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The Veil of Illusion A Novel Rebecca Ryman 9780312132002 Books

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The Veil of Illusion A Novel Rebecca Ryman 9780312132002 Books

The Veil of Illusion is an incredible sequel to Jai and Olivia, which was a wonderful read in itself. Not only is the writing superior in style, but the story immerses the reader in a world of great depth and character. I could not put this book down as I became so immersed in the writing and could not help but wonder what would happen next. I learned about an India that I had not discovered previously...of a culture that seems to have been hidden from view. I came to care deeply for most of the characters and to somehow understand how they felt in a time of uncertainty for so many. I learned a history of India that I am grateful to have been shown. I will not soon forget about these "oh so real" people or this wonderfully amazing story. I am so glad that I did not miss these two books by Rebecca Ryman. They are spectacular. I wish she had lived longer to write more.


Tags : The Veil of Illusion: A Novel [Rebecca Ryman] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Set in nineteenth-century India, a novel examines the repercussions of romance between Maya Raventhorne,Rebecca Ryman,The Veil of Illusion: A Novel,St Martins Pr,031213200X,General,British;India;Fiction.,Historical fiction.,India;History;19th century;Fiction.,19th century,British,ENGLISH HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION General,Fiction,Fiction - Coming of Age,Fiction - Historical,General Adult,Great BritainBritish Isles,Historical,Historical fiction,History,India,South & Southeast Asia

The Veil of Illusion A Novel Rebecca Ryman 9780312132002 Books Reviews

A majority of the important action is related in flashback style or one character telling another what happened. Rather annoying. Olivia is so caught up in her own troubles, she basically is ignorant of what's going on in her childrens' lives, which turns me against her character. Amos is just there. He doesn't play much of a part in the book. This is Maya's story, and she's not much of a heroine to root for. Plot twists were obvious and seen coming a mile away. I'll give credit, though, to Ryman having the guts to kill a major character.
The Veil of Illusion begins about 13 years after the Sepoy Rebellion and the massacre at Bibighar when Jai Raventhorne was accused of participating in and presumably hanged (or was he?) for his crimes. Olivia mourns her beloved Jai and she has struggled over the years to prove his innocence. Their children Amos and Maya bear the burdens of mixed parentage and stigma of their father's alleged heinous activities. Maya meets and falls in love with a high born Englishman, Christian Pendlebury, much to the chagrin of his parents newly arrived from England. Also involved in Maya and Amos' life is the mysterious Eurasian Kyle Hawkesworth who prints a local paper and also has a very hidden agenda (and a BIG secret) in respects to Christian's father Lord Jasper.

This is a story that is very difficult to put into words, and is very different from Olivia and Jai. There are no star crossed lovers that keep you turning the page well into the night waiting for the next surprise, the first half of the book is actually taken up with setting up the story and providing the flash backs into what happened prior to the Mutiny.

What this book is about is the plight of the Eurasians in colonial India, whether they are poor and base born or independently wealthy as the Raventhorne's are. Not accepted by either the British community or the Indians, theirs is a life lived in constant shadow and insecurity. The author uses several interesting methods with her characters to keep this theme at the forefront of her story, from Olivia's support of a home for women, to Amos and Kyle's interest in setting up a school for the lesser born Eurasian children, Christopher's idealistic dreams of what he can accomplish during his public service in India, and the most heartbreaking of all when Maya is rejected by a member of an Indian family she's known since childhood.

As stated earlier, this is not a romance with star crossed lovers and a HEA ending for all, and if that's what you are expecting I recommend you stop and just savor the ending from Olivia and Jai and keep that in your memories forever. However, if like me you need to read the rest of the story and enjoy a novel heavy on the history and setting of 19C India and the British Raj along with an eye opening look at the prejudices of the time against the Eurasian population it's well worth your time searching this one out. Ryman was born and raised in India and her knowledge and love of the culture shine through making for a well written and well rounded journey to another place and time, and isn't that what historical fiction is all about? Four stars.
I respect to the utmost the freedom of choice of a writer to write whatever he/she wants, but in this case I do wish the editor/publisher had stepped in and attempted to dissuade Ms Ryman from publishing this story as it stands. And I wish I had been given some warning about the plot before I read this sequel to Olivia and Jai. Olivia and Jai itself is up there with Far Pavilions as an epic story of love set against the 19th century British Raj.
However, with this sequel Ms Ryman decides to deviate from romance, to the point of, as another reviewer here has pointed out, "having the guts to kill off a major character". If you are looking for romance and a continuation of the HEA of Olivia and Jai, I do not recommend this sequel. All your illusions will be shattered. In this case I wish Ms Ryman had preserved "the veil of illusion" for us romantically minded readers.
My four star rating is for the high level of historical writing, plotting and characterization that Ryman always exhibits. Along with an exploration of the Eurasian community in 19th British India, in reality the focus of this novel.
This is one book which I feel is flawed as it stands as a romance but is brilliant historical fiction. However, I like happy endings in my historic fiction. If a major character could be resurrected, another secondary character's marriage to a native given a more romantic aspect and happier ending, and more attention and resolution given to the romances of Jai's children I would be ecstatic.
For romance readers, I recommend Olivia and Jai as a stand alone and also Ryman's novel Shalimar. I recommend this sequel to lovers of historical fiction set in India who don't mind crying buckets. Great portrayal of North India from time of the Mutiny to 1870s.
Great Story, good plot! loved to read it! A little too much narration of past events instead of taking reader through them!
This is the sequel to Jai and Olivia which was an excellent book. I enjoyed The Veil of Illusion as much if not more than the first book. Set in the days of the Raj, the books follow the lives of a family and relate the history of the time. Both are intriguing and I couldn't wait to get back to them while I was reading them and hated to finish them!
A great book -holds your attention and well written. If you are interested in historical fiction about India in the time of the RAJ, you will enjoy this. The author really was an Indian. Wish she had written more books before her passing. I have read all 3 of hers.
The Veil of Illusion is an incredible sequel to Jai and Olivia, which was a wonderful read in itself. Not only is the writing superior in style, but the story immerses the reader in a world of great depth and character. I could not put this book down as I became so immersed in the writing and could not help but wonder what would happen next. I learned about an India that I had not discovered previously...of a culture that seems to have been hidden from view. I came to care deeply for most of the characters and to somehow understand how they felt in a time of uncertainty for so many. I learned a history of India that I am grateful to have been shown. I will not soon forget about these "oh so real" people or this wonderfully amazing story. I am so glad that I did not miss these two books by Rebecca Ryman. They are spectacular. I wish she had lived longer to write more.