The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur [Hardcover]

Derek Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Series: Song of Montsegur | Publication Date: September 1, 2007

In this historical thriller set against the rich background of the 13th-century Inquisition, the last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue a holy Christian relic from a crusading king. Seamlessly weaving the history of the Cathar Crusade with the historical origins of the Tarot deck, this fascinating, genre-bending epic brings symbols of the Tarot to life through medieval characters—Arnot the Knight Templar as the Chariot, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix as the High Priestess, Nevara as the Magician, Pope Innocent IV as the Hierophant, and Ramon Troubadour as the Fool—to create a richly textured historical fantasy that is suspenseful, humourous, tragic, and satirical by turns.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 13th-century French inquisition that targeted the heretical Cathar sect provides the backdrop for Armstrong's action-packed second novel (after The Game), the first in a planned trilogy. Ramon, "last of the Occitan's famous heretical troubadours," and his motley band of allies take on the forces of evil as personified in the witch-hunter known as the Diableteur, whose scarred and burnt face strikes terror in those who behold him. The Diableteur was responsible for the burning at the stake of Ramon's mother decades earlier, and the minstrel's desire for revenge remains strong. Workmanlike prose and superficial characterization make this a less satisfying read than Zoe Oldenbourg's Destiny of Fire, which likewise centers on the Cathar heresy.
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From Booklist

In his follow-up to the excellent The Game (2007), Armstrong takes on a whole new set of challenges, with mixed results. The story (which is set in the mid-thirteenth century) is intriguing: a motley trio of heroes—a troubadour, a Templar, and a beautiful woman—must find the world's most important religious relic before the evil Diableteur, a disfigured witch hunter who is working for the pope, gets to it. At stake: the future of the Catholic Church. The characters are amusing but perhaps a little too cartoony to shoulder the burdens of the elaborate story. Likewise, the dialogue, while entertaining, crosses the line a few too many times between comic and comic book. But despite feeling slightly out of focus, the novel is thoroughly readable and has more than a few moments of near brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways. A slight misstep, then, but an ambitious attempt all the same from a writer of abundant talent. Pitt, David

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Kunati Inc. (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601640102
• ISBN-13: 978-1601640109
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,220,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Best known for historical thrillers and mystery thrillers, Derek Armstrong is also a screenwriter, publisher and well-known marketing guru. His defining signature style was described by Booklist as "brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways." Armstrong is the creator of Alban Bane, featured in the Alban Bane thrillers The Game and MADicine, a character affectionately compared by critics to House M.D., the TV character. He is the author of the popular Song of Monts'gur historical trilogy, including The Last Troubadour and The Last Quest. He is also author of two non-fiction titles: Blogertize'A Leading Expert Shows How Your Blog Can Be A Money-Making Machine and The Persona Principle: How to Succeed in Business with Image-Marketing. Forthcoming in 2009 is a breakthrough Harry Potter competitor: Magick Inc.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Major Arcana comes to life!, October 14, 2007

By 

Katrina Black "aka Kat Black of Touchstone an... (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur (Hardcover)

A rollicking tale with fascinating characters, many based on the archetypes of the Tarot. I particularly loved the depth of the characters, how none were purely 'good' or 'bad', all were complex, flawed - but with some redeeming features, as though they could all be read 'dignified' or 'reversed' to use the tarot jargon :)

Look forward very much to the next books in the trilogy! best, kat =^..^=

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gateway to a whole new world!, September 8, 2007

By 

Bonnie Cehovet (Shelton, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur (Hardcover)

"The Last Troubadour" is most definitely a character driven story, the first in a trilogy. Set in the 13th century, against the backdrop of the Inquisition, the Knights Templar, the Catholic Church, Knights and Kings, we visit the devastated city of Carcassonne, former home to Ramon Troubadour ... Fool incarnate. We join him in his quest to save the holy Dame of the Cathars from the fires of the Inquisition ... whether she wants to be saved or not!

We meet a one-eyed Knight, who rides with his men under no colors (rather ... his color is the color white); a giant of a man who may or may not be a Templar; a witch with the ability to see into the future, to heal, and to "trick" when the need arises (and who may have designed her own Tarot deck!); and a Dandy, who holds more secrets than one might think.

Each of the major characters are plotted as one of the archetypes from the Tarot. The power of the Tarot is in the story that it tells, and through these characters the story grows to mythical proportions!

The story is in and of its time ... bawdy, humorous, mysterious and mystical, all at the same time. As an aficionado of the Tarot, and someone with a keen interest in the Knights Templar and the actions of the Catholic Church during this time period, I found this book to be fast paced, never dropping my interest, and providing great insight into the people and the culture that it reflects.

I hope that Derek Armstrong and his publishers do as has been indicated here on [...], and issue a Tarot deck with the second book in this series that reflects the background of the book.

By the way ... have I mentioned the evil Diableteur? An archetypal Devil (complete with scyth), he is working with the Pope to find the world's most important religious relic - an act that is keeping the current Pope alive by dint of his will. In the shadows, two other men vie for the bounty ... and the Pope's office once he passes on!

For anyone who enjoys mysteries, the Tarot, and the background of the 13th century, this is a must have book ... and no doubt will be a must have series!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Rabelais, February 11, 2008

By 

Lynn Hoffman, author:The Short Course in Beer (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur (Hardcover)

If you loved the outsized adventures of Gargantua and Pantagruel (Penguin Classics), you will surely be delighted by Armstrong's second novel, The Last Troubador: Song of Montsegur. Set in the turbulent, insecure 12th Century when Christendom set itself against Islam in the east and reforming elements at home, this book has the large stage in which to handle some universal themes.
What sets this apart from most historicals and calls Rabelais to mind is the author's tongue which is so firmly planted in his cheek that even when we are transported by the death-defying action, we're always aware of the multiple levels of meaning. Most historical novels are necessarily short-lived: their view of history is a product of their own moment and so they become dated. The Last Troubador will no doubt be around for a long time because the wink and the nod to the reader is truly timeless.

By the way, I found this book because I'd read Armstrong's The Game, a very different detective novel that shares the same dry inviting humor.

Lynn Hoffman, author of the semi-Rabelaisian bang BANG: A Novel