Lost Flamingo, Fiona Smith/Mark Capitella

 Victory, 477 pieces. This is an extremely successful attempt to use a distinctive hand-cut style in a laser-cut puzzle. It features Capitella's signature split connectors, along with color line cutting (which I rarely love, but like more when there are connectors; here the color line cutting is well integrated into Capitella's general curvy style, so it's not frustrating to me). Is it as satisfying as hand-cut? No, but it's still very good. 5/5

color line cutting, but completely integrated with piece style

Make a Splash

 Stave, 50 pieces. Three-sword Teaser, and earns it--another frameless one. 6/10

Salon des Cent, Paul Berthon

 Sr. B Puzzles, 366 pieces. Another lovely puzzle--check out the picture of it holding together as I picked it up to see how tightly cut it is! 4/5

Francis Drake on quay at Plymouth

 Chad Valley, 400 pieces. As always, I'm impressed by the color retention of Chad Valley puzzles, even after nearly a century. 3/5

Whiskered Woods

 Rebel Puzzles, 272 pieces. Fun puzzle made of tesselated cat shapes, with enough color spattered around the puzzle that assembly was a bit of a challenge. 3/5

kitty!

Afternoon Tee

 Stave, 50 pieces. Absolutely unexpected (but suitable) configuration for this Touzzle--a real bear of a puzzle! 6/10

Hanlons' Superba

 Liberty, 510 pieces. Classic Liberty cut. 3/5

Eggspecting, Dee Rogers

 Nonie Made Me, 90 pieces. This Teaser-style design was generously shared by Dee Rogers, increasing the options for Teaser-lovers like me. 4/5

Dearheart

 Stave, 50 pieces. Difficult without the frame! 7/10

Acatene Bicycles

 Liberty, 528 pieces. Reasonably standard mid-period (not early spiky, not recent) cut, with some unusual flourish at the borders. 3/5

closeup with bicycle street scene and border pieces

In the Year 2020 (Thomas Spencer traveling puzzle)

 Thomas Spencer/Jigsaw Art, 249 pieces. Extremely difficult and fun, with a surprise I won't spoil. 9/10

even where the black outline continues, the rest of the colors are different on different pieces--see the pink and blue knobs on the cluster at top center

If the Shoe Fits

 Stave, approx. 50 pieces. Probably a two-sword Teaser; a fun diversion. 6/10

The Evening Stroll

 Elms, 343 pieces. Great dropouts on this one (stars and a moon). 6/10

two dropouts close up

Amusing House

 FoxSmartBox, 366 pieces. Nice enough puzzle, but they don't have the teaser thing figured out the way Fathom is doing--I have no idea whether my solution was right, but it was possible. 3/5

Fierce Florals

 Wentworth, 250 pieces. This is the first Wentworth free-form/new thickness I've done, and I do think it's a step up for them, if not quite Liberty-grade. 3/5

closeup on new piece shapes

Tomasz Pietrzyk, Whole City Aquatic

 Artifact, 528 pieces. Along with lots of sky, this puzzle has a slightly irregular border for extra difficulty. I quite enjoyed it, as well as the interacting whimsy of movers moving a couch. 3/5

irregular edge