I have long declared Mike Resnick to be my very favorite author, not because his are the best books I've ever read, but because they are the most consistently good. There are plenty of novels that are better than anything he's written, but I know that when I sit down to read a Resnick novel, I am in for a really good time. This book is no exception. Leonardo, an alien working at a human art gallery through an exchange program, is hired by a wealthy old man to help him track down portraits of The Dark Lady, a woman whose likeness has appeared across the galaxy for millennia. He is joined in his search by an art thief interested in monetary gain and a man hoping to track down the Lady herself, in the flesh. One thing I've always found fascinating in Resnick books is his depiction of aliens. They are not human and do not act human. Leonardo's narration is often a little frustrating, as he is so completely tied down by the traditions of his species, but it stays believable. I admit I'm only about 98% sure of what happened at the end and why the plasma painter was so special, but I can live with that. Though his books take place in the far future, what Resnick is writing are legends: exciting, memorable, and a touch grandiose. And that's what I love about them. ( )

I liked the book, found the ending to be a bit unresolved. The writing is solid no major plot holes. I enjoyed the alien Leonardo although with his simplistic view of the world, it can be a bit much. ( )

A novel set in the same universe as Santiago.