Book Review
Dec. 13th, 2005 10:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariScales of Gold
by Dorothy Dunnett
This is the fourth book in the House of Niccolo. Having left Cyprus, Nicholas embarks on an expedition to Africa, his two aims being trade and exploration. In the late 15th century, this journey is arduous and risky. Nicholas and his companions (on odd mix of people from his present and his past,a s well as some new faces) endure extreme hardships and experience exotic wonders. Their trip culminates in their arrival at Timbuktu, a great Muslim center of trade and learning. The story finishes with the return to Europe, which brings with it both great triumph and great upheaval.
I was incredibly fascinated by the exploration and exotic marvels around which the plot revolved. Again, I really enjoyed reading a historical novel that visited less well-traveled areas of the world and dealt with less familiar pieces of history. I'd had no idea that Islamic culture had penetrated so far into Africa at that period, and I had previously been unaware of what pre-colonial Africa may have been like. I also liked the slight departure this book made from the previous volumes. Except for at the beginning and end, Nicholas is less involved in political machination, and more involved in adventure and discovery, both the worldly kind and the personal kind. The ending is also more of a cliff-hanger than those of the previous books.
I am starting to realize a few things about the overall structure and conception of the series, too. First of all, I think that the series, although continuous, can possibly be subdivided into pairs. Each pair delineates a stage of Nicholas' life and career. The first two, if I recall correctly, are about Nicholas establishing himself as a capable, independent adult. This second pair that I have just finished seem to be about adventure, exploration, and discovery of many kinds. Secondly, the books in the series, which the exception of the first, make reference to constellations. The first book, however, does align with the astrological theme, as it could be viewed as evoking the rise of a a star in the sky. I think this may tie into the fact that Nicholas' greatest personal and professional strength is his ability to make accurate predictions of what will happen and how the people around him will react to various situations, all from close, insightful observation. This of course, is much like astrology as it was practised in the late middle ages and renaissance.
by Dorothy Dunnett
This is the fourth book in the House of Niccolo. Having left Cyprus, Nicholas embarks on an expedition to Africa, his two aims being trade and exploration. In the late 15th century, this journey is arduous and risky. Nicholas and his companions (on odd mix of people from his present and his past,a s well as some new faces) endure extreme hardships and experience exotic wonders. Their trip culminates in their arrival at Timbuktu, a great Muslim center of trade and learning. The story finishes with the return to Europe, which brings with it both great triumph and great upheaval.
I was incredibly fascinated by the exploration and exotic marvels around which the plot revolved. Again, I really enjoyed reading a historical novel that visited less well-traveled areas of the world and dealt with less familiar pieces of history. I'd had no idea that Islamic culture had penetrated so far into Africa at that period, and I had previously been unaware of what pre-colonial Africa may have been like. I also liked the slight departure this book made from the previous volumes. Except for at the beginning and end, Nicholas is less involved in political machination, and more involved in adventure and discovery, both the worldly kind and the personal kind. The ending is also more of a cliff-hanger than those of the previous books.
I am starting to realize a few things about the overall structure and conception of the series, too. First of all, I think that the series, although continuous, can possibly be subdivided into pairs. Each pair delineates a stage of Nicholas' life and career. The first two, if I recall correctly, are about Nicholas establishing himself as a capable, independent adult. This second pair that I have just finished seem to be about adventure, exploration, and discovery of many kinds. Secondly, the books in the series, which the exception of the first, make reference to constellations. The first book, however, does align with the astrological theme, as it could be viewed as evoking the rise of a a star in the sky. I think this may tie into the fact that Nicholas' greatest personal and professional strength is his ability to make accurate predictions of what will happen and how the people around him will react to various situations, all from close, insightful observation. This of course, is much like astrology as it was practised in the late middle ages and renaissance.
