I think the concept was interesting, without giving too much away. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. I enjoyed reading it but I felt like the main character wasn't really the main character. So I wasn't really able to connect to the person who was supposed to be holding the story together and making it coherent while it jumps from different character perspectives. Not as good as the blurb suggests. As always, Anne Perry is a master of research. This novel is so chock full of history that it must have taken a great deal of time to glean all the information regarding the Orthodox Greek form of Catholicism as well as what was going on in Rome and Venice at the time. And, as usual, her descriptions of settings and people's emotions are perfection. But even with her marvelous writing, I can't say I was at any point really hooked by the plot. I kept reading, but I could have easily stopped at any point in the book. It was too full of information and the pacing was too slow. However, the ending was satisfying and the book gave one an enticing look into one of the great civilizations of the world before it's total collapse.
What do You think about The Sheen On The Silk (2010)?
Byzantium! Doges! eunuchs and women who pretend to be eunuchs! What's not to like?
—aaron
Excellent and so different from Perry usual genre.
—Hoyne
