Noble Blood

Rating:
Summary: The author has found his voice
Review: This is the third book about Anne Cartier and her adventures in pre-revolutionary Europe. While the first novel was refreshing with a wonderful grip on the historic background and a good plot, the characters seemed a little contrived and the language was at times choppy. The second book was a solid follow-up where especially the language improved. In this third book the author has found his voice and many of the short-comings of the earlier books are amended. Paris and the court are revealed in vivid detail. The corruption, surrender to pleasure and contempt for the lower classes at the court are described in convincing detail. The author has built further on his strength, the historical background. The otherwise dry subject of the judicial system was presented in a page turning thriller. At the end one sits back with a solid history lecture beside the pleasure of seeing the plot evolve. The droll tone and chevalier attitude of the characters is a nice break from the often raw and brutal descriptions found in other thrillers.