing and well developed and the faerie law and Scottish History are really well integrated. Forsyth paints vivid sensor...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Tay♡Shel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished, fast-past, action, adrenaline-rush, fantasy, adventure, modern-set, medieval-set, magic, love-the-cover, 5-stars, ends-in-a-happy-note, beautiful-plot, all-time-favs, olden-days, unique

This book cannot be explained in words to be honest. Facial expressions and hand gestures and body language maybe more so have a greater chance? But I don't think I've ever read a book involving fantasy that held me captivated by EVERY single word. It really doesn't come that often ya know that you find a book that doesn't let you down in the least bit. no no no no. Why is this book so perfect? Kate Forsyth is a magical writer and I have yet to experience the rest of her books which I am looking...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Kaye rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did a course at the Sydney Writer's Centre recently with Kate Forsyth as the facilitator. I had to confess at the time I had not read any of her books. I picked the Puzzle Ring to start with as regrettably it was the only one of her books my local library stocked.

I very much enjoyed this young adult fantasy about 13 yo Hannah, an Australian girl who receives a letter from her Scottish grandmother to come and visit her at her ancestral Scottish castle. When Hannah arrives, she learns that her f...more

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May 17, 2012 Maryanne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Children middle grade; everyone

My introduction to Kate Forsyth's wonderful children's fantasy writing - after which I gulped down 11 more of her books in row.

The Puzzle Ring has elements of history, of magic, of mystery and a quest. The plot is tight and satisfying, and the writing is as magical as any of Kate's own inventive magical creatures or objects. Like most of her stories, the character, Hannah, learns much about her own courage, kindness and persistence, and makes surprising friends and allies in the least expected p...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, signed, blog-tour

The Puzzle Ring is an exciting and engaging fantasy adventure that captures your imagination and takes you to places you’ll never believe you could go.

Hannah is a girl who dreams of magic and adventure. And, boy, does she get it! Her love of all things fairies, secrets and mysteries is infectious and Hannah’s brightness, loyalty and determination make her my kind of girl. I’d like to swap her for my younger sister, actually! One of my favourite things about Hannah is her cleverness and ability t...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is such a great book – if I had read it when I was younger it would have been one of those books I read over and over again. It just has everything – great characters and a strong mythology all combined with wonderful writing. What more do you need?

I was gripped from the beginning. Hannah is a great character and I loved her attitude from the onset. Yes, I imagine she could be slightly annoying at times but she was plucky enough that I really believed she could break the curse. As soon as w...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fey

I have just re-read Kate Forsyth's book The Puzzle Ring for the second time. The one-liner on the front cover sums up the story well: A past full of secrets and a future full of magic. A strange letter from a relative in Scotland awakens thirteen-year-old Hannah Rose Brown to the fact that she knows nothing of her long-lost father's family. Therein lie the secrets and the promise of magic. Despite the fact that I already knew the plot and I was reading the book more to study the language, I was...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Jenny / Wondrous Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, signed

I can't believe this book has been out there for so long, and I'd never even heard of it! It's a magical fantasy that travels through time, and is exactly the kind of story I love to lose myself in.

I loved all the mythology and history included in Hannah's adventure, especially when it concerned Mary, Queen of Scots. To mix the Queen's life with Scottish faerie lore was just brilliant, and it made for an edge-of-your-seat read. I'm a fan of time travel anyway, though I had no idea it was part of...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, middle-grade, fantasy

Click here for my full review

Though YA readers might want to take note that this book is pitched at more of a middle grade audience, The Puzzle Ring is full of beautiful places, intriguing puzzles and characters that you won’t want to leave, and I don’t doubt that you’ll thoroughly enjoy your time in its pages. Oh, and extra points for the bonus marmalade cake recipe in the back of the book.

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Jun 20, 2012 CαthεεBooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-received-to-review, beautiful-covers, books-i-own

Title : The Puzzle Ring
Series : -
Author : Kate Forsyth
Pages : 394
Release Date : 2009
Publisher : Pan Macmillan Australia (my copy)
Format : Paperback
Source :
** I received this book in exchange of an honest review **

My Opinion:

I actually discover The Puzzle Ring through one of Kristi over at The Story Siren's In My Mailbox vlog. I just fell completely in the with the gorgeous cover and wanted my own copy. I contacted the author to ask her if she had any copies for review, and she told me she had f...more

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Apr 07, 2011 La Coccinelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade-fiction

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. I've been wanting to read it for ages, and when I got an e-book reader, I finally had a chance to do so (the paperback edition is not easy to come by in North America, so I read this book as a PDF). At first, I thought it was going to be an interesting fantasy, full of fairy myths and legends and historical goodies. The book did have all of those things (especially in the author's note at the end)... but it just didn't hold my interest, and I couldn't wait f...more I'm a bit conflicted about this book. I've been wanting to read it for ages, and when I got an e-book reader, I finally had a chance to do so (the paperback edition is not easy to come by in North America, so I read this book as a PDF). At first, I thought it was going to be an interesting fantasy, full of fairy myths and legends and historical goodies. The book did have all of those things (especially in the author's note at the end)... but it just didn't hold my interest, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I think the main issue that I had was that, going into it, I thought it was a young adult book. It's not. It falls squarely in the middle grade category. Even then, it wasn't as good as I thought it could have been. Certain passages had me cringing. Adverb abuse was obvious. The characters were one-dimensional, and the foreshadowing was pretty heavy handed. Aside from Hannah needing to find the pieces of the puzzle ring, she also had to figure out which one of her friends was the "child of true blood". I figured it out so early that the rest of the book didn't hold many surprises. I also thought there were too many characters. Max, for example, seemed like an afterthought, and I often wasn't sure where he was half the time. I didn't particularly like any of the kids, and Roz's stubborn skepticism was particularly aggravating.

As for the plot, I felt it dragged on for far too long. I know I should have expected a long story when the plot involves finding four pieces of a ring that were flung in the four directions of the compass, but still... The sub-plot about Mary, Queen of Scots was almost unnecessary and only added more pages to an already overlong novel. I think it could have worked just as well as a plain fantasy story. Include the time travel, by all means, but leave out the political and historical intrigues; they weren't really needed.

I might have loved this book when I was about 11, but reading it as an adult was a bit excruciating. Some middle grade books can be done really well and show the immaturity of the child protagonists without making you want to slap them. Unfortunately, this book failed to do so, and didn't live up to my high expectations. Unless you're actually in middle school and like historical fiction, I'd say give this one a pass.

http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...(less)

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Feb 21, 2010 Steph Bowe rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Puzzle Ring is a fantastically imaginative fantasy novel that I'd recommend to readers between nine and twelve, as well as older readers who don't mind reading books with younger protagonists. I think if I were five or six years younger, this is the kind of book I'd've read over and over again - I'm giving it to my little sister to read, and I'm sure she'll love it.

It's fantastically gripping, and has elements of action and historical fiction. There was a lot going on in The Puzzle Ring - ti...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Srishti rated it 5 of 5 stars

I simply love this book! Kate Forsyth is a simply amazing author! I could not stop reading once I picked it up. Hannah Rose is not yet 13 when she realizes her family is cursed.But to break it she has to travel back in time,when Mary was Queen of Scots,a time when witches were burnt and the black witch is trying to stop her from taking the lost parts of the puzzle ring. Will Hannah find her missing father and the missing parts of the puzzle ring?Read to find out!PS-I loved the way she described...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Jasmine rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved the book and the story line. You could really connect with the main characters where as the other characters were mysterious but not distant. I loved the book but i felt the ending was a bit rushed. It was like they thought of a great plot and sequence of events but then they had to quickly make up the ending but this shouldn't put you off reading the book. I would definitely read it again!

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Feb 07, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favs

I Thought that the "Puzzle Ring" was great!
I loved the mystery, the adventure and the setting.I enjoy stories that take the character into mysterious worlds so this was right up my alley! Kate Forsyth did a great job with the discription and the story was GREAT!
I loved it!I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys a good story!

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Jul 07, 2012 Tejasvini rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book is very interesting as well as full of suspense. it is definitely a page turner which takes you through different journeys of a young girl whose finding the puzzle ring to remove the curse from her family .highly recommended for fantasy-freaks.!

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Jul 06, 2011 Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

This book was brilliant. It mixes fantasy with with fiction and everything in between. Would totally recommend it to anyone 10 years and upwards. Especially people who like fairies etc. A must read.

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Jun 25, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 06, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, fantasy, ya

The Puzzle Ring is great read for 10-13 year olds who love fantasy and fairies and aren't afraid of witches and timewarps. Kate Forsyth is a master storyteller whose love of history and folklore enriches her intricate, fast paced stories. This book sent me eagerly to dictionaries, reference books, and even to a physics primer! The fact that Forsyth treats her young readers to beautiful language, challenging concepts and rich histories demonstrates the esteem she has for them. So much literature...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

After being recommended to me by a customer, I decided to pick up this book. Overall, I liked it. I love that it was set in Scotland, touched on both myth and history and introduced fairies in a whole new light. Enough riddles/story twists to keep you thinking although some of these were blindingly obvious and it was quite frustrating to watch the main character, Hannah, struggle over. Roz, Hannah's mother, was too childish and annoyed me every time she featured on a page but I think the rest of...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

this book was really good. i would definately reccomend it.

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Jun 06, 2011 Juju (Tales of Whimsy.com) rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I woke up the morning after finishing The Puzzle Ring, I felt like I had just returned from a long fantastic voyage in a far away land. I literally woke up ready for adventure. The Puzzle Ring begins much like a modern day version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It sets the scene and builds the characters and relationships. But once the characters go through the gate the adventure never stops.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com
To read my full review visit: http://www.talesofw ...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Elle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So much action!! I would totally recommend this!!!

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Feb 25, 2012 Avani rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Puzzle Ring is a marvelous book! An adventure that mixes Scottish lore and fairy tales with the modern day. The world of Scotland and the historical world equivalent are so well described..

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Jun 03, 2013 Shreya Nimma rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was okay.

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Oct 18, 2010 Ecross rated it 3 of 5 stars

it is good so far

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Fantasy > Magic

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About Kate Forsyth

Kate Forsyth is the award-winning author of more than 20 books for both adults and children.

Her books for adults include 'Bitter Greens', a retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale, and the bestselling fantasy series 'Witches of Eileanan' and 'Rhiannon's Ride'. Her books for children include 'The Gypsy Crown', 'The Puzzle Ring', and 'The Starkin Crown'

She had also published a collection of poetry cal...more

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Books by Kate Forsyth

The Witches of Eileanan (The Witches of Eileanan, #1)

The Pool of Two Moons (The Witches of Eileanan, #2)

The Cursed Towers (The Witches of Eileanan, #3)

The Tower of Ravens (Rhiannon's Ride, #1)

The Fathomless Caves (The Witches of Eileanan, #6)

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Quotes from The Puzzle Ring

“She felt as if she had strayed into a fairy tale, as full of peril as of wonder, a place where anything could happen.” — 11 people liked it

“There's a flame of magic inside every stone & every flower, every bird that sings & every frog that croaks. There's magic in the trees & the hills & the river & the rocks, in the sea & the stars & the wind, a deep, wild magic that's as old as the world itself. It's in you too, my darling girl, and in me, and in every living creature, be it ever so small. Even the dirt I'm sweeping up now is stardust. In fact, all of us are made from the stuff of stars.” — 5 people liked it

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