
audiobook
Set against the turbulence of the seventeenth‑century European wars, the novel follows a young English officer who finds himself in the service of Marshal Turenne on the German front. Through battlefield skirmishes and the cramped camps of soldiers, he discovers a world where honor and survival are constantly tested. As the clash of arms rages, a chance encounter with a French lady of noble birth draws him into a passionate, yet precarious, romance.
Back in Paris, the story shifts to the opulent yet fraught court of a celebrated princess whose final days become a focal point for the era’s religious strife. Her household, steeped in tradition and surrounded by whispered conspiracies, reflects the broader conflict between Catholic authority and dissenting belief. The officer’s growing affection for a woman entangled in these tensions forces him to choose between duty, love, and the looming threat of persecution.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (488K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books (Library of the University of Virginia)
Release date
2016-08-06
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1850–1917
A Victorian-era novelist and journalist, he wrote swashbuckling historical fiction and adventure stories shaped by years spent reporting abroad. His books often mix romance, danger, and a strong sense of place.
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