Pascalene Review

This book has a well thought out plot that takes you on a grand tour of locations such as: London, Paris, Windsor, Bath, Oxford and Winchester.
The author guides the reader through these places, tracing the steps of his main character JJ, whilst he busily attempts to solve the cryptic clues to the next crime. I loved some of the interesting facts that were given on each journey. I found myself having to check Google to see if they were true and that the places actually existed. I especially like the one about Shakespeare's father being appointed the ale tester of Stratford in the year 1556. You won't find work like that in this day and age! The story involves a young and beautifully free spirited girl called Sophie who is unafraid to voice her opinions about the status of women in the world. Her disgust of the way men have treated women with their openly misogynistic views, sends her on a mission of hate and retribution, leaving many of her intended targets either dead or severely wounded. In some cases, her assessments of men and their behaviour are not far from the truth. Her ex JJ is a maths genius, no doubt a future leader of men, and one who is lucky enough to be comfortably well off. During an earlier relationship, he was the one who taught Sophie how to play chess, and it is that very game that she uses to plot her revenge.

John Frisby's writing is refreshingly clear and concise and it looks like he is going to be a very exciting new writer. The way he so beautifully captures the feelings of love between JJ and Sophie is truly remarkable.

The texture and feel of the book itself is something else. It has a quality that I haven't found in other books before.

The chapters can be a bit lengthy but in most cases that's necessary.

There were one or two grammar errors and I found the way that the French comments were immediately interpreted into English slightly annoying. But overall this was a very good book, and I would highly recommend it.

Really good first time book from this author

I found this to be a fascinating and intriguing read. I didn't want to put it down as the plot developed from one location to the next. I found the characterisation very good and am looking forward to the sequel (I hope there is one).

Great book!!

A thinking man's Da Vinci code! I regularly found myself lost in my own thoughts, pondering the many ideas and facts that Frisby has sown into the gripping plot of Pascalene. A very entertaining and informative slice of faction. Roll on book 2!!

Pascalene - A cracking book.

Once you start reading Pascalene it is very hard to put down. The author (John) has that unique writing skill that makes you feel that you are one of the main characters in the book. One minute I found myself exploring the streets of Paris and then I was whisked away to London, Bath, Oxford or other fantastic places to try and solve the complex clues and puzzles that Sophie had set for Christophe to solve. It's like there are two chess masters trying to outwit their opponent and if they succeed there are some very serious consequences. There are a few twists and turns in the book which are always good and even at the end it keeps you wanting more (and I really want more !).

Keep up the good work John and I for one can't wait for the next book.

Beautiful Paris, beautiful people and love triangles that span nearly a century

A novel that combines a taut thriller with an underlying subplot of characters living out the lives of famous early 20th century lovers.

The details of Paris, the setting of most of the novel, are evocative and enticing.

A must-read!

A sharp and compelling book!

Sharp and intelligent, an intriguing and thrilling page-turner. I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was! It made me laugh aloud multiple times, and was a very satisfying and compelling read throughout. Good characters, excellent dialogue and great pacing.

Great plot.

A great plot with twists and surprises. Amazing descriptions of Paris. Great characterisation.

What a treat this book is. I really could not put John Frisby's new novel down.

Pascalene is rich in insightful literary and architectural references inviting further exploration. Intriguing and fast paced the book takes the reader on an adventure through elegantly drawn locations and the writings of Pascal, Sartre, de Beauvoir and Camus. The author always with the perfect 'mot juste'.
All of that and an assassination campaign fuelled by a desire to avenge past wrongs and the efforts to thwart it. All directed through cryptic messages, mathematical and chess clues.From the boat race to a royal motorcade, nothing is safe from the revenge sought by Pascalene in her desire to right misogynistic wrongs.

A marvellous and worthwhile journey indeed. I look forward very much to a sequel to this.

A GREAT read. Full of intrigue, culture, explosive action, puzzles and of course love.

John S Frisby is a truly exciting new writer, bringing a story with powerful messages of exploitation and power threaded through travels across classic and beautiful locations.

The juxtaposition of rich and poor, powerful and vulnerable and the women hidden by history, who demonstrated incredible intelligence - alongside their more famous male family members, provides a fast moving journey of revenge. The story is interspersed with historical facts and interesting snippets making the reader keen to seek out the locations and history as described carefully and with attention to detail throughout the book.

A great number of references to historical, mythical, cultural, literary and poetic events enrich the main storyline. I would like, however, to learn more about the main characters, their motives and personal journeys. I look forward to discovering what happens to each as the story progresses in Encore Pascalene.

Chess + Féminité

Pascalene is a story of l'amour and l'amitié. It explores the fundamental aspects of French femininity, rendering the bomb-ridden, chess-thriller-style chase both culturally rich and aesthetically striking. Frisby's ambitious plot is propelled by the intellectual triad of Sartre, Camus, and de Beauvoir—an audacious move that pays off, as the distinctly French sense of intimacy emerges through the compelling dialogue.

While the characters go bras-dessus-bras-dessous across Paris, the reader is captivated by the rapid shifts between anecdotal banter and Pascalene's message-bombing. This high-wire act maintains narrative tension throughout, while its layered entertainment starves off reading fatigue. Pascalene is something of an achievement that anticipates a broader following.

Paris, Chess, Philosophy - loved it!

I've just finished reading Pascalene, and I read the first 140 pages in one sitting! I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and look forward to the next one.

A fictional culmination of interests and passions played out against a backdrop of the City of Light

Pascalene By John S Frisby
What an achievement - a fictional culmination of passions and interests played out against a backdrop of the City of Light - a place of dreams, of Love and ultimate disillusionment - and seats of privilege and power across the Channel.

John Frisby has woven a tale of deep connections between prominent figures of the early Existentialist movement and his student protagonists studying in Paris, whilst they revel in the Beauty around them at every turn. However, Time has no boundaries here, life moves on apace and emotions run high. We encounter high octane action, with a central character at its heart. The veneer of societal respectability which privilege affords is stripped away against an ever ticking clock, for the pawns on the chessboard are gone and the nobility must pay. The queen does not intend to be blocked. She has an axe to grind for the sake of every woman who came before and is yet to come.

Pascalene is a powerful introduction to this new author's excitement for the way in which the actions of today really shouldn't be told without the surrounding history so 'Encore Pascalene! Don't let the women's revolution become a sideline.''

Clever, enlightening and highly relevant to society today

A very cerebral read, with a clever plot line, not to mention how artfully it touches on the history of progressive thought, and some of the leading philosophers who drove it, over the past century. Prepare to be challenged! And wow, what a clear exposition (highly topical right now, too) of the inequities and iniquities of our society, those which many have ignored, or at least been prepared to live with, maybe for too long.

Narrative

Thrilling. Tense. Tantalising. It's a cat-and-mouse chess game, where the stakes are life and death. Misogyny is the target, but no one is safe. Justice or retribution - what's the difference? The resultant effect? Carnage and bloodshed.

Full of mathematical and philosophical intrigue, seamlessly woven into the narrative, John S Frisby has created an allure that melds both the logical with the passionate. Although the dialogue is initially faulty and wobbles at the beginning, it soon gains its footing. This results in genuine characters with rich histories that captivate and entice a deep curiosity to discover their fates.

Compelling reading, for both heart and mind.

I was completely drawn into Pascalene. It is a gripping and beautifully written story that blends romance, intellect, and suspense in a way that is both moving and thought-provoking.

The Paris setting at the start is full of atmosphere, and the characters feel real and compelling. Sophie's transformation after a decade is striking, and her plan for revenge unfolds like a real life chess game, full of clever puzzles and high tension.

The writing brings each location to life, from Paris to Oxford, Bath to Winchester. The ending was surprising and powerful. A rare novel that speaks to both the heart and the mind. I am already looking forward to the next in the series.