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Jigsaw: Powder Keg: An Adventure in Time and History
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "David Alyn Gordon transports us to different times in history with such ease that it feels more real than expected! His style of writing and the story itself invite the reader to be present in the moment as they're surrounded by some of the crucial events in history in front of their very eyes."- Tanja J with Readers Favorite.
The Fight for Reality Never Ends.
Novus Ordo has not given up on its Mission to Shape Reality In its Neo-Fascist Image
Working with the Novus Ordo organization from the beginning of the Twentieth Century, they have launched Operation Powder Keg, an attempt to steer the course of World War One to their benefit.
But they did not factor in the involvement of Ahriman, the Devil who sees this as an opportunity to finally remake the world in his image.
They also did not consider the intervention of Francesca, Mariah, Noah, Bonomi, and other members of the newly formed Temporal Guardian Foundation.
Now the heroes from the Jigsaw Universe must race across 1903 Serbia, 1911 Italy, 1913 Macedonia, 1914 Sarajevo, and the Ancient Middle East to stop the plans of Novus Ordo and the Devil...
And save existence.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ " Powder Keg by David Alyn Gordon is an intricately woven story that delves into various moments in human history...I think any lovers of adventure novels, especially those who enjoy time travel stories, would definitely enjoy this book."-Miche A with Readers Favorite.
The Fight for Reality Never Ends.
Novus Ordo has not given up on its Mission to Shape Reality In its Neo-Fascist Image
Working with the Novus Ordo organization from the beginning of the Twentieth Century, they have launched Operation Powder Keg, an attempt to steer the course of World War One to their benefit.
But they did not factor in the involvement of Ahriman, the Devil who sees this as an opportunity to finally remake the world in his image.
They also did not consider the intervention of Francesca, Mariah, Noah, Bonomi, and other members of the newly formed Temporal Guardian Foundation.
Now the heroes from the Jigsaw Universe must race across 1903 Serbia, 1911 Italy, 1913 Macedonia, 1914 Sarajevo, and the Ancient Middle East to stop the plans of Novus Ordo and the Devil...
And save existence.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ " Powder Keg by David Alyn Gordon is an intricately woven story that delves into various moments in human history...I think any lovers of adventure novels, especially those who enjoy time travel stories, would definitely enjoy this book."-Miche A with Readers Favorite.
190 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2023
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
David Alyn Gordon
29 books37 followersI have been a social studies teacher, principal, and founding owner of the Grand Canyon College Preparatory Academy in Tempe, Arizona. I grew up reading and watching science and historical fiction. I am also a big baseball fan. I have combined my various passions in the Jigsaw series, which focuses on time-traveling teens thrust into major historical events—many of which never made the standard history books. I was born in New York and now live in Arizona with the love of my life Gwyn. We are both are dog people, and enjoy travel and food—Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines in particular.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 23, 2024
Another Exciting Time-Travelling Adventure
I’ve enjoyed the Jigsaw collection, and 'Powder Keg' was no exception. In this thrilling read, ancient biblical history collides with modern events. The story spans multiple timeframes, focusing on 5,600 B.C. during the battle between God and the Devil, the 1910s ahead of WWI, and 1952 when the Foundation and Academy for the Temporal Guardians is established.
History is woven throughout the narrative. Familiar faces return - Noah and Francesca, and Tori and Mueller, among others - and new characters are introduced, and not everyone is as they seem. Besides the Temporal Guardians and Novus Ordo, the Grey Branch adds further complexity, questioning the ethics behind protecting the timeline. The book also features a golem and gods, adding to the supernatural powers of vampires and werewolves. It’s a fast-paced read, and there is some bad language throughout.
Overall, fans of history, YA reads, and time-travel should have fun here.
I’ve enjoyed the Jigsaw collection, and 'Powder Keg' was no exception. In this thrilling read, ancient biblical history collides with modern events. The story spans multiple timeframes, focusing on 5,600 B.C. during the battle between God and the Devil, the 1910s ahead of WWI, and 1952 when the Foundation and Academy for the Temporal Guardians is established.
History is woven throughout the narrative. Familiar faces return - Noah and Francesca, and Tori and Mueller, among others - and new characters are introduced, and not everyone is as they seem. Besides the Temporal Guardians and Novus Ordo, the Grey Branch adds further complexity, questioning the ethics behind protecting the timeline. The book also features a golem and gods, adding to the supernatural powers of vampires and werewolves. It’s a fast-paced read, and there is some bad language throughout.
Overall, fans of history, YA reads, and time-travel should have fun here.
May 13, 2025
Jigsaw: Powder Keg is a historical sci-fi thriller that blasts across centuries with the force of a grenade and the precision of a surgeon. The story flips between timelines, ancient Persia, WWI and WWII Europe, post-Holocaust Italy, 1950s Alabama, and even Victorian England, while weaving together a massive, complex tale of shadowy global conspiracies, time travel, and supernatural battles. At its heart, it’s about a clandestine group trying to ignite chaos to build a new world order and the people, both mortal and not, who are working to stop it.
Gordon doesn't waste time easing you in. The first chapter sets the pace: ancient betrayals, magic orbs, and a fire-slinging villain trapped by angelic brothers. It felt like Indiana Jones meets The Sandman, only with more Persian and Balkan war references. That blend of fantasy and real-world history gives the book its kick. One of my favorite examples is the underground lab beneath Santa Croce Church being repurposed by WWII resistance fighters and refugee educators into a high-tech, post-war Renaissance Academy. It’s absurd on paper but it works and somehow it all clicks.
The emotional heart, though, belongs to Noah and Francesca Pitto. Their post-war efforts to rescue orphans and battle corrupt bureaucrats are surprisingly moving. A scene that stuck with me was when they blackmail an insurance exec into releasing funds for Holocaust survivors' children using documents from their own future selves. It’s a bizarre premise, but the fury and desperation feel real, especially Francesca’s barely contained rage. And just when you think it’s all war and espionage, there’s an adorable baby named Roberto and a running joke about changing diapers. The blend of sweet and bitter is sharp and honest.
Regarding the time travel aspect, the mechanics are not extensively detailed; however, this did not detract from my overall engagement with the narrative. This book isn’t about hard sci-fi; it’s about emotional and moral stakes. There's a werewolf named Mueller, a vampire named Tori, and a golem named Frank, who wears wigs. At one point, Jack the Ripper shows up, and you find out who he is through footage recorded by a time-traveling dog with a camera on her collar. I had to stop and just laugh, but it is memorable. I didn’t always buy the motivations of the supernatural characters, but their presence made for some great action and surprisingly deep existential questions.
Jigsaw: Powder Keg is a chaotic, ambitious ride. It’s packed with history, mysticism, alternate futures, and moral gray zones. I wouldn’t hand this to someone looking for a light beach read. But if you like your fiction dense, imaginative, and bursting with heart, it’s worth your time. Fans of historical fantasy, time travel sagas, and books with a conscience will find a lot to dig into here.
Gordon doesn't waste time easing you in. The first chapter sets the pace: ancient betrayals, magic orbs, and a fire-slinging villain trapped by angelic brothers. It felt like Indiana Jones meets The Sandman, only with more Persian and Balkan war references. That blend of fantasy and real-world history gives the book its kick. One of my favorite examples is the underground lab beneath Santa Croce Church being repurposed by WWII resistance fighters and refugee educators into a high-tech, post-war Renaissance Academy. It’s absurd on paper but it works and somehow it all clicks.
The emotional heart, though, belongs to Noah and Francesca Pitto. Their post-war efforts to rescue orphans and battle corrupt bureaucrats are surprisingly moving. A scene that stuck with me was when they blackmail an insurance exec into releasing funds for Holocaust survivors' children using documents from their own future selves. It’s a bizarre premise, but the fury and desperation feel real, especially Francesca’s barely contained rage. And just when you think it’s all war and espionage, there’s an adorable baby named Roberto and a running joke about changing diapers. The blend of sweet and bitter is sharp and honest.
Regarding the time travel aspect, the mechanics are not extensively detailed; however, this did not detract from my overall engagement with the narrative. This book isn’t about hard sci-fi; it’s about emotional and moral stakes. There's a werewolf named Mueller, a vampire named Tori, and a golem named Frank, who wears wigs. At one point, Jack the Ripper shows up, and you find out who he is through footage recorded by a time-traveling dog with a camera on her collar. I had to stop and just laugh, but it is memorable. I didn’t always buy the motivations of the supernatural characters, but their presence made for some great action and surprisingly deep existential questions.
Jigsaw: Powder Keg is a chaotic, ambitious ride. It’s packed with history, mysticism, alternate futures, and moral gray zones. I wouldn’t hand this to someone looking for a light beach read. But if you like your fiction dense, imaginative, and bursting with heart, it’s worth your time. Fans of historical fantasy, time travel sagas, and books with a conscience will find a lot to dig into here.
February 10, 2024
This is one of the weirdest books I have ever read.
I like the uniqueness of the first of its series, but unlike this one, it was at least contained in a certain theme. While this one is fast-paced with a lot of action, it confuses the hell out of me. I like reading books in nonlinear timelines, and although the timelines here are undoubtedly challenging to follow, as they span thousands of years, I don’t have any problem with that.
Even when I can’t get into the importance of what they are doing, this is not a deal breaker. The concept is similar to the first book; most of the time, it is to ensure that history goes the way it is. However, I believe the stories can be told better if there are more emphases on what if it doesn’t? Would it be really that bad? It’s hard to root for the characters and what they are doing without more justifications.
The characters. I feel nothing about them. So many names were thrown out there without any refresher about their previous stories until we got closer to the end in bits and pieces. It would be great to have some summaries of the earlier stories because they are really hard to follow. And some of them have multiple names.
However, most of all, the hardest factor for me to digest is the ambition of combining so many things that usually don’t and imho, still don’t go well together. It’s science fiction, with teleportation and time travel; it’s also historical fiction, and this is the heaviest theme of all. But then, there is a vampire (what?), a werewolf, a Gollum. What? And then I read about celestial beings and almost lost it.
I haven’t read other books in the series besides the first, so I give it the benefit of the doubt that the transitions and combinations of all these mixtures are smoother. While this book is not for me, I admire the author’s creativity and willingness for pushing the boundaries.
I like the uniqueness of the first of its series, but unlike this one, it was at least contained in a certain theme. While this one is fast-paced with a lot of action, it confuses the hell out of me. I like reading books in nonlinear timelines, and although the timelines here are undoubtedly challenging to follow, as they span thousands of years, I don’t have any problem with that.
Even when I can’t get into the importance of what they are doing, this is not a deal breaker. The concept is similar to the first book; most of the time, it is to ensure that history goes the way it is. However, I believe the stories can be told better if there are more emphases on what if it doesn’t? Would it be really that bad? It’s hard to root for the characters and what they are doing without more justifications.
The characters. I feel nothing about them. So many names were thrown out there without any refresher about their previous stories until we got closer to the end in bits and pieces. It would be great to have some summaries of the earlier stories because they are really hard to follow. And some of them have multiple names.
However, most of all, the hardest factor for me to digest is the ambition of combining so many things that usually don’t and imho, still don’t go well together. It’s science fiction, with teleportation and time travel; it’s also historical fiction, and this is the heaviest theme of all. But then, there is a vampire (what?), a werewolf, a Gollum. What? And then I read about celestial beings and almost lost it.
I haven’t read other books in the series besides the first, so I give it the benefit of the doubt that the transitions and combinations of all these mixtures are smoother. While this book is not for me, I admire the author’s creativity and willingness for pushing the boundaries.
November 20, 2023
Jigsaw Powder Keg is the newest book in this fantasy/science fiction/historical fiction series and is the best yet. The writer has hit his stride with this entry. It has multiple timelines but it flows effortlessly. I feel it would be better to have read the preceding books, but I am not sure it is necessary to make sense of this intriguing novel. It is a blend of relatively modern fantasy: werewolves and vampires, and ancient Canaanite mythology, as well as time travel amongst many eras, all in an effort to protect the timeline.
The main characters, Francesca and Noah, work for the world-wide Falcone Foundation, whose mission it is to maintain the world’s timeline as they know it. Noah had been a high school student in one of the Foundation’s schools, taken a field trip to Italy and ended up being transported to WWII, where he stayed and made a life with Francesca. They had children, some adopted, some natural, and they continued to work with the Foundation, although one of the things that preyed on their consciences was that they were never able to go back in time and save lives. It was what it was and they learned to live with it. It’s an interesting story of good and evil, and of course, at least in the short term, it’s good that wins. Creativity and imagination are not in short supply in this series. Check it out. It is a good read!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Jigsaw Powder Keg by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #DavidAllynGordon #JigsawPowderKeg
The main characters, Francesca and Noah, work for the world-wide Falcone Foundation, whose mission it is to maintain the world’s timeline as they know it. Noah had been a high school student in one of the Foundation’s schools, taken a field trip to Italy and ended up being transported to WWII, where he stayed and made a life with Francesca. They had children, some adopted, some natural, and they continued to work with the Foundation, although one of the things that preyed on their consciences was that they were never able to go back in time and save lives. It was what it was and they learned to live with it. It’s an interesting story of good and evil, and of course, at least in the short term, it’s good that wins. Creativity and imagination are not in short supply in this series. Check it out. It is a good read!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Jigsaw Powder Keg by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #DavidAllynGordon #JigsawPowderKeg
January 30, 2024
I really enjoyed reading Powder Key by David Alyn Gordon. I think it’s another great book in the Jigsaw series. Also, the coverart is gorgeous!
Powder Keg is another wonderfully written story that takes place across time. And I like how David adds more layers to the supernatural part of the story with each book. The author does a great job, in my opinion, of meshing history with sci-fi/fantasy. The story is engaging, and I learn/relearn a few things along the way about actual historic events.
I also enjoy the way the story bounces between timelines, and the heroes and villains. I find myself eagerly flipping to the next page to see what happens. There are times, tho, when I forget where the story is taking place, but each chapter tells you the location and year, which I find very helpful.
At times, I also confuse the characters in the scene as there is a full cast across the book series, but to me, it’s very similar to a tv series. Having so many characters really brings the story to life by adding multiple perspectives, and it allows for a variety of subplots. It amazes me how the author keeps all the smaller plots straight, but he does. And David is very good at weaving them all together into the bigger narrative.
David is great at writing the twists and turns imo. I like not knowing where the story is going. The “trying to guess” is part of the fun for me – like a who-done-it.
I really encourage anyone who likes historic sci-fi to read this series.
Powder Keg is another wonderfully written story that takes place across time. And I like how David adds more layers to the supernatural part of the story with each book. The author does a great job, in my opinion, of meshing history with sci-fi/fantasy. The story is engaging, and I learn/relearn a few things along the way about actual historic events.
I also enjoy the way the story bounces between timelines, and the heroes and villains. I find myself eagerly flipping to the next page to see what happens. There are times, tho, when I forget where the story is taking place, but each chapter tells you the location and year, which I find very helpful.
At times, I also confuse the characters in the scene as there is a full cast across the book series, but to me, it’s very similar to a tv series. Having so many characters really brings the story to life by adding multiple perspectives, and it allows for a variety of subplots. It amazes me how the author keeps all the smaller plots straight, but he does. And David is very good at weaving them all together into the bigger narrative.
David is great at writing the twists and turns imo. I like not knowing where the story is going. The “trying to guess” is part of the fun for me – like a who-done-it.
I really encourage anyone who likes historic sci-fi to read this series.
January 11, 2024
This is a difficult book to review as I have not read the first six books in the Jigsaw series. They involve groups of time travelers that go to pivotal points in human history trying to rewrite the outcome or to prevent others from doing so. In Jigsaw: Powder Keg, a nasty bunch called the Novus Ordo organization and their pro-fascist allies go back to the early Twentieth Century launch Operation Powder Keg, an attempt to steer the course of World War One to their benefit. Meanwhile a Devil called Ahriman sees this as an opportunity to finally remake the world in his image.
The first thing that’s apparent about the book is that David Alyn Gordon has a magnificent grasp of history. He moves seamlessly across a broad geographic and chronological expanse, with a sure-footed understanding of the forces at play in each era.
The problem for the new reader is that it is too seamless and too expansive. As a rookie Jigsaw reader, I found the plot really confusing – too many characters going to too many places in too many eras. I found it really hard to follow. It would probably help to begin at the start of the series and learn about the characters.
The first thing that’s apparent about the book is that David Alyn Gordon has a magnificent grasp of history. He moves seamlessly across a broad geographic and chronological expanse, with a sure-footed understanding of the forces at play in each era.
The problem for the new reader is that it is too seamless and too expansive. As a rookie Jigsaw reader, I found the plot really confusing – too many characters going to too many places in too many eras. I found it really hard to follow. It would probably help to begin at the start of the series and learn about the characters.
March 14, 2024
History, time travel, and the supernatural mix together to form an oddly compelling story. While this book is presented as the first in a series, characters from previous series by the same author are key players, and little backstory is provided for context. As such, the characters were hard to keep track of, especially regarding motivation, and there were A LOT of characters... Lastly, I'm still not entirely sure of one character's motivation, or how all the supernatural elements are supposed to tie together theologically, as the motivations of all characters were regularly at odds with a great deal of subterfuge. There is a lot of timeline hopping in support of the plot, and also what I'm sure is setup for future books, but feels like extraneous epilogue in this book.
January 13, 2024
Jigsaw: Powder Keg: An Adventure in Time and History is a great mash-up of a book which blends science fiction, historical, adventure and fantasy elements all in one.
Books focusing on time travel are always tricky in my opinion, as when you mess with timelines, there's so much potential for things to go wrong. Whilst Powder Keg was slightly confusing at times, I didn't notice any of the glaring plot holes these stories can often open themselves up to.
The author, David Alyn Gordon, definitely seems to know his stuff about history periods and the novel has a simple but excellent front cover which gets across the book's premise right away.
January 4, 2024
This is a captivating blend of historical adventure and fantasy. Set in the ancient Kingdom of Atropatene, the story follows characters on a quest for hidden treasures, leading to unexpected twists and supernatural elements. Gordon's vivid historical details and well-crafted characters make for an engaging read. The novel's mix of suspense and mystical intrigue is perfect for fans of genre-blending fiction. A thrilling journey through time and history, this book is a must-read for those who love a good adventure with a touch of the fantastical.
November 26, 2023
Enjoyable adventure with memorable characters. Timeline, as you would expect, did jump around a bit. Understanding who and when you were reading about came after only some confusion. Recommend reading the first Jigsaw trilogy in order to understand all references made.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews