Sabatini Rafael. Scaramouche the Kingmaker

Another adventure from Sabatini’s remarkable and much-loved hero. In 'Scaramouche the Kingmaker,' Andre Louis again dons his famous and much-admired disguise to embark upon a new adventure – and one full of the thrill and swashbuckling action that has earnt Sabatini his place in the hall of great writers. The sequel to Scaramouche, this is a very different novel. Scaramouche was filled with comedy, wit, adventure, sword-play and traditional motivations right out of Dumas-revenge, love, survival, and greed. Scaramouche, the King Maker is its much more dark and cynical cousin. Gone, for the most part, are Andre Louis' unending witty repartee and cutting come-backs. He is now pure Machiavellian schemer who seems to bring the downfall of the powerful as a whim and sends men (mostly scoundrels, but innocents also get caught as collateral damage) to the guillotine simply as a game or test of his skill. Despite being one of the best swordsmen in France, there is not a single duel. He never draws his blade. His mind and capacity to plot and exploit the weaknesses of powerful men is much more powerful.