The Aviary Gate - Katie Hickman

...merchant sent to Istanbul at the end of the sixteenth century to secure lucrative trading rights which can only be granted with the approval of the Sultan. The English government has sent a spectacular clock by ship, a gift for the Sultan, which they hope will help them gain his approval. However, the clock was so badly damaged during the long sea voyage that the clockmaker has to virtually rebuild it, a task that takes many months. Whilst the work ...
...of the workers engaged in the rebuilding of the clock tells Paul that while he was in the Topkapi Palace, he was able to get a glimpse inside the harem, the quarters in which the women of the Palace community live, and he believes that he spotted Celia Lamprey, Paul’s fiancé, believed drowned on her father’s ship several years earlier. Paul is going to dismiss the report but the man is so convinced he has seen Celia that Paul gives the go ahead to ...

fizzytom 10.04.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Aviary Gate - Katie Hickman

...paricularly in one half of the story. I was disappointed with two things. Firstly, the present day part of the story, I felt to be very weak in comparision to the 'old half' of the novel. I was not at all interested in the characters, other than they facilitated the other half. Secondly, the 'older' part of the story, which I felt to be the stronger of the two story lines, was too short. I would have been much happier, if the whole novel had concerntrated ...
...to know some of the smaller, interesting characters in much more detail. I think what I am tyring to say is that I enjoyed it, but I wanted to know more about the 'older' characters and to have lots of questions answered, which I felt the novel raised. ...

camelqueen1 30.09.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Aviary Gate - Katie Hickman