This is the 4th book in the addictive House of Niccolo series. The year 1464 finds Nicholas in Venice, plagued by enemies bent on dissolving his assets and smearing his character. Needing to restore his fortune, he sets sail for Africa, where gold can be found in such abundance that men prefer to barter in shells. There, he will manage to outsmart his enemies and redeem his bank but who can save him from Gelis van Borselen, who seems conflicted in her feelings for him. She comes along, ostensibly to prove all the bad that is said about him regarding her dead sister. She knows little of the real facts and ends up as his lover with less than a pure motive.
Dunnett captures the stunning scenery of Africa, the treachery and lust for gold some men embrace, which ends in death in the wretched desert. And the exotic Muslim center of learning that is Timbuktu. It’s the Renaissance for all to see. Poor Nicholas. As usual, everyone thinks the worst of him (including Gelis) when his motives are noble. Some of the characters from the earlier books play a role in this complex story, including Father Godscalc, Umar (formerly Loppe) and Nicholas’ nemesis, Simon, who is his father but not recognized as such.
In the end, Nicholas gains inner peace only to lose it when bad news comes from Timbuktu and
Gelis delivers a gut punch.
One cannot give Dunnett less than 5 stars for such an effort, which held my attention throughout, but I am looking forward to the next one and a different setting, one where they don’t have to eat camels to stay alive.
The House of Niccolo Series:
Niccolò Rising (1986)
Spring of the Ram (1987)
Race of Scorpions (1989)
Scales of Gold (1991)
The Unicorn Hunt (1993)
To Lie with Lions (1995)
Caprice and Rondo (1997)
Gemini (2000)
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