Synopses

Titles published by House of Stratus

 

	Anthony Wilding The scene is Monmouth’s Rebellion, set in the West Country in seventeenth century England. As the ill-fated and weak ‘King Monmouth’ attempts to rally his insubordinate troops, Anthony Wilding embarks upon his own quest – to woo his unwilling bride. The political and personal stories are magically interwoven in this exciting historical romance, and it is Wilding who ultimately emerges the wiser of the two men.
	The Banner of The Bull With all the pomp and ceremony of medieval Italy as a colourful backdrop, Sabatini masterfully recreates the political intrigue and misguided loyalties that reigned as the ‘Banner of the Bull’ waved victoriously over the land. Weaving deft descriptions and spirited characterisations into historical events, this is the remarkable story of the notorious Cesare Borgia.
	Bardleys The Magnificent As Languedoc enters her year of rebellion, the Sieur Marcel de St. Pol has other things on his mind. For amid the glorious battles and brutal insurrections, Marcel a.k.a. the Marquis of Bardleys, has his heart set on a fair lady. Yet will she succumb to the Marquis’ ‘strange wooing’?
	Bellarion The Fortunate Bellarion, a young man set on joining the priesthood, is diverted from his calling to serve the Princess Valeria. He remains with her for five years, serving her faithfully despite her cold response. Yet when the time comes for him to leave, they both find that the passion and romance of Italy has left its mark…
	The Black Swan When Priscilla Harradine travels back to England accompanied by the rather dull Major Sands, she has no cause to expect her journey will be anything other than uneventful. But also on board the Centaur is Charles de Bernis – a mysterious and intriguing buccaneer. Just as their friendship is beginning to blossom, a dark figure from de Bernis’ past emerges to propel them into a thrilling and perilous adventure, taking them right to the heart of pirate life.
	The Carolian Excitement and anticipation are rife in the New World – it is a land offering new beginnings and new opportunities. Yet it is also a land of intrigue, deception and deadly opposition. Centred on the rich and fertile soils of Carolina at the time of the American War of Independence, The Carolinian charts the interwoven stories of a host of characters.
	Chivalry Columbino, a great mercenary in pre-Renaissance Italy, has developed his own moral code of chivalry to which he ruthlessly and relentlessly adheres. Yet when four women are singularly betrayed as a direct result of this code, he comes to question the very essence of his understanding. He emerges with a renewed passion and an awakened sympathy.
	The Chronicles of Captain Blood Further adventures from the much-loved Captain Blood, the ‘Robin Hood’ of the Spanish Seas. In his latest exploits, The Chronicles of Captain Blood takes him to new adventures with as much excitement and swashbuckling adventure as ever before. Winning invaluable treasures, rescuing his crew from almost certain death and saving an English settlement are all in a day’s work for this remarkable hero of land and sea.
	Columbus Set at the time of the discovery of the New World, this is the remarkable story of Columbus’ affair with a mysterious Spanish lady – Beatriz Enriquez. Sabatini beautifully traces the course of their romance and the child that she bore him whilst also capturing all the passion of Columbus other struggle – against none other than the King and Queen of Spain.
	Fortune’s Fool London 1665 is no place for Randal Holles, a former soldier in Cromwell’s army, now that the monarchy has been restored and the exploits of the Republicans are being condemned in the highest degree. Holles, desperate for an escape from his hopeless situation and almost certain execution, sees no option but to accept the Duke of Wellington’s rather dubious commission – to abduct a famous actress and bring her before him. However, as events take an unexpected turn, Holles is presented with the opportunity to be reinstated to his former glory.
	The Gamester John Law had a remarkable career ahead of him. Already a successful banker, he was an outstanding figure set to go far. Yet his Scottish homeland was fraught with potential pitfalls and when he killed ‘Beau Wilson’ in a dual, it seemed that the gods had finally conspired against him and his career was to be cut short in its prime. However, dissatisfied with his fate, Law contrived to escape from Newgate and avoid his death sentence; instead fleeing to France where he lived a life of adventure and excitement, and turned his banking skills to the gambling tables.
	Gates of Doom ‘Depend above all on Pauncefort’, announced King James, ‘his loyalty is dependable as steel. He is with us body and soul and to the last penny of his fortune.’ So when Pauncefort does indeed face bankruptcy after the collapse of the South Sea Company, the king’s supreme confidence now seems rather foolish. And as Pauncefort’s thoughts turn to gambling, moneylenders and even marriage to recover his debts, will he be able to remain true to the end? And what part will his friend and confidante, Captain Gaynor, play in his destiny?
	Heroic Lives Raphael Sabatini examines in a comprehensive way the heroic attributes of King Richard I of England, St. Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, Sir Walter Ralegh, Lord Nelson, and Florence Nightingale. These are not complete biographies, but studies into the circumstances and mind-sets of his subjects which led to them having a special place in history as people who enriched the lives of others, and as a result may be regarded as heroes.
	The Historical Night’s Entertainment Raphael Sabatini wrote ‘The Historical Night’s Entertainment’ to thrill and delight his readers with accounts of bizarre and extraordinary episodes. Based on real events, he brings to them his own masterly embellishments, adding all the liveliness and excitement of fiction. There are thirteen diverse historical scenarios covered, ranging from the murder of Lord Darnley, the story of St. Bartholomew, and the drownings at Nantes, to Casonova’s escape and the assissination of a Swedish King.
	The Hounds of God When Don Pedro is shipwrecked off the Cornish coast and captured by the formidable Lady Margaret Trevanion, he expects trouble. What he doesn’t expect is to fall in love and run away with Lady Margaret, only to be pursued by his own countrymen. And he certainly hadn’t expected that the officers of the Spanish Inquisition would be so ruthless that Don Pedro and Lady Margaret are forced to enlist the help of the Queen of England herself.
	Justice of The Duke Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois and Romanga, has been the subject of much study and debate. In The Justice of the Duke, Sabatini paints an enduring picture of Italian life under the duke and reveals the true nature of this much-reviled man. This is a story of passion, revenge and murderous ambition with all the skill and ambition that has earnt Sabatini his masterly Reputation.
	King in Prussia King in Prussia is a remarkable story of the formative years of the renowned king who has been hailed Frederick the Great. With vivid detail, powerful characterisation and a moving love story, Sabatini has created a masterly biography – and revealed an uncanny similarity between his subject and his modern counterpart, Adolf Hitler.
	The Life of Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia has long had the reputation of being a notorious, but harmless criminal, known only in tales of romance and melodrama. Yet in this revealing biography, Sabatini seeks to redress this imbalance and present the true story of the original Machiavellian villain. Cesare Borgia emerges as a man of sound judgement and military genius.
	The Lion’s Skin Justine Caryle is the perfect English gentleman – honourable, brave, loyal, intelligent, except for the fact that he is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Ostermore and the Earl’s true heir is determined to destroy his reputation. Enemies for years, Caryll and Lord Ostermore come face to face once more and become locked in a battle of revenge, jealousy and greed.
	The Lost King The Lost King tells the story of Louis XVII – the French royal who officially died at the age of ten but, as legend has it, escaped to foreign lands where he lived to an old age. Sabatini breathes life into these age-old myths, creating a story of passion, revenge and betrayal. He tells of how the young child escaped to Switzerland from where he plotted his triumphant return to claim the throne of France.
	Love-At-Arms Whilst the mighty Guidobaldo de Montefeltro reigns supreme, loyal Italian subjects must bow the knee and obey his every command. Sabatini, however, feels no such compulsion, and presents a picture of what was really going on, drawing from the vivid Chronicles of Urbino.
	The Marquis of Carabas London is rife with impoverished French nobility who have escaped the horror of the French revolution and journeyed to England to enlist the help of their fellow Catholics. Quentin de Morlaix, already sympathetic to these disenfranchised French aristocrats, finds that he too has his own personal reasons to pray for an end to the Revolution. He sets off for France, and enters a life of confusion, mystery and suspense – and bloody execution.
	The Minion King James I, narrowly escaping assassination in the infamous Gunpowder Plot, has reason to suspect all around him. But surely he can trust members of his Privvy Council? – and especially Robert Carr of Ferniehurst, Earl of Somerset and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter? The Minion traces Carr’s meteoric rise and fall at the hands of the wary king whilst capturing all the thrill and vitality of seventeenth century England.
	The Nuptials of Corbal With France undergoing mounting treachery and murder in her bloody Revolution, she was not a land where honour and loyalty could be relied upon. But this political atmosphere was to prove the ultimate test – where only the most determined would survive.
	The Romantic Prince ’Anthony of Egmont contemplated the world with disapproval. He had reached the conclusion that it was no place for a gentleman.’ Thus begins Sabatini’s masterly novel centred on the fifteenth century Burgundian court. Here, Anthony of Egmont’s world is one of ideals, changing fortunes and misplaced loyalties.
	Scaramouche The King-Maker Another adventure from Sabatini’s remarkable and much-loved hero. In Scaramouche the Kingmaker, Andre Louis again dons his famous and much-admired disguise to embark upon a new adventure – and one full of the thrill and swashbuckling action that has earnt Sabatini his place in the hall of great writers.
	St. Martin’s Summer Martin Marie Rigobert de Ganache had far too many important things to do than worry about the plight of an endangered heiress. But as he and the unfortunate lady become more involved, he has no choice but to carry on with the situation until it is reaches its fitting conclusion. St Martin’s Summer is a delightful mixture of comedy, adventure and suspense, firmly in the tradition of The Three Musketeers.
	The Shame of Motley The Court of Pesaro has a certain fool – one Lazzaro Biancomonte of Biancomonte. The Shame of Motley is Lazzaro’s story, presented with all the vivid colour and dramatic characterisation that has become Sabatini’s hallmark.
	The Snare The Duke of Wellington was on course to save Portugal during the Peninsula War but his success was dependant upon the loyalty of each and every one of his officers. When an unexpected blunder takes place, disloyal plotters seize their opportunity to cause havoc, and thwart Wellington’s worthy plans. The result is a complex case of intrigue, revenge and tested loyalties.
	The Stalking Horse William of Orange may have triumphantly taken up the throne of England amid much jubilation and celebration, but there are still those who would rather he were not there at all. In this thrilling novel, Sabatini portrays all the political intrigue of seventeenth century London as these Jacobite extremists undertake their Assasination Plot, whilst presenting us with a worthy hero in Colonel Dudley Watson.
	The Strolling Saint Agostino d’Anguissola is a formidable character – as tyrant of Modolfo and Lord of Carmina, he is not a man to be ignored. And for the state of Piacenza, he is a terrifying and mighty master of whom his subjects live in fear and awe. The Strolling Saint chronicles d’Anguissola’s very personal testimony and his often harrowing confessions.
	The Sword of Islam European waters are rife with mighty naval battles – not least the renowned Battle of Amalfi of 1527. Yet for Andrea Doria, the Admiral of the King of France, he soon learns that the battles he confronts are not confined to sea alone. The House of Dorian is plagued with conflict, both within and without, and Andrea finds that he has very real enemies in his midst.
	The Tavern Night ‘He whom they called the Tavern Knight laughed an evil laugh – such a laugh as the pious might conceive on the lips of Satan.’ Thus begins Sabatini’s masterful romance of the life of a Tavern King – a story of swashbuckling adventure and murderous action. Unusually for Sabatini, he has turned to English history to provide the backdrop for this thrilling tale.
	Torquemada and The Spanish Inquisition Torquemada, the dour Dominican Friar, was responsible for one of the cruellest examples of religious persecution the world has ever known. Driven by his own warped genius, and against the express wishes of his king and queen, he single-handedly engineered torture and fear to a staggering degree. For Torquemada was the original President of the Spanish Inquisition.
	The Trampling of The Lilies As France embarked upon her bloody revolution in 1789, La Boulaye was a man with no personal grievance against the aristocracy – until his employer, the Marquis de Fresnoy de Bellecour, ruthlessly beat and dismissed him for falling in love with Suzanne, his beautiful daughter. Faced with no job and an uncertain destiny, La Boulaye devoted himself to the cause of the Revolution. Four years later, at the height of the aristocratic executions, Beulaye comes face to face with the Marquis once more – yet now it is he who holds the power and his former master who must beg for mercy.
	Turbulent Tales Rafael Sabatini’s Turbulent Tales is a masterful catalogue of extraordinary stories of bravery, honour, intrigue and adventure. With all the vitality of their colourful backdrops, they are stories to thrill and excite any lover of historical fiction.
	Venetian Masque Monsieur le Vicomte is a remarkable man – not least because, for all concerned, he had been guillotined along with numerous French aristocrats. Yet by some twist of fate he managed to escape and seek refuge in Turin, out of the jurisdiction of the French authorities. But by an even more perverse twist of fate, he is apprehended, leaving him once and for all in the hands of the gods. In this dramatic adventure, Sabatini portrays all the colour and passion of Revolutionary France.

 

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