I am a sucker for Russian history. I remember traveling to see the Catherine the Great exhibit in Memphis with my mother back in the early 1990s. Such opulence! Such treasure! Such beauty on display! It made an impression. So I jumped at the chance to read and review Kelli Stuart’s The Master Craftsman. A secret egg crafted by the master himself, Peter Karl Fabergé? A treasure hunt for this lost piece of history? Yes, please! Sadly, it didn’t quite hit on all cylinders for me.

First, the things I liked. The story is told in a dual-timeline fashion, and Stuart uses that technique to great effect. A portion of the past revealed would often provide information on the next clue our treasure hunters needed to move forward. I didn’t find the shifts between time periods too confusing, and I enjoyed the historical sections most of all. You hear about the Russian Revolution from the aristocrats’ point of view, and you hear about the impact it had on the everyday folks. Fabergé, as one of the royal family’s master artisans, wasn’t quite royalty, but had perks in life that the common folk were lacking. You never really hear the story from that perspective. In this telling, it sounds like being close to royalty wasn’t a benefit and might have even been a detriment to the Fabergé family.

The treasure hunt was also a pretty good adventure! There are clues to be figured out, a little bit of cyber sleuthing to be done, and some pretty nasty bad guys to be faced down. It offered some nice suspenseful moments, and I was invested in the outcome. I also appreciated that an older character (closer to my age!) was involved in the hunt. Good not to let the youngsters have all the adventure!

Now for what didn’t really work for me. My biggest disappointment is the distinct lack of a strong faith underlying any of the characters’ actions. Nick Laine, a renowned treasure hunter, bailed on his family years ago to chase the dream and the goods. Now that he’s dying of cancer, he hopes to reunite with his estranged ex-wife, Carol, and daughter, Ava. My goodness, what a golden opportunity there for characters to act out their faith and portray a beautiful moment of reconciliation and redemption of the years they had lost. Did that happen? Nope. There may have been a couple of mentions given to prayer, and Carol cautions against the use of swearing as “unnecessary language.” But none of the characters portray any sort of real faith in God or any sort of reliance on Him, even in really hairy situations. If you like your Christian fiction more overtly Christian, keep in mind that you won’t find that here.

It also bothered me that Ava tended to take advantage of her neighbor, Zac. He obviously had feelings for her, and she knew it, but it felt to me like she played on his feelings when it was advantageous for her. She was slobbering all over Xander, their treasure hunt guide, very nearly from his first appearance. She persisted even when Carol tried to remind her more than once that hey, maybe you need to tone that down, knowing that Zac is clearly hooked on you. I know, the heart wants what the heart wants. But that part of the storyline seemed almost high schoolish in the way Ava so visibly crushed on Xander and ignored how Zac felt.

In summary: Interesting historical detail, vivid imagining of what Fabergé’s life might have actually been like during the Revolution, lots of adventure with the treasure hunt, minimal mention of the Christian faith, and Ava came across as kind of a mean girl to Zac a lot of the time. I enjoyed it enough to give it three stars. Had the faith component been more prominent and fleshed out, my rating would have bumped up to four stars. Read it for the adventure, not the faith.

The Master Craftsman is a dual timeline novel that takes its readers to the famous House of Fabergé, home of the famous Fabergé eggs, to modern day Florida where a dying treasure hunter Nick Laine, sends his daughter Ava with a hand picked team on an exciting trip to Russia to find the missing Fabergé egg.

With its steady plot that moves from one era to the other at just the right points, The Master Craftsman offered an interesting education on the history of the House of Fabergé as well as the political climate in Russia during that time. The search for the missing egg presented an exciting mystery with unexpected twists and turns as well as danger and adventure.

A story of loyalty and betrayal, The Master Craftsman kept me turning the pages because I really needed to find out how everything would be resolved. This is an excellent book for those who enjoy a little history along with their adventure.

Who knew a timeslip about Faberge could be so fascinating. The history, the mystery, the rebellion. It was impactful. I loved the glitter and glamour of the shop, but felt the pangs of the revolution that was happening in Russia.

For Ava, this adventure was about getting to better know her dad, and it filled a restless place that she had in her life. The suspense in this book was fantastic as were the twists and turns. The imagery was beautiful and I found myself sucked into this book. I wouldn't start this one late at night.

This story is about healing and and finding out who you are. The writing was wonderful and the characters were nuanced and fun.

I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

The master craftsman of the title is Karl Fabergé of jewel-encrusted easter egg fame. The book has two timelines; one is set in the years leading up to the Russian Revolution and the other in the present day. As the Bolsheviks rose to power it became more and more dangerous to be associated with the Romanovs. The latter part of the story concerns the hunt for a missing egg, referred to in various notes and letters but never seen. The world of treasure hunting is revealed where months of diligent researching and searching can be overthrown by a rival with no scruples.

This is an interesting read, with a number of plot twists and some complex characters. Very readable escapism.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Told I’m dual timelines, The Master Craftsman is a great mix of historical fiction and mystery. In the early 1900’s we learn of the history of the Fabregé egg. Present day, treasure hunter Nick Laine enlists his daughter Ava’s help to find one of the missing eggs.

This book was fast paced and beautifully written. I really liked the present day timeline and the mystery of finding the missing Fabergé egg. I enjoyed the historical details and how the author brought the two timelines together.

If you love historical fiction and mysteries and/or enjoyed the National Treasure movies then I think this book is for you!

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart is a novel set in the early 1900s in Russia around the time of the Bolshevik Revolution. I was interested to read this novel because I have not read too many historical novels set in Russia.

This novel is a fictional account of the House of Fabergé, master gemologists and makers of the famous Fabergé eggs. Fabergé eggs are bejeweled eggs made by Peter Carl Fabergé and his company between 1885 and 1917. The most famous are those made for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. They were Easter gifts for their wives and mothers, and are called the 'Imperial' Fabergé eggs.

This novel focuses on the Romanov eggs. Peter Carl Fabergé was supposedly making a final egg that would make him an enemy of the Romanov Dynasty and the Bolsheviks who were rioting and the times were very tense. This novel tells a story of what might have happened to this egg. Peter Fabergé had a very talented master craftsman, Alma Pihl, with whom he entrusted the egg when she and her husband escaped Russia for Finland.

Now we turn to the modern-day, when Nick Laine, a renowned treasure hunter entrusts his daughter, Ava, to find the missing egg. Nick is dying and this is to be his last hunt. This quest takes her into Russia using false documents and trusting people she didn’t know as she searches for the answers that will take her to the egg itself.

I was very interested in the historical aspect of this book. The Russian search by Ava and her group did not seem to be a viable account. There is no way that anyone could go to Russia in this day and age without being accosted and, or imprisoned by the regime. This took away some of my interest in the book. However, I persevered and read to the end.

I love a story with a dual timeline and I found the idea of a story about searching for a missing Faberge egg exciting.
After finishing the book I have to say that I highly preferred the chapters spent in the past a lot more than the story set in the present. You can tell the author has done her research and the historical details in the chapters set in the past was well done, beautiful, and very interesting. I found the story set in the present not as engaging. I also felt like the “romance” should have been left out of it and it detracted from the main story. Overall, it was a nice read and I learned a lot about that time in Russian history.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Master Craftsman
By: Kelli Stuart

I have always been fascinated with Imperial Eggs and jump at the chance to read any book that mentions them. The Master Craftsman follows two storylines. I was definitely pulled more into the current storyline. I love treasure hunt books and movies ( Hello! National Treasure with good ole Nick Cage).
I did switch between the book and the audiobook and while I wasn't a big fan of the narrator at first, I eventually got lost in the story and didn't care.
There were several twists to the book that were not expected!

Historical Fiction is my favorite genres, and this novel did not disappoint. The Master Craftsman's storytelling is told with beauty, intrigue and scandal as the reader learns about a missing Faberge Imperial Easter Egg, the Russian Revolution and group of modern day treasure hunters.

Thank you UpLitReads and Revell for the complimentary copy of this novel.

I found this to be an intriguing story full of history, interesting characters, and a fun treasure hunt. The characters are complex, the story enthralling. I learned so much about the creator and designer Alma, Peter Faberge’ eggs, in 1917, it was fascinating to read about how these amazing one-of-a-kind eggs were made.

The other timeline readers meet Nick Laine treasure hunter (kind of like a National Treasure type adventure) Nick is running out of time in his quest to find a missing egg. He seeks help from an unlikely source. The clock is ticking, there is a lot is at stake for Nick and his family.

This story is a fun escape and one that would work well for your next book club pick.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a digital copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The Master Craftsman's premise intrigued me when I first came upon it, with its promise of an adventure in 20th century Russia involving the Romanovs and a modern storyline to complement it and uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the family. The cover, also, is beautiful, with the different shades of the sky, the layout of the buildings, and the lady at the center running toward those structures.

Sadly, however, the book didn't live up to expectations. It opens, for instance, with a scene that has a character speak a line and scare the viewpoint character, but doesn't give the reader any idea of who spoke the dialogue, except that she's referred to only as "she," up until the story shifts to her POV. There are POV inconsistencies there too, but those are more easily overlooked. The writing style was sparse and focused more on what the characters were doing with their hands, expressions, etc., while neglecting their deeper feelings and motivations.

The characters themselves also didn't seem very multi-dimensional, making decisions that were out of character but convenient for where the story was headed. It would have helped a lot if readers were given information more organically, instead of getting it from a character taking several paragraphs to stop and think back over a particular time or aspect of their life. Meaning has to be established first, before the reader will care. Otherwise, the information is little more than an info dump.

Another thing that didn't work well for me was that from the first, Ava came off as an immature, whiny, irresponsible character. Every "Whatever," "Fine," and "She was weird, Mom" reinforced that impression. Both her parents caved to her wishes even when she acted half her 26 years, which was much of the time, taking into account her "rebellious bent," as her parents put it.
And the gestures were used excessively to the point where the characters seemed like puppets. Because of that overuse, they became cues for the characters to move around on stage, and it didn't feel authentic or natural.

One of the most jarring things, though, was the cursing mentioned in this book, and how it's portrayed as harmless. The modern protagonist's mother sugar-coats it as "unnecessary language," but by saying that, she puts it in the same category as filler words and stutters. I find this unacceptable. Taking into account other things, this could have been written with the intent of catering to the secular market to expand readership, which would to an extent explain the content. It might also explain the part on page 80 where Ava reads about a craftsman who made elaborately simple, breathtaking works of art, and says to herself, "Well, obviously that was because she was a woman." I had to do a double take when I hit that one.

I did appreciate that the love interest wasn't introduced until over a hundred pages into the story. The parts about how hot he looked with his blue jeans clinging to "his thick thighs" and in the tight T-shirt, not at all. But I do appreciate that the author took the time to set up the story and the other characters before the love interest came on the scene.

The above concerns considered, this book appears to be geared towards a secular audience even though it's printed in the name of a well-known publisher of Christian Fiction. Those who prefer such books might enjoy this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. A positive review was not required.

To say that I have been looking forward to reading The Master Craftsman from the first time I heard of it would be a massive understatement. I've loved Russian history since my teenage years, and late Imperial Russia is my favorite period. I was thrilled to be approved for the ARC, and I knew I would start to read it when the Olympics ended. I'm a huge figure skating fan, so no reading was happening during those two weeks.

But then the Olympics ended, and we all know what happened after that, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And frankly as it started I didn't want to read anything dealing with Russia, I didn't want to see anything Russian, I didn't want to hear the Russian language. Yet, I had this ARC sitting on my kindle, for a book I'd been excited about for months. So I started to read The Master Craftsman..

Knowing it is a dual-time book, I honestly expected to like the historical portion better, but that was not the case I loved the modern portion of the book. To be entirely honest I must admit I felt the historical portion to be more the story of Faberge than the story of Alma Pihl, but I was intrigued to discover she was a historical figure, not a fictional creation. As I know the history of the reign of Nicholas II very well, I did find several instances of what I felt was info-dumping in the historical sections of the book, but I believe I felt that why due to my already existing knowledge of the history. The mystery of the modern section of the book was quite good, and I didn't totally see the twist coming, but when it happened, I quickly realized it had been foreshadowed in earlier chapters.

I truly did enjoy reading The Master Craftsman, and I will certainly look for more of Kelli Stuart's work, and I hope to read more of her novels in the future.

***An electronic-ARC of this book was provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for review.. I was not required to leave a positive review***

Title: The Master Craftsman
Author: Kelli Stuart

Pg: 401

Genre: Dual Time Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Revell

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart is a dual time treasure hunt novel set in the present and Imperial Russia. Ava Laine’s estranged father Nick sends her on a treasure hunt for a possible missing Faberge egg. As Faberge made Easter Eggs for the Romanov family up to the Revolution. Rumor was Faberge entrusted the egg to his most trusted craftsman’s Alma Pihl.

They get a team together that includes Nick back home in the states Ava as well a Zak the computer and Xander the muscle. I’m not going to lie I was worried that we were going to have a love triangle, but this book was my action and adventure than love story.

Ava was a bit a tough hit to tough nut to crack and I found her saying she was full of historical facts enduring as I am as well. This book gave me National Treasure vibes and Indiana Jones vibes. And I loved the references to both Star Wars and National Treasure in the book.

Even though I figured out the twist because of a quote that reminded me of the movie The 355, it didn’t take a way from my enjoyment of finishing the book. I loved visiting Russia in the pages of the book. As well as diving into her history, as understanding Russia history can help to understand current event.

The Master Craftsman was a fast read I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. And it’s lead me to learn more about the Faberge Eggs.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a blog tour I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This book was definitely not what I expected! I learned some fascinating history and really enjoyed the dual timeline story and the National Treasure feeling of this book.

Two time periods - today and early 20th century leading up to the Russian Revolution. Today we have Ava, the daughter of a treasure hunter, trying to understand her family history as well as looking for a fabled undocumented Faberge egg. Historically we have Faberge himself, his family and workers detailing the intricacies, politics and beauty of his famous eggs. Well researched and the reader becomes immersed in Russian culture of the time, with Faberge and his family, and a lovely story about the theoretical egg binding the Tsar with the People. Modern day slightly less immersed as it's more of a find-the-treasure-clues with bad guys but entertaining nonetheless and we have Ava's own family drama. Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Amazing story. I loved learning all about the faberge eggs.
This was the first time I've read a book by this author. It will definitely not be my last. Kelli Stuart has an amazing voice, and I just loved this book.
I was expecting a historical dual time line book. I was delighted that it also included a mystery along with the treasure hunt.
In the past, you read about Karl Faberge and his creations. The beautifully amazing faberge eggs. I am so intrigued. I googled these to be able to see what they actually look like, and this book does such a beautiful job at describing them, and showcasing the setting in which they were created.

In the current day time line, you have Ava Laine who is determined to solve the riddle of the faberge eggs. Is there one that is undocumented, and if so, where is it? Her father Nick had made a career out of treasure hunting, now he is on his death bed, so this is one last thing they can do together.
From St. Petersburg Russia, and beyond (I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll leave it at that...)
This is a fun read.
Interesting characters. Action, adventure, and of course the treasure hunt!
If you enjoy historical fiction, or mysteries, or a combination of the two, I highly recommend this book!
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

When Susan Meissner blurbs a book you bet I’m going to be excited about it. I’m embarrassed to say I knew nothing about the House Of Fabergé and this is why historical fiction is my favorite because I immediately googled this interesting topic/period in time! This was my first book by Kelli and I really enjoyed it. There was mystery, history and a bit of romance! I’m a sucker for any form of a treasure hunt so this one had me intrigued throughout! Told in dual timeline with a colorful cast of characters both present and old I found myself never wanting to put this one down! Now time to check out Kelli’s backlist!

Really good book with surprising twists ans turns and i read very quickly i liked the cover it rekates to the novel.

Oh my goodness, The Master Craftsman is the first book I've read by author Kelli Stuart, and I will definitely be reading more. I was completely intrigued and absolutely love "what if" stories. This dual timeline story takes place in St. Petersburg at the House of Faberge during the years leading up to the Russian revolution, and in the present where treasure hunters are trying to locate a secretly made Faberge Egg from prior to the revolution.

The author's skilled pen weaves a spell-binding story, and her research brought life in Russia from that time into into living color. This is a tale of divided loyalties, divided families, incredible artists, and a high stakes dangerous treasure hunt.

I highly recommend the Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

What a well-written and completely engrossing book. Kelli Stuart is a new-to-me author and now I will be anxiously awaiting her new releases.

In this story we are in St. Petersburg, Russia in the early 1900s. We meet Alma Phil and Peter Karl Faberge and learn about the House of Faberge and their connection to the royal family. This connection, during a time of great upheaval will have its own consequences.

For the other time period, we are in Florida during the present time. Ava Laine has learned that her father, Nick Laine, is sick. She has also learned that there is one last treasure hunt Nick wants to be a part of. He and Ava work together to hunt this treasure and in the process discover a much more precious treasure than the one they are trying to find.

I knew a little about Faberge and a little about the time period in Russia part of this novel is set in. I often found myself stopping the novel to look up the things Faberge made, the history of the Romanovs, the history that lingers until today. It was fascinating to me and I love that Ms. Stuart included so much history.

I also really liked the storyline of Nick and Ava. Sometimes things happen and it is only when it is often too late that we realize the mistakes we made. The growth of their relationship was at times painful, but so worth it to follow to the end of the story.

I highly recommend this book for readers of historical fiction, people interested in Russia’s history, and fans of the creations of Faberge.

I received this book from Revell as part of a campaign with Uplit Reads in exchange for a review.. Thank you them, NetGalley, and Kelli Stuart. All opinions are entirely my own.