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Rogue Angel #15
Swordsman's Legacy
In need of a break from work and some recent near-death adventures, archaeologist Annja Creed visits France to indulge one of her greatest finding D'Artagnan's lost sword. The rapier was a gift from the reigning monarch and has been missing since the seventeenth century.
And Ascher Vallois, one of Annja's treasure-hunting friends, believes he has located the site of the relic.
But when Annja meets with Vallois, she learns that he's made a huge sacrifice to protect the sword and its secret from a relic hunter. Annja discovers that the artifact holds the key to a fortune. And the man won't stop until he gets everything he wants—including Annja.
And Ascher Vallois, one of Annja's treasure-hunting friends, believes he has located the site of the relic.
But when Annja meets with Vallois, she learns that he's made a huge sacrifice to protect the sword and its secret from a relic hunter. Annja discovers that the artifact holds the key to a fortune. And the man won't stop until he gets everything he wants—including Annja.
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Alex Archer
99 books236 followersA house name for the Rogue Angel series, published by the Harlequin Publishing's Gold Eagle division.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 21, 2009
This was the first book in the series that was actually written by a woman, and sadly, I was a little disappointed. The story wasn't bad, there was plenty of action, and the writing was decent, but there was no sparkle. As well, there was several forced attempts to fit in a mostly romantic touch, which doesn't really work for the series. Annja isn't exactly celibate, but she doesn't think in terms of romance all the time. She's closer to Modesty Blaise in that regard.
But beyond that, the artifact in this book is the sword of D'Artagnan. There is the romantic male -- a treasure hunter who wants to find the sword and related treasure to fund his fencing school -- and the villain -- who runs a biofirm funded by stolen treasures. As well, Roux makes an appearance, and ends up going to the villain was a set of hairs he still had from Joan of Arc (would the dna be recoverable after all these centuries?) and a sample from Annja. He wants to know if they are related. Sadly, he never gets his answer, thanks in part to Annja.
That touch advances the overall storyline of Annja Creed and the supernatural sword of Joan of Arc. All in all, not the best story in the series, but not the worst, and not in danger of putting me off reading the rest of the series as it is published.
But beyond that, the artifact in this book is the sword of D'Artagnan. There is the romantic male -- a treasure hunter who wants to find the sword and related treasure to fund his fencing school -- and the villain -- who runs a biofirm funded by stolen treasures. As well, Roux makes an appearance, and ends up going to the villain was a set of hairs he still had from Joan of Arc (would the dna be recoverable after all these centuries?) and a sample from Annja. He wants to know if they are related. Sadly, he never gets his answer, thanks in part to Annja.
That touch advances the overall storyline of Annja Creed and the supernatural sword of Joan of Arc. All in all, not the best story in the series, but not the worst, and not in danger of putting me off reading the rest of the series as it is published.
July 26, 2019
3.5 stars.
Annja is invited by a handsome French part-time archaeologist and fencing master to look for the fabled musketeer D'Artagnan's sword in Paris. Apparently we are told that Annja has been obsessed with it all her life.
Of course, we have another bad guy who's also after the sword
This is one where the author tries to imbue a romantic fling between Annja and the French guy. I have to say I found those kissing scenes in the Graphic Audio version quite cringing and wished they were left out.
Annja is invited by a handsome French part-time archaeologist and fencing master to look for the fabled musketeer D'Artagnan's sword in Paris. Apparently we are told that Annja has been obsessed with it all her life.
Of course, we have another bad guy who's also after the sword
This is one where the author tries to imbue a romantic fling between Annja and the French guy. I have to say I found those kissing scenes in the Graphic Audio version quite cringing and wished they were left out.
January 20, 2011
Plot Summary: In need of a much needd break from work and some recent near-death adventures, (like each and every book thus far) archaeologist Annja Creed visits France to indulge one of her greatest fantasies: finding D'Artagnan's lost sword. The rapier was a gift from the reigning monarch and has been missing since the seventeenth century. And, Ascher Vallois, one of Annja's treasure-hunting friends from the internet, believes that he has located the site of the relic.
But when Annja meets with Vallois, she learns that he's made a huge sacrifice to protect the sword and its secret from a relic hunter (one of his kidney's). Annja discovers that the artifact holds the key to a fortune. And a man, Jaques Lambert, won't stop until he gets everything he wants - including Annja.
Review: I actually liked this story for a change. I found that it was actually written by a female writer named Michele Hauf, who writes romance novels for a living. She has blended history with fiction, and made for an incredibly intriguing and exciting story. I think, in my opinion, female writers are better able to understand Annya's emotions, as well as her relationships and romance entanglements she comes across than male writers. And, no, I'm not being sexist. Just my humble opinion.
I am totally into history and the fact that the writer of this installment used the Three Musketeers as a background, both intrigued and fascinated me at the same time. I also appreciated the back flashes to the 17th century to the time of Charles de Castelmore aka D'Artagnon and Louis XIV. Books like this one make you want to go back and read about Dumas and the real musketeers.
Characters: Ascher Vallois is a p/t archealogist and treasure hunter, and he also teaches fencing. When threatened by the uber villian of the book, Jack (Jacques) Lambert aka Mad Bloody Jack from his childhood days, he has no choice but to agree. Ascher leads Annja into danger at each and every turn, including lying and stealing the map that was contained in the rapier itself. In the end, it turns out he has major feelings for Annya.
Jacquest Lambert owns a company called BHCD, who does cloning of historial figures. 30 years ago he watched as his twin brother died of kidney failure because his family didn't have the means to pay for the transplant necessary to keep him alive. He vowed that he would do something about it. His company uses of steam cells to impregnant woman, which to me, was a bit creepy when you read how they got the DNA itself.
Roux makes a guest appearance in this installment, when he realizes that with Lamberts help, he can once and all figure out if Joan of Arc and Annya are related. Roux wants to know why the sword choose Annya in the first place. To Annya's credit, she seems disinterested. We shall see. Of course, Roux himself was not too happy to learn that the DNA from Joan went up in flames along with Lamberts company.
This time the entire storyline was told exclusively in and around Paris, France, including in the catacombs underneath. There were two minor characters that aren't really necessary to the whole story.
I give this installment 4 stars because of the overall storyline and the fact that they don't fly all over the world searching for something that may or may not exist.
But when Annja meets with Vallois, she learns that he's made a huge sacrifice to protect the sword and its secret from a relic hunter (one of his kidney's). Annja discovers that the artifact holds the key to a fortune. And a man, Jaques Lambert, won't stop until he gets everything he wants - including Annja.
Review: I actually liked this story for a change. I found that it was actually written by a female writer named Michele Hauf, who writes romance novels for a living. She has blended history with fiction, and made for an incredibly intriguing and exciting story. I think, in my opinion, female writers are better able to understand Annya's emotions, as well as her relationships and romance entanglements she comes across than male writers. And, no, I'm not being sexist. Just my humble opinion.
I am totally into history and the fact that the writer of this installment used the Three Musketeers as a background, both intrigued and fascinated me at the same time. I also appreciated the back flashes to the 17th century to the time of Charles de Castelmore aka D'Artagnon and Louis XIV. Books like this one make you want to go back and read about Dumas and the real musketeers.
Characters: Ascher Vallois is a p/t archealogist and treasure hunter, and he also teaches fencing. When threatened by the uber villian of the book, Jack (Jacques) Lambert aka Mad Bloody Jack from his childhood days, he has no choice but to agree. Ascher leads Annja into danger at each and every turn, including lying and stealing the map that was contained in the rapier itself. In the end, it turns out he has major feelings for Annya.
Jacquest Lambert owns a company called BHCD, who does cloning of historial figures. 30 years ago he watched as his twin brother died of kidney failure because his family didn't have the means to pay for the transplant necessary to keep him alive. He vowed that he would do something about it. His company uses of steam cells to impregnant woman, which to me, was a bit creepy when you read how they got the DNA itself.
Roux makes a guest appearance in this installment, when he realizes that with Lamberts help, he can once and all figure out if Joan of Arc and Annya are related. Roux wants to know why the sword choose Annya in the first place. To Annya's credit, she seems disinterested. We shall see. Of course, Roux himself was not too happy to learn that the DNA from Joan went up in flames along with Lamberts company.
This time the entire storyline was told exclusively in and around Paris, France, including in the catacombs underneath. There were two minor characters that aren't really necessary to the whole story.
I give this installment 4 stars because of the overall storyline and the fact that they don't fly all over the world searching for something that may or may not exist.
December 17, 2010
Wow...the three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, and a treasure hunt mixed in with an illegal cloning lab in Paris. Annja joins in an amateur dig with Ascher, a hunky fencing instructor, in France to find the presentation sword given to D'Artagnan by Queen Anne which turns out to have a hidden treasure map. Unfortunately, a biopirate wants their find badly enough to kill.
Annja and Ascher combine their skills to track down the clues left by Dumas and his ghostwriter, Maquet, which leads them into the tunnels under Paris. And in the background, Roux takes advantage of a genetics lab interested in historical figures to learn something about Annja's heritage.
I really enjoyed the literary inclusion...I'm tempted to re-read Dumas' Three Musketeers as well as a biography on Dumas to find out how accurately Archer portrayed both. I also enjoyed the peek into French history, a much more personal take than most history classes!
Annja and Ascher combine their skills to track down the clues left by Dumas and his ghostwriter, Maquet, which leads them into the tunnels under Paris. And in the background, Roux takes advantage of a genetics lab interested in historical figures to learn something about Annja's heritage.
I really enjoyed the literary inclusion...I'm tempted to re-read Dumas' Three Musketeers as well as a biography on Dumas to find out how accurately Archer portrayed both. I also enjoyed the peek into French history, a much more personal take than most history classes!
January 6, 2010
This one was a better one. It's all getting more modern and with the times. And her friend survived for a change! Thank goodness. I'd start thinking twice about adventures if everyone was dying around me.. lol.
July 22, 2020
Archeologist and tv show host Annja Creed is intrigued by the reported find of a sword used by a famed Musketeer in France by a contact she meant online. Arriving at the site, she quickly finds that the sword may be the key to a larger treasure, and the man who invited her is holding back from her information that may get both of them killed.
This is first book in the series that I've read by this "guest author", and she hits this one out of the park. She has done her homework on France and the city of Paris, and, most important, the character of Annja is the heroine she deserves to be. She keeps a cool head in dire situations, keeps a steady moral compass and doesn't let her hormones overrule her head when it comes to the very good looking, but not very trustworthy, French treasure hunter who is pursuing the treasure linked to the sword.
Number fifteen in this series is one of the best so far!!
This is first book in the series that I've read by this "guest author", and she hits this one out of the park. She has done her homework on France and the city of Paris, and, most important, the character of Annja is the heroine she deserves to be. She keeps a cool head in dire situations, keeps a steady moral compass and doesn't let her hormones overrule her head when it comes to the very good looking, but not very trustworthy, French treasure hunter who is pursuing the treasure linked to the sword.
Number fifteen in this series is one of the best so far!!
January 1, 2022
An actually decently written novel that you can tell was written by a decent author that you can tell was given parameters not to write outside of.
The usually semi-cardboard Annja is off to Paris for a vacation and, naturally, gets all wrapped up in a bit of adventure lurking about in the caverns under the city where she meets a bad guy that has a decent amount of characterization and a small moralized exchange on bioethics.
Roux is still a dullard.
For an experienced spelunker, Ascher is a nitwit (author could have done more research).
But the then/now scenes, nice.
The usually semi-cardboard Annja is off to Paris for a vacation and, naturally, gets all wrapped up in a bit of adventure lurking about in the caverns under the city where she meets a bad guy that has a decent amount of characterization and a small moralized exchange on bioethics.
Roux is still a dullard.
For an experienced spelunker, Ascher is a nitwit (author could have done more research).
But the then/now scenes, nice.
May 28, 2018
This was probably the second most frustrating book in the series. Asher is just an a**. I hoped she would shoot him right at the start of the book and felt he deserved to die during the entire story. That she even considered this guy romantically I cannot understand on any level. He is a weak, lying idiot without any principals what so ever. He put her in huge danger without even the decency of informing her.
January 7, 2023
This was probably the second most frustrating book in the series. Asher is just an a**. I hoped she would shoot him right at the start of the book and felt he deserved to die during the entire story. That she even considered this guy romantically I cannot understand on any level. He is a weak, lying idiot without any principals what so ever. He put her in huge danger without even the decency of informing her.
May 29, 2020
In this one Annja goes after one of the three Musketeers swords and treasure. It was good and I liked it, but it wasn't great. There were somethings she did that seemed out of character for her. Although, it was still an enjoyable story. Even if you don't know much about the three Musketeers like me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2017
I wonder what her history really is. What was the sample in the DNA. I feel like the author left us on a cliff hanger, but the read was still very very very good. I love the history, and I love France.
May 17, 2017
One of the better stories in a while. All for one!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 4, 2021
The action was off somehow.
Read
December 17, 2010Wow...the three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, and a treasure hunt mixed in with an illegal cloning lab in Paris. Annja joins in an amateur dig with Ascher, a hunky fencing instructor, in France to find the presentation sword given to D'Artagnan by Queen Anne which turns out to have a hidden treasure map. Unfortunately, a biopirate wants their find badly enough to kill.
Annja and Ascher combine their skills to track down the clues left by Dumas and his ghostwriter, Maquet, which leads them into the tunnels under Paris. And in the background, Roux takes advantage of a genetics lab interested in historical figures to learn something about Annja's heritage.
I really enjoyed the literary inclusion...I'm tempted to re-read Dumas' Three Musketeers as well as a biography on Dumas to find out how accurately Archer portrayed both. I also enjoyed the peek into French history, a much more personal take than most history classes!
Annja and Ascher combine their skills to track down the clues left by Dumas and his ghostwriter, Maquet, which leads them into the tunnels under Paris. And in the background, Roux takes advantage of a genetics lab interested in historical figures to learn something about Annja's heritage.
I really enjoyed the literary inclusion...I'm tempted to re-read Dumas' Three Musketeers as well as a biography on Dumas to find out how accurately Archer portrayed both. I also enjoyed the peek into French history, a much more personal take than most history classes!
May 24, 2011
I really liked it! I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, only because the pirate angle was just too cheesy. I'm glad I was able to keep up on the story~ doesn't happen often when you've missed the first 14 installments of the series. Side note; I love the main character's name! Annja... very cool =)
May 6, 2016
The musketeers, archeology, and a twist. What's not to love? I love the author's flashbacks. This way you get an idea of who D'Artagnan was as a man and not just the myth. Easily one of the best in the series. Highly recommended!
November 12, 2015
I stayed up all night finally allowing myself to finish this book. I've been reading it over a span of 5 years because I never wanted it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone seeking an adventure and mystery novel!
April 8, 2009
When I saw that this was about d'Artagnan I was excited. Then I was disappointed because it turned out to be a lame treasure hunt. And the villian was not very convincing.
May 8, 2011
Just barely good enough but this series seems to have run out of steam. Too many books in too short a time frame in my opinion. The uniqueness of the sword is being lost.
Read
July 28, 2011The awkward structure of many sentences has quashed my desire to read any more in this series.
October 12, 2012
Quick run of fun reading
February 14, 2014
As good as the rest of the series. This is #15 and it just keeps getting better.
June 9, 2014
Loved this "episode". Kept me guessing the entire time. Was nice to take time out just to read today and I was not disappointed. Can not wait to see what trouble the character gets into next
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews