The Hounds of God [Paperback]

Rafael Sabatini (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: House of Stratus Ltd (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842328131
• ISBN-13: 978-1842328132
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,718,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sabatini meets the Inquisition!, January 20, 2008

By 

volodyovsky "volodyovsky" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hounds of God (Paperback)

This is not one of Sabatini's better known novels nor is it in the same class as Captain Blood, Scaramouche, or Master at Arms. But if, like me, you love Sabatini, or if you are simply a fan of the historical swashbuckler, you will enjoy The Hounds of God (1928). It has the same careful attention to historical detail, sparkling dialogue, humor, action, and surprising plot twists that once made the author a household name. The protagonists, young naval hero Gervase Crosby and fiercely independent Lady Margaret Trevanion, are caught up in the groundswell of events surrounding the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada. Abducted and brought to Spain by shipwrecked grandee Don Pedro, both Margaret and her abductor, much to their surprise, both become grist for the mill of the notorious Inquisition. The author's portrayal of Elizabeth I is comic but pitch-perfect. Like many of Sabatini's villains, the urbane Don Pedro is a sympathetic and thoroughly human character, swept up by his own lust and emotions. Even the Dominican inquisitors are portrayed as deeply zealous and well-meaning, though purblind, creatures--which is what makes them so frightening and real, for their aseptic deliberations lead them to the most appalling conclusions and wicked acts. Perhaps the novel's greatest strength is in demonstrating so realistically how human beings can be led to such inhumanity by a fanatical devotion to the Truth. Sabatini was certainly capable of writing a potboiler or two, but I would not class this one among them. Although not his best, the novel is tight, well-written and suspenseful, with often fascinating insights into historical events and characters.