-- (Spanish edition) --
Like his heroine, O'Neill knows how to tell a story.
-THE TIMES
O'Neill writes with authority, blending fact, fiction and fable in this brilliant
debut... a spirited and linguistic satire... I enjoyed this book immensely. It is
so alive you can almost smell the air. O'Neill spins his own fantastic tales to
match the original stories, packing his pages with vivid imagery, woven together
with wit, philosophy, poetry, eroticism and memorable characters.
-THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
The many twists and turns propel the story in a manner worthy of the novel's eponymous
heroine; there are enough cliff-hangers here to satisfy the most jaded of readers...
O'Neill absorbs his research into a novel of over 500 pages that never flaunts its
learning. Scenes set in the teeming streets of Baghdad or during the sailors' punishing
trek through the desert are especially vivid... This is a rousing read, and anything
but pale.
-THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE, UK
This is a remarkable and mysterious first novel, elegantly written and vividly characterised.
Riffing on the Arabian Nights has been done before, but never with as much
aplomb as here. As well as being a considerable piece of storytelling, this is a
striking testament to the power of the imagination.
-PUBLISHING NEWS, UK
Story is all in this novel, and at two different levels: at the visceral level of
the seductive, suspenseful plot and at the theoretical level where the role and
function and operation of the story are demonstrated and discussed … A prodigious
and most enjoyable feat of the imagination.
-ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
O’Neill mixes fact, fiction and fable into an exuberant, witty tale about
magic, vengeance and the nature of storytelling.
-THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
O'Neill's lovingly crafted debut novel stands head and shoulders above the current
run of ancient historical novels.
-THE AGE
Clever, entertaining and stimulating.
-VOGUE
A bewitching tale, rich in magic, mystery and adventure.
-NORTHERN ECHO
[A] debut novel of epic proportions. O’Neill expertly weaves together his characters’
stories, providing colourful descriptions of a time and place immortalised through
stories and legends, and questions the very essence of storytelling along the way.
-BUZZ
To contact the author please email anthony@anthonyoneill.net