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    A Sundial in a Grave: 1610: A Novel
    Unavailable
    A Sundial in a Grave: 1610: A Novel
    Unavailable
    A Sundial in a Grave: 1610: A Novel
    Ebook1,208 pages19 hours

    A Sundial in a Grave: 1610: A Novel

    By Mary Gentle

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "First-rate speculative fiction from a very talented writer and a fascinating evocation of a turbulent, deeply significant moment in European history. ” — Washington Post Book World

    A sweeping, picaresque historical novel about two dueling swordsmen and the plot to kill a king in Renaissance Europe, A Sundial in a Grave is Shakespeare in Love meets The Three Musketeers, with a distinct edge

    1610: Continental Europe is briefly at peace after years of war, but Henri IV of France is planning to invade the German principalities. In England, only 5 years earlier, conspirators nearly succeeded in blowing up King James I and his Parliament. The seeds of the English Civil War and the Thirty Years War are visibly being sown, and the possibility for both enlightenment and disaster abounds.

    But Valentin Rochefort, duellist, down-at-heels aristocrat and spy for the Duc de Sully, France’s powerful finance minister, could care less. Until he is drawn into the glittering palaces, bawdy back streets and stunning theatrics of Renaissance France and Shakespearian London in a deadly plot to both kill King James I and to save him. Determined to save his liege Sully, Rochefort’s journey will take him as far away as the distant Nippons, and as close as the truths of his own heart. This swordsman without a conscience is about to find himself caught between loyalty, love, and blackmail, between kings, queens, politicians and Rosicrucians—and the woman he has, unknowingly, crossed land and sea to meet.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061842702
    Unavailable
    A Sundial in a Grave: 1610: A Novel
    Author

    Mary Gentle

    The author of A Secret History, Mary Gentle has written eight books that have won critical acclaim from science fiction and fantasy authors and critics alike. She's completed two Master degrees and is an expert sword-fighter. Her home resides in England

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    Reviews for A Sundial in a Grave

    4.5/5

    7 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A long read but well worth it. The author knows a lot about the period and keeps you fascinated long after exhaustion is telling you to stop reading. Maybe not for fans of the 3 Musketeers
    • 5/5
      Well worth the read, although a few of the twists and turns are rather predictable it's still got it's share of surprises and some lovely culture clashes that are interesting to read and fun.
    • 5/5
      It is not that unusual to combine a fantasy setting with some historical overtones, but the way Mary Gentle does it in an unusual way. At times when reading 1610 I was struck with how smart and intelligent the story is told. For the average fantasy-reader, used to the more mediocre standard of fantasy stories, this could be a lot to chew on. But for readers who like a challenge and are willing to go that extra step to keep up with the author, 1610 is a rollercoaster ride.
    • 4/5
      I'm still not sure about this one. Although billed as Fantasy I'm not sure that it is, it does use prediction as a method of trying to change the future but I'm sure people of the time believed that it was possible. The characters were interesting and well rounded but some scenes were a bit off for me.