Scales of Gold: Amazon.ca: Dorothy (1923-2001) Dunnett: Books

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Descriptions du produit

Book Description

With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccol series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of Europe. Among them, none is bolder or more cunning than Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, the good-natured dyer's apprentice who schemes and swashbuckles his way to the helm of a mercantile empire.

The year 1464 finds Nicholas back in Venice. Plagued by enemies bent on dissolving his assets and smearing his character, he sets sail for Africa, legendary location of the Fountain of Youth, home to a descendant of Sheba and Solomon, and the source of gold in such abundance that men prefer to barter in shells. He will learn firsthand the brutality and grandeur of the Dark Continent, from the horror of the slave trade to the austere nobility of Islamic Timbuktu. He will discover, too, the charms of the beautiful Gelis van Borselen--a woman whose passion for Nicholas is rivaled only by her desire to punish him for his role in her sister s death. Erotic and lush with detail, Scales of Gold embraces the complexity of the Renaissance, where mercantile adventure couples with more personal quests behind the silken curtains of the Age of Discovery.

From the Back Cover

"Dunnett's pace is robust, her grasp of the Renaissance mind subtle and convincing." --Kirkus Reviews

"As a writer of historical romances, Dorothy Dunnett . . . epitomizes [the genre]. . . She salts it with wit and intelligence and serves it with style and elegance." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"The finest living writer of historical fiction"--The Washington Post Book World

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L'avis des consommateurs

8 �valuations

5 �toiles:		(5)
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3 �toiles:		(0)
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3.9�toiles sur 5 (8 �valuations de client)

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Commentaires client les plus utiles

1.0�toiles sur 5 confusing & disappointing, Sep 18 2001

Par Un client

This review should be read with the following caveat: I did not know that this was part of a series. Consequently, much of the confusion that I experienced would not be experienced by a dedicated fan of the series. That being said, there is still much that is confusing about this book. The author has us linger for chapter after chapter in particular spots for no apparent reason, as there is no significant plot or character development that occurs. Ms. Dunnett often seems to be swept away in her characterization of renaissance Europe & pre-colonization Africa, so much so that she loses herself (and her reader) in description of places and events that turn out to have little (if any) relation to the underlying story. More disappointing, however, is the ending. This book is at its heart about individuals looking for peace from their pasts and from the ghosts that they carry with them. The ending could easily be a commentary on how each have the personal power to free ourselves from our pasts, and that only we as individuals have that power. Instead however, the ending turns the story into nothing more than a tale of bitterness and rivalry, with potentially great people giving into pettiness and hate.

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1.0�toiles sur 5 confusing & disappointing, Sep 18 2001

Par Un client

This review should be read with the following caveat: I did not know that this was part of a series. Consequently, much of the confusion that I experienced would not be experienced by a dedicated fan of the series. That being said, there is still much that is confusing about this book. The author has us linger for chapter after chapter in particular spots for no apparent reason, as there is no significant plot or character development that occurs. Ms. Dunnett often seems to be swept away in her characterization of renaissance Europe & pre-colonization Africa, so much so that she loses herself (and her reader) in description of places and events that turn out to have little (if any) relation to the underlying story. More disappointing, however, is the ending. This book is at its heart about individuals looking for peace from their pasts and from the ghosts that they carry with them. The ending could easily be a commentary on how each have the personal power to free ourselves from our pasts, and that only we as individuals have that power. Instead however, the ending turns the story into nothing more than a tale of bitterness and rivalry, with potentially great people giving into pettiness and hate.

Ce commentaire vous a-t-il été utile ? Oui Non (Signaler ce commentaire)

5.0�toiles sur 5 my review, Jui 20 2001

Par	Ana Maria Barrenechea (Westboro, Ma United States) - Voir tous mes commentaires

In this book, the fourth chapter in the Niccolo series, Nicholas engages in to his biggest adventure yet. He is faced with the imminent bankrupcy of his bank, he therefore decides to go to Africa and reach the source of the gold traffic. He is aided by Loppe his ex slave and now his friend and companion.

In this trip he is accompanied by his priest, father Godscalc and he is forced to take Diniz and Gelis, Katelina's sister and a lady from Scotland, (friend of Diniz's mother, Lucia, also Simon's sister), who is there to chaperone Gelis and help Diniz out. The deat of his father and Simon's sale of his half property in Madeira has also left them almost destitute.

This is the most daring of books yet in the series. There are so many adventures they face and so many inknown places and such different people! The author describes in detail all the trails they have to go through to reach the source of the gold and its traffic. The kingdoms they pass with their different clans and beliefs, as well as the danger they face for there is a need to keep this source of gold a permanent secret

Once again, the marriage of fiction and real history is masterfully done and this is a great real and very, very enjoyable book.

I can't wait to read the next one....

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Commentaires client les plus r�cents

4.0�toiles sur 5 Just a Bit too much for my taste this time.
I love Dorothy Dunnett's writing, and the way she describes the exotic places that our hero visits is extraordinary. This book covers the mysterious land of Africa. Read more

Publi� le Mars 29 2001 par S. Schwartz

5.0�toiles sur 5 Vividly written and meticulously researched
Dunnett's Niccolo series resembles a Bruegel painting, brimming with colorful life and extraordinary detail.

Publi� le Ao� 27 1999

5.0�toiles sur 5 Niccolo's best adventure yet!
I was hooked after the first book and have just finished Scales of Gold. The adventure, political intrige and lusty romance just gets better. Read more

Publi� le Ao� 26 1999