Pevel, winner of the 2002 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and the 2005 Prix Imaginales,
makes a stunning English-language debut with this breathless, swashbuckling tale
of intrigue, spying, and swordfights. In an alternate 17th-century Paris, dragonnets
are exotic pets, wyverns are high-class riding mounts, and drac thugs are the coarsest
of mercenaries. After a five-year hiatus, Cardinal Richelieu reunites his elite force
to aid France in its complex relationship with Spain's Black Claw cult of half-dragon
royalty. A mostly straightforward adventure plot leaves plenty of room for character
development, drama, and excitement. Clegg's solid translation reads pleasingly as
culturally French without the language ever feeling stilted or unnatural. Published
in France to great acclaim in 2007, Pevel's adventure is just as likely to charm
Anglophone audiences who enjoy action-packed adventure with a true historical
sensibility.

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