Blood, Love and Steel: A Musketeer’s Tale
Athos, the most dark and famed of the King’s Musketeers, is spiralling out of control – reckless and suicidal, he takes on wager after wager, each one successively more dangerous. Deep inside, he seeks death, because the love of his life – Milady – has been executed for numerous evils; an execution that Athos agreed to and assisted.
But his gamble with the master swordsman, the Comte de Rochefort, backfires and he finds that, on his honour, he must work for the Comte and be pushed into temptation with his wife Nicole. The Comtesse is a rare jewel in 17th-century France – stunningly beautiful, unfailingly faithful and utterly pious. Wagers fly with the Comte; will the notorious Musketeer succeed in seducing his wife?
The struggle that Athos has with his own feelings and memories competes with the attractions of Nicole, while the “mission” that the Comte has in store for the Musketeer is far from safe and easy.
This book is a fascinating continuation of the story of Athos, Dumas’ most enigmatic character. Well written, with evocative descriptions, the perception of the Musketeer’s personality is believable.
