In the Name of the King by A L Berridge (4-Aug-2011) Paperback

The Chevalier #2

by A.L. Berridge

1640, and the pall of war hangs over France . . .The young Chevalier de Roland has scarcely set foot in the city before he crosses swords with a cruel nobleman to defend a young woman's honour. Too late he learns he has stumbled on a conspiracy within the King's own household to seize power by secret alliance with Spain. Accused of treason and forced to flee into hiding, André must fight on alone, staking both his life and his honour in the battle to save France.In the Name of the King is an epic swashbuckling pageturner that sweeps from the political intrigues of Cardinal Richelieu to the great battlefields of the Thirty Years War.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, France

Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

A. L. Berridge worked as a teacher, a script editor, and a television producer before finally settling down as a full-time novelist. She inherited her love of history from her father, writer and Victorian specialist David Newsome, but her own passion is for military adventure, and the character and relationships of men at war. She is published by Penguin.

Her first novel, the epic HONOUR AND THE SWORD, was published in April 2010 and became an instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Set during the Thirty Years War, it follows the adventures of André, the young Chevalier de Roland, as he fights to survive the 1636 Spanish invasion of Picardy.

Its sequel, IN THE NAME OF THE KING, is the second in the ‘Chevalier’ series and came out in August 2011. This time the idealistic de Roland is caught in the crossfire of political intrigue, and has to deal with the 1642 conspiracy of Cinq-Mars before a final bloody showdown at the Battle of Rocroi.

Her latest novel, ‘INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH’, is set in the Crimean War, and is the first in a new series featuring Victorian military hero Harry Ryder. The book follows the adventures of four friends through the horrors of Alma and Inkerman as well as exploring the real-life mystery behind the Charge of the Light Brigade. It was published in May 2012, and its sequel is expected in 2013.

Reviews

[The Idle Woman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The last time we saw André, the Chevalier de Roland (in Honour and the Sword), he’d just managed to fight off the armies of Spain, which were nosing hungrily at Picardy and, in particular, at his village of Dax-en-roi. We left him flushed with triumph, and that’s where we rejoin him, as he heads to the bright lights of Paris, to the house of his grandmother the Comtesse de Vallon, accompanied by his best friend and half-brother, Jacques Gilbert. Naturally, with the unerring instinct for trouble of a young d’Artagnan, the Chevalier barely makes it through the gates of Paris before falling into more trouble. That’s what comes of being (almost) seventeen, and almost ridiculously noble of heart. The ingredients for disaster are as follows: a mysterious man in the robe of a monk; a group of sinister conspirators; a pretty tavern girl; a water-trough; and the Chevalier’s fierce sense of chivalry, which forbids him to countenance any insult to a lady (even a tavern girl). Within seconds, the Chevalier’s arrival in Paris has metamorphosed from triumphal entry to tavern brawl. Worse still, he has acquired a new and very dangerous set of enemies, who will stop at nothing to avenge his insults to them, and who clearly have secrets to hide...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/03/23/i...

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the The Chevalier Series continues on the high level of Honour and Sword.

Read the full post over at Edi's Book Lighthouse

My Expectations

I expected nothing more as the sequel of Honour and the Sword on the same high level.That means high expectations.


The Delivery

To be honest I could use nearly everything of my Honour and the Sword review for In the Name of the King the review. But I did not like the idea because it seems unfair towards the author and also boring for regularly readers. On the other hand it shows the qualitiy of the sequel. Finally I decided to mingle old with new which in some ways A. L. Berridge did in In the Name of the King. Don't get me wrong it is neither old wine in new skins nor the 97th brewing of tea leaves as they did in the Crimean War.

Of course In the Name of the King is like the predecessor Honour and the Sword when it comes to the headmost narrative level. It is a most entertaining cloak-and-sword adventure including a lot swashbuckling rapier combat in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas.
The concept of Honour in the 17th century is still present.

But the scope of the story changed significantly from the impact of the Thirty Years War on a small community to Paris and to the royal court and battlefield.
Welcome to the world of intrigue, betrayal, suspicion, hauteur and honour. I see you need an appetizer: There is a plot against King Louis XIII and André de Roland .... Which game plays the opaque Cardinal Richelieu? I s there hope for the love between Anne du Pré and André de Roland? How many duels a man can gather within a day? (I do not talk about D' Artagnon).

And welcome to the leg-, arm-, and head-loosing battlefields where the own musket was as dangerous as the enemy. Ever heard of the Battle of Rocroi?

A good author knows that readers of series like to have a set of evolving main characters (at least one) who return again and again. And then there are companions (good and bad) which are important for the development of the characters and the story. Sometimes companions rise to be the secret stars of the book.
I assure you that A. L. Berridge is an excellent author when it comes to characters in her series because she executes everything I explained before.

Of course André de Roland is still the main character. If you want to know in deep how A. L. Berridge invented and developed the character then you must read André de Roland by A. L. Berridge.
Readers of Honour and the Sword (like me) will be happy to meet some of the characters like Stefan Ravel, Jaques Gilbert and Anne du Pré.
If you do not know Honour and the Sword I can assure you that it does not take long to feel familiar with Stefan, Jaques and Anne.
But there are more. For myself it was a great pleasure to get more information about the Comtesse de Vallon and André 's aunt. Finally there are new characters (good and bad). I want to single out two companions who are my secret stars of In the Name of the King:
Albert Grimauld, a fireworker and former soldier. This humble and unpretentious man is true and trustworthy fellow liked by André and mistrusted by Stefan. And there is the tough and feisty Bernadette Fournier. A young woman and love interest of Jaques. I like them especially because they do much more as everyone expects.


The decision to buy and read is sometimes easy and sometimes like the theory of every thing.
Imagine you like the cover, you like the story blurb, you like the writing because the words melt on your tongue and then it comes to the narrative style: first person, third person, alternating point of views, and so on.
A. L. Berridge use a narrative style which I love even more than before after reading In the Name of the King.

I can and will not deny that the following passage is nearl the same I used for my Honour and the Sword review. The reason is quite simple. It fits for both books and I could not find more adequate verbalisations.
A L Berridge chose to deliver the adventures of André de Roland in form of a collection of letters, interviews, diary and journal extracts,and interviews. The whole story is told from the perspective of different characters and that includes friends and foes! And to top it all, you will not find a single line written from André perspective!
The result is on the one hand a matchless view of André de Roland and on the other hand the opportunity to witness the story through the eyes of different and unique people. It does not take long to identify the current narrator without reading the chapter header. A L Berridge inhales every narrating character a unique personality. There is the caring and suffering (with André) Jaques, the tough Stefan, the young and feisty Bernadette Fournier and more.
When I look now at you I see one spefic question on your face.
Is it possible to read In the Name of the King without knowing Honour and the Sword?
The short answer is a big bold YES
followed by an even bigger bolder BUT

Yes = Each book is like a chapter of André 's biography with a clear beginning and end. There is no cliffhanger. Both deliver gripping historical fiction with emotional depth.

But = Honour and the Sword lays the foundation for the whole series. It delivers the development of André de Roland which let you understand why he acts like he acts. Reading In the Name of the King without knowing Honour and the Sword is like watching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers without watching The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring before. Of course you can do that but what makes more fun and what is more satisfying?
This is the question answer you must answer yourself.
You look for a cloak-and-sword adventure including a lot swashbuckling rapier combat in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas including emotional depths and packed with unobtrusive presentation of historical details?

Then I highly recommend to read the The Chevalier Series by A. L. Berridge.
Both so far available books - Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King - deliver excellent historical fiction from a time where honour was something completely different and the rapier the weapon of the nobleman.

[Wendy Dunwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. I was really looking forward to reading it. I'm currently two thirds of the way through and struggling to finish it, it's taken me several attempts and a few months to get here. Not sure if this is because I didn't realise it was the second book although in honesty I don't think that's the case. I love Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden so when the cover of the book as a quote from CI saying "BC meets the Three Musketeers" I was all in. I'll persevere but it won't stay in my collection.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this very quickly, and I am glad I did. I liked the romance most of all, and the historical details, but the battle scenes were too long for my taste, however, that is just my taste, and other readers might like them. In any case, the romance and page turning action kept me reading, and the believable characters drew me into the story. An enjoyable tale, well written.

[Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

I probably would have liked this more if I had realised it was the second in a series before I had read it - don't be like me. Read the first one first

[Liz C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I thought this was better than the first one. I hope the author continues with the series.

[colin weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better the three musketeers

Just read the book folks. It is quite brilliant and from the perspective of eye witnesses. As I said brilliant.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read Honour and the Sword I have to say that the book initially had a slow burn effect on me, the style was some what different to what I expected and what im used to.
But that's the genius of it, it dares to be different both in style and effect. The characters are impeccable and in really do live in the spirit of Alexandre Dumas and his indomitable three musketeers. But both Honour and the sword and In the name of the king bring a new sense or realism and lift the language to the modern level so its easier for the current audience to enjoy.
I think the greatest achievement is the way Berridge captures the true nature of the young boys/ men especially André de Roland who clearly is the modern embodiment of at least two of the more rash musketeers and the honour bound D'Artagnan.
Whilst the story has pace don't expect wild pace, it's a steady plot, but so well woven together and so real that you will be lost in Richelieu era Paris very quickly and caught up the adventures of the Chevalier de Roland

I really recommend this book, and will give none of the plot away, I leave it to you the reader to discover the world of Andre De Roland for yourself.

(Parm)

[catechism · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways I liked this one more than its predecessor -- it was more tightly plotted and significantly less rapey -- but the conceit of the frame wore very thin (the part where the story is relayed through a series of 'interviews' with the main characters) and I got very sick of André and his Mary Sue ways and I did a lot of eye-rolling. I liked what the author was trying to get at in terms of honor being a thing that cuts both ways (masculinity: very fragile! kind of full of shit!) but ultimately I think this is a failed experiment. Still, an exciting and action-packed adventure and the writing is vibrant, so I mostly enjoyed it.

[Constantinos Loizides · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is a convenient way to learn history without trying hard. The book has this unusual style of looking at the story through the eyes of many protagonists, following though a set time sequence, without the flash backs that you may find in other fiction books. I was happy with the book but it did not grip me, in terms of the building of the characters and the plot, in a way that Conn Iggulden's books have, that is why I give it four stars, instead of five.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting action packed adventure full of heroic chivalry. Based on history. Think of the three musketeers with a hint of Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Not the boring war book you may have expected from the cover. Enjoy

[Annie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I found the main male character hard to believe in. A lot of the dashing about and being saved at the last moment was drawn out till it snapped. I guess I just wasn't in a fun mood when I read this - that might have made a difference.

[Linda Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is normally right up my street but I got bored with it. The writing is excellent and plenty of details of the time included. I guess that, not having read the first in the series, I am missing some of the pieces of the puzzle.

[Cats 274 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real pageturner. Impressive historical background, fast-paced plot, likeable main characters (although it's sometimes hard to believe what men were forced to endure in these days).

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a great fan of Dumas. A noble attempt to update the genre. But as a book it was just ok.

[Brian Chong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful closing to the Chevalier series.

[Scott Macdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction continuing the story begun in Homour and the Sword

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent