Do I love crosswords, Wordle, Balderdash, and all manner of word games? Yes. This book is designed for a person like me— fun play with language and a central puzzle to solve. It was a very clever construction and creative presentation of a puzzle. But the overly contrived situation just wasn’t really fun. The whole book served the puzzle. I wondered at a few points if there was deeper discussion about power-hungry leaders, misplaced worship, or cultural divides. While a few spots made me think about such issues, mostly I was just thinking about the puzzle and the language; the extensive, agile use of a vast lexicon is the star of this show, with plot, setting, and character taking a backseat.