The Seventh Veil of Salome showcases the golden age of Hollywood through a range of POVs which all bring something different to the story. One thing that Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes really well is women who are complex to the point of becoming villains.

Nancy is a character who I found so easy to despise and while you can argue that she is also so pitiable, I could not bring myself to care about her. Whereas, Vera is a protagonist to root for. She is 'discovered' and thrust from her simpler life as a receptionist in Mexico into the lead role of Salome in The Seventh Veil of Salome, as a result she becomes the focus of Nancy's envy. Despite Nancy's own decisions causing her problems, she fails to see this and instead she believes that Vera has “stolen” her role of Salome. The anger she directs at Vera is detestable and nearly every comment she makes about/towards Vera is racially driven, calling Vera things like a 'beaner' and saying Vera "has a face like a tortilla, all flat". This anger is clearly driven by the fact that Nancy has no power whatsoever in Hollywood and has no means to fight the people who are actually preventing her from being successful. Vera is also on the receiving end of verbal assaults from her own family along with the imposed rules of gender coming from both her relatives and from Hollywood, she also has to put up with men who feel entitled to her, who then try to smear her name when she says no. What's really interesting to me is that SMG wrote this story about a character from the bible and I didn't even realise until I got to the author's note.

The range of POVs is really good and includes the main characters as well as intermittent snippets from other characters who who bring in alternative perspectives on events happening in the main POVs. If you're an audiobook person, these POVs are narrated in a full cast audiobook, which is really good. The book has scenes from The Seventh Veil of Salome interspersed into the story. As a whole, this story felt like a 4.5* the whole way through but due to how invested I was, the great audio narration and the author's note, I had to give it a 5*. This is possibly my favourite SMG book so far.

Thank you NetGalley for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/08/16/review-the-seventh-veil-of-salome-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Definitely a Thought Provoking Book

I absolutely love Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books and so was in no doubt about wanting to pick up The Seventh Veil. This is another story where the author jumps genres this time tackling not just the golden age of Hollywood when it’s obsession with Swords and Sandals movies was at its height but also taking a look at an infamous character from biblical times.

On one hand I wouldn’t say that I loved this one, or at least it’s not my favourite by this author, it took me a little while to get into the story and in fact I set it aside at one point, Salome’s chapters felt very dry and the ending felt a bit anti-climatic after such a build up, then on the other hand the writing is absolutely lush, the storytelling voices are so well done, the author captures the Hollywood period as well as any Director could and the interwoven tales of these three women is so thought provoking. A story within a story with three females all playing the lead in their own productions.

Our three characters. Vera, the young woman who has landed the much coveted role of Salome. Vera has no experience in the film industry and in a way it’s like throwing a tiny minnow to the sharks, a tasty snack at most. Nancy has been trying to make it big for about four years now. She is beautiful for sure but in a place where beauty is around every corner and the opportunity to become famous relies almost on the whim of chance she has become desperate, conniving and bitter. Finally Salome. Another female manipulated by those around her. On top of this we have snippets of interviews and press articles that pretty soon make it apparent that something bad is going to happen

All three women have things in common. Their beauty, which brings with it wanted and unwanted attention, the way they are manipulated by those around them and have little choice. Her whole life Vera has played second fiddle to her sister – the one who was supposed to make it to Hollywood, prettier and more talented (according to their mother). Vera never expected fame in fact she was more comfortable off camera composing music. Thrown into a role she didn’t expect she is treated as little more than an object by those around her. She’s just so lucky – or at least she’s constantly told she is. Nancy, on the other hand, wants fame and fortune so badly that she’s become obsessed with it, she is the one doing the manipulating here but at the same time as massively disliking her and her self entitled expectations I did feel a little sorry for her. In its way, Hollywood has also chewed up Nancy and spat her out. She didn’t make the cut. Salome.desired by men seems to hold some sort of irresistible pull – in fact I did do a little read up about Salome having finished this and her infamous dance of the seven veils, and there is speculation that Salome was only a child at the time, influenced by her mother and not in fact this siren who held sway over any man – perhaps her own story has been manipulated over time to become the one we know today. Another male production with the woman at the centre holding sway and portrayed as a conniving she devil.

In terms of the writing. Well, as I’ve come to expect this is nothing short of beautiful. The depiction of Hollywood is simply brilliant. The way the studios ran the lives of their stars to the nth degree, telling them who to be seen with, what to wear and even where to go in order to be snapped favourably. The place comes alive.

Criticisms. I can’t really criticise the book to be honest. What I would say is that I didn’t enjoy this particular story as much as some of the author’s other work but that’s a personal taste thing more than there being anything to criticise here. I do think the start felt a little laboured and some of Salome’s chapters were a bit dry but it is a very thought provoking and well told tale. If you love this Hollywood period I think you’ll get a real kick out of all the little details with this story.

In conclusion, not my favourite but still a very well told story that gave me plenty of food for thought and I confess I don’t think I’ve probably managed to articulate my real thoughts on these three stories as well as I’d like.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a mercurial author – unwilling to be bound by genre or time period or setting. In her career she has effortlessly moved from vampires to gothic to historical dramas. Her last book Silver Nitrate was an occult thriller set around a the movie industry in the 1960s. The Seventh Veil of Salome also centres around the movies but could not be more different in style and tone. But it keeps very strongly to characer types and themes that underpin much of Moreno-Garcia’s bibliography.
The Seventh Veil of Salome is set at the end of the golden age of Hollywood. The big stars are on the wane and a new sort of movie star, like James Dean, is rising. Sword-and-sandal epics are still big and so Pacific Pictures looks to make a version of the tale of Salome, daughter of Herod, and famous in literature at least for her dance of the seven veils and for calling for the head of John the Baptist. Into the world comes ingenue Vera Larios, plucked from obscurity by a talent scout holidaying in Mexico, Vera is brought to Hollywood to play the lead. At the same time wannabe actress Nancy Hartley gets a bit part on the film that she feels should have been hers and sets her sights on Vera. Around the stories of these two women, Moreno-Garcia also tells her version of the story of Salome, a young woman struggling with her own desires and to break out of the role in which she has been cast.
As with her other historical novels (Velvet is the Night and The Untamed Shore), Moreno-Garcia brings the time and place to life. The Hollywood of the 1950s is full of entitled stars, struggling studio hands and runs on gossip. This is juxtaposed with the royal house of Herod in the time of Jesus and the political intrigues as various factions jostle for power. And of course, within this all, the particular challenges for the ex-patriot Mexican population living in Los Angeles at that time.
As with most of Moreno-Garcia’s work, the narrative is anchored by three strong, very different complex female characters. Vera, struggling with imposter syndrome who finds love but struggles when her world becomes hostile, Nancy a grifter who thinks she should be a star with anger management issues, and Salome herself who seeks to be more than a pawn in the political machinations going on around her. The foreshadowing, delivered in documentary style observations of the two leads, keys readers in early that Vera and Nancy are heading for some sort of tragedy. And Moreno-Garcia builds to an unexpected climax, carefully paced against the equally tragic story of Salome.
The Seventh Veil of Salome is another great work of historical fiction from a writer who can seemingly deliver in any register. An atmospheric rendering of Los Angeles in the 1950s full of complex and interesting characters. A resonant plot that finds echoes in two very different time periods. All centred around three richly imagined female characters all trying the manage with their own demons and dreams.

The Seventh Veil of Salome was the first Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel I didn't love. It started well. It was nice to know more about Hollywood in the '50s, and I liked Salome's POV too. But about halfway down, I felt there was no plot. The characters were unlikable or boring. Jay was the weakest character of all. And I couldn't understand Salome. One moment Salome wanted to run away, and the next moment, she wanted to be queen. And her love for Jokanaan came out of nowhere. I thought they would interact more. They met two times alone, and suddenly, she was madly in love. I couldn't take it seriously.
I felt bad for Vera. She was the most likable character.
Nancy was horrible. There were some aspects of her character that I could understand. Her bitterness about not breaking into the industry, for example. But what she did was horrible.
But The most disturbing aspect of the novel was the horrible mothers. Both Vera and Salome had awful mothers.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a dual timeline historical novel taking the reader from 1950s Hollywood and the lifeline of Salome.

In 1950s Hollywood the Seventh Veil of Salome is being filmed, and the studio casts an unknown Mexican girl to play the lead role. The plot follows the unknown Mexican girl Vera, a jealous extra Stella, and Salome herself, who is portrayed as a pawn in her mother’s political ambitions.

At first, I didn’t realise that the author also wrote Mexican Gothic as the themes could not be more different. But the author has done her research into the racism in Hollywood during the period – especially the fact that Mexican’s had to pretend to be Spanish to get accommodation.

The plot goes through auditions, parties, the glitz and the glamour and then all of a sudden it comes to the end. With Salome’s parallel life – entwined in the narrative. Salome was also victim to ambition, jealousy, and intrigue.

This is a long tome of a novel though, that at times is slow moving. The multiple POAs can be distracting and sometimes with the narrative I felt why is this included.

I did enjoy The Seventh Veil of Salome, but the slow plot may not be for everyone.

DNF at 25%

This book was simply not for me. It felt like a biopic of a starlet's life and I was struggling to see what the central conflict was going to be. The racist treatment of the Mexican stars didn't feel like it was the main conflict, but a reflection on the reality. As a reader, I like to have a conflict to sink my teeth into early and an idea of where the book is going. I don't mind if it doesn't go there if there's a good twist or subversion of expectations, but a sense of expectation for me is key to engagement and pacing. I just didn't feel like I was getting that here.

I can see why someone would like it - if you liked THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, you'll probably like this (I didn't like that book either.) The style of being told like a series of interviews for a documentary alongside chapters from key characters (and also a tale of Salome that is based more on apocrypha and other documents than the single passage from the bible in true hollywood "biblical tales" style) was interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-Arc copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read a few of Moreno-Garcia's books previously and have had split reviews. This one however I did enjoy. I enjoyed the setting of 1950s Hollywood juxtaposed with the biblical story of Salome. I am not religious so I was not aware of this story so it was really refreshing seeing how Moreno-Garcia utilised it. I did enjoy the multiple POVs. They were slightly confusing at first to me but they did ultimately add a lot to the story. The start of this book is quite slow but it does really pick up in the last 10%. I would say if you enjoy Taylor Jenkin's Reid you would also love this book!

Coming to the conclusion you could put this author in any setting and she would write something that leaves you speechless in every setting, as her new book 'The Seventh Veil Of Salome' proves once again.

How this author writes these three women with all their bad and good attributes, turning them into femme fatales on the page is done with such skill and brilliance on every page, bringing these women to life and letting them emerge into your imagination with ease - blending in with the historical story of Salome and telling her story too.

As I think she also does well in her other stories, her settings for me are written to perfection where she takes you and just drops you into a place and lets you take in the view like you were there in a past life. 1950's Hollywood jumps off the pages throughout this story in all glitter and all it's gloom. I really appreciated the focus more on the 'current' characters that were being played out far more but how she weaved the story in was interesting too.

The jumps between time periods, the settings and these characters are a heck of a combination. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is just not an author to miss.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC).

The Seventh Veil of Salome is the latest novel from best-selling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I have been a fan of hers since 2020 when I read Mexican Gothic so I was so excited to read her latest novel! Once again she manages to build a complex, compelling plot and write a completely original book.

One of the things that impresses me most about Moreno-Garcia is her ability to write books in completely different genres. She has published horror, thriller, fantasy, and historical novels and each time she manages to bring something unique to the table. In this case, she delves into the world of cinema and movie production in 1950’s Hollywood whilst also dealing with the ancient story of Salome and the murder of John the Baptist. These two stories may take place centuries apart but the author cleverly draws together the tales of these women to make a stunning story.

You can tell from the first page that the author has done an immense amount of research to bring this historical setting to life. Her knowledge of 1950’s Hollywood is impressive. Just like in Silver Nitrate, her previous novel about a sound technician who finds an old movie with links to the occult, she pays so much attention to detail and showcases the behind-the-scenes action of movie making. The intrigue, betrayals and scandals that occur behind the camera are the story behind the story. Although I know little about this time period, I found myself wanting to learn more (even if it was only because I didn’t understand all of the references).

Moreno-Garcia’s story-telling, writing style and characterisation are all strong in this books, but for me it’s the world building that stands out. In the hands of another author, the story would still be entertaining, but because of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s attention to detail it became an incredibly immersive story. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about the dirty underbelly of the entertainment industry (books like Daisy Jones and the Six come to mind) or historical novels that delve into the darker parts of history like racism, sexism and deadly desire. This is a great book and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I was close to DNFing this book a few times, but I stuck with it because I was reading the ARC via NetGalley. Now I’m glad that I made it to the end. The characters really grew on me and the last 20% went by in a breeze. But oh my. That start is rocky. We get pages and pages of telling, descriptions of what people are wearing or feeling—and all of this in multiple POVs. I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs and this book highlighted why I don’t like that style. The narrative felt very fragmented and only started coming together at around 30%. Which is quite far into the story. What kept me coming back was Salome. Because I actually cared about her character. There was something mysterious about her, something unique. I guess that’s why Silvia Moreno-Garcia picked up the story in the first place. I have to admit I’m not very familiar with the source material and Wikipedia doesn’t explain a few important details (I’m not going to spoiler anybody here). But if you like historical novels, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this book could be for you.

I was hooked since the beginning, I fell in love with this version of the story of Salomè (the femme fatale per excellence) and how it impacted the life of people in 50s Hollywood.
It's a mix of genre, the story of three different women and how the mythical one affected the real women.
Ms Moreno-Garcia delivers another intriguing and fascinating story that kept me hooked and turning pages.
I loved the story of Salomè and loved the description of 50s Hollywood.
Great novel, highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Historical fiction about a young woman wins the role of a lifetime before it all goes horribly wrong. An interesting deep dive into the Hollywood studio system of 1950s but it lacks Moreno Garcia's usual sharpness and spark. The Salome storyline is bland and feels clumsily written; Nancy is unlikeable but not in an entertaining way; the historical research is tedious to slog through. Die hard fans of the author will probably enjoy but not one for me.

As someone who loves acquiring books with a Hollywood theme this one was quite enjoyable. I absolutely loved that it was set during the Golden Age of Hollywood and also how it showed three women’s journeys at that time. I enjoyed following each of the characters and highly enjoyed with out spoilers seeing how they vyed for the part of their dreams and the outcome that brought. It was a real page tuner! It also has a beautiful eye catching cover as well that will draw a reader in either digitally or at the bookstore. Please pick this one up! You won’t be disappointed

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a sweeping story largely set during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but with an important second timeline that explores the story of Salome, a real historical figure who has been largely portrayed in literature and on stage and film as a temptress. When an unknown Mexican actress is cast in the titular role of a big budget swords and sandals epic about Salome the Hollywood grapevine quickly becomes a hive of gossip and speculation and the jealousy gets the better of at least one other actress. Bitter at the loss of the role she believed she deserved she conspires to discredit her competition with deadly consequences.
This was a gripping story with three intriguing female characters, each of whom are facing their own struggles. It is not a book for readers who need a happy ending, there is no shortage of suffering and tragedy for each of the characters, but I enjoyed the realism of that. I loved the Hollywood setting, that whole era fascinates me and I thought that the author did an incredible job with their sense of time and place. It is clear from the author's note at the end of the book that a lot of research was involved and it certainly paid off in my opinion. There is a seamless blend of fact and fiction with the incorporation of several real life characters from that era, something that really added to the authenticity of the Hollywood setting. I was a little familiar with the story of Salome before I read this book but I appreciated seeing a more expanded and developed exploration of her character and story. I do wish that the ending was just a little less abrupt but that is a minor critique of a very enjoyable book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

One of my favourite things about Silvia Moreno-Garcia has always been her versatility as a writer. I always enjoy and am eager to discover what she’ll be releasing next, as it’s always within a new genre.

I was immediately drawn in to the premise of this one, Golden Age Hollywood? Yes please. And damn, did we go behind the scenes. I enjoyed the note that Moreno-Garcia left at the end about her inspiration and research, and I enjoyed how she blended the non-fiction with the fictional. I think she did a fantastic job. I’ve read and seen a lot about this “Golden Age” but each time I come across something new it never fails to horrify me at how horrifying it all was.

My favourite part of this book was the narrative and structure style. I loved how each characters narration was written hinted at their future. Some were like they were interviewed, some were in the classic novel style, some were like it was actually taking place elsewhere…I will stop talking. I just thought it was all really clever and it was such a delight to have such distinct and clear narrative voices for each characters. I liked that there was a good, sometimes sporadic, mix of perspectives too to tell the story — it really broadened it out and I think it was balanced well, there never felt like there were too many character perspectives going on.

I do think the ending was a bit abrupt which is a shame, everything came to a sudden conclusion in one perspective and bam, done, here’s your authors note and acknowledgements bye bye. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed it being a little bit longer.

It’s not you it’s me.

I’m starting to think that Silvia’s work just isn’t for me.

I absolutely loved The Beautiful Ones and Mexican Gothic but everything else has just not worked for me I’m afraid.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75 stars
Publication date: 6 August 2024
Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times. So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town.

I am, without a doubt, a fan of Moreno-Garcia's writing. This being said, I thought this was a little light on plot and a little predictable; also, nothing much happens at all until the end.
The author touches on the topics of unfulfilled potential, discrimination, racism, patriarchal structures and power dynamics, although I feel these could have been explored in a bit more depth.
Where Moreno-Garcia shines however, is how great she is at creating a sense of time and place - in this instance, cinema's Golden Age in 1950s Hollywood. I loved how the stories of her three female characters are intertwined: Salome herself, Vera, the unknown actress playing her on screen and Nancy, the struggling actress who feels the role of Salome should have been hers. They were extremely vivid characters and I thought the way their separate POVs resonated with one another was excellent.

Firstly I would like to thank Silvia Moreno-Garcia , Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of ' The Seventh Veil of Salome' in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Due for publication in August 2024 , the novel Intertwines Salome's story with a behind the scenes glimpse of the making of a movie about her life . A split story then pursues - one being historical in nature and the other about the production of the film in 1950's Hollywood and the unknown starlets whom are vying for the role. The novel demonstrates the Glitz and Glamour and sometimes seediness of trying to survive in that world and is a portrait and homage to 1950's Hollywood and the Golden Age when every company are competing to release the next blockbuster for the silver screen. It is a book of tragedy , strength and defiance and is so haunting and creatively written.

I personally didn't know much bout Salome apart from watching a National Theatre production many years ago . I became fully immersed in the storyline and loved how the author was able to intertwine the tale that spans both time and distance.
I narrowly was more partial towards the 50s perspective as I found the Salome timeline much more difficult to follow. I found myself having to reread certain pages that I found very confusing for it to sink in. As a reader I would have preferred just the Hollywood storyline about the making of the movie with references to the original tale.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was completely different to my usual reads. Whilst starting as a slow burn the book quickly gathers momentum and I found myself picking it up at every opportunity . Whilst this is the first Silvia Moreno-Garcia Novel I have read , I have already obtained a copy of one of her previous novels and cant wait to go on that next adventure

#TheSeventhVeilofSalome #NetGalley.

"The Seventh Veil of Salome" weaves a mesmerizing narrative with three strong female leads and a distinctive storytelling pace. The incorporation of real-life accounts from supporting characters enriches the plot, delving into the profound impact of music on the silver screen. Nancy and Vera, in particular, are intricate and alluring personalities, while Salome's enigmatic nature adds layers of complexity and fascination to the storyline. The book's enchanting cadence and lively exchanges kept me engrossed, evoking a sense of nostalgia akin to the heyday of classic Hollywood cinema. Dive into this world where music, mystery, and compelling characters converge in a mesmerizing tapestry. #TheSeventhVeil #FemaleProtagonists #NarrativeDepth #MusicInCinema #ComplexCharacters #EnigmaticPlot #CaptivatingRhythm #GoldenAgeOfHollywood #MesmerizingTale #BookRecommendation

Silvia Moreno-Garcia strikes again with another amazing book!

The Seventh Veil of Salome weaves a story in three timelines and multiple narrators. First we have the story of Salome, who is only briefly mentioned in the Bible, but has inspired many works of art, both visual and written, and this is another beautifully written story to add to the list. Secondly we have the story of Vera Larios, a brand new face in 1950s Hollywood, trying to make a name for herself, and dealing with the highs and lows that come with that, all while also dealing of the difficulties of being a woman of colour in a time and place that doesn't care for her. Thirdly, we have a documentary style telling of the Salome movie production, years from the events taking place, from the points of view of people who were there, her friends, industry professionals, even the director himself! These storylines weave in and out as the book progresses, changing more and more frequently as the book races to the climax.

I have to admit that I found this book a little slow to start, but I think that was on me, for not understanding the layout of the book in the beginning as I had a bit of trouble with the file on my Kindle to begin with. Once I got going though, I couldn't get enough - I kept reading and reading until it was the early hours of the morning and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

I definitely have to get my hands on a physical copy once it comes out!

P.S. Thanks to Netgalley, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Quercus Books for the ARC, it was an absolute joy to be able to read one of my favourite author's books early! All opinions are my own.