The Master Craftsman ~ Review

The Master Craftsman

By Kelli Stuart

Ava Laine hasn't seen her father for ten years. He was always too busy treasure hunting to settle down and be a present father. But he is dying, and she is his only chance to complete his last hunt - the missing fifty-third Imperial Fabergé egg. But this isn't just any Fabergé egg; no, this is one that was hidden away to preserve it and to keep Karl Fabergé's loyalties secret. And Nick Laine is convinced that the time has come to discover this lost treasure.

We are taken from the present to Imperial Russia (1904-1917) in an alternating chapter shift as these two timelines converge at the end of the book. We see Russia through the eyes of Peter Karl Fabergé as discontent grows towards the excesses of the Russian royalty and the rich while the common people struggle to survive from one day to the next. The inhumanity Karl observes inspires him to create one of his greatest works, but the very creation of such a piece endangers him. And as everything comes to a head, Karl is caught in the middle of everything. But he entrusts the protection of his creation to Alma Pihl.

Who is Alma Pihl? This is the question that will launch Ava's quest and place her in danger. But Ava has the drive and stubbornness of her parents and is determined to see it through to its success. 

I found this to be an enjoyable and engaging read. The Master Craftsman is a Split-time Romance set in early Twentieth-Century Russia and the present day. I loved the back-and-forth between the two timelines as the story progressed.  The characters have depth, and the settings are detailed without wordiness. But what is the treasure they seek? And will it be discovered? 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

When Ava Laine’s dying treasure-hunter father entrusts her with his mission to find a missing Fabergé egg, she has no idea how high the stakes will climb–or how her allegiances will be tested. Join the hunt in this lavish, dual-time narrative that plunges you into the 1917 Russian Revolution, the fall of the Romanovs, and long-buried Soviet secrets.

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

This modern-day treasure hunt from award-winning author Kelli Stuart transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.