Bellarion The Fortunate: A Romance
Rafael Sabatini had earned quite a name for himself as a writer of both historical novels and biographies in the first part of the 20th century. Bellarion the Fortunate was first published in 1926 and was received favorably by reviewers and the public. Set in Italy during the turbulent fifteenth century, the story revolves around the lives of a soldier and the noblewoman whose cause he serves and whose heart he desires. Bellarion grows in service to Princess Valeria from a sheltered, sensitive young man to a blooded, successful, and feared veteran combat leader and advisor.
The settings are described by Sabatini in as complete a manner as one would hope to find in a period piece. The characters may appear a bit wooden at times and the evolving love between Bellarion and Valeria has the feel of a “B movie” plot at points along the way. A patient reader will be rewarded at novel’s end when Valeria at long last comes to realize Bellarion is far more than a useful servant. The less patient among us may wish Sabatini’s characters were not so one dimensional and their actions not so predictable. A 1926 reviewer wrote of Bellarion that it was “entertaining stuff, but the bold knights and their exploits are not always convincing.” Well said.
