It has been a long while since I have read – or in this case – listened to a tale of action, adventure, love, and honor of such a scope. I could just imagine a very young Errol Flynn in the lead role and that made it all the better. The author is deft with his storytelling as he moves between time and place. This is no mean feat considering the amazing cast of characters he has assembled. I had no problem following the story nor determining who was speaking during scenes where there were more than two characters. Excellent descriptive passages that brought the time period to life. Bettencourt is equally at home with his male and female characters – another huge plus. There are some wonderful surprises with the female characters. I won’t give them away but it made me smile because I like nothing more than a surprise and creativity that makes sense.
The only thing that kept this from a perfect score is the length of the work. Epic it is, but I would prefer that it be broken up. Personal taste and nothing more. Loved the narrator. I think he did a great job with the accents and the pacing.
Needless to say, I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a rich, swashbuckling tale.