8 h 37 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 8 h 37 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a man who wagers on winning hearts meets a woman determined to choose for herself?
At the court of Louis XIII, Marcel de Saint-Pol, Marquis of Bardelys, trusts his charm to win him anything. Then Count de Chatellerault challenges him to win Roxalanne de Lavedan's heart. Bardelys leaves Paris for Languedoc, expecting another easy conquest. Roxalanne, loyal to her family and firm in her choices, owes him nothing.
France stands close to civil war as nobles resist the crown and Cardinal Richelieu. Among these tensions, Bardelys enters the Lavedan household under another name. His disguise draws him into dangers beyond a courtly game, while Chatellerault watches for his chance. In Rafael Sabatini's historical romance, a glittering reputation offers little protection when love and honor demand something real.
What you’ll discover
- A wager with consequences Follow a careless boast from the royal court into a country troubled by rebellion.
- A heroine who chooses Meet Roxalanne, whose loyalty to her family leaves room for a will of her own.
- The danger of disguise Enter a household where a false name brings welcome, but makes every step uncertain.
- A rival without mercy Watch Chatellerault pursue his grudge against the courtier he wants to bring low.
- Honor beyond fine appearances Discover what separates a reputation built on conquest from a love that must be earned.
Who will love it
For readers who love cloak and sword adventure, mistaken identity and a romance that has to be earned, with duels, disguise and a wager that tests love and honor.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boastful wager is struck at court
- The journey south brings trouble
- A false name opens the door
- Love turns the game into something real
- Enemies close in from court and country
- Honor, pride and how the tale is told
Who’s who
- Marcel de Saint-Pol, Marquis of BardelysA rich, witty courtier of Louis XIII, known as the Magnificent, who bets on winning a lady's heart and must learn what love costs.
- Roxalanne de LavedanA spirited young woman of Languedoc, loyal to her family, who has refused the husband the king favored and wants to choose for herself.
- Count de ChatelleraultA court rival of Bardelys, rejected by Roxalanne, who sets the wager and wants to see the Magnificent brought low.
- Louis XIIIThe king of France, whose power is challenged by rebel nobles and whose judgment weighs on every character in the story.
- Vicomte de LavedanRoxalanne's father, a nobleman of the south who is caught up in the troubles of the rebellion and wants to protect his house.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
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- Audiobook
- 8 h 37 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Bardelys il Magnifico
by Rafael Sabatini · 1905
Bardelys wagers his estates on winning a woman's heart, then enters a province in revolt under a false name.
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In short
Bardelys the Magnificent is a historical romance by Rafael Sabatini, published in 1905. It was one of his early successes, written before the sea tales and swashbucklers that later made his name.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A boastful wager is struck at court
The story opens among the courtiers of Louis XIII. Bardelys is the most admired man in the circle, rich, witty and used to getting what he wants. His reputation rests above all on his conquests in love, and he is rarely refused.
His chief rival is the Count de Chatellerault, a man who envies him and wants to see him humbled. Chatellerault has himself been rejected by a young woman named Roxalanne de Lavedan, whom the king had wished him to marry. She has turned him down and remains out of reach in the south of France.
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What is Bardelys the Magnificent about?
It follows a famous courtier at the court of Louis XIII who wagers his estates that he can win a lady who has refused the king's choice. His journey south turns the game into a test of love and honor.
Who is Bardelys in the book?
Bardelys is Marcel de Saint-Pol, Marquis of Bardelys, a wealthy and charming nobleman. Courtiers call him the Magnificent because of his style and his success in love, until a wager brings him real danger.
Is Bardelys the Magnificent a true story?
No, the characters and the plot are invented. Sabatini published it in 1905, but he set it in the France of the 1630s, using the real background of Louis XIII and the revolt of nobles.
The author
Rafael Sabatini
1875–1950 · Italian-English historical novelist
Rafael Sabatini (1875–1950) was an Italian-born writer who wrote in English. He was born in Jesi, Italy, and settled in England in 1892. His novels include The Sea-Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), and Captain Blood (1922). He also wrote biographies and short stories. He died in Adelboden, Switzerland.
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