A wonderful addition to the world of Code Name Verity - perfect for fans of Elizabeth Wein, but also easy to jump into for those not familiar with Wein's characters. Beautifully written, thoroughly researched, moving, thrilling, hopeful.

A German soldier risks his life to drop off the sought-after Enigma Machine to British Intelligence, hiding it in a pub in a small town in northeast Scotland, and unwittingly bringing together four very different people who decide to keep it to themselves. Louisa Adair, a young teen girl hired to look after the pub owner’s elderly, German-born aunt, Jane Warner, finds it but doesn’t report it. Flight-Lieutenant Jamie Beaufort-Stuart intercepts a signal but can’t figure it out. Ellen McEwen, volunteer at the local airfield, acts as the go-between and messenger, after Louisa involves Jane in translating. The planes under Jamie’s command seem charmed, as Jamie knows where exactly to go, while other squadrons suffer, and the four are loathe to give up the machine, even after Elisabeth Lind from British Intelligence arrives, even after the Germans start bombing the tiny town . . .

Frivolous YA to historical fiction – that’s just how I roll.
If you’re been here before you’ll know I love a good WW2 based story, so obviously I had to request this one. It also helped that I loved Codename Verity and Rose Under Fire – you don’t have to have read either of those to be able to read this, but I think you should anyway because they’re fab… Also, just between us, I actually preferred those purely because this one read much younger than I remember the others being. Though to be fair, I was much younger than I read them so… *shrugs*

Anyway, there were plenty of good points here too, I loved seeing narration from a Jamaican-English girl in this time period and someone from the traveller community. They’re two voices I don’t see very often in historical fiction (Britain likes to think its history is whiter than the cliffs of Dover for some reason). If you’re someone who wants to get into historical fiction – this and the companion novels are a great place to start.

Code Name Verity is one of my all-time favourite books and one that I read with my students, who have always loved trying to uncover all the layers of meaning in the plot, and I loved this addition to the universe in which Wein's WWII books are set. That the books are not in chronological order is increasingly effective as the series unfolds, particularly as it allows for the reader to piece together bits of story from references in other novels, filling in events that have already been mentioned and foreshadowing what will later unfold. The Enigma Game is an excellent addition to the series, and I loved Louisa and her determination to learn new things while keeping what is important to her close to all that she does. Her relationship with Jane as she emerges from her grief is an emotive look at what it is to be left alone in a world determined to make its judgements, the ways in which it exerts pressure on people to change themselves, and the impact this can have on how they feel about their identity and the choices they make. Much of the rest of the main cast, we have already met or have been referenced before, and that the new additions feel as if they have been a part of the group the whole time, and that they are just as brilliantly written and easy to care for, is one of the best features of the book.

I only meant to read the first few pages of The Enigma Game to get a feel for but I ended up reading all the way through the night, unable to stop.  I'm not new to Elizabeth Wein's books so I wasn't altogether surprised by the way it drew me in and clung on to me.

The Enigma Game is a companion to Codename Verity and The Pearl Thief both books which affected me very strongly and this new book was no different in that regard.  Alongside the thriller plotline involving an RAF station in north eastern Scotland (close to my own stamping ground) there is a story of prejudice and difference hung on the lives of two very different young women.

Theoretically, this is a book for young adults but that stage of life is long gone for me.  Not for a moment did I consider while reading it that I was devouring anything other than a gripping novel.  Whatever your age, this is a book for you.

I'm sorry to say this book was a real disappointment. I adored Code Name Verity and have enjoyed other books by the same author. The Enigma game was dull and did not hold my attention I'm afraid. The most interesting of the narrators was Louise but Jamie in particular was bogged down with too much flying detail. I gave up reading about half way through.

What would you do if you found something that could help save lives and give your country a helping hand during the war?

When people think about the Second World War, they usually think of the concentration camps, the Holocaust, and the segregation and persecution of anyone with Jewish heritage. However, it wasn’t just Jews that faced hatred & judgement because of their heritage, anyone that was not Aryan was looked down on and mistreated, like Louisa Adair.  

Prejudice features quite a lot in this novel, but what I loved was the unwavering determination of the characters.  The courage, kindness and camaraderie shown throughout had me rooting for Louisa, Jane, Ellen and Jamie the entire time I was reading. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.  I highly recommend this recent release from Elizabeth Wein!

I found this one slower than other Wein books. I loved Rose on Fire and Code Name Verity but those two felt like they had real heart, real danger, real punch. The Enigma Game didn't feel as urgent; the character were more  remote from the war and I didn't feel that strong sense of desperation for their plight.

DNF - Unfortunately I'm going to have to DNF this book at 22%. I've loved Elizabeth Wein's books for many years now - Code Name Verity was one of my favourite books growing up and had the first sapphic character I'd ever read, and Rose Under Fire was both gripping and taught me so much about some of history's 'forgotten' women. However, I am just so uncomfortable reading a black, Jamaican character written by a white woman, and Elizabeth Wein writing about racism and colourism as a white woman. Also I hate when people (who are blatantly not Scottish) try and write in unnatural Scottish accents. If you're going to read an Elizabeth Wein book read Code Name Verity, not this one.

I have only recently realised that I really love WW2 historical fiction, so I was super excited to be on this blog tour, and I’ve been dying to read one of Elizabeth Wein’s books for ages.

I really enjoyed this book. I would get so engrossed in it every time I picked it up that I wouldn’t want to put it down. There were so many moments all throughout the book that made me tear up, it was just so heart breaking and emotional in places.

This book follows the point of view of three characters, and it was one of those books where I enjoyed each characters sections. I didn’t have a favourite, because I enjoyed them all equally, so I never found myself bored in one characters section.

I really liked the writing style. It was fairly straight forward, which I always enjoy because I personally find it easier to fully immerse myself in the story.

I would definitely recommend this book if you like WW2 novels, and I am now very eager to check out more of Elizabeth’s books.

The Enigma Game is essentially a prequel to Code Name Verity. Readers will be thriller to see Jamie and Ellen again, but there is also a third new protagonist in Louisa. The book has a slow-build to the plot, but when the action gets going, it really hits. The author takes her time letting us get to know the characters and the world they find themselves in. The character development is truly excellent. If you enjoy WW2 fiction, YA historical fiction, or if you have read Code Name Verity, be sure to check out The Enigma Game today!

*I received an earc via NetGalley however this in no way influenced my opinion. Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with a review copy.*

4 stars

CW: Racism and death

So I received a digital copy of this however my finished copy arrived a few days later so I ended up reading the final finished copy. Code Name Verity is one of my favourite novels ever, so when I hear Elizabeth Wein had a new book coming out I was so excited to read it and even more so when I found out it involved some characters from previous novels like Jamie and Ellen.

This novel follows three young people in 1940 in Scotland, who become intertwined with one another when a German pilot drops of an Enigma machine. The first young person is Louisa a young biracial woman whose parents have both been killed as a result of the war. She finds a job assisting an elderly German woman whose niece runs a hotel and pub in Scotland. Then we have Ellen a young traveller woman who works as a driver for the RAF, she also lives at The Limehouse, where she befriends Louisa. Our final character is Jamie, an RAF pilot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was intense and thrilling. It is well written and as always you can tell that Wein has put a lot of research into the topics surrounding this novel. As always the flight scenes were really fun to read about, especially when Jamie takes the girls flying on Christmas Day.

What I loved about this novel is the characters. I really loved Louisa, it was fun seeing her learn morse code and begin to figure out the codes from the enigma. She has so much drive and passion and I really liked her friendship with Jane (the elderly lady she was caring for). Throughout the novel Louisa deals with racism, people making assumptions about her and using racial slurs. I also really loved Ellen she’s such a strong-willed character and it was really great that Wein discussed the prejudices that people have towards travellers. Jamie was great, I really enjoyed seeing his character again, the thing I love about him is that he isn’t afraid to stand up and question authority and he is rebellious. When all 3 characters came together it made a really interesting dynamic but I absolutely loved it.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that had strong characters and was well researched. I highly recommend this if you’ve loved any of Elizabeth Wein’s other books or if you enjoy WW2 fiction.

.-.. --- ...- . / - .... .. ... / -... --- --- -.-

I have to start with how much I loved the Morse code headings to each part of the book. And yes, I did have some fun decoding them! 

I read The Enigma Game without having read any of the author's previous books and the story definitely stands alone. Prior knowledge of any of the characters is not needed. I really enjoy stories told from more than one perspective, and in this book we have three. I quickly became emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. 

I love historical fiction and this Young Adult novel takes us straight into the action. It's as if the reader is there; you can smell the petrol fumes as the Bleinhelm planes roar overhead. Feel the freezing air as Jamie and his squadron climb above the clouds, flying routine missions they may never return from. You can taste the fear as the enemy aircraft drop their bombs, the blasts reverberating through the landscape, suffocating dust clouds blackening the horizon. 

Jamie, Ellen and Louisa make you care. Be prepared to experience all emotions. Rage when Louisa is subjected to racist comments and behaviour, terror when Ellen is held at gunpoint, agonising grief when some of the squadron don't make it back from their missions. I am left wanting more, I want to know what happens next to our protagonists. The end of this story isn't the end of theirs and I really hope the author writes more. 

The enigma machine and trying to crack the code was so important during WWII, this story is a fascinating insight in what could have been.

The Enigma Game is a fast paced, heart in your mouth, action adventure that leaves the reader a little breathless. 

(Oh, if you are wondering, the Morse code at the top of my review says, LOVE THIS BOOK )

During the whole book we follow our three main characters, Ellen, Louisa and Jamie. It was so interesting to read the journey through their eyes. Especially how they saw each other.

While The Enigma Game didn’t emotionally touch me as the authors’ previous works did it was still incredible to read how such young people tried to figure out the Enigma Machine. (if they were successful or not is your job to figure out  )

The Enigma Game tells us the story of three “outsiders” that quickly become friends and who try their best to fit in a society that doesn’t want them. I loved the writing, it was beautifully written and showed the important role the main characters played during WWII.

The story was very gripping. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the fact that the pace was very slow. Especially the beginning. I found it very hard to get into but I’m glad that I kept reading because this book is worth your time!

If you like to read historical fiction books about World War II, then you might want to give The Enigma Game a try.

I read Code Name Verity a few years ago and absolutely adored it, but for whatever reason I didn’t actually realise that there were any other books connected to it. In reality there is a sequel, and this book is a prequel to the action that occurs in Code Name Verity. Knowing that this book was going to feature some of the characters that I got to know and love in that previous novel made me very excited to pick it up!

Wein has a wonderful emotive way of writing, as soon as I began reading this book I was sucked in, I was in love with all the characters, and fully invested in the story.

The book is narrated by a number of characters, and I love each and every one of them! Louisa is a bold and brave 15 year old who moves to Scotland for a job, and refuses to let anyone stop her just because of the colour of her skin. Ellen, is a RAF driver, who is proud to serve her country, while hiding her Traveller heritage. Jamie, the same Jamie from Code Name Verity, is a flight lieutenant who would do anything for his squadron. 

I sometimes find that multi-POV books can fall flat, with too many voices and not enough time spent on anyone, but this was definitely not the case here. I loved every single character in the novel, and I eagerly awaited every character’s POV.

While we’re discussing character, a special shout-out must go to Jane, an old woman that Louisa is hired to look after. She is fiery and wild and I adored her! She was so stubborn and refused to live her life on anyone’s terms but her own.

In addition to a wonderful cast of characters, the book is also filled to the brim with action. Spies, bombs, air-raids and aerial battles, this novel has it all. But the novel is also filled with love and joy, and it is an incredible read.

I also want to give a special mention to the geographical setting of the novel. All the action takes place around Aberdeen, and the surrounding areas. As someone who currently lives in Aberdeenshire, I particularly appreciated the local dialect that the author used, it was pretty accurate, with a nice and accurate use of Doric, and descriptions of Aberdeen that were particular to the time. I was very impressed by this!

Overall I really enjoyed this novel, it was a wonderful YA historical read, and I would highly recommend it, and Code Name Verity to all!

There's something very immersive about Elizabeth Wein's books, and I really enjoy meeting characters from previous books entwined in new stories. Orphaned Louisa wants to do something for the war effort, so she leaves Blitz London for a job in remote Scotland, looking after an elderly lady who has just been released from an intern camp on the Isle of Man. 

In Scotland, near RAF Windyedge, Louisa and Jane make friends and become enmeshed in a complex military secret. 

Very atmospheric and gripping, I love to lose myself in the worlds Wein creates.

Another cracking read from Elizabeth Wein! Featuring characters from Code Name Verity (love!) and The Pearl Thief, we're back in 1940 and 15 year old Louisa wants to help the war effort. With her parents dead, she accepts a position to care for an elderly German woman in Scotland. There, she gets embroiled in a secret mission that will lead her into dangerous territory. I loved revisiting characters from previous books, particularly Jamie. He leads 648 squadron and his escapades are entertaining and, at times, tense and frightening. The relationship between Louisa and Jane is another highlight. You can tell the author has done a ton of research, she really captures the feel of the times and the horror of war. I hope this isn't the last time we see these characters.

The Enigma Game is set slightly earlier in time than my first Elizabeth Wein novel (which I also loved!), Code Name Verity. It branches off from that book to expand upon Jamie Beaufort-Stuart's bomber pilot experiences and a brief period of the Second World War in Scotland. Most of the British-set WW2 fiction (and even nonfiction) books I have previously read seemed to focus either on London or places along the south coast of England so I was keen to learn more about the Scottish campaigns. Wein has again undertaken a lot of good research for her story which I felt had a strong sense of authenticity to it even though the central adventure is of course fictional. What particularly shone through for me were the diverse representations throughout the story. While elements of our media and politicians are currently trying to whitewash the British World War 2 narrative to fit their own narrow perspectives, The Enigma Game accurately depicts the chaotic reality of so many different people drawn together from all across the world. I can quite believe that three native languages across a single bomber crew was not unusual.



Wein's character creation for The Enigma Game really makes the story come alive and, while the book's synopsis understandably highlights the young people because of its young adult target audience, my favourite was elderly opera singer Jane Warner. Initially interred in a prison camp due to her natal German nationality, Jane is a wonderfully stubborn woman who refuses to let physical frailty stand in her way. I loved how Wein challenges preconceptions through other people's reactions to Jane, Louisa and also Ellen. Her portrayals of racism, xenophobia and sexism show how hurtful unthinking comments and attitudes can be and how easily we can all be swayed by assumptions based on a first sight.



Overall, The Enigma Game is an exciting wartime adventure story. It is told from the points of view of several narrators so there is always a very real sense of tension and I was so swept up into this tale that I almost read all of it in a single day! Although intended for a younger audience, the book's depth meant that I never felt as though I was reading a young adult novel. Instead I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this world.

I have always wanted to read an Elizabeth Wein book so when I got a chance to read The Enigma Game I jumped at the chance. The Enigma Game is a great historical fiction novel that tackles topics that are often forgotten in history.

As a history student who loves reading about underrepresented groups dealing with race and sexuality, it was really great that this book tackled that and included this. Louisa, the main character, is biracial who has a Jamaican father and is well developed and likeable. While there is racism in the book, it is representative of the time and I think that it was tackled in a great way. Please seek out own voices reviews from this area to see further information.

Although a smaller part of the novel, sexuality is also included in the book although again there is some homophobia. Again I think that this was well developed and a great inclusion in the story and it was nice to have this inclusion to the story.

It is also clear that Elizabeth Wein did her research which I can always appreciate. The bibliography was also a nice touch as I even recognised some of the historians used.

The story focuses on the Enigma Code and a machine, which I found to be really interesting and even though fictional, it was nice to read about something that I didn't know about before. There is also a lot to do with the air force which was a nice inclusion to the story and I really did enjoy Jamie and Ellen who were intertwined in this plot.

This is slightly weird but I have read a lot of books recently where a character has a connection to an older person and this is not an exception. I really do think it's something that I enjoy in books and this was no exception. I loved Louisa and Jane and I loved how we saw their relationship develop over the course of the book as well as Jane as a person.

I would also love to read more from Elizabeth Wein in the future because these have just given a small taste into the historical world that she has created.


The Verdict:

The Enigma Game was a truly unique historical fiction story that tackles topics that I would love to see more of in YA.

Scotland, 1940. Fifteen year old Louisa, recently orphaned by the separate deaths of her parents – her mother during the Blitz and her Jamaican father on a ship – has travelled up from London to a job looking after an old woman at a pub near an airfield. There she meets Ellen, a driver who works at the airfield and Jamie, a pilot. Kindred feelings of exhaustion and desperation to fight back bring them together, but when a German defector lands in their midst, carrying a machine that could alter the course of the war, they find themselves caught in a deadly game.

I’ve, like many of you, I’m sure, been super restless lately. I pick books up, I put them down a couple of chapters in, I stare listlessly at my bookshelf wondering when my appetite for reading more than a chapter at a time will return from the war.

Despite knowing this, I signed up for The Enigma Game blog tour because I needed another Elizabeth Wein book in my life. This pacy, high stakes book was just the thing I needed to save me – not to mention the thing Wein does best, character.

There’s Louisa, bold enough to call about a job in Scotland, hoping that her accent will get her the job and she won’t be turned away when she gets there because of the colour of her skin.

Ellen, hiding her Traveller heritage behind the equalising uniform of the RAF, wanting to help out in any way.

Jamie Beaufort-Stuart (yes, that one!) a hot headed flight lieutenant treading the line between keeping his squadron alive and getting involved in heroics that will help the war effort in a bigger way.

Usually in a multiple-POV novel there’s a character you don’t enjoy reading about as much as the others, but Wein has put the same care into each of the three, making this a very hard book to put down!

My favourite character though was the woman Louisa has arrived to look after, Jane Warner. I love a stubborn old woman in a story and Jane is certainly that. She’s lived life on her terms and is determined to keep doing so, age or war be dammed.

For a book set largely at a Scottish pub in the middle of nowhere, there’s no shortage of action. All three of the main characters are active, determined to play their part in the war effort and keep busy. This is a story with a surprising amount of joy within its pages, as well as the sadness and anguish of war.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing.

I read Code Name Verity years ago when it was first released and I absolutely loved it, so I was very excited to read The Enigma Game. I haven’t read The Pearl Thief, which I understand has some of the characters from this book in it, but I don’t think it hindered my enjoyment of the book.

The Enigma Game follows a set of three characters: Ellen, Jamie and Lousia. Each on them involved in WWII in their own way. Louisa wants to do her part to help fight the war that killed her parents when she takes a job caring for an elderly German woman in Windyedge, but it feels like not enough. It’s at Windyedge’s RAF aerodrome that Jamie’s squadron of bombers is based for the majority of the book, and Ellen works as a volunteer driver for the RAF. The three characters lives converge when a german pilot lands under mysterious circumstances, hiding an enigma machine that translated the strange messages Jaime’s squadron had been receiving. Louisa, Jamie and Ellen must work together crossing the firing lines of the enemy, to unravel a mystery that could help turn the tide in the war.

I loved all of the characters so much. Jaime was funny, relatable, and such a sweetie, I loved him. He’s constantly worried after losing many men on previous missions and has a rebellious streak which I loved. Ellen was fantastic. Her segments were really interesting, and the inclusion of the prejudice towards travellers was really good, and something I had never really thought about much before. I loved Louisa’s character, and the inclusion of a Jamaican m/c is something you don’t often see in books set in the past. Lousia was such an innocent, but very strong, character and I really loved that about her. I think the book emphasised both the good and bad traits of these characters really well, showing that all characters are flawed.

The plot was an intense slow-burner, with things heating up at certain key points in the book. The inclusion of the flight crew was brilliant in building suspense, and the writing really made you feel constantly worried when they were flying their missions.

A warning, the end of the book was both devastating and satisfying at the same time. I won’t say anything else, you’ll have to find out why for yourself!

Overall, I thought that this was a really enjoyable historical fiction novel, with amazing characters, and a gripping story. I would recommend this to young adult fans of historical fiction, but also to adults as well, the adult characters are also really well written and I felt the book had a sort of ageless quality to it.