The Prince of Prigs
The English Revolution of Oliver Cromwell forms the social and political background of The Prince of Prigs by Anthony Anglorus. It is in this time of turmoil that the main character, the eponymous Prince of Prigs, Captain James Hind, plies his trade as a highwayman, stealing from the Roundheads who are making increasing inroads against the royal authority of King Charles. His efforts are of course insufficient to stop Cromwell from taking control of the country, and the author’s violent, bloody, witty, and very tightly-packed narrative follows Hind into that treacherous new world of spies and counter-spies.
Hind’s exploits make him the talk of the country, but Anglorus also does a very good (and very well researched) job of fleshing out both Hind’s love interest and the dozens of actual historical characters who helped to shape the Interregnum. The result is an absorbing read set in one of England’s most exciting periods, which Anglorus overlays quite effectively with human drama.
