The Sheen on the Silk: A Novel Audiobook

" I liked Anne Perry's Victorian novels set in England better than this one. This was set in Venice and Constantinople with a female physician mascarading as a eunuch. The novel was too long and politically complicated (13th century) with eastern and western divisions of the church struggling for power. The plotline was really slow, so the book was not easy to get into. Overpowering everything else was the intricacy of the political and religious atmosphere in Constantinople. "

" The history is interesting, but the characters in the story are not all that compelling. I'm not sure I'll finish this one. So, am marking it "read" because I'm not actively reading it. "

" I enjoyed reading this book by Anne Perry as much as her previous books set in Victorain England. The book is set in 13th century Constantinople with a lot of description of life in those times. However, the pace of the book is a bit slow & the characters could have been developed a bit more. The side trips to Venice, Sicily & Jerusalem were interesting. "

" BIG book. Interesting, informative and I learned a lot. "

" I really loved this book. I picked it up from the clearance section at the book store and was pleasantly suprised. It's sparked a new interst in me for Byzantium and the crusades. "

" Not bad. Honestly, finished it too long ago to give a good review, but I enjoyed it a light read. It's set in the context of Constantinople during the time of the Crusades and taught me more than I ever knew about that period of history (not difficult due to my science geeky social ignorance). The style of the story is reminiscent of Marion Zimmer-Bradley's historical novels. "

" Another boring book that I couldn't finish. "

" Very unique theme and setting. If you like historical novels, this is one for you. This author is very adult and teenage friendly. I would recommend this book for a book club or a teenager. "

" I haven't read Perry's more traditional novels, but really enjoyed this one. She captures the Byzantine culture beautifully. The female hero is smart, strong and feminine. The history, culture and medicine weave together to create a tale that stays with you. "

" A whole new era for Perry. This is set in 13th century Constantinople. As in her Monk & Pitt series, "The Sheen on the Silk" is full of complex, well drawn characters & incredibly descriptive historical ambience. "

" This book is a new Perry book and I have always loved her writing style. She easily writes characters very well. I liked it, but found it a little slow at times. "

" Not my favorite Anne Perry novel. I like historical fiction so I liked learning about the Byzantium Empire and early Christian Church but the story was slow moving and hard to keep track of some of the characters. "

" I thoroughly enjoyed Anne Perry's new novel. She writes of Byzantine culture and society in a very believable fashion with all the intrigue and traditions. This long novel is slow paced but fascinating. "

" This was a compelling story but rather unusual. I never thought I'd read a book eunuch culture was a central part of the book. Different from other Anne Perry's I've read, but still very vivid writing. Definitely feel like you are in the story. "

" Pretty good. A little different for Anne Perry. "

" I was fascinated by the time period and the religious conflicts. She does create some horribly evil characters, but I loved the protaganist. And there was a very satisfactory ending. "

" Not my favorite Anne Perry. Interesting but took too long to get to the point and then it just stops. "

" An interesting historical mystery set in an uncommon time and place. I liked the characters their flaws, desires and motivations. "

" It was very slow going. Couldn't keep my interest going so I didn't finish the book . "

" More like two and a half stars. Perry is clearly in a rush to show you that she's got the historical context down, which she does. Excpet that it's kind of at the expense of character and plot, which are strictly by-the-numbers. "

" This book was not at all what I've come to expect from Anne Perry. Maybe it was the narration, which was flat, but the story seems tedious and I couldn't get interested in the characters. "

" A fascinating tale of Constantinople between 2 crusades. Anne Perry makes you feel as if you are a part of the picture. She brings in many historical facts that improve your knowledge of the time period as well as the feeling of the characters in her books. I enjoyed it very much. "

" Not bad. Great setting and history, but I felt the story was a little slow. Some of it I loved; in other places, it lost my interest. Not so much due to anything wrong, just not my preference in writing style. History buffs will probably love it. "