Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2008
496 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
When an ancient gold bear is found walled up in a dilapidated St. Petersburg bathhouse, researcher Daniel St. Clair and his frosty colleague Em Hayward set out for the university in Arkhangelsk to verify its age. Along the way they are mysteriously set adrift. Maps are suddenly useless. Lost and exhausted they turn north, sinking even deeper into the secrets and terrors of the Russian landscape.
Daniel’s lost love, the wild and beautiful Rosa Kovalenka, fears the worst when Daniel goes missing and resolves to find him. To do so will mean confronting her past and secrets that she has fought to suppress. The only way to save him is to go forward, where she encounters the haunted Chenchikov clan, a family with their own shadowy tangle of grief, desire, and treachery.
In the unknowable, impenetrable Russian forest, Rosa meets an enigmatic wanderer who is full of tales and riddles of times past. Who might hold the key to Rosa and Daniel’s future--or the destruction of their world.
"Starred Review. There are no brave heroes or absolute villains in this book, just people (and entities) doing what they need to do (be it unethical or disgusting) to survive and preserve their loved ones. And magic, while a useful and powerful tool, always exacts its price. These strictures make for superlative world building and a plot that leads to a perfectly inevitable conclusion. Intriguing, genuine, rich." - Kirkus Reviews.
"The Australian author of The Autumn Castle again blends dark urban fantasy with adventure/intrigue in a story that combines Russian myth and modern sensibilities. For most libraries." - Library Journal.
"Wilkins's human characters are endearing and her mythic monsters spring into vibrant life. Adult fairy tales don't come any better than this." - Publishers Weekly.
This information about The Veil of Gold was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kim Wilkins is an Australian author who has won an Aurealis Award for both Best Horror Novel and Best Novel. She lives in Brisbane with her husband, son, assorted cats, and far too many books.
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