"The Sheen on the Silk," by Anne Perry

"The Sheen on the Silk," by Anne Perry

Arriving in Constantinople in 1273, Anna Zarides vows to prove the innocence of her twin brother, Justinian, who has been exiled to the desert for conspiring to kill a nobleman. Disguising herself as a eunuch named Anastasius, Anna moves freely about in society, maneuvering close to the key players involved in her brother’s fate, including Zoe Chrysaphes, a devious noblewoman with her own hidden agenda, and Giuliano Dandolo, a ship’s captain conflicted by his growing feelings for Anastasius. As leaders in Rome and Venice plot to invade Constantinople in another Crusade to capture the Holy Land, Anna’s discoveries draw her inextricably closer to the dangers of the emperor’s treacherous court—where it seems that no one is exactly who he or she appears to be.

One of the member's of our book club gave me this book to read.  I don't claim to know much about that period of time in history and honestly this book didn't clear much up.  This book is complicated to say the least and at first trying to keep up with all the leading characters is hard work.

BUT, once you get into the book, you are hooked.  I had to keep reading it as I had to know what happened next.  The story line twists and turns throughout the book and as the last line in the synopsis says: "no one is exactly who he or she appears to be." 

The character Zoe is very memorable and I kept thinking how exhausting it would to be her....LOL  Anna/Anastasius is a truly selfless person and what she/he does is above and beyond.  However, right to the very end I found some of the storyline confusing.  Maybe that was just me as I am not familiar with this author's work.

Stars out of 5 : 4  You HAVE to concentrate when reading this book.  It does hook you in and the storyline itself, has so many twists and turns to keep you entertained.  It is well worth persevering to read this book and I will be reading more of Anne's work in the future.