Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: The Cardinal's Blades

By Sandy Amazeen Dec 4, 2010, 1:19 GMT

Welcome to seventeenth-century Paris, where intrigue, duels, and spies are rife and Cardinal Richelieu\'s agents may be prevailed upon to risk life and limb in the name of France at a moment\'s notice. And with war on the horizon, the defense of the nation has never been more pressing.Danger is rising from the south--an insidious plot that could end with a huge dragon-shaped shadow falling over France, a shadow cast ...more

Set in an alternate Paris during the 1630’s the minister of France; Cardinal Richelieu has his hands full keeping abreast of the many plots against King Louis XIII both from without and within the country. Particularly troubling is the growing strength of the Black Claw cult, their influence has been growing throughout the continent and France is their next target. In an attempt to thwart the Black Claw, the Cardinal enlists the aid of Captain La Fargue and his loyal men who were unfairly disgraced and disbanded five years earlier after a mission failed to go off as planned. La Fargue works to reunite his force while carrying out this new mission against of backdrop of double-dealing espionage, betrayals and ultimately the cult of the Black Claw and a white master.

Politics, secret agendas and trust are the main themes of this multilayered swashbuckling tale reminiscent of the Three Musketeers only this telling includes little pet dragonets and some major league powerful dragons pulling strings behind the scenes. Numerous subplots and characters make for a complex, sometimes confusing story that delivers plenty of action, adventure and surprises making it well worth keeping a scorecard.