The Burnished Blade [antikvár]

THE BURNISHED BLADE "From the burning of Jeanne d'Arc over five cen- turies ago to one of the most ghastly execution scenes in fiction, from medieval France of Charles the Well Served to the remote Trebizond Empire, Lawrence Schoonover ranges at will with a sense of history and a vivid imagination, "The hero, orphaned Pierre, endures siege and tavern brawls, enters the service of France's most renowned financier, Jacques Coeur, braves plague- ridden Paris, travels to Byzantium and Trebizond, is kidnapped and tortured, uncovers a plot against the Trapezuntian Emperor, and after a climax that makes one's gorge rise returns to France and tranquillity, "Every chapter has its share of exciting events, Lawrence Schoonover has hit the bullseye on the first shot.55 —New York Herald Tribune