Customer Reviews

Mistress Wilding (Large Print Edition)

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4 star:		(3)
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Imagine a soap opera where the young lady hates the dashing hero for his roguish reputation, her brother hates him because he won't be able to enjoy his partying lifestyle when the hero weds the girl, and another young man, a broke gambler, sees his financial salvation in thwarting the hero and marrying the lady ('s fortune) himself. Then add the backdrop of the Duke of Monmouth's return during the reign of King James, so there's rebellion, insurrection and treachery on all sides. That's pretty much what this title gives you, along with a healthy dose of Sabatini-style chivalry.

It's a rollicking read--you never know what's going to happen next, but suspect it'll keep getting worse and worse for our hero. Yes, the characters are a little unround and not far from 'types', but for tense plotting and a very Victorian moral code welded to history, you can't beat Sabatini. It's not his *best*, but it's still a great ride!

Chronicling the fortunes of Anthony Wilding as he attempts to woo his lady and help the Duke of Monmouth in his uprising against King James, this book was an entertaining read. There's romance and adventure, intrigue and suspense. It was also interesting to have a story that kind of overlapped with the story of Captain Blood, who was wrongly condemned for involvement in the Monmouth uprising... for those of you who are ridiculously obsessed with Captain Blood, like myself : ) Overall, I'd recommend this though, if you can get your hands on it.

Although certainly not on a par with the author's more famous works, Captain Blood, Scaramouche or The Sea Hawk, Mistress Wilding (first published in 1910 under the title Arms and the Maid or Anthony Wilding) can be ranked among the best of Sabatini's early novels. In it are all the seeds of his later genius: a tight and twisting plot, historical accuracy, sparkling dialogue and plenty of lively humor. As with Cpt. Blood, the story takes place during the ill-fated Protestant rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth against James II. The characters are carefully drawn, though the protagonists are not quite as appealing as in other novels. What makes the story unique is that we really do not know who will be the hero and who the villain until the latter third of the book. Perhaps that is why Sabatini changed the title for the American edition. Not the best the author has to offer, but Sabatini fans will love it, as will lovers of historical romance.

I rate MISTRESS WILDING with CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE BLACK SWAN as Sabatini in peak form--as good as swashbucklers get. As always, a hero who should have been played by Errol Flynn and a suspicious--but persuadable--woman--spiced with treachery, battles, duels and less formal swordplay. This one's set in Monmouth's Rebellion--right up there with the '45 for improbable adventure--and Sabatini uses it well.
The book itself is a nice hardcover with the standard Bibliobazaar cover. I would say the text had been scanned in from an earlier edition with the use of an OCR program. This leads to a few typos, but nothing which hinders reading, and where else will you find a Sabatini in new hardcover?
Just buy it.