The Seventh Veil of Salome was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

As a lover of old Hollywood, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I was left a little disappointed by the end. I enjoyed the narrative structure of the book, like how we heard from so many different characters within Hollywood and within the main characters' lives. However, I feel like there was a lot of build up throughout the book, which gave me the impression there would be more thrilling/intense/mysterious elements. Maybe because of these expectations, the book felt a little too quiet and slow. I do always enjoy Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and will continue to pick up her books, even if this one was just okay for me.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Last year, I got a eARC of Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I really enjoyed it! Before that, I’d seen her name around on best of lists and upcoming books to look forward to, but it wasn’t until the Hugo nomination for the Daughter of Dr. Moureau that I decided it was time to put her to the top of my to-read pile. I enjoyed it and also really enjoyed Silver Nitrate.

When I reviewed it, I wrote that it reminded me of how I felt when I read 11/22/63 by Steven King - I really enjoyed both books, and for both books I really would have liked to see how the author would have written the story without anything supernatural going on.

Well, I feel like I got my wish! The Seventh Veil of Salome is not a horror novel - except for the horrors of racism and sexism. It is historical fiction set in old Hollywood during the filming of a movie version of the biblical story of Salome, while alternating sections retelling the author’s version of that tale. Not being familiar with the story, I found this novel fascinating and engrossing. The characters feel real and the story has a sad but realistic feeling ending. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will go ahead and get this out of the way; I absolutely love Silvia Moreno-Garcia! As an author she is so versatile. You never know where her writing will take you until you are in it because of her ability to write not only different genres but use different plot devices, locations, and pull from different inspirations. I am pretty sure I have said this about all of her novels at one point or another but I am certain that The Seventh Veil of Salome is my favorite yet. As always the writing and structure of this novel were both beautiful and truly unmatched. I really enjoyed the old Hollywood vibe, the characters, and the pacing. At some points I was not sure if what I was reading was the movie being filmed or the original story. Simply put the novel was transporting. It was so engaging and was fun read that I could not put down.

A long time fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia I enjoyed her prose and style as usual. However the multiple perspectives regarding the three main characters could have used more balance with Salome's tale rambling through to build more intrigue than is necessary considering the ending is well known. The Hollywood depictions were well done and the characters could benefit from more rounding out if less time was spent on the biblical tale.

I have been a huge fan of SMG since I read Mexican Gothic. No one is sadder than me to report that I did not find this book as enjoyable as other works of hers I've read. It's difficult to really pinpoint why I didn't vibe with this. I am usually ok with slow burn stories but this felt like it was really dragging. Instead of getting excited to read this book, I was dreading when it was time to sit down and read it. That's not a good sign! I believe the multiple POVs ended up hindering rather than enhancing the story. It just didn't really work for me. I kept getting constantly confused with the two narratives. Also where was the drama? Where was the action? The whole thing just fell flat for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high for this book so I couldn't really appreciate it for what it was. Sadly, this story was just not for me. I will continue to read SMG as I think this was a one off occurrence. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC of this book!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an automatic buy for me, and it seems like every book, she’s conquering something entirely new and different. Some folks focus down to a specific genre or type of story. SMG can comfortably write an excellent book in seemingly any genre or style.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to sit at the top of my must-read author list She is a wonderful storyteller and develops characters as well as anybody. The Seventh Veil of Salome is a retelling of the Biblical story of Salome told through the perspective of a young Mexican woman chosen to play Salome in a film during the "Swords and Sandals" days of Hollywood. The protagonist, Vera, starts as an innocent, but quickly learns the ways of Hollywood, often the hard way. Just as Salome learns to navigate the politics of her uncle/step-father's court, Vera learns to deal with the back channelling and challenges facing a young Mexican woman in the movie business. Great plot, great characters, a fantastic novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was SO good. SMG can do no wrong when it comes to writing atmospheric, terrifying tales that are both character and plot driven and will have you gasping to know what comes next.

An actress aching to be discovered in the golden age of cinema has to contend with more than just jealousy and betrayal in Moreno-Garcia’s atmospheric novel. Really enjoyed diving into this- received a nice PR package from the publisher and generally thought it was a good story with layered characters and plot.

This historical fiction novel by @silviamg.author was fantastic! Set in Hollywood’s golden age of the 1950s, the author not only captured the time period, but also created characters that jumped off the page. I loved the main character, Vera and her character growth in the story. Nancy is the perfect villain and foil to Vera. Woven in between the stories of these two characters is the story of Salome who is referenced more in biblical art than the Bible itself. The weaving of these three characters and their stories was intriguing and made for a fascinating read.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website).

Another knockout novel from Moreno-Garcia. She has become one of my autobuy authors and I am so grateful to have gotten to read the advanced copy of this. I truly enjoyed the story and the insight into the bias and prejudices shown in old Hollywood. I was intrigued by the drama and the story of our main characters. Definitely check this out if you’re into historical fiction!

✨ Review ✨ The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Thanks to Del Rey and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Okay, I love everything SMG has written and especially love how every book is different in content and genre. Of all of her books, I think this might have the fastest pacing, and because of that, I flew through this one!

The book is set in 1950s Hollywood and instantly immerses us in Golden Age Hollywood, surrounded by wealth and glamour, and the seediness and fight for glory that lay underneath that glitz. The format reminded me a little of Daisy Jones, where we get fragmented clips, told through a variety of people's POVs.

Quickly, we see that there's drama around the casting of Salome, the famous ancient character best known for asking for the killing of John the Baptist. Eventually, an unknown woman, working in the office in her dad's dental office in Mexico, is cast for the role.

The story rotates between 1950s POVs and Salome's narrative then, setting Vera and Salome's stories in parallel. As the story goes on, the quantity of POVs decreases, focusing on main female characters like Vera and Nancy, a jealous competitor. (For me, this change of pace was a weaker spot for me...we went from a whirlwind of POVs to a much smaller pool of perspectives, and it made the pacing feel uneven).

I loved how this merged McCarthy-era fears and censorship, her super deep biographical research of 1950s Hollywood stars, issues of race and urban history in south California, and a richly developed narrative of Salome. I love her writing in general but this felt like TJR + The Book of Longings + a telenovela. Soapy and sensational all around!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: historical fiction, women's fiction
Setting: Hollywood
Reminds me of: Daisy Jones meets The Book of Longings
Pub Date: August 6, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ 1950s Hollywood stardom
⭕️ and the seedy behind the scenes
⭕️ Latina stars and the racism they faced
⭕️ fast-paced multi POV book

Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to deliver immersive historical settings with complex and interesting characters. Set in 1950's Hollywood, The Seven Veils of Salome follows three women - Vera (an unknown who gets the lead role of Salome), Nancy (desperate to become a star but stuck playing bit parts), and the titular Salome (torn between her desire of John the Baptist and the politics of her family). The three stories intertwine and parallel each other while documentary interviews about the making of the (fictional) film and the events surrounding it are interspersed throughout.

The beginning of the book didn't grip me quite as much as I would have liked, but the entire book is much more of a character study than some of her other novels. The ending ramped up the action but was fairly abrupt. Still, it was a worthwhile read and I will continue to devour anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia puts out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random Health Del Ray for an eARC of this book.

This follows a couple different story lines - Vera Larios who was discovered in Mexico to play a breakout role as Salome but has no prior experience. Nancy Hartley who has been in the film industry for some time but hasn't had a breakout role yet and is frustrated with how her career has stalled. The titular Salome who struggles with her desire for the prophet/priest and what to do for her country.

This felt like a most historical fantasy version of Daisy Jones - was an entertaining read, interesting characters, also reminded me a little of Marisha Pessl's Night Film as well as Moreno-Garcia's other work Silver Nitrate.

Thoughts

My love for Moreno-Garcia knows no bounds and her writing an old Hollywood story was something I didn't even know I needed in this life.

This story was immersive and fabulous. I loved how it was part Vera's story and also the movie of Salome.

It was dramatic and entertaining in all the best ways.

It also is a look into what it was like for Latinx actors in this time period and in Hollywood as they sought to become part of it.

Obviously, I think you should read this one.

The Seventh Veil of Salome takes place in 1950s Hollywood and mixes historical, romance, and thriller.

It follows Vera, a Mexican actress making her debut in Hollywood, and Nancy, an American actress who has been passed over too many times. The Biblical Salome herself is the third main character.

The characters feel real and fascinating, and Moreno-Garcia made me care deeply about them all — which heightens the suspense in what could have been a fairly standard story. A confrontation between Vera and Nancy feels inevitable throughout.

I also loved the detail about the film industry, which was one of my favourite aspects of Moreno-Garcia’s previous novel Silver Nitrate.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for my review copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The infamous Seventh Veil of Salome. When Vera, beautiful and naive to the world of Hollywood is cast for the role of Salome herself, it causes quite the commotion in 1950's Hollywood. Told from the perspectives of Vera, Salome, and those who were there to watch their journey, mysteries and stories unfold as love, lust, jealousy and desire change their worlds.

I absolutely love Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I have read almost all of her books and have loved each one of them for their own reasons. When I first began reading this one, it just wasn't the right time and something was quite clicking, I couldn't sink into the story. BUT I knew I loved this author and had so much faith that it was me and not the book, so I put it aside until I felt ready (I am such a mood reader) and I am SO glad that I did, because when the mood and time was write, I devoured this book.

Definitely give this one a read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for an advanced copy of this book.

It’s honestly hard to describe why I enjoyed this book so much. It’s a more in depth look at 1950’s Hollywood and the hardships that Latina actresses had to face in that era. The comparison of Vera’s life to Salome’s was well done and insightful. I myself do not know much about biblical stories but I didn’t let myself look up the story of Salome and instead let the author tell me her version of the story, and how Vera and Salome both are women who face hardships because of their status, their relationships, and their gender. This is my second book by Silvia and so far for me she’s 2/2 .I really love her writing style and her story telling.

3.5/4⭐️

I liked the premise of this book because it seemed so interesting and something different from what I would normally read. I have read Mexican Gothic and I loved it.

This story has multiple point of views which I found cool but I also would get lost sometimes on whose POV it was. The three main POVs being Vera: the actress who is casted as Salome, Salome herself, and Nancy: the actress who wanted to be casted as Salome and is jealous of Vera. There’s also other small POVs here and there, and I felt that it was a little too much at times.

You can tell the author did her research on both Salome’s story and also the old Hollywood time period that the book is set in.

It was a good read, took me a little bit to get through but that’s only because this isn’t a genre I’m used to 😂 but I still enjoyed myself reading it and I’d definitely recommend, I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia!