3.5 Stars!

The Enigma Game had plenty of action which made it quite a fast read. Of course, it's about one of the best kept secrets of the War and so this was definitely interesting. This book is told from 3 different perspectives and I think that worked quite well for this book.

It follows Louisa, a girl born to a Jamaican father and English mother who has lost both of her parents to the war. I enjoyed following Louisa as she was an intelligent character who wanted to really help out with the war effort. Following Louisa, we get to see the treatment that she faces just because the colour of her skin and how she is always judged for that rather than her friendly nature or intelligence first. This book highlights these prejudices and almost helps to portray a different side of people during the war that perhaps some people aren't aware of. This book also follows Ellen and Jamie, both who work for the RAF. Ellen works on the ground whereas Jamie is a pilot. I liked both of these characters. Ellen was also dealing with hiding her identity as a Traveller for fears of what people may say. Jamie, a well off character, is the leader of his squadron and we see how his role affects him and his relationships as the book moves on.

The Enigma Game does stand quite well by itself, although I now know that Elizabeth Wein's books do overlap, as there are characters in this that have been featured in her previous books. I think reading these books may have given me a slightly better knowledge of the characters, but I didn't really feel like not reading them had affected my experience reading this greatly.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading it if you're looking for a YA historical fiction, based on the Home Front.

Oh my goodness, gang, you don't even know how excited I was to be sent a copy of the new novel by Elizabeth Wein - even the title, The Enigma Game, made me giddy. There's nothing like the feeling of something new from an author you already know and love; it's the best.

Here's the thing: I read Wein's (probably) most famous / popular work Code Name Verity last year and let me tell you , it was absolutely clear to me why that book gets the hype it does because it is fantastic and so when this landed on my doormat, complete with pretty cover, and yelling at me that it was set in the same world as Verity , well. I kind of wanted to put my whole entire life on pause and devour it instantly.

As it was, I read it on VE Day which was more good luck than good management but it made me happy regardless.

Ah, synchronicity.

I got lost in it, to the point that my boyfriend laughed at me as I swung lazily in the hammock - VE Day was hot, unlike today which is positively wintry - and said 'you've gone to that bookish place' which is what he says when I've lost myself in a book at the expense of actually functioning as a human. I didn't move from that hammock for hours. It happens a lot - often it ends in sunburn but this time he threw suncream at my head. A pretty good shot from a socially distant 2m away. He's a keeper.

Basically, what this means, if I'm not being clear, is that I loved The Enigma Game.




It's different to Verity. Verity got under my skin. It broke me. It took me apart and it put me back together and it made me cry.

The Enigma Game didn't get me in quite the same way, although it's no less thoughtful and hopeful and atmospheric. It's just different. It's more of a thriller, yet a safer kind of adventure if that makes sense, full of cute fighter pilots you want to put in your pocket, and a feisty young girl and a feisty old lady and a German code-breaking machine they shouldn't have but do and it's a hell of a page turner. It's a book about people who don't have a place coming together and about the power of finding a space in the world in which you fit - it's so much more than a war story.

I loved - and I feel that I can say this given that I read a fair amount of WWII fiction; it's kind of my jam - that it was different. It's set in Scotland which I really liked, a lot of the action centred around a little village pub, and, for the most part it's pretty light-hearted, considering. There's no Gestapo here, no concentration camps, and whilst the Luftwaffe are a very real threat, it all feels somehow....safer?

It's not pull on every single one of your heartstrings kind of tragic, it's kind of....fun? I mean sure it's heavy, it's still set in the war after all and those cute fighter pilots I mentioned are still risking their lives every time they get in their planes and Louisa still lost both her parents to the war and she's only 15 and there's still a really interesting and very relevant even 80 years later look at things like racism (Louisa is mixed race, Jane is German, Ellen is a traveller) and casual misogyny and the tragedy of war but overall this story is nice, and it's exciting and kind of joyful. It's a story about people with no place finding a place together - did I say that already - and it made me feel warm inside on lots of occasions. The whole storyline with Louisa and Jane, the old lady she's paid to look after, is just gorgeous. It's not a harrowing WWII story this one, which is why that bit at the end kind of blindsides you; I was too busy really having a good time to remember that this is Elizabeth Wein and so when she did the thing it made my heart stutter and I just sort of muttered 'oh dear' and had to sit quietly and have a moment and a biscuit. I was not really prepared for the sad.




It's beautifully written - so many lines I could pull out and quote and the level of detail and the amount of research that has obviously gone into it is mind-blowing - and the book is so much the richer for it. The narrative is solid and the characterisation is stand-out, every single person you meet on these pages feels fully formed and real and you root for them all, even the ones you don't like, because they're fighting a war, dammit and even as they're laughing and joking and teasing in the bar, that fact is always there, like you imagine it would always have been there for them. It's very cleverly done. Oh God, as well, the dead men's money, the tradition the boys have of putting a coin in the wood above the bar before they go on a flight and using that coin to buy a pint when they get back, if they get back. I am not fine.

It's set in the same world as Verity, I said that already I know, so even though there are characters you'll know if you've read that (Jamie! Queenie!) and knowing them adds a certain depth and a certain emotion to the story (I'm not crying, you're crying) this book is actually set before the events of that one and works perfectly as a standalone. Don't let not having read Code Name Verity put you off picking up this. In fact, it might even be a good place to start, a softer book in many ways than its older book sibling (there's another two in the same 'series' too so plenty to go at).

Wein has nailed it again, frankly, and proven that - for me at least - she's up there with the best in her genre. The Enigma Game proves her versatility; all of the stuff with the code breaker was so interesting, and I am always here for a good spy story; that coupled with the fighter squadron was so exciting; I love that she had a diverse female character in her book set in 1940 and she managed to weave that so beautifully into the story; I love that she had an old lady who was an old lady but who still had so much to offer; I loved how she built to a climax that perhaps wasn't the climax you expected but that you still felt you felt deep in your chest; I loved the way all the women in this book pulled together, worked together, wanted to make their mark. I just really really loved it.

I enjoyed this book, it was a little slow in places and neither as exciting or emotional as some of the author's other WWII stories but the plot was generally enjoyable and I liked the characters, both the new and the familiar.

Although chronologically set before Code Name Verity, this is the latest from Elizabeth Wein and follows the Beaufort-Stuart siblings in their respective war efforts.

Although it had a fairly slow pace to start, the protagonists are likeable from the off and the strands of the plot are immediately engaging (even if you haven’t read CodeNameVerity before).


I often find novels featuring servicemen of this era have an underlying macho-masculine tone and exaggerated bravado to them, which is irritatingly cliche. It was refreshing to find Jamie, our lead male, having a more compassionate outlook and who was capable of talking to a woman without a plan to woo/bed her. That said, it was a little disappointing that Sergeant Lind was painted to look like a movie star, on the grounds of being a “disguise” (but nothing to do with her job role/purpose for being there) and predictably the men around her were falling over themselves to fawn and flatter. Just a little unimaginative?

That minor detail aside, if you’re looking to carry on the VE Day vibes, and like a book with gentle plot twists throughout, and a bit of a shocker at the end, The Enigma Game is for you.

I’d like to thank the author, publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Enigma Game in advance of its release. It’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

rep: biracial m/c (white, jamaican), sapphic romani m/c, bi side character

content warnings: war, death, racism, homophobia

The Enigma Game follows three different people in a small village of Windyedge, Scotland. Jamie, a RAF pilot who flies a Bristol Blenheim bomber, Ellen a volunteer driver with the RAF, and Louisa, a teenager who wants to make a difference who ends up caring for an elderly German woman. When Louisa finds an Enigma machine that was smuggled in by an enemy pilot, Louisa, Jamie, and Ellen all come together to unravel a mystery that may turn the tide of war.

“Careless talk costs lives.”

Rating five stars purely for my love for the Beaufort-Stuart siblings. JOKING. Sort of. In all seriousness, The Enigma Game was a captivating read with enticing characters, a fast-paced plot with high stakes, and some brilliant friendships – which Elizabeth Wein never fails to achieve. The Enigma Game is a companion novel that takes place before Code Name Verity, but after The Pearl Thief. Both Jamie and Ellen were present in The Pearl Thief, but Louisa is a brand new character, and a lovely addition at that.

Jamie is a RAF pilot that is stationed at Windyedge. He is a flight leader for the 648 Squadron, tired of continuously losing his men on flight missions. I liked his character since he showed up in Code Name Verity, so it was nice to get a novel from his POV, and it made me love him even more. He is kind, protective, and brave. When he learns of the Engima machine, he wants to keep it a secret to use to his advantage, to protect his men, knowing that if his superiors found out about it, it would be taken away.

Ellen, our other main character is a Scottish traveller who has volunteered to drive for the RAF. She was actually Julie’s love interest in The Pearl Thief and I absolutely adore her. She’s bold and brash! But, what an absolute travesty that Ellen & Julie’s previous relationship was not even mentioned. Even when Julie made a surprise appearance!! As I stated in the rep: section above, this does feature a sapphic character which is Ellen BUT this is established in the previous novel, and has no mention of it in this one.

Louisa was the brand new character and I absolutely adored her, and I especially loved her relationship with Jane, the elderly german-born woman that she is caring for. I loved Louisa’s drive, her passion, her bravery and courage, and her overwhelming need to do something.

I absolutely adored the piloting aspect in Code Name Verity, and loved it just as much in The Enigma Game.

Overall, The Enigma Game is a brilliant historical fiction novel which I would highly recommend to people who enjoy WWII fiction, and also for fans of Code Name Verity.

I absolutely loved Code Name Verity and have bought it as gifts for more people than I can remember. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read and review #TheEnigmaGame (Thank you to the author Elizabeth Wein, the publishers and the wonderful #NetGalley)
Wein has continued her flair for plucky interesting female characters, impeccable research and knowledge of WW2, and clever plot in this lovely book. I love the fact that I can wholeheartedly recommend her books to my parents, my husband and my kids, and this one didn't disappoint.
Set mostly in north east Scotland in 1941/2 this evoked a sense of place as well as time. It felt authentic but didn't clog up the story line and characters with the stating of unnecessary facts. I very much enjoyed losing myself in the era and in the cold stark landscapes. I highly recommend this and I am glad to have a large chunk of my Christmas list sorted. (Yes, I like to plan early!)

A great historical read. I liked that it split the POV of the main protagonists (Louisa, James and Ellen) . For me it was a slow start getting into it at first but the more you read, the more enamoured you become in the story. If you enjoy WWII novels, spies and action this is a must read. I'll be checking out Wein's other work.

Code Name Verity came out a mere eight years ago but quickly built up a squadron of ardent fans. It’s just one of those books that makes an impact on some readers and remains dear to them afterwards. If this description sounds familiar then you’ll no doubt be excited to hear that Elizabeth Wein has released another addition to this series; falling chronologically after The Pearl Thief yet before Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire.

The Enigma Game reunites us to a couple of old friends, most notably Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, and introduces some new characters. I really warmed to Louisa and enjoyed her unlikely partnership with wily Jane Warner. The story is engaging and exciting with clear attention to detail and sense of place. I appreciated the endeavour to showcase the contribution made by Commonwealth citizens towards the war effort and found the historical notes about real people very interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I wanted to love this more than I did, I think that the concept sounded amazing but I just found that it was a bit of a slog to get through. I found that some of the characters were a bit bland however the diversity of the characters was really good. I found that the events that are mentioned in the blurb were still happening over halfway through the book so nothing felt like a reveal more like information that we already knew.
It was however interesting seeing events that could have happened during the war from so many different perspectives including a pilot.

As soon as the opportunity to read another book by Elizabeth Wein presented itself, I wanted to read it and The Enigma Game did not disappoint.
Thoroughly researched and rooted in the of the winter of 1940-41, The author's love of flying and her grasp of the history shine through.. The Enigma Game is a gripping read; those events that are fictional are entirely plausible and the characters are wholly believable. The relationship between the somewhat mysterious old lady, Jane Warner, and Jamaican-born Louisa is delightful. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, was briefly mentioned in Code Name Verity and his background as a bomber pilot is explored in this story. All of the characters seem to have something to hide but come to accept, and even appreciate, their differences and the diversities as they have to work together against common enemies.

I love Wein's WWII historical thrillers. She never pulls her punches as to what historically happened but she manages to inject plenty of humour and poignancy too. This was an outstanding example of her work. Diverse, multi layered and beautifully written. And oh my heart that cameo from a previous book! Highly recommend.

If I’m really honest I struggled a bit to get into this. Some of the history was fascinating with a look at the role of pilots during the second world war and I liked how it showed a more diverse dimension to the role played by non white personnel during the war but there was just something which meant I didn’t click with the characters at all.

Chronologically, The Enigma Game is set following The Pearl Thief and preceding Code Name Verity (despite being the fourth-written book of the series). As such, you’re in this slightly odd position of knowing what is going to happen to certain characters, while being aware that this is their future.

The Enigma Game follows three POVs: Jamie Beaufort-Stuart (Julie’s brother), Ellen McEwen (from The Pearl Thief), and Louisa Adair (a new character) as they work in and around the airbase at Windyedge. One evening, a German defector flies in to drop off a package and everything changes.

Elizabeth Wein writes excellent historical fiction with characters you can easily love, whether it’s the first time you’re reading them or the nth, and this book is no different. It’s one of those that you don’t know has grown on you until you’re tearing up in the final act. I think, in the grand scheme of things, it ranks a little lower than Code Name Verity and The Pearl Thief on my list, but it’s a good novel nonetheless.

It’s also one of those slightly slower burn historical novels, but with enough action and character development to keep you more than interested throughout. You want to read about these characters for the sake of reading about them, and you worry that they won’t all make it through the book (thanks for the trust issues, Elizabeth Wein).

I think the one thing that I didn’t like about this book was that it didn’t acknowledge Julie and Ellen’s having been girlfriends at one point. I know, this seems a little like nitpicking, sure, but to have, in your previous book, established that both are sapphic, then to just...not mention it for 400+ pages, when one of them is also a POV character? I don’t like it, to be frank. I spent the whole book waiting for Ellen/Julie scraps I never got.

But even so, this was a good book, and a good continuation of the series.

(Though, Ms Wein, if you could cut the Beaufort-Stuarts a break now, that’d be nice.)

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein:

This is another highly ambitious historical novel from Wein. I loved her Code Name Verity, and was eager to see if this novel would be as good. I wasn’t disappointed. The Enigma Game follows three main characters, and takes place in Scotland during World War Two. Louisa, a young mixed race orphan, has come to Scotland to take care of an old lady with secrets in her past. Jamie is a pilot, who is posted to a nearby airfield. Ellen is a young woman taken hostage by a German, and must protect her terrible secret at all costs. These three young people must draw on every ounce of courage they possess, to survive the brutality of war.
The novel was fast paced, exciting and full of peril. Young readers will learn a lot about the Enigma machine and its role in the War, but not in the heavy handed way of a history lesson, but rather in the deft, thrilling prose of a novelist at the top of her game.

Before reading this I blasted my way through the two previously published books in this sequence, Codename Verity and Rose Under Fire. I loved them both and was very excited to read this, which turns out to be a prequel, detailing some of the key events which occur before Codename Verity begins. It is a great story in its own right. All the books can be read out of sequence as each adventure is complete in itself, but there are recurring characters throughout and it's nice to have the background to events. Wein researches her material scrupulously and I enjoy the afterword where she explains what led her to write and what research she did almost as much as the book itself. it's clever and tense and twisty and the use of strong, female characters in these stories is wonderful.

I was really disappointed with this after loving code name verity so much! I don’t know if it’s because I read it in digital & not physical form? But Louisa just got a bit annoying sometimes with how naive she acted. It had some good bits but I just overall didn’t really enjoy it :/

A beautifully crafted novel, with three remarkable heroes who you connect with and root for the entire way through the story, What also makes the novel extremely enjoyable is how accurate the facts are, and you find yourself fully immersed within the story.

Set during the Second World War, The Enigma Game takes place near an RAF base in Scotland, in a local inn. The airman leave silver sixpences in the cracks in the wooden mantlepiece and use the money for a pint of beer on their safe return. The guests staying at the inn include Louisa Adair, a girl with Jamaican ancestry who is looking after the elderly aunt of the landlady. Her name is Jane Warner, not her real name, having changed it from the German Frau von Arnim. The other lodger is Ellen, a traveller who works as a driver on the RAF base. Three different characters, who will all play their important part in the story and the war effort. The adventure begins when they find a code machine that has been left in the inn. Can they crack the code and help the airmen at the RAF base?

There are characters in this story from Elizabeth Wein's World War 2 stories, The Pearl Thief, and Codename Verity, but this can be read as a standalone. As usual Elizabeth Wein's in depth research shines through making the story fly by with twists and turns.

I have read and loved Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, and thoroughly enjoyed The Pearl Thief, so when I saw that Wein had another book set within that continuity - and better yet that it was available on NetGalley! - I hit request immediately.
I'm so glad I did. The Enigma Game is a gorgeous, complex, layered story set chronologically between The Pearl Thief and Code Name Verity, but equally enjoyable as a standalone novel, with beautiful musings on discrimination, prejudice, war, family, and the secrets we hide - and reveal - throughout our lives.
Three perspective characters share the limelight in The Enigma Game. Two of these, we are already familiar with. Ellen McEwan, who we've seen in The Pearl Thief, previously the sullen twin of Euan McEwan, now a volunteer Tilly driver stationed at Windyedge. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, brother of Julia (the main character in The Pearl Thief and of the two leads in Code Name Verity) who we've seen flitting in and out of other stories in this continuity, and our third lead, who is brand new, Louisa Adair. Daughter of an white English piano teacher and a black Jamaican merchant Navyman, Louisa has recently lost both of her parents, and takes a job as a companion to 'Aunt Jane', staying in a pub near the airfield where Jamie is posted and Ellen works.
As usual, Wein's books feature piloting fairly heavily. The detail incorporated into the story is breathtaking, with clear background research underpinning every page of the book. However, the intricate detail of the research is never at the expense of the plot or the character development. And both of those are spectacular. Mixing old characters and new together, Wein creates an ensemble cast who are wrapped up in my heart, and whose adventures I laughed, gasped, and cried along with for the entirety of the book. I was so horrified and traumatised by the climactic events of the dénouement of the book that I entirely forgot that I had already read a book set chronologically after it (and consequently knew some of the followup details). There is so much going on in here, with Ellen and Louisa both suffering discrimination - Ellen's chapters in particular have some really interesting thoughts on hiding who you are. She's been hiding her Traveller identity, and Louisa's brown skin is not so easily concealed. But even this thoughtful moment is leavened with a self-awareness (both of the character and the author) which means it's never too heavy to handle. Code-cracking, an enigma machine, using the flute to learn morse code, and a supporting cast (mainly male, given that it's a flight crew) with deep and rich backgrounds of their own (including a diverse representation of the men who flew after the Battle of Britain) make this a thoroughly engaging book, both a wonderful standalone and a deeply satisfying re-entry into the canon that we already know and love. I knew, even as I started this book, that I would have to go and re-read the others in the series. Such joys await me, and I know that re-reading this will be a future joy also.

Sensational! Elizabeth Wein's WW2 thrillers are reliably excellent, and The Enigma Game is no exception. Beautifully written and grippingly paced, funny, heartbreaking, diverse (and historically accurately so, for people who care deeply about that), and with a devastating ... long cameo? Extended walk-on part? for fans of Wein's earlier books in the same room. A joy.