I received this from Goodreads' free book giveaway, and as requested, I dutifully put it at the top of my to-read list so I could review and help publicize it. Having finished the book I'm sorry to give it such low marks. I now realize it was the second book in a series. Perhaps that is the reason it seemed so weak. Characters were not well developed, nor were their relationships to each other or the motivations behind the various plot lines. Had I not felt obligated to review the book, I would not have finished it. The story never captured me in any way. ( )

Absorbing story of a traveling troupe of women acrobats to take on a near-dead "mermaid" baby and its catatonic mother. There's a mysterious diamond, threat from a bad guy with a cabinet of curiosities, a courtesan, a nun. Adventure, action and fun characters. Great storytelling -- mostly about human nature. Sensual with historical atmosphere. ( )

I enjoyed this more than The Aviary Gate, in part because of the lack of the back and forth between modern day and history. The story itself left me crying in places in sympathy with the characters and my heart aching for Paul and Celia. I wished for more back story on Maryam and Elena, and I am dying to find out whether Carew and Annetta get it together!

i enjoyed this book.. Nothing very special. What I did find interesting was the depiction of nuns and life in te convent. A lot less holiness then I thought!! ( )

"The Pindar Diamond," Katie Hickman's sequel to "The Aviary Gate," is a imaginative and, at times, suspenseful tale that follows the fates to two former slaves from the harem of the sultan of Ottoman Empire. Set primarily in Venice in the early 1600s, the story is populated with interesting characters, from traveling Greek acrobats to sinister British merchants, and there are several twists in the plot that keep the reader guessing. Several seemingly independent storylines converge quite brilliantly to create a satisfying conclusion to the tale that began with "The Aviary Gate." Unfortunately, Hickman's heavy writing style leaves much to be desired, and her awkward prose often hampers the narrative (some of her word choices are simply awful and grind sentences to a halt with a resounding "clink"). That fact notwithstanding, "The Pindar Diamond" is a engrossing read, and is best preceded by "The Aviary Gate" so that the reader can appreciate the full story. ( )