Three years after the events of The Prisoner of Zenda, the Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll is drawn back into the affairs of the state of Ruritania. His Three years after the events of The Prisoner of Zenda, the Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll is drawn back into the affairs of the state of Ruritania. His beloved Flavia, who sacrificed her personal happiness in order to marry the king, is unable to bear Rassendyll's absence any longer and pours out her heart in a deeply compromising letter. Unfortunately this same letter falls into the hands of the charming but thoroughly dastardly Rupert of Hentzau, who sees it as his opportunity to discredit the queen and regain his place in the king's favour. Rassendyll and his old friends Sapt and Fritz von Tarlenheim are once more drawn into a desperate race against time to save the queen's reputation and to confront Rupert of Hentzau once and for all.
This is a gloriously old-fashioned adventure, full of stiff upper lips, nobility and convoluted plots, and it reads like a comfy Sunday-afternoon matinee. If you've read The Prisoner of Zenda you'll know exactly what to expect, and if you have read Zenda then you must read this: it's effectively the second half of the story rather than a sequel for sequel's sake. If you haven't read The Prisoner of Zenda, you must read that first otherwise none of this will make any sense.
My one criticism, and it is an important technical point, is that the narration in this book isn't handled as well as in Zenda. Fritz von Tarlenheim is much less engaging than Rudolf and, since he's invalided out of the action at an early point, Hope is forced to use an unconvincing first-person omniscient approach which can feel clunky. Fortunately the book is so fun - and moves with such momentum - that I was far too busy ducking pistol shots and dodging swords to worry overmuch about the technicalities.
Young Khaavren is a gentleman, a Tiassa, who has neither land nor titles but who dreams of making a glorious name for himself in the service of the EmYoung Khaavren is a gentleman, a Tiassa, who has neither land nor titles but who dreams of making a glorious name for himself in the service of the Empire. Heading to the city in order to join the Emperor's elite force of Phoenix Guards, he falls into company with three similarly ambitious young people: a proud, belligerent Dzur named Tazendra; a discreet, contemplative Lyorn called Aerich; and an elegant, chivalrous Yendi called Pel. When these four are sworn into the Red Boot Battalion of the Phoenix Guard, they become firm friends, sworn to protect the good of the Empire and, more importantly, one another. Even for naive, good-hearted young people, it isn't an easy time to be in the city. The Imperial Court is rife with the machinations of favourites, and courtiers struggling to promote their own interests; the Emperor's chief adviser is pulling strings to advance her own questionable ambitions; and the young Emperor himself is still unable to take the strong decisions needed to consolidate his reign. Love, danger and duels are to be found around every corner. And innocent young Khaavren is about to find himself pulled right into the eye of the storm; when, falling in love with a beautiful lady he chances to meet in a carriage, he swears to do all that he can to defend and support her. Little does he know that this will lead him, and his three loyal friends, into the midst of the Court's most dangerous intrigues.
This might all sound faintly familiar, and it's meant to: this is a tongue-in-cheek and affectionate fantasy pastiche of The Three Musketeers, set in Brust's world of Dragaera. Having never read any of his books before, I was slightly at sea at the beginning; and for the similarly uninitiated I'd recommend a quick read of the Dragaera Wikipedia page to explain some of the background. But it's thoroughly enjoyable stuff. Brust writes with great wit, utilising a dual-level narrative in which the story is told by the pedantic historian Paarfi, with Brust lurking behind him in the authorial shadows, obviously enjoying himself immensely. Full of panache, affairs of honour and exquisitely polite adversaries, this is thoroughly recommended, either for those who already know the Vlad Taltos series, or for those who've stumbled across this from a more swashbuckling angle.
This swashbuckling classic is still remarkably fresh and vivacious, considering it was written in 1894. It follows the adventures of a young EnglishmaThis swashbuckling classic is still remarkably fresh and vivacious, considering it was written in 1894. It follows the adventures of a young Englishman, Rudolf Rassendyll, who has decided to indulge himself with one last jolly before he embarks on a career in the diplomatic service. He finds himself drawn to Ruritania, a small Central European kingdom ruled by a family who have a scandalous connection to Rudolf's own ancestors - a connection proven by Rudolf's own red hair and long nose. A chance meeting with Ruritania's young king, on the day before his coronation, cements the likeness: he and Rudolf could be twins. And so, when the king's wicked half-brother Michael drugs him on the eve of the coronation, Rudolf is persuaded to step into the breach - to play the role of the king to prevent Michael from seizing the vacant throne. With the king held prisoner in the notorious Castle of Zenda, and time running out, Rudolf and his friends must develop a plan to thwart Michael's plans and restore Ruritania's true monarch to his throne.
This is a deeply enjoyable matinee adventure of a novel, full of breakneck rides through woods, swooning, sword-fights and much derring-do. It does have a slightly old-fashioned feel, but this only adds to its charm and it's certainly a must-read for anyone with a fondness for Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks or the like. I loved it, and can't wait to read the sequel.
Dona St Columb is a celebrated Restoration beauty: irreverent, heartless and irresistible to men. Unhappily married to the doltish Harry, she seeks diDona St Columb is a celebrated Restoration beauty: irreverent, heartless and irresistible to men. Unhappily married to the doltish Harry, she seeks diversion in extravagant escapades with his friends; until one day she forces herself to confront the truth. Hollow and unfulfilled, she is becoming someone she is ashamed of; and so, ever-impulsive, she decides to leave the corrupting glitter of the Court behind. Taking her children, but leaving Harry behind to gamble and drink with his friend Rockingham, Dona goes down to Harry’s ancestral home at Navron in Cornwall. Here there is sunlight, the gentle rustle of the breeze in the trees and the refreshing calm of a slow-paced country life. Finally Dona begins to blossom again. Even Navron itself is peaceful: the house has only one servant, the capable and secretive William, who becomes Dona’s ally in her desire to escape from her London self. As she recovers her joie de vivre, Dona begins to hear rumours that her wealthy Cornish neighbours are being troubled by the ravages of a dastardly and elusive French pirate. Suddenly certain strange things about Navron start to make sense to Dona; and then one day, while exploring the woods around her home, she discovers a ship moored in a nearby creek. Here is the Frenchman: courteous, educated and entirely different from any other man Dona has met...
I have a list of what I call ‘comfort books’: novels which, in times of stress or sadness, I can curl up with and be reminded that the world is a wondI have a list of what I call ‘comfort books’: novels which, in times of stress or sadness, I can curl up with and be reminded that the world is a wonderful place (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is one; These Old Shades is another). The Privilege of the Sword, a sequel to Swordspoint, has just joined this very select company. A quote on the back cover of my edition calls it ‘A magical mixture of Dumas and Georgette Heyer‘, which is precisely the right way to describe this gloriously bubbly swashbuckling adventure. Stuffed with duels, romance and intrigue, it also has the kind of feisty, independent heroine I would have adored as a sixteen-year-old. And I adore her even more now: in the intervening twelve years I’ve read enough books to know what a rare kind of heroine she is...
This book has a mission: to rescue the real Cyrano de Bergerac from the shadow cast by Rostand's immensely popular stage and screen version. In doing This book has a mission: to rescue the real Cyrano de Bergerac from the shadow cast by Rostand's immensely popular stage and screen version. In doing so, Ishbel Addyman conjures up a surprisingly modern figure, who was always alert to publicity opportunities and who constantly questioned the assumptions of the church. He was not only a formidable swordsman but also one of the earliest science fiction writers, creating stories in which his hero travels in a rocket to the moon and the sun. Addyman clearly adores her subject and her enthusiasm is genuinely catching, but unfortunately the writing itself has some weaknesses: sentences are short and choppy and the use of punctuation is erratic. There could also be more focus within the chapters, which tend to dance all over the place. It's a shame, because there's no doubt that Cyrano was a fascinating and controversial figure, but this biography just doesn't quite do justice to him.
For the elite, Spain in the 1620s is a world of stately protocol, fine poetry and all the trappings of a great empire: the sun may be setting on SpaniFor the elite, Spain in the 1620s is a world of stately protocol, fine poetry and all the trappings of a great empire: the sun may be setting on Spanish dominance in the New World, but there’s still enough light to enjoy it while it lasts. Outside the insulated world of the court, however, things are very different. For the man on the street, it’s a world of living hand-to-mouth, gossip on street corners and scurrilous sonnets, where every insult is met with steel and where the appearance of gentility (bearing arms, getting good seats at the theatre) is more important than the reality. Into this roistering world of old soldiers, literary priests and jobbing poets comes young, wide-eyed Íñigo, whose mother has sent him to live with his late father’s comrade-in-arms, Captain Alatriste...
The Idle Woman
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