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Rating: 
Summary: Dunnett does it again
Review: First of all, let me encourage everyone reading this not to make the mistake of one of the other reviewers and read this book out of sequence! Dunnett's books are not like other books in a series where the order doesn't matter much. It does in this and the Lymond series. I loved this book. I stayed up half the night last night to finish it even though I have huge graduate school exams in 2 days. Although I have loved the previous 3 in this serious, I didn't feel that Niccolo grabbed me in the way Lymond did until this book. In it Nicholas travels from Europe to Africa in search of the riches that will restore business and prestige to his Bank, which has been hurt by the dogged persecution of a new, powerful rival. With him go his priest, Goldscalc, friend Loppe, cousin Diniz, enemy Gelis, sister to the dead Katelina, and Diniz's mother's companion Bel, who comes along to watch out for Gelis and Diniz. This book is about Nicholas finding himself and peace, without reference to his family ties (?) with de Riberac and St. Pol. Never for a moment think that this peace won't be interrupted. This is Dorothy Dunnett, after all. I, too, was shocked and felt cheated by the cliffhanger, seemingly inexplicable, and out-of-character ending. BUT, Dunnett thrives on those feelings, as do her true fans. I have complete faith in Ms. Dunnett's ability to weave the rest of the series in such a way as makes everything before and since this book come together tightly, as in one of the expertly woven Charrety cloths. Enjoy this book, the rest of the series, and read Lymond next if you haven't already!
Rating:
Summary: Dunnett does it again
Review: First of all, let me encourage everyone reading this not to make the mistake of one of the other reviewers and read this book out of sequence! Dunnett's books are not like other books in a series where the order doesn't matter much. It does in this and the Lymond series. I loved this book. I stayed up half the night last night to finish it even though I have huge graduate school exams in 2 days. Although I have loved the previous 3 in this serious, I didn't feel that Niccolo grabbed me in the way Lymond did until this book. In it Nicholas travels from Europe to Africa in search of the riches that will restore business and prestige to his Bank, which has been hurt by the dogged persecution of a new, powerful rival. With him go his priest, Goldscalc, friend Loppe, cousin Diniz, enemy Gelis, sister to the dead Katelina, and Diniz's mother's companion Bel, who comes along to watch out for Gelis and Diniz. This book is about Nicholas finding himself and peace, without reference to his family ties (?) with de Riberac and St. Pol. Never for a moment think that this peace won't be interrupted. This is Dorothy Dunnett, after all. I, too, was shocked and felt cheated by the cliffhanger, seemingly inexplicable, and out-of-character ending. BUT, Dunnett thrives on those feelings, as do her true fans. I have complete faith in Ms. Dunnett's ability to weave the rest of the series in such a way as makes everything before and since this book come together tightly, as in one of the expertly woven Charrety cloths. Enjoy this book, the rest of the series, and read Lymond next if you haven't already!
Rating: 
Summary: Just a Bit too much for my taste this time.
Review: 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. We see so much majesty and grandeur here, especially in fabulous Timbuktu. We see a much more mature Nicholas as he finds and admits real friends into his world. Godsalc and Loppe finally get to see some of the true Nicholas. Diniz is a real treasure and I really like this character. Nicholas' group faces real danger and privation in this book and none of them that attempt the adventure come back the same. Nicholas does manage to regain and even add to his fortune. Something that is different in this book is that there is not much description of what happened on the trip that Nicholas and Godsalc took to find Ethiopia. We also didn't hear much about the trip across the Sahara. This is indeed different for Ms. Dunnett, since these two events are what really changed Nicholas outlook and his dealings with his people. She always goes into quite vivid details about side trips that Nicholas has taken in previous books. Now why, after I have extolled all the virtues of this book have I only given it a 4 instead of a 5? Because I felt cheated at the end of the book. Yes, it's a clever cliffhanger, and it does make you want to continue reading the other books to find out if Nicholas does find his true love, but to me it seemed like "grandstanding", and that's not like the Dorothy Dunnett that I know and love. I won't reveal the ending for those of you who want to read the book because it would spoil it for you, but suffice it to say that there is nothing in the previous 500 pages to explain why she chose this way to end the story. Yes, I will continue to read the series, but I must admit that I was disappointed and angry after I closed the covers on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: confusing & disappointing
Review: 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....
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: 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....
Rating:
Summary: confusing & disappointing
Review: 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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