
In the turbulent world of the French court, a lone nobleman returns to a ruined stronghold, his steps echoing through crumbling walls and tangled vines. As he navigates the fragile alliances of King Henri III, the ambitious Duke of Anjou, and the scheming queen mother, he discovers that loyalty and betrayal walk hand in hand. A wily court jester and a charismatic advisor whisper dangerous counsel, while the enigmatic lady of the castle remains a beacon of both hope and peril.
Against this backdrop of political intrigue, the count’s quest for truth becomes a perilous dance of hidden motives and sudden violence. Each encounter—whether a clandestine meeting in the shadowed corridors of Angers or a tense audience before the king—tightens the web of conspiracy that threatens to engulf everyone he holds dear. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid tapestry of love, honor, and the relentless pursuit of power, all set amid the vivid splendor of 16th‑century France.
Language
fr
Duration
~8 hours (482K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2006-01-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1802–1870
Best known for The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, this wildly popular French storyteller helped define the adventure novel. His life was dramatic too, shaped by family history that reached from France to Saint-Domingue, now Haiti.
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1813–1888
Best known as Alexandre Dumas’s behind-the-scenes collaborator, he helped shape some of the most famous adventure novels of the 19th century. A historian, dramatist, and novelist in his own right, he spent much of his life balancing literary success with a long fight for proper credit.
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