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Trilogie des Mousquetaires #2.5
Blood Royal: A Sequel to the Three Musketeers
The latest entry in this acclaimed series of new translations of the Musketeer novels, Blood Royal continues the adventures of the valiant d’Artagnan and his three loyal friends.
The latest translation in Lawrence Ellsworth’s acclaimed new series of Alexandre Dumas’s greatest adventures is Blood Royal, the second half of what Dumas originally published as Twenty Years After. In this volume all the plots and schemes set up in the previous novel come to dramatic fruition in the kind of exciting thrill-ride Dumas is famous for—while at the same time introducing the characters and themes that form the foundation of the rest of the series, leading to its great climax in The Man in the Iron Mask.
In Blood Royal, the Four Musketeers all venture to England on parallel missions to save King Charles I, pursued by the murderous and vengeful Mordaunt, the son of Milady de Winter, the great villain of The Three Musketeers. Despite all his experience, d’Artagnan is repeatedly foiled by the much-younger Mordaunt, who erupts out of the past to embody the strengths of audacity and cunning that were once d’Artagnan’s hallmarks. Mordaunt has corrupted those youthful strengths, and the older d’Artagnan is no match for him until he is able to pull his former team together again. To do this d’Artagnan will have to become a true leader of men, leading not just by example but also by foresight, persuasion, and compromise. Only then can the team of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis be re-formed in all its might to defeat the specter of their past.
Blood Royal is unmatched in Dumas’s oeuvre in its depictions of his most famous and beloved characters, and an unforgettable saga of swordplay, suspense, revenge, and ultimate triumph.
The latest translation in Lawrence Ellsworth’s acclaimed new series of Alexandre Dumas’s greatest adventures is Blood Royal, the second half of what Dumas originally published as Twenty Years After. In this volume all the plots and schemes set up in the previous novel come to dramatic fruition in the kind of exciting thrill-ride Dumas is famous for—while at the same time introducing the characters and themes that form the foundation of the rest of the series, leading to its great climax in The Man in the Iron Mask.
In Blood Royal, the Four Musketeers all venture to England on parallel missions to save King Charles I, pursued by the murderous and vengeful Mordaunt, the son of Milady de Winter, the great villain of The Three Musketeers. Despite all his experience, d’Artagnan is repeatedly foiled by the much-younger Mordaunt, who erupts out of the past to embody the strengths of audacity and cunning that were once d’Artagnan’s hallmarks. Mordaunt has corrupted those youthful strengths, and the older d’Artagnan is no match for him until he is able to pull his former team together again. To do this d’Artagnan will have to become a true leader of men, leading not just by example but also by foresight, persuasion, and compromise. Only then can the team of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis be re-formed in all its might to defeat the specter of their past.
Blood Royal is unmatched in Dumas’s oeuvre in its depictions of his most famous and beloved characters, and an unforgettable saga of swordplay, suspense, revenge, and ultimate triumph.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1845
14 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
Alexandre Dumas
6,986 books12.3k followersThis note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 19, 2020
The last time I reviewed an Alexandre Dumas novel it was the literary event, also translated by the brilliant Lawrence Ellsworth, entitled THE RED SPHINX. That novel was also a direct sequel to Dumas' classic THE THREE MUSKETEERS set a mere twenty days after the action of that beloved novel.
Now, we are treated once again to the next book in the Three Musketeers series entitled BLOOD ROYAL or THE SON OF MILADY. The difference with this story is that it is now set twenty years after the prior tale. The introduction by translator Lawrence Ellsworth is 'worth' the price of admission and gives a brilliant refresher of the saga up to this point. This grand tale first appeared in serial form, chapter after chapter, in Parisian periodicals from 1845 to 1850.
BLOOD ROYAL is set in 1648 and things have changed in Paris and for the Musketeers.
To begin with, their arch-nemesis Cardinal Richelieu is long gone being replaced by Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin was actually Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino of Italian descent and naturalized into French service in 1639 after being Richelieu's protégé. There is also rumor that Mazarin might be secretly married to Queen Anne of Austria --- who is ruling in the interim after the death of King Louis XIII since Louis XIV is still a minor. Mazarin is not very popular as he has continued Richelieu's rich taxation of the Parisians to continue funding the long-standing war between France and Spain.
As for the Musketeers, the Four of them have mostly moved on to new priorities. The only one who is still in the same role, in this case as Lieutenant of the King's Musketeers, is D'Artagnan. He does not have an easy job as the mounting unrest by the people against the crown, a period known as the Fronde, looks to end in the full-scale civil war. Fronde is French for 'sling' to represent the slings of rocks sent towards Mazarin's windows! BLOOD ROYAL continues, in grand Dumas fashion, to outline the schemes and counter-schemes of the royals and show how the Musketeers are often utilized as pawns, not always on the side of good. Things eventually lead to a threat against England in the form of King Charles I.
In this particular situation, King Charles I is in danger specifically at the hands of the title character 'son of Milady'. To clarify, Milady de Winter, whom the Three Musketeers had hired an executioner to slay at the end of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, is being avenged by her now-adult son, Mordaunt. His disguise as a monk was well-crafted and helped him in his pursuit of England's Baron Winter, his uncle who had conspired with the Musketeers against his mother. Mordaunt and Mazarin are evil allies and Baron Winter recognizes that King Charles is in mortal danger.
Winter seeks to bring together the Four Musketeers he remembers from twenty years earlier, not realizing they had gone their separate ways. Yes, D'Artagnan was still in Musketeer service but Porthos is now a wealthy man of leisure, Aramis has become an Abbott in the Jesuit order, and Athos has retired on his country estate. Porthos is easy to convince but the other two show no interest in returning to the middle of any conflict between French royalty or their disputes with other countries. Things stay this way for a while and at one point the two pair of ex-Musketeers comrades are actually pitted against each other.
In the end, the Four all take different paths to the same goal --- that of offering their services once again, this time to defend and protect King Charles I. They will all learn that they are individually no match for the hateful and vengeful Mordaunt, not even D'Artagnan himself. A critique of BLOOD ROYAL, if you could find any fault with it, was that Dumas left little to no room for romance in this effort choosing to concentrate on the swash-buckling action described above. I did not even notice, as the opportunity to spend time once again with these great characters was all I cared about. There is a listing of Historical Characters at the end of the novel which comes in very handy. Each time a real historical figure is introduced their name is followed by an asterisk (*), which makes it easy to flip back and forth as you learn all you need to know about them without needing to log into Wikipedia. BLOOD ROYAL makes it clear that this tale is in the middle of the pack of the Three Musketeer adventures which makes me hopeful that the good Lawrence Ellsworth is hard at work in translating the next novel!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Now, we are treated once again to the next book in the Three Musketeers series entitled BLOOD ROYAL or THE SON OF MILADY. The difference with this story is that it is now set twenty years after the prior tale. The introduction by translator Lawrence Ellsworth is 'worth' the price of admission and gives a brilliant refresher of the saga up to this point. This grand tale first appeared in serial form, chapter after chapter, in Parisian periodicals from 1845 to 1850.
BLOOD ROYAL is set in 1648 and things have changed in Paris and for the Musketeers.
To begin with, their arch-nemesis Cardinal Richelieu is long gone being replaced by Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin was actually Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino of Italian descent and naturalized into French service in 1639 after being Richelieu's protégé. There is also rumor that Mazarin might be secretly married to Queen Anne of Austria --- who is ruling in the interim after the death of King Louis XIII since Louis XIV is still a minor. Mazarin is not very popular as he has continued Richelieu's rich taxation of the Parisians to continue funding the long-standing war between France and Spain.
As for the Musketeers, the Four of them have mostly moved on to new priorities. The only one who is still in the same role, in this case as Lieutenant of the King's Musketeers, is D'Artagnan. He does not have an easy job as the mounting unrest by the people against the crown, a period known as the Fronde, looks to end in the full-scale civil war. Fronde is French for 'sling' to represent the slings of rocks sent towards Mazarin's windows! BLOOD ROYAL continues, in grand Dumas fashion, to outline the schemes and counter-schemes of the royals and show how the Musketeers are often utilized as pawns, not always on the side of good. Things eventually lead to a threat against England in the form of King Charles I.
In this particular situation, King Charles I is in danger specifically at the hands of the title character 'son of Milady'. To clarify, Milady de Winter, whom the Three Musketeers had hired an executioner to slay at the end of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, is being avenged by her now-adult son, Mordaunt. His disguise as a monk was well-crafted and helped him in his pursuit of England's Baron Winter, his uncle who had conspired with the Musketeers against his mother. Mordaunt and Mazarin are evil allies and Baron Winter recognizes that King Charles is in mortal danger.
Winter seeks to bring together the Four Musketeers he remembers from twenty years earlier, not realizing they had gone their separate ways. Yes, D'Artagnan was still in Musketeer service but Porthos is now a wealthy man of leisure, Aramis has become an Abbott in the Jesuit order, and Athos has retired on his country estate. Porthos is easy to convince but the other two show no interest in returning to the middle of any conflict between French royalty or their disputes with other countries. Things stay this way for a while and at one point the two pair of ex-Musketeers comrades are actually pitted against each other.
In the end, the Four all take different paths to the same goal --- that of offering their services once again, this time to defend and protect King Charles I. They will all learn that they are individually no match for the hateful and vengeful Mordaunt, not even D'Artagnan himself. A critique of BLOOD ROYAL, if you could find any fault with it, was that Dumas left little to no room for romance in this effort choosing to concentrate on the swash-buckling action described above. I did not even notice, as the opportunity to spend time once again with these great characters was all I cared about. There is a listing of Historical Characters at the end of the novel which comes in very handy. Each time a real historical figure is introduced their name is followed by an asterisk (*), which makes it easy to flip back and forth as you learn all you need to know about them without needing to log into Wikipedia. BLOOD ROYAL makes it clear that this tale is in the middle of the pack of the Three Musketeer adventures which makes me hopeful that the good Lawrence Ellsworth is hard at work in translating the next novel!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
October 1, 2025
Fantastic. RTC.
November 19, 2023
As I commented on part one (Twenty Years After: A Sequel to The Three Musketeers, sometimes the two parts are published together and simply called Twenty Years After), this is what I expected from The Three Musketeers - pure adventure. I love the character development of all the characters, especially D'Artagnan's. :)
March 3, 2025
3.5 stars
At times the story might be a bit uneven, showing its pulp-feuilleton origins on its sleeve. There are moments of maudlin romance, unsurprisingly Dumas plays fast and loose with history, and there is an overall simplicity to things. That said his characters are often more real (dare I say nuanced?) than might be expected. Dumas’ love for romance and adventure doesn’t remove his desire to show people as he saw them, even the mighty (and his own heroes) who are so often praised as paragons of humankind, are subject to conflicting natures with greed and pettiness mixed in with their nobility and grandeur. Mazarin is, without a doubt, one of the main villains of the piece (overshadowed no doubt by the spectre from the musketeer’s past, Mordaunt, son of Milday de Winter), but amongst his greed and venality are glimpses of a capable and clever leader who knows the power of compromise. Anne of Austria is quite the piece of work. By turns semi-tragic victim and haughty tyrant, she is as much a victim of her own conflicted nature as she is the machinations of others. It’s interesting to see Dumas praising the rights and nobility of the upper classes through the mouths of his characters and then seeing the actual picture he paints of those in power. He obviously has no illusions regarding the foibles and true motivations of those who lead regardless of their birth. Even our noble heroes show themselves willing and able to switch sides when it suits their purposes (with perhaps the exception of Athos, the perennial hardliner for aristocratic niceties). That’s not to say that they lack noble qualities and fine feeling that can win out, but they are certainly driven by rather ‘realistic’ motivations for all of their romantic origins. This state of affairs is perhaps best summed up by one of the later chapter titles: “In which more is accomplished with a pen and a threat than with a sword and devotion”. In the end even the world of romance must make way for realpolitik and even these great friends must sometimes stoop to the pragmatism of reality.
As I noted in my review of the previous volume of this edition, one of the great joys of the story of Twenty Years After is returning to the lives of our heroes after time has moved on. We see many familiar faces, but they are often subtly changed…they have aged along with us. It was a highlight for me to see the return of the Comte de Rochefort not as an enemy, but rather a friend and sometime compatriot. Over the years he has grown from villainous antagonist to frenemy to sometime ally. I also enjoyed seeing Aramis’ bouts of pique and even hotheadedness, especially when contrasted with Athos’ aristocratic sang-froid and D’Artagnan’s level-headed scheming.
As can sometimes be the case with Dumas, there are occasionally moments where I feel things flag a bit, but he certainly knows how to pull things together. The ending really is great, ultimately making the book greater than the sum of its parts (and they are by no means inferior parts). Much is concluded, but there is also room left open for further adventures. It's definitely something to look forward to.
At times the story might be a bit uneven, showing its pulp-feuilleton origins on its sleeve. There are moments of maudlin romance, unsurprisingly Dumas plays fast and loose with history, and there is an overall simplicity to things. That said his characters are often more real (dare I say nuanced?) than might be expected. Dumas’ love for romance and adventure doesn’t remove his desire to show people as he saw them, even the mighty (and his own heroes) who are so often praised as paragons of humankind, are subject to conflicting natures with greed and pettiness mixed in with their nobility and grandeur. Mazarin is, without a doubt, one of the main villains of the piece (overshadowed no doubt by the spectre from the musketeer’s past, Mordaunt, son of Milday de Winter), but amongst his greed and venality are glimpses of a capable and clever leader who knows the power of compromise. Anne of Austria is quite the piece of work. By turns semi-tragic victim and haughty tyrant, she is as much a victim of her own conflicted nature as she is the machinations of others. It’s interesting to see Dumas praising the rights and nobility of the upper classes through the mouths of his characters and then seeing the actual picture he paints of those in power. He obviously has no illusions regarding the foibles and true motivations of those who lead regardless of their birth. Even our noble heroes show themselves willing and able to switch sides when it suits their purposes (with perhaps the exception of Athos, the perennial hardliner for aristocratic niceties). That’s not to say that they lack noble qualities and fine feeling that can win out, but they are certainly driven by rather ‘realistic’ motivations for all of their romantic origins. This state of affairs is perhaps best summed up by one of the later chapter titles: “In which more is accomplished with a pen and a threat than with a sword and devotion”. In the end even the world of romance must make way for realpolitik and even these great friends must sometimes stoop to the pragmatism of reality.
As I noted in my review of the previous volume of this edition, one of the great joys of the story of Twenty Years After is returning to the lives of our heroes after time has moved on. We see many familiar faces, but they are often subtly changed…they have aged along with us. It was a highlight for me to see the return of the Comte de Rochefort not as an enemy, but rather a friend and sometime compatriot. Over the years he has grown from villainous antagonist to frenemy to sometime ally. I also enjoyed seeing Aramis’ bouts of pique and even hotheadedness, especially when contrasted with Athos’ aristocratic sang-froid and D’Artagnan’s level-headed scheming.
As can sometimes be the case with Dumas, there are occasionally moments where I feel things flag a bit, but he certainly knows how to pull things together. The ending really is great, ultimately making the book greater than the sum of its parts (and they are by no means inferior parts). Much is concluded, but there is also room left open for further adventures. It's definitely something to look forward to.
March 15, 2025
**** 4 STARS **** words 136,826
Blood Royal is second part of the new translation of Twenty Years After, by Lawrence Ellsworth.
Overall I would give Twenty Years After a 4.2 star rating. I thought the first part was much more entertaining. But, both books were great fun. Just seeing D'Artagnan plotting some incredible scenario and the Three Musketeers alongside; it's just fantastic.
Bring on more Musketeers' action.
Blood Royal is second part of the new translation of Twenty Years After, by Lawrence Ellsworth.
Overall I would give Twenty Years After a 4.2 star rating. I thought the first part was much more entertaining. But, both books were great fun. Just seeing D'Artagnan plotting some incredible scenario and the Three Musketeers alongside; it's just fantastic.
Bring on more Musketeers' action.
July 24, 2025
Ah the villain died and I was so happy about it, but I'm more annoyed about Cardinal Mazarin and his hoarding of France's money. Give it back damn you, you are not a dragon and you cannot take it with you when you die you idiot!
December 26, 2020
Translated by the brilliant Lawrence Ellsworth, THE RED SPHINX was a direct sequel to THE THREE MUSKETEERS and was set a mere 20 days after the action of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel. We are now treated to the next book in the series, BLOOD ROYAL, which takes place 20 years after the prior tale. Ellsworth’s introduction is worth the price of admission all by itself and gives an outstanding refresher of the saga up to this point. This grand tale first appeared in serial form in Parisian periodicals from 1845 to 1850.
The year is 1648, and a lot has changed in Paris and for the Musketeers. To begin with, their archnemesis Cardinal Richelieu is long gone and has been replaced by Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin is actually Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino of Italian descent and naturalized into French service in 1639 after being Richelieu's protégé. There is also a rumor that Mazarin might be secretly married to Queen Anne of Austria, who is ruling in the interim after the death of King Louis XIII since Louis XIV is still a minor. Mazarin is not very popular as he has maintained Richelieu's rich taxation of the Parisians to continue funding the long-standing war between France and Spain.
The Four Musketeers have mostly moved on to new priorities. The only one who is still in the same role, in this case as Lieutenant of the King's Musketeers, is D'Artagnan. He does not have an easy job as the mounting unrest by the people against the crown, a period known as the Fronde, looks to end in full-scale civil war. Fronde is French for “sling,” representing the slings of rocks sent towards Mazarin's windows. BLOOD ROYAL continues, in grand Dumas fashion, to outline the schemes and counterschemes of the royals and show how the Musketeers are often utilized as pawns, not always on the side of good.
The situation eventually leads to a threat against England in the form of King Charles I. He is in danger specifically at the hands of the title character, “the son of Milady.” To clarify, the Three Musketeers had hired an executioner to slay Milady de Winter at the end of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and she is being avenged by her now-adult son, Mordaunt. His disguise as a monk is well-crafted and helps him in his pursuit of England's Baron Winter, his uncle who had conspired with the Musketeers against his mother. Mordaunt and Mazarin are evil allies, and Winter recognizes that King Charles is in mortal danger.
Winter seeks to bring together the Four Musketeers he remembers from 20 years earlier, not realizing that they had gone their separate ways. Yes, D'Artagnan was still in Musketeer service, but Porthos is now a wealthy man of leisure, Aramis has become an Abbott in the Jesuit order, and Athos has retired on his country estate. Porthos is easy to convince, but the other two show no interest in returning to the middle of any conflict between French royalty or their disputes with other countries. It stays this way for a while, and at one point the two pairs of ex-Musketeer comrades are actually pitted against each other.
In the end, they all take different paths to the same goal --- that of offering their services once again, this time to defend and protect King Charles I. They all will learn that they are individually no match for the hateful and vengeful Mordaunt, not even D'Artagnan himself. Dumas leaves little to no room for romance here, choosing to concentrate on the swashbuckling action described above. I did not even notice, as the opportunity to spend more time with these great figures was all I cared about.
There is a listing of characters at the end of the novel, which comes in quite handy. Each time a real historical figure is introduced, their name is followed by an asterisk (*), which makes it easy to flip back and forth as you learn all you need to know about them without resorting to Wikipedia.
BLOOD ROYAL makes it clear that this tale is in the middle of the pack of the Three Musketeers adventures, which makes me hopeful that Lawrence Ellsworth is hard at work translating the next novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
The year is 1648, and a lot has changed in Paris and for the Musketeers. To begin with, their archnemesis Cardinal Richelieu is long gone and has been replaced by Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin is actually Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino of Italian descent and naturalized into French service in 1639 after being Richelieu's protégé. There is also a rumor that Mazarin might be secretly married to Queen Anne of Austria, who is ruling in the interim after the death of King Louis XIII since Louis XIV is still a minor. Mazarin is not very popular as he has maintained Richelieu's rich taxation of the Parisians to continue funding the long-standing war between France and Spain.
The Four Musketeers have mostly moved on to new priorities. The only one who is still in the same role, in this case as Lieutenant of the King's Musketeers, is D'Artagnan. He does not have an easy job as the mounting unrest by the people against the crown, a period known as the Fronde, looks to end in full-scale civil war. Fronde is French for “sling,” representing the slings of rocks sent towards Mazarin's windows. BLOOD ROYAL continues, in grand Dumas fashion, to outline the schemes and counterschemes of the royals and show how the Musketeers are often utilized as pawns, not always on the side of good.
The situation eventually leads to a threat against England in the form of King Charles I. He is in danger specifically at the hands of the title character, “the son of Milady.” To clarify, the Three Musketeers had hired an executioner to slay Milady de Winter at the end of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and she is being avenged by her now-adult son, Mordaunt. His disguise as a monk is well-crafted and helps him in his pursuit of England's Baron Winter, his uncle who had conspired with the Musketeers against his mother. Mordaunt and Mazarin are evil allies, and Winter recognizes that King Charles is in mortal danger.
Winter seeks to bring together the Four Musketeers he remembers from 20 years earlier, not realizing that they had gone their separate ways. Yes, D'Artagnan was still in Musketeer service, but Porthos is now a wealthy man of leisure, Aramis has become an Abbott in the Jesuit order, and Athos has retired on his country estate. Porthos is easy to convince, but the other two show no interest in returning to the middle of any conflict between French royalty or their disputes with other countries. It stays this way for a while, and at one point the two pairs of ex-Musketeer comrades are actually pitted against each other.
In the end, they all take different paths to the same goal --- that of offering their services once again, this time to defend and protect King Charles I. They all will learn that they are individually no match for the hateful and vengeful Mordaunt, not even D'Artagnan himself. Dumas leaves little to no room for romance here, choosing to concentrate on the swashbuckling action described above. I did not even notice, as the opportunity to spend more time with these great figures was all I cared about.
There is a listing of characters at the end of the novel, which comes in quite handy. Each time a real historical figure is introduced, their name is followed by an asterisk (*), which makes it easy to flip back and forth as you learn all you need to know about them without resorting to Wikipedia.
BLOOD ROYAL makes it clear that this tale is in the middle of the pack of the Three Musketeers adventures, which makes me hopeful that Lawrence Ellsworth is hard at work translating the next novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
October 21, 2023
The second half of Twenty Years After, it picks up right where the previous book left off. The previous book was mostly build up to the events in this one.
Blood Royal has a lot more action and higher stakes than either the previous book or even the Three Musketeers. Political upheaval and civil unrest are the stage for the Musketeers' adventures. They find themselves in the middle of Mazarin, Anne of Austria, Charles I, and Cromwell, pulled from all directions so tightly they might end up quartered.
On top of all that they have to contend with Mordaunt, the son of Milady de Winter, eerily similar, and a formidable foil to our Musketeers. He embodies a lot of what made Milady an exciting villain and makes the Musketeers work hard for their victories, to save their own necks, and others'. He's an excellent successor to her and really makes you worried for the heroes.
In this book, The Inseparables spend their time largely separated. D'Artagnan and Porthos are the highlight of this book. I found their antics extremely enjoyable. Their duo dynamic was charming. They are both well defined and resourceful in their own distinct ways and their banter is great. They remind me in many ways of my favorite swashbuckling duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Good hearted, empty headed, strong armed mountain of a man Porthos (“Your strength has never been in your head,” said d’Artagnan. “No, it’s in my arms and shoulders,” replied Porthos naïvely.) and quick witted, sharp tongued, and loose moraled d'Artagnan became two of my favorite characters.
Without his ward Raoul to care for, Athos becomes reduced to a harrumphing royalist. Aramis, for his part, is increasingly cold hearted but gleefully so in a way that makes him entertaining if not exactly relatable. His first instinct is to suggest murder as the solution to any problem and the only time we really see him smile is running people through with his sword and bashing them over the head in the heat of battle. Charming. I see why the ladies love him.
Raoul who we see growing and starting to make a name for himself in the last book is largely absent from this one. Popping up from time to time remind us he's still alive and being mentioned by others to get Athos to talk about anything besides how great kings are.
A very satisfying ending that couldn't be provided by Twenty Years After. I'm tempted to go back and rate it higher as being the first half of this book.
Blood Royal has a lot more action and higher stakes than either the previous book or even the Three Musketeers. Political upheaval and civil unrest are the stage for the Musketeers' adventures. They find themselves in the middle of Mazarin, Anne of Austria, Charles I, and Cromwell, pulled from all directions so tightly they might end up quartered.
On top of all that they have to contend with Mordaunt, the son of Milady de Winter, eerily similar, and a formidable foil to our Musketeers. He embodies a lot of what made Milady an exciting villain and makes the Musketeers work hard for their victories, to save their own necks, and others'. He's an excellent successor to her and really makes you worried for the heroes.
In this book, The Inseparables spend their time largely separated. D'Artagnan and Porthos are the highlight of this book. I found their antics extremely enjoyable. Their duo dynamic was charming. They are both well defined and resourceful in their own distinct ways and their banter is great. They remind me in many ways of my favorite swashbuckling duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Good hearted, empty headed, strong armed mountain of a man Porthos (“Your strength has never been in your head,” said d’Artagnan. “No, it’s in my arms and shoulders,” replied Porthos naïvely.) and quick witted, sharp tongued, and loose moraled d'Artagnan became two of my favorite characters.
Without his ward Raoul to care for, Athos becomes reduced to a harrumphing royalist. Aramis, for his part, is increasingly cold hearted but gleefully so in a way that makes him entertaining if not exactly relatable. His first instinct is to suggest murder as the solution to any problem and the only time we really see him smile is running people through with his sword and bashing them over the head in the heat of battle. Charming. I see why the ladies love him.
Raoul who we see growing and starting to make a name for himself in the last book is largely absent from this one. Popping up from time to time remind us he's still alive and being mentioned by others to get Athos to talk about anything besides how great kings are.
A very satisfying ending that couldn't be provided by Twenty Years After. I'm tempted to go back and rate it higher as being the first half of this book.
August 7, 2021
Really a 4.5 Great and unexpected follow up to the great Three Musketeers. This book is a master class in adding depth, flaws, and understanding to characters that one already knows and loves without taking away from your appreciation of them. These are the Musketeers you thought you knew but now you realize you saw them through a dirty lens that allowed only a shallow understanding. Our friends have grown up and so had the world they inhabit. And while maturity can be at times a bitter drink, adjusting and finding yourself within this new reality is the cornerstone of this tale. You will learn to love, hate, love again, and respect characters in ways you did not expect in the slightest. Fantastic second chapter that leaves you once again thirsty for more.
(This review also goes for Twenty Years After as it is the first half of the tale.)
(This review also goes for Twenty Years After as it is the first half of the tale.)
April 22, 2022
Dumas continues the adventures of the three musketeers in his books so long they split into 2 books: 20 years after and Blood Royal (or Son of Milady).
Dumas could have written a story that picks up with the young and recklessly brave D'artagnan. Instead he chose to write about them outside the prime of life. This highlights their personal characteristics and make the adventures worth reading.
The musketeers' loyalty, bravery, and witticisms a just as enjoyable in these books as the first.
Dumas could have written a story that picks up with the young and recklessly brave D'artagnan. Instead he chose to write about them outside the prime of life. This highlights their personal characteristics and make the adventures worth reading.
The musketeers' loyalty, bravery, and witticisms a just as enjoyable in these books as the first.
November 23, 2020
I love Dumas and I love all the books featuring the Musketeer.
It was a pleasure to read this book again and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It was a pleasure to read this book again and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
April 17, 2025
Epic. So much better than the last book. Not as dry and definitely much more action and adventure. An intriguing story that sees the Musketeers defending the crown (again) while involved in a plot to overthrow the royal family from within.
April 18, 2021
Great book but a less than spectacular ending
December 24, 2022
You have to read 20 Years After first because this is part 2 of that book as it is divided in this translation. Not bad. The parts in England are better than the rest.
November 10, 2024
exciting
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