Summary:
After a childhood and adolescence plagued by a constant longing to know who he really is, orphan Pierre has not the slightest idea that his questions are about to be answered. But you know what they say – be careful what you wish for…
Suddenly finding out who you are can bring with it not only happiness and fortune, but danger, friendship and the sort of swift education that the monastery could never have provided! The discovery of who Pierre really is affects not only Pierre and his friends, but has ramifications for the French nobility, the English crown, and most dangerous of all, the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu and his fierce ambition for the Church and for himself.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 388 pages (Paperback)
Source: Review Copy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: The French Orphan
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date:June 12th 2012
Publication Date:June 12th 2012
Buy Links: AMAZON US AMAZON CAN AMAZON UK AMAZON AUS/NZ
As soon as I got the tour invite for The French Orphan series I knew I was going to have to sign up and well...the rest is history (literally) and you dear reader, find yourself here.
I really enjoyed this first book in The French Orphan series. It started off slightly different than what I was expecting and went some places I wasn't expecting either but I found it to be part of the book's charm.
I have a confession to make though, I didn't really like our young French orphan right away. I thought he was too much of a goody two shoes, especially since he'd been raised in a monestary, but I did come around to liking Pierre in the end. I think it took his finding his feet in the world and the courage to save himself and find out who he is, where he comes from and his desire to actually do something with the information he uncovers and to through himself wholeheartedly into the search for a better life. Don't mistake me, he still keeps much of his naivete even towards the end of this book but he does look at things much more realistically than he did at the beginning.
Despite the edge of danger that is constantly around Pierre, Armand and their friend Marie I loved their enthusiasm for their joint venture. I especially love the friendship that forms between Pierre and Armand, more so because there are enemies out there after him, for who he is.
There's a real sense of adventure with this book and I really relished the opportunity to read The French Orphan. We're introduced to some great characters, a nefarious plot is afoot and it's all set in the 1640's so for this historical fiction lover in me it was pure delight. It's fast paced, witty and full of youthful mistakes, friendship and heartbreak.
I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for some quality historical fiction, I do hasten to advise you that this does feature a teenage protagonist but I'm not sure that I would qualify it as Young Adult Historical Fiction, due to some more adult themes in the storyline. It was the 1640s folks and a lot of stuff went on then that wouldn't fly now. Michael Stolle puts forth a great first book in a series that I don't advise missing especially if you're partial to traveling back in time through some good old historical fiction.
Author Bio:
Born and educated in Europe, Michael has always been intrigued by the historical setting and the fact that what makes us human was as true in the 17th century as it is now.
Author Links:
Giveaway:
To win a paperback copy of The French Orphan (Book One) by Michael Stolle, please enter via the Gleam form below. Three copies are up for grabs!
Rules:
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Sounds a good historical fiction read.
ReplyDeleteIt was Mystica, stay tuned as I'm reviewing book two in the series tomorrow!
DeleteEnjoyed the review. The 1st book down. There are 4 all together in the series now right? Hope you enjoy the second book just as much. I wouldn't be surprised you will. Historical fiction is one of your favorite genres
ReplyDeleteThanks Babe! Book two is up tomorrow, and books three and four are on deck for reading and reviewing next week.
DeleteCan't wait
DeleteThis seems like a pretty interesting one. Never heard of it before but you've made me curious. Yeah I'd think someone raised in a monastery might have a mischievous side too, regardless of their upbringing. But it's good that he comes out of his shell per-say as the story progresses. I also love that there's a strong friendship and adventure. Thanks for your great review. Glad you enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Shane, it was really a nice surprise to read this one. Glad I've made you curious about it!
DeleteOh yay I wondered how these were when I saw you were going to read them :) Glad it worked out well for ya!
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI actually love these books that are like "crossover" adult stories with YA protagonists! I've never heard of this series but it sounds really good! Thanks for introduction ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked this one! I'm so weird with historical fiction. It's not a genre I prefer though I've never read one I didn't like. lol
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it! It sounds really cool, great review!
ReplyDeletePrabhleen @ Booksarelife987
This sounds right up my street, I'm gonna check this one out :)
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