I must admit I'm new to J.V. Jones' work (having missed her popular Book of Words trilogy) but she had been recommended to me several times so when I came across a copy of The Barbed Coil I eagerly took the opportunity to introduce myself to her work.

From the first page, The Barbed Coil draws the reader into a novel of complex characters and a multi-layered plot. The novel's main characters grow and change with the story as the plot progresses and even the minor characters are rich with depth. The tale of The Barbed Coil comes alive as Jones paints a compelling tale of a young woman drawn into a world where paintings and patterns hold great power.

The Barbed Coil will be a welcome encore for fans of Jones's earlier work and, for those readers like me, it's a wonderful introduction to an engaging story-teller.

If you still need convincing, read a couple sample chapters.

Wayne MacLaurin is a regular SF Site reviewer. More of his opinions are available on our Book Reviews pages.