Reviews
In Wecker's novel, real-life events--the sinking of the Titanic, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire or the Great War--have an inexorable impact on mortal and supernatural characters alike. From one crisis to the next, a strange and unbreakable alliance develops among many persons and elemental creatures, burgeoning into something even more marvelous. . . . Fans of The Golem and the Jinni have waited eight years for this sequel. It has been worth the wait., A layered novel of many complex characters, including even richer developments of the golem Chava and the jinni Ahmad...To keep their worlds safe, Chava and Ahmad must access both their greatest supernatural powers and their deepest human impulses., Impressive...storytelling à la Dickens...A satisfying, mature sequel to The Golem and the Jinni, continuing the magical story of two immigrant mythological characters from the turn of the 20th century to the outbreak of WWI., The Hidden Palace recaptures the assured voice, the delicate magic, the solid historical verisimilitude, and engaging interplay of personalities of The Golem and the Jinni...But Wecker deepens, extends, and culminates all the story arcs, leaving the reader very satisfied., A blend of romance, Mary Shelley-esque horror, and folklore. . . . Wecker skillfully combines the storylines of Chava the Golem and Ahmad the Jinni and numerous other players, good and evil, in an enchanting tale that pleases on every page., Richly nuanced and beautiful. . . . Wecker skillfully draws together these disparate lives and characters in an immersive and magical tale of loneliness, love, and finding hope.