The hounds of God (Popular library) [Paperback]

Rafael Sabatini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1963 | Series: Popular library

When Don Pedro is shipwrecked off the Cornish coast and captured by the formidable Lady Margaret Trevanion, he expects trouble. What he doesn't expect is to fall in love and run away with Lady Margaret, only to be pursued by his own countrymen. And he certainly hadn't expected that the officers of the Spanish Inquisition would be so ruthless that Don Pedro and Lady Margaret are forced to enlist the help of the Queen of England herself.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rafael Sabatini was born to an English mother and Italian father, both well-known opera singers. At seventeen Sabatini moved to England, where, after a brief stint in the business world, he started to write. His major breakthrough came with Scaramouche, which became an international bestseller and was followed by the equally successful Captain Blood. All his earlier books were then rushed into reprint. Many of his novels were subsequently adapted into classic films which appealed to both a male and female market with their drama, romance and action, set against a variety of historical settings. 'One wonders if there is another storyteller so adroit at filling his pages with intrigue and counter-intrigue, with danger threaded with romance, with a background of lavish colour, of silks and velvets, of swords and jewels' - Daily Telegraph --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Popular library (1963)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0007FRIT4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,356,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By 

volodyovsky "volodyovsky" - See all my reviews

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.