Lily Nevada

Railroad Schemes #2

by Cecelia Holland

In Railroad Schemes , Holland introduced us to one of the most compelling characters she has ever Lily Viner, a young girl raised in the harsh mining camps of Virginia City, rescued by the legendary "King" Callahan, a wild Irish outlaw, only to lose him in a battle with the railroad barons who controlled the Western frontier.

Now, in Lily Nevada , Cecelia Holland continues the dramatic tale of this beautiful, strong-willed woman who flees her dark and violent past to make a new life and name for herself in San Francisco at the dawn of the Gilded Age. It is a time of great opportunity, and even greater peril; when fortunes are built, and lost, overnight; when ruthless tycoons amass great wealth, and growing labor unrest threatens to topple these newly minted empires.

Lily has become an actress and soon her great beauty and even greater skill hurtle her into the limelight. But tormented by her shattered past, Lily begins to live a strange double life. By day, she performs in velvet and lace before the fabulously wealthy rulers of San Francisco's new aristocracy. But by night, dressed in men's clothing, she roams the darkest corners of the city, searching for the mother who abandoned her. As embittered workers at last challenge the might of the railroad magnates, the city explodes in violence and turmoil. Alone in a world engulfed in flames, Lily comes face to face with a long-forgotten adversary who could destroy the new life she has won for herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Pen name used by Elizabeth Eliot Carter.

Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointing sequel to Railroad Schemes. It's been five years since the close of Railroad Schemes and Lily Viner, now known as Lily Nevada is a member of a theatre group en route from Virginia City to San Francisco. On the way she briefly meets up again with the despicable (in her eyes) Railroad detective Brand. In San Francisco the acting troop reaches the heights of success in their version of Hamlet as the flames of anger from the depressed railroad working class swirl around them, and Lily also searches for true love and her long lost mother.

Sound interesting? Actually it's not, at least for this reader. Without the endearing innocence of Lily in the first novel, along with the absence of her beloved books, Lily was rather bland and I didn't find much in the rest of the story or characters to interest me much either, especially the railroad strikers and the riots. It all just fell flat and thankfully was over quickly at just over 200 pages. Three stars, not great but not really bad either. For those who want a thumping good read about 19C San Francisco I highly recommend Gwen Bristow's Calico Palace. Out of print but well worth taking the time to search out.

[SRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting historical fiction read. I liked the references to Virginia City. I went to college in Reno, and really enjoyed that western town. I thought Lily was a strong character. Perhaps it's the sign of the times, but I was confused why she liked Charlie and let him treat her the way that he did. I thought the Hamlet piece and theatre troop was an interesting choice to keep the characters intertwined and connected. Overall, it was engaging with the shifting third person perspectives. There were a couple misspellings that irked me. Overall, this book was pretty middle road though. It's a one time read. This is a sequel; I heard the first book is better. I probably won't read it though. I don't regret reading this first though, but I did find myself wanting more background which is probably covered in the first book.

[k · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. A disappointing sequel.