[Blog Tour Review & Giveaway]* The Secrets of Montrésor (The French Orphan #2) by Michael Stolle

  Summary:

The Secrets of Montrésor is the eagerly awaited sequel to The French Orphan, and continues the story of young Pierre de Beauvoir… 
Coming into a fortune at any age brings huge responsibility, but when you’re an inexperienced teenager, it seems that surprises are waiting for you around every corner. 
Pierre, former orphan and now Marquis de Beauvoir, may have claimed his inheritance, but life is never that simple. For a start, he needs to learn pretty quickly exactly who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length. For example, how do you work out (and survive….) the changing motives of the most powerful man in seventeenth-century France, Cardinal Richelieu? And then what do you do when the people you should be able to trust try to deliver you into the hands of your worst enemy? And then there’s the small matter of a sacred quest to Italy… 
Fortunately for Pierre he has his best friend Armand to support him as he gets to know his chateau at Montrésor, its people and… its secrets. (Armand, of course, has his own agendas to pursue, usually involving a pretty face and a willing smile.) 
Far from being certain, Pierre’s future has yet to be settled and Pierre will have to draw on his own innate talents as well as those of the people around him to ensure he survives, as his enemies are just waiting to seize their opportunity.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 298 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Genre: Historical Fiction

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date:  November 12th 2012

ADD TO GOODREADS

Buy Links:  AMAZON US AMAZON CAN AMAZON UK AMAZON AUS/NZ

What a splendid follow up to The French Orphan did The Secrets of Montrésor turned out to be. I have to confess after the strong start in book one I was met with that all too familiar fear of the sequel would measure up to my expectations, suffice it to say these worries were thankfully unwarrented.

In The Secrets of Montrésor we are again hot on Pierre's heels as he accompanied by his ever faithful friend Armand as they come to terms with Pierre's new station and all that that position entails, including his dastardly cousin Henri. Henri, as you can imagine is none to pleased at being ousted from the inheritance of the title of Marquis and true to form has some odious plans for his dear new found cousin. Thus locking this one into being just as full of twists, turns and adventure and as full of side stepping on Pierre and Armand's parts as the first book.

I thought it was quite engaging and I felt completely wrapped up in the story. There was much more focus on the politics at play in France than there was in the first book which is saying something. The political machinations were a very big part of the first novel and the further we get into them in this book the more I want to see where Pierre and Armand will end up. I also appreciated the author's rich attention to detail in describing the sights and sounds of the world Pierre and Armand were launched into along with Jean, Pierre's personal servant. It was good to see all the characters growing, finding their footing and I am looking forward to seeing what they all get into in terms of Henri, the Cardinal Richelieu's plans.

Many secrets were unfolded in this volume, but I'm still left wondering as to where certain plot lines are going and some major secrets remain not only unanswered at the end of this book, but I feel have ballooned in importance. 

I'd recommend this to any who want to follow up reading The French Orphan, and if you haven't read The French Orphan (which I reviewed yesterday) than I highly suggest reading my review and if it suits your fancy buy it. This is a series that must be read in order so I do not, repeat do not advise jumping in with this one.

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.

He has been reading and writing about history for longer than he cares to recall...

Author Links: 

GOODREADS

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:

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

– Giveaway is open to residents in the US, UK, and CANADA only.

– Only one entry per household.

– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

French Orphan Series