A review by lilibetbombshell
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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5.0

I don’t have the best record with Silvia Moreno-Garcia novels, but The Seventh Veil of Salome is one of the most beautiful novels I’ve read this year, and definitely the most beautiful novel I’ve read since early spring. 

 

Moreno-Garcia has made this book as much of a juxtaposition as the titular character Salome is: it’s all at once grand and intimate, fantastic and mundane, showing us the glory of old Hollywood on one page and the sordid underbelly on the other. There’s a lot going on inside these pages: the main story with the dual third-person POVs of Vera and Nancy, interspersed testimonials from supporting characters in the main story written as if they’re in a documentary, and the story of the fictional character Salome. This whirling mix of narrative styles and plot devices keeps this book moving, keeps it interesting, keeps it fresh, and helps the reader to understand all of the characters more and more as the book moves on. As an added bonus, it also helps to ratchet up the tension and chemistry between everyone, too. One petal of the story unfurls and you’re rewarded with another petal of the adjacent story unfolding. It’s a domino effect of sorts, where the story just keeps unfurling like a beautiful flower blooming with lovely words, impeccable worldbuilding, and fascinating characters. 

 

I absolutely, positively loved this book. I haven’t had much luck with historical fiction this year, so this was a very welcome read. This was a lush, decadent, technicolor dream read. I’ll definitely be needing a copy for my own shelf. 

 

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. 

 

File Under: 5 Star Review/Historical Fiction