Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Swept Away, 9 Aug 2007
This review is from: Rosa And The Veil Of Gold (Hardcover)
If you have ever truly wanted to go on a journey beyond the edge of the world, then you need to read this story. Using intricate research about Russian mythology, history, and magical lore, Wilkins draws the reader in to a richly dense world where only a veil of light separates the real world from the world of spirits and mysticism. The characters will stay with you, particularly Rosa with her second sight and her terrible secret, and Papa Grigory with his mysterious retellings of history.
I am so proud of our Australian exports competing internationally, and with the quality of writing in evidence here, it isn't hard to see why. Vast, imaginative, and moving.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb magical adventure, 7 Aug 2007
This review is from: Rosa And The Veil Of Gold (Hardcover)
I love historical fantasy fiction and this is one of the best. An artefact is found in a st petersberg bath house, and leads three diverse people on a chase through Russian history and mythology. The characters being Rosa, a wild Russian girl with second sight, Daniel, a sensitive guy who has trouble living up to the ideals of masculineness, and Em, an American woman whose heart is forever cold. Woven throughout the story are retold histories of Russia, including (my favourite) Napoleon's invasion told as a fairy tale. It is a magnificent achievement. Unlike the reviewer below, I did not like Kim Wilkin's early books. I gave up after Grimoire (very boring and too "horror"), but picked this up on impulse and devoured it. I rank it with Mist of Avalon, its that good.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little bit of urban fantasy, a little bit of folklore and a beautiful adventure!, 27 April 2010
By WonderBunny (Cookies, Books and Bikes) - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Veil of Gold, The (Kindle Edition)
Rosa has discovered an ancient golden bear in the walls of an old bathhouse her uncle is fixing into condos. When she feels a spark from the bear she thinks it is only her weak magic flicking due the ancient artifact. She needs to know more about the mysterious artifact and so Rosa calls in an old friend to discover more. Little does Rosa know that it will be the start of an adventure through the forgotten lore of Russia and a land filled with hidden dangers.
This was a wonderful, stand alone novel. It was filled with a love, adventure, death and trials. I found the writing to be fluid and enjoyable but occasionally the story didn't move fast enough for me. Even with a few dull spots, the adventure more then made up for it. I liked Rosa and and ended up enjoying both the timid Daniel and icicle-like Em. I wish the villains could have been a little more developed, there was little character build up of them and so I didn't find them as scary as they probably are portrayed. I enjoyed the weaving of Russian mythology and that it didn't matter I didn't know the ins and outs of the myth to enjoy the novel. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a blend of modern fairy tales and ancient evils.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a really good book, 24 Jan 2011
By Muse - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Veil of Gold (Mass Market Paperback)
This novel is beautifully written and interesting. It is very hard to find really good fantasy novels that blend 'reality' or the real world with alternative versions of reality. I love Charles De Lint and Kim Wilkins writes in a similar style. Reading this book is like finding a really cool vintage jacket, or an original musician or artist. I like all of her books - they are romantic and ironic and dark and light, but most importantly, they are spiritual and really explore culture, values and belief systems.
|
|
|