Wife and I have done 10 Dowdle's over the last 2 years and have 4 more already bought and at home. Love them, but this one had different pieces than the others. All the same shape and the fit isn't as good as past purchases. It is challenging yes, but that is part of the fun. Hope this isn't a quality issue going forward, still a huge fan.
We have done 32 Dowdle Folk Art 1000-piece puzzles since the Covid shutdown, March 2020. This one is the most challenging and taking the longest time of all. The only other one close is Exodus (our favorite so far). This 1000-piece Valley of the Sun has puzzle pieces that are different than all the others, hence the 4 stars. The pieces are all the same hook-and-lock shape unlike the other Dowdle puzzles that have interesting funny quirky shapes like arrows, curves, angular pieces, etc. I enjoy the quirky shapes better. Anyway, back to Valley of the Sun - be prepared for hundreds of very tiny little cactus plants, palm trees and people playing golf, scattered all over. You will need a magnifying glass to place them unless you have super-hero vision! I took the picture guide insert and enlarged it 150% in my color scanner/printer and that helped a lot. This will be one we probably give away or trade in our neighborhood's puzzle trading group. Our interested came and went over the past 5 weeks that it has been set up on the puzzle table - both of us work full time so we take "puzzle breaks" during the work day but this one didn't draw me in like the others. Our favorites so far and ones I highly recommend: Exodus, Minneapolis, Wizard of Oz, World Pieces, Washington DC Mall, Classic Car Show, Niagra Falls, Jackson Wyoming, Noah's Ark Under The Sea, Venice.
Great puzzle. Quite challenging with the different shapes and so many different colors, but lots of fun!