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Title: Hooked
Review: Was assigned this book for a distance-learning college class on the Renaissance. Had a hard time getting into the first few chapters and quit reading. Picked it up again months later and couldn't put it down. Probably some of the most careful reading I've had to do, though. Be patient--sorting out the characters, setting, and slang can be a little overwhelming, but proves well-worth the effort (and makes the rest of the series a piece of cake). Ended up ordering the other seven books after reading this first installment, and couldn't wait to have my questions from Niccolo Rising answered in Spring of the Ram. Spoiler alert: many of these questions aren't answered until the end of the series! For such a rocky start, the book was a great finish. It felt like saying goodbye to an old friend 4,000+ pages (8 books) later. May re-read the set someday just to check out all the subtleties I missed during the first go-round! Good stuff! (BTW: the main character is Claes, not Claus.)
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