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The Last Musketeer #1
The Last Musketeer
The first book in the thrilling time travel adventure trilogy from New York Times bestselling Charlie Thorne and Spy School author Stuart Gibbs.
Before they were legends, they were friends. All for one and one for all!
On a family trip to Paris, Greg Rich's parents disappear. They're not just missing from the city—they're missing from the century. So, Greg does what any other fourteen-year-old would He travels through time to rescue them.
Greg soon finds out that his family history is tied to the legendary Three Musketeers. But when he meets them, they're his age, and they'll only live long enough to become true heroes if he can save them.
To rescue his parents, Greg must assume the identity of a young Musketeer in training and unite Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—but a powerful enemy is doing everything possible to stop him.
And don't miss Traitor's Chase and Double Cross, the next two books in Stuart Gibbs's thrilling Last Musketeer trilogy!
Before they were legends, they were friends. All for one and one for all!
On a family trip to Paris, Greg Rich's parents disappear. They're not just missing from the city—they're missing from the century. So, Greg does what any other fourteen-year-old would He travels through time to rescue them.
Greg soon finds out that his family history is tied to the legendary Three Musketeers. But when he meets them, they're his age, and they'll only live long enough to become true heroes if he can save them.
To rescue his parents, Greg must assume the identity of a young Musketeer in training and unite Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—but a powerful enemy is doing everything possible to stop him.
And don't miss Traitor's Chase and Double Cross, the next two books in Stuart Gibbs's thrilling Last Musketeer trilogy!
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2011
1467 people are currently reading
1510 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
May 11, 2021
First of all, I would like to thank Brooke for Buddy-Reading this with me!
This book was amazing! I really needed a middle-grade book to lighten my mood up and this really did the trick. The book had an awesome plot, likable characters, and light-hearted writing.
Plot: The plot was very interesting and I just couldn't put it down! The main character, Gref, along with his parents, got teleported back to France 1615. There, his parents were accused of trying to murder the king, and were imprisoned. Greg however, managed to escape. He then realized that he is going to need help. Greg then bumped into The Three Musketeers, and go on a crazy adventure to rescue his parents. The plot has humor, high stakes, friendship, and matchsticks (you'll understand if you've read it.).
The book's ending completely warmed my heart and made me feel fuzzy inside. Friendship really can help you even in the toughest times. However, the ending also kind of annoyed me...SUCH A GOOD CLIFFHANGER!
Characters: I loved the characters! They all had their personalities and now I actually want to meet them in real life lol.
Greg: Let's start with the main character. Greg was a smart boy who had a rich family. He got everything he asked for, and yet he felt like an outsider. He never really fit in, until he traveled back in time to France, the time of the Musketeers. When he met the trio, he began to grow happier and happier around them. He soon became a good friends, willing help his friends in any way to accomplish their goal. From a outsider boy, he learned to lead and be brave. His growth was amazing!
"And now for you, D'Artagnan, the last Musketeer. I hear you can swim rivers like a fish, climb stone walls like a spider, and conjure flame like a sorcerer. But you also possess a skill far more important. You know how to make friends and win the trust of others."
Aramis: Aramis started out as a super smart cleric, a complete rule-follower. Even though, he was really smart, he refused to break any rules such as talking to nobility, breaking into prisons, etc. But once he met Greg, it opened his eyes to the problems of the monarchy. Aramis grew from a shy cleric to a very brave, witty friend willing to break any rule to aid his friends. Impressive growth!
"You have been chosen for your great intelligence and ingenuity. Every team needs a wise man to lead it. You will make a wonderful captain of the Musketeers."
Athos: Athos started out as a very strong character, quite the opposite of Aramis. He was a soldier working for the military. However, he wasn't a rule-follower. He didn't believe that his captain should be captain just because of nobility, it should be because of skill. Because of this, Athos challenged his captain and ended up getting kicked out. He became confused of what to believe. Should he follow his common sense, or what everyone else believes? At the end when he meets the other Musketeers, he slowly became more sure of himself. He realized that skill matters more than nobility. That friends matter over class.
"You have been chosen for your exceptional valor and skill in battle. Your abilities may not have been appreciated in the military, but I assure you, they will be here."
Porthos: Porthos was my comic relief lol. He was previously sent to prison, falsely accused. But after he managed to escape, he become a drunk, spoiled boy who loved sneaking into parties. He isn't what you would call a role model. But after he met the Musketeers, even though he still cracked jokes here and there, he became a priceless companion. He went from a boy who snuck into parties to drink, to a brave, skillful warrior.
"I would have never expected you to show such valor, but your bravery and skill have impressed me. Plus, every team needs a member who can adapt and improvise."
Writing: The writing was enjoyable. It is like your typical Percy Jackson book, or any middle-grade book for that matter. :) I really enjoyed it, the funny jokes and anecdotes made me smile!
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Stuart Gibbs, I am excited to read Traitor's Chase!
Thanks again Brooke for reading this with me! Click here for her review!
------------------------------------------------
RTC! :)
This book was amazing! I really needed a middle-grade book to lighten my mood up and this really did the trick. The book had an awesome plot, likable characters, and light-hearted writing.
Plot: The plot was very interesting and I just couldn't put it down! The main character, Gref, along with his parents, got teleported back to France 1615. There, his parents were accused of trying to murder the king, and were imprisoned. Greg however, managed to escape. He then realized that he is going to need help. Greg then bumped into The Three Musketeers, and go on a crazy adventure to rescue his parents. The plot has humor, high stakes, friendship, and matchsticks (you'll understand if you've read it.).
The book's ending completely warmed my heart and made me feel fuzzy inside. Friendship really can help you even in the toughest times. However, the ending also kind of annoyed me...SUCH A GOOD CLIFFHANGER!
Characters: I loved the characters! They all had their personalities and now I actually want to meet them in real life lol.
Greg: Let's start with the main character. Greg was a smart boy who had a rich family. He got everything he asked for, and yet he felt like an outsider. He never really fit in, until he traveled back in time to France, the time of the Musketeers. When he met the trio, he began to grow happier and happier around them. He soon became a good friends, willing help his friends in any way to accomplish their goal. From a outsider boy, he learned to lead and be brave. His growth was amazing!
"And now for you, D'Artagnan, the last Musketeer. I hear you can swim rivers like a fish, climb stone walls like a spider, and conjure flame like a sorcerer. But you also possess a skill far more important. You know how to make friends and win the trust of others."
Aramis: Aramis started out as a super smart cleric, a complete rule-follower. Even though, he was really smart, he refused to break any rules such as talking to nobility, breaking into prisons, etc. But once he met Greg, it opened his eyes to the problems of the monarchy. Aramis grew from a shy cleric to a very brave, witty friend willing to break any rule to aid his friends. Impressive growth!
"You have been chosen for your great intelligence and ingenuity. Every team needs a wise man to lead it. You will make a wonderful captain of the Musketeers."
Athos: Athos started out as a very strong character, quite the opposite of Aramis. He was a soldier working for the military. However, he wasn't a rule-follower. He didn't believe that his captain should be captain just because of nobility, it should be because of skill. Because of this, Athos challenged his captain and ended up getting kicked out. He became confused of what to believe. Should he follow his common sense, or what everyone else believes? At the end when he meets the other Musketeers, he slowly became more sure of himself. He realized that skill matters more than nobility. That friends matter over class.
"You have been chosen for your exceptional valor and skill in battle. Your abilities may not have been appreciated in the military, but I assure you, they will be here."
Porthos: Porthos was my comic relief lol. He was previously sent to prison, falsely accused. But after he managed to escape, he become a drunk, spoiled boy who loved sneaking into parties. He isn't what you would call a role model. But after he met the Musketeers, even though he still cracked jokes here and there, he became a priceless companion. He went from a boy who snuck into parties to drink, to a brave, skillful warrior.
"I would have never expected you to show such valor, but your bravery and skill have impressed me. Plus, every team needs a member who can adapt and improvise."
Writing: The writing was enjoyable. It is like your typical Percy Jackson book, or any middle-grade book for that matter. :) I really enjoyed it, the funny jokes and anecdotes made me smile!
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Stuart Gibbs, I am excited to read Traitor's Chase!
Thanks again Brooke for reading this with me! Click here for her review!
------------------------------------------------
RTC! :)
March 5, 2021
I've been wanting to read this for a while so thank you to Mango for buddy reading this with me! I loved talking with you! You can find her lovely review here!
The Spy School and FunJungle references made me very happy. This book is even more proof that Stuart Gibbs is a genius if his other books weren't enough. I love the way that The Last Musketeer is tied with the story of the Three Musketeers.
The Last Musketeer was more predictable than I expected, but there were still twists that I was surprised by! This book definitely deserves as much fame as Gibbs' other books!
The humor is perfect as always. I had to pause numerous times just to enjoy my laughter, especially at the mention of 'A vial of holy water'.
I loved Greg, he didn't fall into any stereotypes or annoying tropes. He was a real person, with real problems, I could relate to his character and laugh at his jokes. Greg was a really fun character and I love the lessons he learns on his journey with The Musketeers.
Athos is my favorite because he is bold, strong, and will let nothing stop him from doing what is right, even if it means losing his reputation. He was funny and worked well under pressure without lashing out at his closest friends.
Aramis's loyalty is just- No one is worthy of such a good friend. Aramis' character is just so loveable and you immediately wish you were friends with someone like him.
Porthos, *laughing* I have blessed by his humor. I was delighted(I can't think of another word😂) I love Porthos's story and everything he learns about friendship and what he wants.
The Last Musketeer was written by Stuart Gibbs so the plot is genius. I really did enjoy this plot. It was so different from Stuart's other books, but I can still tell that it was him who wrote it. This plot leaves several opportunities for the next books.
I needed a break to lighten up my mood and this along with Charlie Thorne and the Lost City is doing just that! I love how Gibbs can still create heart-pounding scenes without needed violence and death.
The. Quotes. Are. Perfect. Stuart Gibbs is so incredibly gifted.
“Time travel should have been fun, right? Sure, you would have to survive without the internet and cell phones and ice cream, but you’d also get to experience the world before everyone had paved and polluted it.”
Stuart Gibbs creates novels that will reach your heart, filled with humor, life lessons, and action. I will never get tired of reading and rereading his books!
I can't wait to read the next books with Mango!
-----------------------------------
This. Book.
This won't be my full review, but it shall do until tomorrow when I write a full one.
Here is the beginning of a list to read this book
- Time travel
- References to Gibbs' other series
- Very original story
- Stuart Gibbs wrote it
- Great writing style
- Any book by Gibbs is a good break from darker books but still includes action and intrigue
- Good characters
- Gibbs' humor proves that perfection is real
- The action is chefs kiss
This list is just the beginning.
The Spy School and FunJungle references made me very happy. This book is even more proof that Stuart Gibbs is a genius if his other books weren't enough. I love the way that The Last Musketeer is tied with the story of the Three Musketeers.
The Last Musketeer was more predictable than I expected, but there were still twists that I was surprised by! This book definitely deserves as much fame as Gibbs' other books!
The humor is perfect as always. I had to pause numerous times just to enjoy my laughter, especially at the mention of 'A vial of holy water'.
I loved Greg, he didn't fall into any stereotypes or annoying tropes. He was a real person, with real problems, I could relate to his character and laugh at his jokes. Greg was a really fun character and I love the lessons he learns on his journey with The Musketeers.
Athos is my favorite because he is bold, strong, and will let nothing stop him from doing what is right, even if it means losing his reputation. He was funny and worked well under pressure without lashing out at his closest friends.
Aramis's loyalty is just- No one is worthy of such a good friend. Aramis' character is just so loveable and you immediately wish you were friends with someone like him.
Porthos, *laughing* I have blessed by his humor. I was delighted(I can't think of another word😂) I love Porthos's story and everything he learns about friendship and what he wants.
The Last Musketeer was written by Stuart Gibbs so the plot is genius. I really did enjoy this plot. It was so different from Stuart's other books, but I can still tell that it was him who wrote it. This plot leaves several opportunities for the next books.
I needed a break to lighten up my mood and this along with Charlie Thorne and the Lost City is doing just that! I love how Gibbs can still create heart-pounding scenes without needed violence and death.
The. Quotes. Are. Perfect. Stuart Gibbs is so incredibly gifted.
“Time travel should have been fun, right? Sure, you would have to survive without the internet and cell phones and ice cream, but you’d also get to experience the world before everyone had paved and polluted it.”
Stuart Gibbs creates novels that will reach your heart, filled with humor, life lessons, and action. I will never get tired of reading and rereading his books!
I can't wait to read the next books with Mango!
-----------------------------------
This. Book.
This won't be my full review, but it shall do until tomorrow when I write a full one.
Here is the beginning of a list to read this book
- Time travel
- References to Gibbs' other series
- Very original story
- Stuart Gibbs wrote it
- Great writing style
- Any book by Gibbs is a good break from darker books but still includes action and intrigue
- Good characters
- Gibbs' humor proves that perfection is real
- The action is chefs kiss
This list is just the beginning.
November 17, 2015
My 10-yr-old daughter picked this up at the library and I flipped it open out of curiosity. Before I knew it I was several chapters in :).
The writing is good, and the story is fun, and I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel. What more do I need to say?
OK, maybe one thing. I read some of the other reviews, and I have to say: Please remember this is fiction, and so was the original Three Musketeers. I get that some of the historical things may be not quite perfect, and some points taken for that (1615 isn't "medieval" - and why would *no one* know how to swim?) but the critics who keep saying, "Dumas wrote(this) and Dumas wrote (that)," are missing the point. The idea is that Dumas wrote stories *based on* real people, and his stories were possibly not entirely accurate, so deviation from Dumas' work was likely intentional. Part of the fun is Greg (and thereby us) finding out that Dumas got some "facts" wrong.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this as a great book for kids in upper elementary and middle school, particularly boys.
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My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
The writing is good, and the story is fun, and I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel. What more do I need to say?
OK, maybe one thing. I read some of the other reviews, and I have to say: Please remember this is fiction, and so was the original Three Musketeers. I get that some of the historical things may be not quite perfect, and some points taken for that (1615 isn't "medieval" - and why would *no one* know how to swim?) but the critics who keep saying, "Dumas wrote(this) and Dumas wrote (that)," are missing the point. The idea is that Dumas wrote stories *based on* real people, and his stories were possibly not entirely accurate, so deviation from Dumas' work was likely intentional. Part of the fun is Greg (and thereby us) finding out that Dumas got some "facts" wrong.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this as a great book for kids in upper elementary and middle school, particularly boys.
My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
October 10, 2017
I always liked Stuart Gibbs books because he is my favorite author. This is a action packed mystery. It is about Greg and his journey to save his parents of execution. This is wonderful read for people who like action and mystery. My only complaint is their isn't enough interaction with milady winter.
August 9, 2019
Greg's family has hit tough times financially. Their salvation seems to come in the form of a man representing the Louvre who is eager to buy all the old furniture off the family estate. But when his family arrives in Paris to deliver the furniture it quickly becomes clear that all he's really interested in is a crystal that's been passed down from generation to generation. He snatches it...and jumps through a painting! The family follows trying to get the family heirloom back, and finds themselves in 17th century France. The man convinces the guards that Greg's family was trying to assassinate the king, and Greg's parents are hauled off to a horrid, filthy prison with an execution date set in 3 days time. Greg manages to escape. But how will he survive in 400 years in the past, and how can he save his parents?
So that musketeer in the title is because Gibbs has Greg accidentally become D'Artagnan and become friends of 3 other young men named Aramis, Porthos, and Athos. If you're not familiar with Dumas' classic, these are the 4 main characters of The Three Musketeers. Now, this isn't really a rewrite of Dumas' classic, it's more an imagining of how the 4 friends might have met as young teens and how they'd band together to pull off a prison break from a seemingly impenetrable prison. In some ways this is typical Gibbs with a young teen facing crazy problems and surviving by his wits, unique skill set, and the help of his friends. In other ways, this is very different from Gibbs' mystery and spy series. It feels a little more serious than his other writing. And there's a staggering amount of historical research that went into this. I mean, Gibbs usually does his research (look at the details that went into Moon Base Alpha) but this seems like it took much more research than anything else he's written. He does a fantastic job of bringing 1600s Paris to life for modern readers. He describes the stink, the bedding, the clothing, the sanitary conditions, and many other things that would be an assault to the senses of a typical 21st century teen. (Does Mr. Gibbs have a time machine himself?) He also shares what was around back then, and what was missing. How small Paris of that time was. How the Louvre and the Bastille have changed over time (which was rather surprising), and why certain areas of Paris have the names they have. I learned a lot about early 1600s Paris. This book ends with one major issue being resolved, but another couple are still looming so readers who like following Greg and his family around will likely be eager for the other books in this series. Hand this to readers who enjoy impossible rescues, realistic-feeling teens facing crazy things, time travel, swashbuckling, or Paris.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are a couple skirmishes but no one is described as fatally hurt. Mostly some scratches, bumps, and rope burns described, some sword fights with one person described as "run through" though not where so they could have survived.
So that musketeer in the title is because Gibbs has Greg accidentally become D'Artagnan and become friends of 3 other young men named Aramis, Porthos, and Athos. If you're not familiar with Dumas' classic, these are the 4 main characters of The Three Musketeers. Now, this isn't really a rewrite of Dumas' classic, it's more an imagining of how the 4 friends might have met as young teens and how they'd band together to pull off a prison break from a seemingly impenetrable prison. In some ways this is typical Gibbs with a young teen facing crazy problems and surviving by his wits, unique skill set, and the help of his friends. In other ways, this is very different from Gibbs' mystery and spy series. It feels a little more serious than his other writing. And there's a staggering amount of historical research that went into this. I mean, Gibbs usually does his research (look at the details that went into Moon Base Alpha) but this seems like it took much more research than anything else he's written. He does a fantastic job of bringing 1600s Paris to life for modern readers. He describes the stink, the bedding, the clothing, the sanitary conditions, and many other things that would be an assault to the senses of a typical 21st century teen. (Does Mr. Gibbs have a time machine himself?) He also shares what was around back then, and what was missing. How small Paris of that time was. How the Louvre and the Bastille have changed over time (which was rather surprising), and why certain areas of Paris have the names they have. I learned a lot about early 1600s Paris. This book ends with one major issue being resolved, but another couple are still looming so readers who like following Greg and his family around will likely be eager for the other books in this series. Hand this to readers who enjoy impossible rescues, realistic-feeling teens facing crazy things, time travel, swashbuckling, or Paris.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are a couple skirmishes but no one is described as fatally hurt. Mostly some scratches, bumps, and rope burns described, some sword fights with one person described as "run through" though not where so they could have survived.
May 13, 2021
Delightful. This book was a very fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I love the premise of this book and I am so glad I decided to read it through. At first I found Greg, our protagonist, a bit annoying and complainy but I soon realized that I would be the same if I was in his shoes so I shut up about that.
I loved meeting the other musketeers, especially Aramis who is now my favorite. I’ve never read The Three Musketeers and all I’ve seen of the story are the Barbie and Mickey Mouse versions, but now, because of this book, I want to read that classic even though it would take my entire lifetime and then some to finish it.
9/10 I don’t want to live in 1615 Paris
I love the premise of this book and I am so glad I decided to read it through. At first I found Greg, our protagonist, a bit annoying and complainy but I soon realized that I would be the same if I was in his shoes so I shut up about that.
I loved meeting the other musketeers, especially Aramis who is now my favorite. I’ve never read The Three Musketeers and all I’ve seen of the story are the Barbie and Mickey Mouse versions, but now, because of this book, I want to read that classic even though it would take my entire lifetime and then some to finish it.
9/10 I don’t want to live in 1615 Paris
January 24, 2013
Thoughts on the Overall Book: I love time travel books and I love the Three Musketeers, that should have made this great right? Well, actually that was the problem.
Cover--Yea or Nay: I think it’s fine for the genre and age target of the book. I especially like the font, though I don’t really get the title.
Characters: This was the problem. Okay, overall, Greg is not a bad protagonist. I don’t care for him being “the” D’Artagnan, but whatever, there were too many other things to care about. And even though he can do all kinds of useful things like fence and ride horses and climb walls, at least that was explained unlike in some time travel books by him going to fancy private schools. Okay, now for the characters from the original book:
Athos: All right, we don’t know really what Athos was like as a teenager, but I don’t think he was quite as happy-go-lucky as he was portrayed in this book. Even though this was before Milady.
Aramis: He was far too squeamish, and not nearly ruthless enough for Aramis. I think even as a teenager, Aramis would have been rather cunning.
Porthos: Porthos was actually not quite so bad, but he is a pretty hard character to mess up. Even most of the bad movie versions of Three Musketeers have gotten him right when they didn’t get anyone else right.
Richelieu and Richelieu: It took me forever to figure out there were two different Richelieus, I automatically assumed it would be THE Richelieu. and then I was proven wrong. Apparently he has a brother names Dominic
Milady: She wasn’t too bad, but not nearly as smart and cunning as Milady should be.
Writing Style: It wasn’t amazing or bad, but frankly, I was too busy paying attention to the story to really notice it. There were some serious plot holes in this book though.
Problems/What bothered me: Okay, there were so many problems, I’ll make bullet points. (Also, yes, I did take into account that this story was ‘supposedly’ the historical--though historical is a loose term to use for this book-- events that Dumas wrote the story from, but still. There could have been a ton of opportunities to write a really cool story for the musketeers and how they met!)
-Athos was portrayed as a peasant in this story, he was actually a nobleman, in fact he was the richest of the four, and came from the most distinguished family. Porthos was a minor noble in the original, here, he is more like what Athos was supposed to be.
Athos was blond in this book. Dumas clearly states that he had dark hair. No one ever seems to realize this.
-People did not wear huge towering wigs in this time period. That was Georgian.
-Athos was girl crazy in this story. Again, we don’t know what he was like before the Milady incident, but still. I took him to be a more sensible man than that even as a teen.
-Aramis was way too shy around girls. Since it was a lady who was his downfall before he turned 20, we can only assume he was hardly a shrinking violet as a teen.
-Milady is a handmaiden to the queen here. It’s been a while since I read Three Musketeers, but from my recollection, I think she should have been killing off her first husband here?
-I don’t think people labeled their desk drawers in this time period, especially not with confidential info *dunce slap*
-People didn’t have signatures in this time period? I didn’t know that!
-As I said before, Aramis was too squeamish in this. He was seriously the most ruthless of the musketeers.
-Boys their age would have drunk wine back then. It is very unlikely that Athos NEVER would have tasted wine considering the water supply they had.
-There were not just pubs in lieu of restaurants back then either. There were many perfectly respectable inn/taverns to eat at.
-Okay, no one can swim or climb in this time period? yeah, Swimming might have been a little uncommon, but not unheard of. I mean, if memory serves, Roman soldiers had to know how to swim.
-Why is Aramis so amazed by Greg’s great-great grandfather’s book’s binding? If it was his great-great grandfather’s it probably wouldn’t have been bound too much differently as books in the musketeers time period. I don’t think they used the nowadays paste back then.
-Aramis being sweet on Milady? I don’t think so. Not with how important the whole Athos/Milady relationship was to the whole Dumas story line.
-Why the heck did Greg keep calling the time period medieval? Blimey, it wasn’t even the blasted Renaissance!
Conclusion: 2 stars. Marks for trying.
Recommended Audience: If nothing else it was a good adventure story, though I didn’t enjoy it because of all the things that bothered me. It’s a guy read and would appeal to ages 10-12, if you liked the original Three Musketeers, this would drive you nuts though.
Cover--Yea or Nay: I think it’s fine for the genre and age target of the book. I especially like the font, though I don’t really get the title.
Characters: This was the problem. Okay, overall, Greg is not a bad protagonist. I don’t care for him being “the” D’Artagnan, but whatever, there were too many other things to care about. And even though he can do all kinds of useful things like fence and ride horses and climb walls, at least that was explained unlike in some time travel books by him going to fancy private schools. Okay, now for the characters from the original book:
Athos: All right, we don’t know really what Athos was like as a teenager, but I don’t think he was quite as happy-go-lucky as he was portrayed in this book. Even though this was before Milady.
Aramis: He was far too squeamish, and not nearly ruthless enough for Aramis. I think even as a teenager, Aramis would have been rather cunning.
Porthos: Porthos was actually not quite so bad, but he is a pretty hard character to mess up. Even most of the bad movie versions of Three Musketeers have gotten him right when they didn’t get anyone else right.
Richelieu and Richelieu: It took me forever to figure out there were two different Richelieus, I automatically assumed it would be THE Richelieu. and then I was proven wrong. Apparently he has a brother names Dominic
Milady: She wasn’t too bad, but not nearly as smart and cunning as Milady should be.
Writing Style: It wasn’t amazing or bad, but frankly, I was too busy paying attention to the story to really notice it. There were some serious plot holes in this book though.
Problems/What bothered me: Okay, there were so many problems, I’ll make bullet points. (Also, yes, I did take into account that this story was ‘supposedly’ the historical--though historical is a loose term to use for this book-- events that Dumas wrote the story from, but still. There could have been a ton of opportunities to write a really cool story for the musketeers and how they met!)
-Athos was portrayed as a peasant in this story, he was actually a nobleman, in fact he was the richest of the four, and came from the most distinguished family. Porthos was a minor noble in the original, here, he is more like what Athos was supposed to be.
Athos was blond in this book. Dumas clearly states that he had dark hair. No one ever seems to realize this.
-People did not wear huge towering wigs in this time period. That was Georgian.
-Athos was girl crazy in this story. Again, we don’t know what he was like before the Milady incident, but still. I took him to be a more sensible man than that even as a teen.
-Aramis was way too shy around girls. Since it was a lady who was his downfall before he turned 20, we can only assume he was hardly a shrinking violet as a teen.
-Milady is a handmaiden to the queen here. It’s been a while since I read Three Musketeers, but from my recollection, I think she should have been killing off her first husband here?
-I don’t think people labeled their desk drawers in this time period, especially not with confidential info *dunce slap*
-People didn’t have signatures in this time period? I didn’t know that!
-As I said before, Aramis was too squeamish in this. He was seriously the most ruthless of the musketeers.
-Boys their age would have drunk wine back then. It is very unlikely that Athos NEVER would have tasted wine considering the water supply they had.
-There were not just pubs in lieu of restaurants back then either. There were many perfectly respectable inn/taverns to eat at.
-Okay, no one can swim or climb in this time period? yeah, Swimming might have been a little uncommon, but not unheard of. I mean, if memory serves, Roman soldiers had to know how to swim.
-Why is Aramis so amazed by Greg’s great-great grandfather’s book’s binding? If it was his great-great grandfather’s it probably wouldn’t have been bound too much differently as books in the musketeers time period. I don’t think they used the nowadays paste back then.
-Aramis being sweet on Milady? I don’t think so. Not with how important the whole Athos/Milady relationship was to the whole Dumas story line.
-Why the heck did Greg keep calling the time period medieval? Blimey, it wasn’t even the blasted Renaissance!
Conclusion: 2 stars. Marks for trying.
Recommended Audience: If nothing else it was a good adventure story, though I didn’t enjoy it because of all the things that bothered me. It’s a guy read and would appeal to ages 10-12, if you liked the original Three Musketeers, this would drive you nuts though.
November 30, 2020
Fourteen year old Greg Rich and his parents find themselves in 1615, four hundred years in the past because of an heirloom necklace. Not only are they unprepared for their predicament, they are accused of trying to assassinate King Louis XIII. Greg manages to escape but his parents are thrown in prison. Greg is quite resourceful with a number of skills that help him cope with his new surroundings, and his most useful talent is his ability to make friends and enlist them to help rescue his parents. A middle grade Three Musketeers retelling that does a good job of recreating the time period with all of Dumas's wonderful characters. A fun swashbuckling romp!
May 3, 2021
Greg and his parents travel to Paris in order to sell off some antiques, but their contact at the Louvre is beyond suspicious. The next thing they know, the three of them are pitched through time and falsely accused of attempting to assassinate the king. On the run, Greg meets a cleric named Aramis (the name seems vaguely familiar) who nicknames him D'Artagnan. That's when it clicks. Greg hopes to gain the help of the other two famous musketeers in order to rescue his imprisoned parents and find his way back home in the future.
Interesting historical tidbits & a swift pace with nods to the classic tale. Very enjoyable!
Interesting historical tidbits & a swift pace with nods to the classic tale. Very enjoyable!
April 23, 2022
Overview: This was an amazing book 10/10
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This is a fantasy book which can be super difficult for me to read and keep up with everything, but with this book, I was able to comprehend everything. This is an amazing book if you are on a reading block or want a quick read. It took me a little less than a week to complete but, I only read for a little bit/ a few chapters at night and skipped a few days. You could easily finish this book in one weekend. This author did an amazing job and keeping the reader excited for the next chapter WITHOUT an infinite and incomprehensible amount of twists and turns. This was an amazing book to get back into reading. 📚
•
This is a fantasy book which can be super difficult for me to read and keep up with everything, but with this book, I was able to comprehend everything. This is an amazing book if you are on a reading block or want a quick read. It took me a little less than a week to complete but, I only read for a little bit/ a few chapters at night and skipped a few days. You could easily finish this book in one weekend. This author did an amazing job and keeping the reader excited for the next chapter WITHOUT an infinite and incomprehensible amount of twists and turns. This was an amazing book to get back into reading. 📚
April 11, 2022
Greg finds himself and his family suddenly thrust into Renaissance Paris after his family is forced to sell heirlooms. They are accused of being assasins and while Greg escapes, his parents are imprisoned in nortorious La Morte prison. Greg befriends the rest of the musketeers in an effort to free his parents. Events in the book happen 10 years before The Three Musketeers.
NC EBOB 2022-2023 selection
I just wasn't that impressed with this. Can't really put my finger on why, but it didn't suck me in. The premise was fine, but the writing was maybe flat? It just seemed to something...
NC EBOB 2022-2023 selection
I just wasn't that impressed with this. Can't really put my finger on why, but it didn't suck me in. The premise was fine, but the writing was maybe flat? It just seemed to something...
April 29, 2022
2022-23 Elementary Battle of the Books selection
What a fun book! I think the kids are going to love this one. Action, adventure, AND history all wrapped into a good story. I thought the idea of the young Musketeers meeting each other and becoming friends was a neat idea, too. Throw in some time travel on top of it all and it made for a very quick read.
I did figure out some of it very quickly, and I'm wondering if young readers will do the same.
What a fun book! I think the kids are going to love this one. Action, adventure, AND history all wrapped into a good story. I thought the idea of the young Musketeers meeting each other and becoming friends was a neat idea, too. Throw in some time travel on top of it all and it made for a very quick read.
I did figure out some of it very quickly, and I'm wondering if young readers will do the same.
January 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this time-traveling tale into 17th century France and its twist on classic Dumas canon! Stuart Gibbs is quickly becoming on of my new favorite middle-grade authors.
June 25, 2022
My favorite Gibbs book and that's hard to say as he's my favorite author.
April 26, 2023
Loved reading this with my oldest son. The historical aspect was fun to read and the story was engaging. We're starting the second now.
October 16, 2018
Gibbs does high adventure SO WELL! The pacing is fantastic, the character development is just enough that you don’t get bogged down with it, and it’s a fun ride from beginning to end.
January 29, 2020
Fun galore.
Lots of fun. I enjoyed the characters and the fast moving plot. A winning series from one of my favorite authors.
Lots of fun. I enjoyed the characters and the fast moving plot. A winning series from one of my favorite authors.
March 14, 2022
3.5
Cute series to read with my 10yo. It keeps enough of the original that it may inspire him to read the real thing or look into the history further. (Clean)
Cute series to read with my 10yo. It keeps enough of the original that it may inspire him to read the real thing or look into the history further. (Clean)
Read
January 25, 2022I thought there were many Eye gawking moments in this book!
November 22, 2011
As a Three Musketeers fan since I was twelve years old, I was of course excited to read this new time travel story, in which a 21st century boy travels back to France of the early 17th century, befriending the future musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Author Stuart Gibbs' fast paced, action-packed tale may well appeal to today's tweens, but I couldn't help but be disappointed in the way he interprets Dumas' classic story for the 21st century.
The story starts off strong, with a terrific first sentence that will grab any young reader: "Clinging to the prison wall, Greg Rich realized how much he hated time travel." On a trip to Paris with his family to sell the family's treasured heirlooms to the Louvre, Greg and his parents are pulled through a time warp, winding up in 1615. When his parents are falsely imprisoned for trying to kill the young Louis XIII, Greg must rescue them--by meeting up with three teenagers like himself, Aramis, a young cleric, Athos, a soldier from the lower social classes, and Porthos, a foppish rich young nobleman who's the life of the party. Greg himself becomes known as D'Artagnan (in the original a fish-out-of-water himself, as a bumbling, hot-headed young man from the distant province of Gascony. Mix in a nefarious brother of Cardinal Richelieu (the Cardinal being a central character in Dumas' novel), and a young Milady de Winter (the original villainess in the Three Musketeers), some tropes of fantasy fiction (a stone that grants eternal life), and voila! a 21st century musketeer rehash.
Gibbs does a good job with the whole fish-out-of-water time travel tropes, with Greg disgusted by the smells of Paris, the privies, and the fleas, among others. The book of matches in his pocket make the 17th century characters he meet think he's a magician, as does his ability to swim. There's plenty of action, as Greg and his new-found friends swashbuckle their way to saving Greg's parents. At the end, they don't go back to the 21st century, which makes me think that Gibbs has a sequel up his sleeve.
While I can't help but appreciate any author that brings Dumas' characters to the attention of 21st century kids, I couldn't get over several changes to the original story that drove me crazy. First of all, the author keeps referring to Greg being in medieval Paris. While the streets of Paris might have been similar to the way they were in the Middle Ages, 1615 is definitely not considered the Middle Ages, and I wonder how such a glaring error could have escaped the Harper editors, not to mention the professor of French history who Gibbs thanks in his acknowledgment for vetting the manuscript. Second, and what bothered me more as a fan of the original novel, which I couldn't help wondering if Gibbs had actually read, he changed many key elements of the musketeers' personalities. For example, Athos, or the Conte de la Fere in the original, was a member of the nobility, not a common soldier, as Gibbs makes him out to be. Appearing as a young girl, the character of Milady de Winter doesn't make sense with that name, since she is supposed to have married an English lord after having been married to Athos as a young girl. Also, it's not very believable that 14-year old boys would be made guards of the king! Any young person who reads this and goes on to read the original Dumas is going to discoverer the many inconsistencies, which I just don't think were necessary. And by turning the somewhat ordinary Greg into D'Artagnan, Gibbs eliminated one of the funniest and most memorable characters in the book, the young Gascon around whom the plot unfolds.
In short, while I enjoyed the concept of this story, I believe the execution could have been much better, simply by keeping more to the original outlines of Dumas' immortal characters. Unfortunately, I don't think that Gibbs' changes to the basic characters really added to the story, but rather detracted from it. It will be interesting to see if a sequel is in the making.
The story starts off strong, with a terrific first sentence that will grab any young reader: "Clinging to the prison wall, Greg Rich realized how much he hated time travel." On a trip to Paris with his family to sell the family's treasured heirlooms to the Louvre, Greg and his parents are pulled through a time warp, winding up in 1615. When his parents are falsely imprisoned for trying to kill the young Louis XIII, Greg must rescue them--by meeting up with three teenagers like himself, Aramis, a young cleric, Athos, a soldier from the lower social classes, and Porthos, a foppish rich young nobleman who's the life of the party. Greg himself becomes known as D'Artagnan (in the original a fish-out-of-water himself, as a bumbling, hot-headed young man from the distant province of Gascony. Mix in a nefarious brother of Cardinal Richelieu (the Cardinal being a central character in Dumas' novel), and a young Milady de Winter (the original villainess in the Three Musketeers), some tropes of fantasy fiction (a stone that grants eternal life), and voila! a 21st century musketeer rehash.
Gibbs does a good job with the whole fish-out-of-water time travel tropes, with Greg disgusted by the smells of Paris, the privies, and the fleas, among others. The book of matches in his pocket make the 17th century characters he meet think he's a magician, as does his ability to swim. There's plenty of action, as Greg and his new-found friends swashbuckle their way to saving Greg's parents. At the end, they don't go back to the 21st century, which makes me think that Gibbs has a sequel up his sleeve.
While I can't help but appreciate any author that brings Dumas' characters to the attention of 21st century kids, I couldn't get over several changes to the original story that drove me crazy. First of all, the author keeps referring to Greg being in medieval Paris. While the streets of Paris might have been similar to the way they were in the Middle Ages, 1615 is definitely not considered the Middle Ages, and I wonder how such a glaring error could have escaped the Harper editors, not to mention the professor of French history who Gibbs thanks in his acknowledgment for vetting the manuscript. Second, and what bothered me more as a fan of the original novel, which I couldn't help wondering if Gibbs had actually read, he changed many key elements of the musketeers' personalities. For example, Athos, or the Conte de la Fere in the original, was a member of the nobility, not a common soldier, as Gibbs makes him out to be. Appearing as a young girl, the character of Milady de Winter doesn't make sense with that name, since she is supposed to have married an English lord after having been married to Athos as a young girl. Also, it's not very believable that 14-year old boys would be made guards of the king! Any young person who reads this and goes on to read the original Dumas is going to discoverer the many inconsistencies, which I just don't think were necessary. And by turning the somewhat ordinary Greg into D'Artagnan, Gibbs eliminated one of the funniest and most memorable characters in the book, the young Gascon around whom the plot unfolds.
In short, while I enjoyed the concept of this story, I believe the execution could have been much better, simply by keeping more to the original outlines of Dumas' immortal characters. Unfortunately, I don't think that Gibbs' changes to the basic characters really added to the story, but rather detracted from it. It will be interesting to see if a sequel is in the making.
April 14, 2019
This is another masterpiece by Stuart Gibbs and I enjoyed this book. This is about a kid named Greg Rich who goes to Paris with his mom and dad to sell furniture to get some money. Then, a museum owner is touring the family through the museum when he asks about a rock that has been a part of their family for a very long time. When Greg's mom refuses to let him have it, the owner gets mad and steals the stone and runs. The family follows, hoping to get it back when the man runs through a painting and disappears. The family follows and ends up in a castle in 1615! The stone that Greg's mother held had special powers when combined with its other half. This is a story that anyone could enjoy and I look forward to more books by this great author. ★★★★★
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2020
Greg had a bad feeling about selling all his family’s art from the beginning. He didn’t expect that bad feeling was foreshadowing a travel through time. After he and his family are wrongly accused of trying to assassinate the king of France from 1615, Greg must rescue his parents. He even knows who to recruit to help him - the Three Musketeers!
Although this series is the hardest of Gibbs’ to find, I think it’s one of the best! I had so much fun reading this one. It was a bit like Spy School, but medieval and with magic. I’m glad I finally found a paperback copy. I highly recommend it to fans of Stuart Gibbs and those who love magic and mystery. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Although this series is the hardest of Gibbs’ to find, I think it’s one of the best! I had so much fun reading this one. It was a bit like Spy School, but medieval and with magic. I’m glad I finally found a paperback copy. I highly recommend it to fans of Stuart Gibbs and those who love magic and mystery. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
January 27, 2021
Gibbs delivers a time traveled adventure that captivates the reader to keep reading. Greg follows his family through a picture that lands him in Paris 1615. Through many misadventures he must assemble the rest of the youths that will make up the legendary 3 Musketeers, so that he can rescue his parents.
Typical of Gibbs style the reader will be swept into the action, laugh at the humor and maybe, just maybe appreciate the time they live in.
Good for readers 3rd grade and up.
Typical of Gibbs style the reader will be swept into the action, laugh at the humor and maybe, just maybe appreciate the time they live in.
Good for readers 3rd grade and up.
August 19, 2014
Engaging juvenile novel involving teenage versions of D'Artangion, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, Milady de Winter, and Louis XIII. Twisted around time travel and sorcery, this is a wonderful mix of Dumas characters, historical anachronisms, and the time travel paradox. While it probably owes more to Marty McFly than Robert Heinlein, this is a lot of fun.
April 14, 2019
I picked this up at the school book fair and as I loved The Three Musketeers as a child, I couldn’t resist seeing what this talented YA author did with a time traveling version!
I was not disappointed!
A great exploratory version of the three musketeers as it might be if D’Artagnan were actually a boy from the future. A swashbuckling, action adventure filled with a lively easy to read tale.
I was not disappointed!
A great exploratory version of the three musketeers as it might be if D’Artagnan were actually a boy from the future. A swashbuckling, action adventure filled with a lively easy to read tale.
June 14, 2021
It's a good thing Greg Rich got to learn French, fencing and horseback riding at his elite private school in Connecticut, before his family lost everything and he had to transfer to a public school in New York. I mean, it isn't a good thing right away, because all that stuff makes it harder to fit in, and he never really felt like he belonged even before the family fortune went. But it all turns out to be really handy for Greg when an evil, immortal sorcerer tricks his parents into giving him their half of a stone that he then uses to take the four of them 400 years back in time. It's really lucky because present-day American kid Greg turns out to be D'Artagnan – the hero of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers – and if he's going to save his parents and get back to the future, he'll need to bring together that book's real-life title characters.
In Greg's favor, Aramis, Athos and Porthos really exist in 1615 Paris, and he practically stumbles over them and makes friends with them easily. The problem? Well, to start, they're only teenagers. D'Artagnan wasn't supposed to meet them until years later, when the Musketeers were already an established unit, answering directly to King Louis XIII. But thanks to unscheduled time travel, and the very much scheduled execution of his parents, Greg doesn't have the luxury of waiting for the boys to grow up and become friends. He brings them together in a just cause – saving the lives of his unjustly condemned parents – albeit without sharing all the details, at first. And honestly, he wouldn't get very far without them in the fetid streets and waterways of pre-Revolution Paris. He needs all the advantage he can take from cathedral clerk Aramis's intelligence and clerical skill, militiaman Athos's skills as a swashbuckling warrior, and the foppish Porthos's ability to move among the nobility and even royalty – not to mention the almost insane bravery, resourcefulness and loyalty that soon binds them together, "all for one and one for all."
Also, they're in a lot of trouble. I should have mentioned that before. The captain of the king's guard has put out a description of Greg, wanted for an alleged conspiracy to assassinate King Louis. The prison he's put Greg's parents in is a dreadful pit of filth, disease and death – and it's designed to be unjailbreakable. A certain Milady de Winter, a teenager herself, already seems to be on her way to becoming a formidable mischief-maker. And of course that evil, time-traveling sorcerer I mentioned is still out there, pulling strings behind the scenes, manipulating the impetuous youths into a trap that he has designed to destroy the Musketeers before they can destroy him. These kids have a rocky road ahead of them, and I don't just say that because the streets of Paris were a cobblestoned mess at that date. Greg will be too busy fighting to stay alive in 1615 to worry about making it back to the future.
I mentioned before how Greg never felt like he belonged in the 21st century. But even though he feels like the weakest link in the Musketeers Club, soon he enough he's pulling zany stunts like climbing walls, swimming the Seine River, swinging from chandeliers and shimmying down ten-story ropes – in short, not lagging far behind his newfound friends in derring-do. So let's not be too upset with the fact that this book doesn't end with him and his folks making it safetly back to the era of indoor plumbing, cellphones and the internet. He apparently has more adventures ahead of him as D'Artagnan, and it would be a shame to break up the band before it makes the big time. Still, you can only imagine (sorry, spoilers) how proud and bemused Greg's parents must have felt, seeing him and the other three boys officially becoming the king's Musketeers.
Maybe I'm showing my age when this book leaves me seeing that scene from their point of view. But while I'm showing my age, let me pause right here to tell young readers that not only will they enjoy this book, but they have nothing to fear from Dumas's original, either. Despite being one of those classics that generations of kids have whined about being forced to read for school, it's a purely enjoyable adventure that is worth getting to know – maybe (hint, hint) before reading this book – so that you can appreciate even better what Stuart Gibbs is doing with Dumas's characters. And then, perhaps you will feel that lump in your throat when the four(!) Musketeers pledge their "all for one" oath to each other, because the possibility of such heroes – even in a historical romance – matters so deeply, and resonates in the heart.
This is the first book of the "Last Musketeer" trilogy, which continues with Traitor's Chase and Double Cross. Its author is is the same Stuart Gibbs who has written nine "Spy School" novels, three "Moon Base Alpha" books, at least two "Charlie Thorne" books and seven "FunJungle" books. Meanwhile, the original Musketeers was also only the first book in a series (whose number of books varies, depending on how they're divided up) by a prolific author who specialized in sensationalized historical fiction. Here's a list of Dumas's titles, if you're interested.
In Greg's favor, Aramis, Athos and Porthos really exist in 1615 Paris, and he practically stumbles over them and makes friends with them easily. The problem? Well, to start, they're only teenagers. D'Artagnan wasn't supposed to meet them until years later, when the Musketeers were already an established unit, answering directly to King Louis XIII. But thanks to unscheduled time travel, and the very much scheduled execution of his parents, Greg doesn't have the luxury of waiting for the boys to grow up and become friends. He brings them together in a just cause – saving the lives of his unjustly condemned parents – albeit without sharing all the details, at first. And honestly, he wouldn't get very far without them in the fetid streets and waterways of pre-Revolution Paris. He needs all the advantage he can take from cathedral clerk Aramis's intelligence and clerical skill, militiaman Athos's skills as a swashbuckling warrior, and the foppish Porthos's ability to move among the nobility and even royalty – not to mention the almost insane bravery, resourcefulness and loyalty that soon binds them together, "all for one and one for all."
Also, they're in a lot of trouble. I should have mentioned that before. The captain of the king's guard has put out a description of Greg, wanted for an alleged conspiracy to assassinate King Louis. The prison he's put Greg's parents in is a dreadful pit of filth, disease and death – and it's designed to be unjailbreakable. A certain Milady de Winter, a teenager herself, already seems to be on her way to becoming a formidable mischief-maker. And of course that evil, time-traveling sorcerer I mentioned is still out there, pulling strings behind the scenes, manipulating the impetuous youths into a trap that he has designed to destroy the Musketeers before they can destroy him. These kids have a rocky road ahead of them, and I don't just say that because the streets of Paris were a cobblestoned mess at that date. Greg will be too busy fighting to stay alive in 1615 to worry about making it back to the future.
I mentioned before how Greg never felt like he belonged in the 21st century. But even though he feels like the weakest link in the Musketeers Club, soon he enough he's pulling zany stunts like climbing walls, swimming the Seine River, swinging from chandeliers and shimmying down ten-story ropes – in short, not lagging far behind his newfound friends in derring-do. So let's not be too upset with the fact that this book doesn't end with him and his folks making it safetly back to the era of indoor plumbing, cellphones and the internet. He apparently has more adventures ahead of him as D'Artagnan, and it would be a shame to break up the band before it makes the big time. Still, you can only imagine (sorry, spoilers) how proud and bemused Greg's parents must have felt, seeing him and the other three boys officially becoming the king's Musketeers.
Maybe I'm showing my age when this book leaves me seeing that scene from their point of view. But while I'm showing my age, let me pause right here to tell young readers that not only will they enjoy this book, but they have nothing to fear from Dumas's original, either. Despite being one of those classics that generations of kids have whined about being forced to read for school, it's a purely enjoyable adventure that is worth getting to know – maybe (hint, hint) before reading this book – so that you can appreciate even better what Stuart Gibbs is doing with Dumas's characters. And then, perhaps you will feel that lump in your throat when the four(!) Musketeers pledge their "all for one" oath to each other, because the possibility of such heroes – even in a historical romance – matters so deeply, and resonates in the heart.
This is the first book of the "Last Musketeer" trilogy, which continues with Traitor's Chase and Double Cross. Its author is is the same Stuart Gibbs who has written nine "Spy School" novels, three "Moon Base Alpha" books, at least two "Charlie Thorne" books and seven "FunJungle" books. Meanwhile, the original Musketeers was also only the first book in a series (whose number of books varies, depending on how they're divided up) by a prolific author who specialized in sensationalized historical fiction. Here's a list of Dumas's titles, if you're interested.
Read
March 19, 2021Good
July 29, 2025
This book made me obsessed with the three musketeers. Now I want to watch all the movie adaptions and read the original by Alexandre Dumas. I thought this historical fiction was a great way for kids to see life in France during the 1600’s. The author didn’t romanticize or sugar coat the way of life. He showed all the stench and dirt and fleas. Bc it was a time traveling book, the author was able to compare modern day to the year 1615. I love the three musketeer story and it was fun to see it played out with all the beloved characters but in a middle school version. There is a plethora of action, lovable characters with plenty of personality, and an intriguing mystery. I recommend this as a fun family read aloud. I also recommend the audiobook format bc the narrator did a great job.
SPOILERS and book notes:
The Three Musketeers (French: Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas
Greg Rich travels back in time to the year 1615. The family in modern time is visiting Paris to sell family heirlooms to the Louvre museum. Greg is 14yo with brown curly hair. He went from private school with skills like fencing, speaking French fluently, rock climbing, horse back riding on an estate in Connecticut to New York appartment and public school when his family went broke. He found a diary from his great great gpa in one of the desk drawers that they are selling. Louise the 13th was the king during that time. The history of the Louvre: “Fortress:The initial structure was a fortress, built to protect the western edge of Paris. Royal Residence: In the 16th century, King Francis I began transforming the fortress into a Renaissance-style palace. Continued Expansion: Subsequent monarchs, including Louis XIII and Louis XIV,added to the Louvre, making it a grand palace complex. Versailles and Beyond: Although the Louvre served as a royal residence, eventually Louis XIV moved the royal court to the Palace of Versailles, and the Louvre was used for various purposes, including housing the Royal Collection and hosting exhibitions. Museum: Finally, the Louvre was opened as a public museum during the French Revolution.” So Louis the XIII helped turned it from fortress to palace. Greg and his parents followed the evil French man into a painting when he stole the moms crystal. The first thing Greg noticed when he transported time was how smelly it was. Notre Dame is the same in 1600 and is where he seeks sanctuary. The boy Aramis let him in and protected him. Aramis is a cleric for the church. He translates books from Latin to French. Galileo is during this time and he was the one that said the sun is the center and people thought him crazy bc it was against the church. They didn’t have pockets or rubber! And a watch! They call Greg D’Artagnan. These are the names of the musketeers! The others are Pathos and Athos. The author of the three musketeers book named Alexandre Dumas claimed the story is fiction based on real people. No tooth paste soap and lots of flees. They believed bathing caused you to get sick and that dirt blocked pores that would allow sickness to get in lol. They met Athos! He is an amazing sword fighter, handsome, and good with the ladies lol. Porthos wore foppish clothes and also good with the ladies. And slightly over weight. He is with the upper class. Athos hates the class system and Aramis never thought that things should be different. The nobility would shave their head and wear giant wigs. Bc of the flees. Porthos is good at getting people to do what he wants and upperclassman. Athos is a soldier and a fantastic swordsman and Aramis is a super smart cleric. CARDINAL RICHELIEU: Enemy of the musketeers and (though not openly) to the king and queen. He is the time traveler and the one that stole his mom’s necklace and arrested his parents.
ROCHEFORT: The cardinal’s henchman and captain of the Cardinal’s Guard. 1600 security is a joke. They only can rely on words and appearance. If you look the part you can go in. Or if you have paper with a seal. They meet Milady De Winter! The head handmaiden of the Queen. She is so good with a knife and is beautiful and helping them! She likes Aramis hehe. They meet the king who has horrible teeth, looks like a girl, and is only 14. People normally get engaged at that age during that time. Class system is messed up. In the future we will be judged on merits instead. More freedom to who you can marry too etc. aw!! Milady De winter was caught talking in disguise to Richelieu!!! Is she evil too?? Greg’s great great gpa diary said they are descendent of CARDINAL RICHELIEU. Milady is a triple agent on the boys team! “All for one and one for all!!” The prison break was so epic. It reminded me of count of Monte Christo which is the same author of the original three musketeers. Aw! The king Louis the 14th. Just asked the boys to be his private security!!! And Milady is totally evil and totally stoked the boys took out Richelieu for her.
SPOILERS and book notes:
The Three Musketeers (French: Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas
Greg Rich travels back in time to the year 1615. The family in modern time is visiting Paris to sell family heirlooms to the Louvre museum. Greg is 14yo with brown curly hair. He went from private school with skills like fencing, speaking French fluently, rock climbing, horse back riding on an estate in Connecticut to New York appartment and public school when his family went broke. He found a diary from his great great gpa in one of the desk drawers that they are selling. Louise the 13th was the king during that time. The history of the Louvre: “Fortress:The initial structure was a fortress, built to protect the western edge of Paris. Royal Residence: In the 16th century, King Francis I began transforming the fortress into a Renaissance-style palace. Continued Expansion: Subsequent monarchs, including Louis XIII and Louis XIV,added to the Louvre, making it a grand palace complex. Versailles and Beyond: Although the Louvre served as a royal residence, eventually Louis XIV moved the royal court to the Palace of Versailles, and the Louvre was used for various purposes, including housing the Royal Collection and hosting exhibitions. Museum: Finally, the Louvre was opened as a public museum during the French Revolution.” So Louis the XIII helped turned it from fortress to palace. Greg and his parents followed the evil French man into a painting when he stole the moms crystal. The first thing Greg noticed when he transported time was how smelly it was. Notre Dame is the same in 1600 and is where he seeks sanctuary. The boy Aramis let him in and protected him. Aramis is a cleric for the church. He translates books from Latin to French. Galileo is during this time and he was the one that said the sun is the center and people thought him crazy bc it was against the church. They didn’t have pockets or rubber! And a watch! They call Greg D’Artagnan. These are the names of the musketeers! The others are Pathos and Athos. The author of the three musketeers book named Alexandre Dumas claimed the story is fiction based on real people. No tooth paste soap and lots of flees. They believed bathing caused you to get sick and that dirt blocked pores that would allow sickness to get in lol. They met Athos! He is an amazing sword fighter, handsome, and good with the ladies lol. Porthos wore foppish clothes and also good with the ladies. And slightly over weight. He is with the upper class. Athos hates the class system and Aramis never thought that things should be different. The nobility would shave their head and wear giant wigs. Bc of the flees. Porthos is good at getting people to do what he wants and upperclassman. Athos is a soldier and a fantastic swordsman and Aramis is a super smart cleric. CARDINAL RICHELIEU: Enemy of the musketeers and (though not openly) to the king and queen. He is the time traveler and the one that stole his mom’s necklace and arrested his parents.
ROCHEFORT: The cardinal’s henchman and captain of the Cardinal’s Guard. 1600 security is a joke. They only can rely on words and appearance. If you look the part you can go in. Or if you have paper with a seal. They meet Milady De Winter! The head handmaiden of the Queen. She is so good with a knife and is beautiful and helping them! She likes Aramis hehe. They meet the king who has horrible teeth, looks like a girl, and is only 14. People normally get engaged at that age during that time. Class system is messed up. In the future we will be judged on merits instead. More freedom to who you can marry too etc. aw!! Milady De winter was caught talking in disguise to Richelieu!!! Is she evil too?? Greg’s great great gpa diary said they are descendent of CARDINAL RICHELIEU. Milady is a triple agent on the boys team! “All for one and one for all!!” The prison break was so epic. It reminded me of count of Monte Christo which is the same author of the original three musketeers. Aw! The king Louis the 14th. Just asked the boys to be his private security!!! And Milady is totally evil and totally stoked the boys took out Richelieu for her.
May 27, 2019
I'm not sure how much literary merit this book has, but I really enjoyed reading it.
I absolutely read and enjoyed the Three Musketeers, years back, and naturally thought this book was trying to convince young kids to read that classic. It probably was.
However, what I didn't expect was that it would work. Well, I'm not technically a young kid, but what girl doesn't want a tunic and a sword and some adventures? I certainly do!
The premise is pretty basic. Kid goes back in time. Bad guy. Family going to die. All on him!
What they did right: just the right amount of mystery.
Also, a good helping of action, but again, judicious. No hugely drawn-out action sequences. Characters are likable but fallible. That's a key for me.
Your main character does have a lot of skills, but they're exactly the kind of (mostly useless) skills we do teach at private schools, and even some public: languages, rock-climbing, swimming, fencing (that last one is a stretch but useful here). However, he makes all sorts of mistakes, so he is relatable. Same with all the characters.
Historically, the bit with the language having changed and people not understanding each other was enjoyably real, as was the filth and discomfort, the amount of young kids sometimes slacking off at jobs, and an enjoyable combination of ignorance of other lands, and intelligence among the characters we meet. Because there was ignorance, but people have always been smart. The people in this history are real, and the place is real. It sits there and is part of the story, only pointed out when needed, such as when it affects the plot or shocks one of the characters, but you never feel you're out of the time when the story is told. The language is current, but it's a translation anyway, so that's not as jarring as you'd think.
The parents don't do much in this story, but they do not seem to be completely idiotic, and can indeed think for themselves. Much of the story, of course, they are out of the action, but it's nice to know they're not helpless.
Plotwise, there is a main plot that is difficult to resolve, and some minor plots that are also interesting, and there are so many of them that you, like the main character, can lose track of threads and be surprised.
The writing never got in the way of the story, and the history never overpowered the plot. I was afraid that I would either feel compelled to read TTM to remind myself of the plot, or get annoyed by the pushiness of the references, but the author sets that all aside by saying TTM was based on real characters, and having us meet them all here. That drives a wedge between the two books and allows them each to set on its own merits, which is helpful for a pedant like me. Otherwise, I'd be wondering if the characterization was good, but it doesn't really matter.
This book made me want to read it and I can't imagine why a kid wouldn't feel the same.
I absolutely read and enjoyed the Three Musketeers, years back, and naturally thought this book was trying to convince young kids to read that classic. It probably was.
However, what I didn't expect was that it would work. Well, I'm not technically a young kid, but what girl doesn't want a tunic and a sword and some adventures? I certainly do!
The premise is pretty basic. Kid goes back in time. Bad guy. Family going to die. All on him!
What they did right: just the right amount of mystery.
Also, a good helping of action, but again, judicious. No hugely drawn-out action sequences. Characters are likable but fallible. That's a key for me.
Your main character does have a lot of skills, but they're exactly the kind of (mostly useless) skills we do teach at private schools, and even some public: languages, rock-climbing, swimming, fencing (that last one is a stretch but useful here). However, he makes all sorts of mistakes, so he is relatable. Same with all the characters.
Historically, the bit with the language having changed and people not understanding each other was enjoyably real, as was the filth and discomfort, the amount of young kids sometimes slacking off at jobs, and an enjoyable combination of ignorance of other lands, and intelligence among the characters we meet. Because there was ignorance, but people have always been smart. The people in this history are real, and the place is real. It sits there and is part of the story, only pointed out when needed, such as when it affects the plot or shocks one of the characters, but you never feel you're out of the time when the story is told. The language is current, but it's a translation anyway, so that's not as jarring as you'd think.
The parents don't do much in this story, but they do not seem to be completely idiotic, and can indeed think for themselves. Much of the story, of course, they are out of the action, but it's nice to know they're not helpless.
Plotwise, there is a main plot that is difficult to resolve, and some minor plots that are also interesting, and there are so many of them that you, like the main character, can lose track of threads and be surprised.
The writing never got in the way of the story, and the history never overpowered the plot. I was afraid that I would either feel compelled to read TTM to remind myself of the plot, or get annoyed by the pushiness of the references, but the author sets that all aside by saying TTM was based on real characters, and having us meet them all here. That drives a wedge between the two books and allows them each to set on its own merits, which is helpful for a pedant like me. Otherwise, I'd be wondering if the characterization was good, but it doesn't really matter.
This book made me want to read it and I can't imagine why a kid wouldn't feel the same.
January 9, 2022
Stuart Gibbs’ early, least well-known work still has all the Gibbsian hallmarks that’s made him my favorite “feel-good” author over the years. The Last Musketeer, while sounding implausible, actually is a remarkably clever and entertaining story that’s easily devourable in just a few sittings. The blurb is a little inaccurate - the Musketeers don’t technically “need saving,” Greg just shows remarkable pluck and courage to assemble them into a team. Greg’s parents don’t “disappear,” they are accidentally pulled back through time, then arrested. And before anyone asks, Stuart Gibbs handles literary time travel and its accompanying inconvenient paradoxes quite well. (The explanations can get a little pretzel-like at times, though, so just don’t think about them too hard.)
The Last Musketeer is set in Paris in 1615, a time about as different from twenty-first century America as you can get. Gibbs’ worldbuilding is economical and vivid. Additionally, some of Greg’s confused inquiries, observations, and solecisms in which he forgets that he’s in the wrong century lead to some pretty funny exchanges. For example, after a dialogue with Greg, future Musketeer Aramis says to him, “‘[You come from] very far away, I suspect. You have no clerics, but you do have an extra planet. I’ve never seen clothes like yours before. Especially your shoes. What on earth is this substance [rubber]?... And what are these slits in your clothing [pockets]?’” All in all, Gibbs gets the point across: for a modern human, 17th century Paris was a pretty filthy, backwards, underdeveloped sort of place.
Gibbs’ plotting is also generally excellent. The story gets a little muddled when the Musketeers split up near the end of the book, and the ending isn’t particularly convincing, but the plot is for the most part clear, driving, and elegantly constructed. It’s a compact, workmanlike story, but The Last Musketeer is still engrossing, full of political intrigue and action sequences of all descriptions, and a whole boatload of fun.
This entertainment value is derived in part from the relationships among characters, particularly Greg and the Three Musketeers. I’ve never read Alexandre Dumas’ classic, so I can’t speak to how realistically Aramis, Athos, and Porthos are portrayed, but in The Last Musketeer, they are vivid, quirky, and genuinely friendly people. Each has a distinct personality: Aramis is scholarly, intelligent, pensive, and maybe too quick to trust; Athos is athletic, a talented swordsman, jockish, and opinionated,; and Porthos is wisecracking, generous, fun-loving, and irreverent. Sure, they become friends probably too easily, considering the societal obstacles and personal idiosyncrasies in the way, but I still enjoyed their literary company.
The Last Musketeer is a worthy addition to a consistently splendid author’s oeuvre, which readers will enjoy for the approachable and relatable characters, the action-packed plot, and the lively setting.
The Last Musketeer is set in Paris in 1615, a time about as different from twenty-first century America as you can get. Gibbs’ worldbuilding is economical and vivid. Additionally, some of Greg’s confused inquiries, observations, and solecisms in which he forgets that he’s in the wrong century lead to some pretty funny exchanges. For example, after a dialogue with Greg, future Musketeer Aramis says to him, “‘[You come from] very far away, I suspect. You have no clerics, but you do have an extra planet. I’ve never seen clothes like yours before. Especially your shoes. What on earth is this substance [rubber]?... And what are these slits in your clothing [pockets]?’” All in all, Gibbs gets the point across: for a modern human, 17th century Paris was a pretty filthy, backwards, underdeveloped sort of place.
Gibbs’ plotting is also generally excellent. The story gets a little muddled when the Musketeers split up near the end of the book, and the ending isn’t particularly convincing, but the plot is for the most part clear, driving, and elegantly constructed. It’s a compact, workmanlike story, but The Last Musketeer is still engrossing, full of political intrigue and action sequences of all descriptions, and a whole boatload of fun.
This entertainment value is derived in part from the relationships among characters, particularly Greg and the Three Musketeers. I’ve never read Alexandre Dumas’ classic, so I can’t speak to how realistically Aramis, Athos, and Porthos are portrayed, but in The Last Musketeer, they are vivid, quirky, and genuinely friendly people. Each has a distinct personality: Aramis is scholarly, intelligent, pensive, and maybe too quick to trust; Athos is athletic, a talented swordsman, jockish, and opinionated,; and Porthos is wisecracking, generous, fun-loving, and irreverent. Sure, they become friends probably too easily, considering the societal obstacles and personal idiosyncrasies in the way, but I still enjoyed their literary company.
The Last Musketeer is a worthy addition to a consistently splendid author’s oeuvre, which readers will enjoy for the approachable and relatable characters, the action-packed plot, and the lively setting.
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