The Seventh Veil is a journey through Time; it’s a story of gods and goddesses, daemons and demons, and men and women; it’s a story of witches and alchemists. The Seventh Veil is also the love story of bisexual bastard and genetic construct, Charles Perry and Timothy Fielding, a Catalian palace concubine, but that’s just at the surface.

This is not a light read. The novel encompasses the beginning of all creation and the main characters have more than one aspect of themselves on the stage at any given time. Charles Perry the wastrel confronts himself as the god-like White Charles on more than one occasion. His lover, Timothy also has a duality of personality and spirituality. Other main characters have similar confrontations with aspects of themselves.

The Seventh Veil is the first novel in a six book series that takes place primarily in Etsey, a place of Cullinan’s creation. It smacks of England in the Middle Ages, but there’s magic great and small, as well as scientific capabilities such as genetic testing and manipulation.

Heidi is a great storyteller. She handles this complex novel with considerable aplomb. The characters of Charles and Timothy, Charles’ cousin, Jonathan and the apprentice witch, Madeline move on and off the stage with fluidity. She evokes considerable empathy with the suffering of one of the main characters at the hands of Martin Smith, the evil alchemist. This is definitely a 5 star book.

I am very much interested in seeing what Cullinan develops in book two, The Temple Boy which is due out this Fall.

Stars: [rating=5]

Review originally published on Blackraven Reviews
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Image courtesy Loose Id, LLC