Mini Review: Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz

Gypsy Knights
The Gypsy Knights Saga
by Two Brothers Metz

Blurb from Goodreads:

Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.

Now, here's a story of adventure!
I never thought I could learn so much about trains, runs and routes. Nor would I know that there are specific strategies in chess, with their own names, if I hadn't read this book. I thought it was just make-it-up-you-go. Maybe that is why I don't win that much.
But, I liked the way the authors wove chess into the story that provided it with a seemingly cloak-and-dagger feel to the plot.  The book was fun, interesting and fast-paced. You would never be bored with it. 
It merits a sequel. Although, Durriken finally closed his that part of his childhood, his journey has just begun. Chess, his Romani heritage and their ties to Tarie provides enough background and mystery to make me you want to know more. And don't get me started with Dilia and her parents. What was their connection with Tarie? Do they have a much bigger role other than coup-supporters? Also, I think Radu Pinch was just a small character in what, maybe, a bigger, sinister plot.
Who knows?