Heretic Dawn: Fortunes of France 3 - Tapa blanda

The best so far Sunday Times Culture magazine A powerfully accessible path of introspection and questioning of the present through the past. Bookanista This is the most absorbing of the series so far... each volume may be built like a mouse brick to look at but it's not at all brick like in the reading. Book bag If you remember reading and loving Alexandre Dumas then this continues in the same vein... sword-slashing action The Connexion Merle's writing style is entertaining, easy to read and well-paced... thought-provoking yet thrilling swashbucklers - and immensely good fun Historical Novel Society Modern-day Dumas finally crosses the channel Observer Swashbuckling historical fiction... For all its philosophical depth [The Brethren] is a hugely entertaining romp... The comparisons with Dumas seem both natural and deserved and the next 12 instalments [are] a thrilling prospect -- Christobel Kent Guardian A sprawling, earthy tale of peril, love, lust, death, dazzling philosophical debate and political intrigue... an engrossing saga Gransnet Historical fiction at its very best... This fast paced and heady brew is colourfully leavened with love and sex and a great deal of humour and wit. The second instalment cannot be published too soon. We Love This Book A vivid novel by France's modern Dumas... [there is] plenty of evidence in the rich characterisation and vivid historical detail that a reader's long-term commitment will be amply rewarded Sunday Times A master of the historical novel Guardian Both wise and audacious, constantly nudging up against the extraordinary. The New York Times Book Review So rich in historical detail... the characters are engaging Sunday Express This is old-fashioned story-telling. It has swagger and, vibrancy with big characters... A gripping story with humour and strength and real attention to historical detail Mature Times Cleverly depicts France's epic religious wars through the intimate prism of one family's experience. It's beautifully written too. Metro The spectacular 13-volume evocation of 16th-17th-century France Independent A lively adventure... anyone keen on historical fiction [should] look forward to the next instalment Telegraph The Dumas of the twentieth century Neues Deutschland A wonderful, colourful, breathlessly narrated historical panorama Zeitpunkt Robert Merle is one of the very few French writers who has attained both popular success and the admiration of critics. The doyen of our novelists is a happy man Le Figaro

After a deadly duel with a jealous rival, Pierre de Siorac must travel to Paris, to seek his pardon from the King. In the capital city he finds a world of sweet words and fierce pride, where coquettish smiles hide behind fans, and murderous intents behind elegant bows; a world of genteel tennis matches and deadly swordplay, where elaborate social graces mask a simmering tension that will soon explode to engulf the entire city-and signal the dawn of a new and bloody era in the history of France. Here, Pierre faces the greatest challenge of his young existence-not merely to win a royal pardon, but to escape from Paris with his life, and the lives of his beloved companions, intact. Heretic Dawn is the third book in the swashbuckling Fortunes of France series, after The Brethren and City of Wisdom and Blood.