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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Thursday, 24 July 2008 16:00 |
 A visit to the home of the Revolutionary Brethren proves a turning point in d'Eon's search for the Royal Psalms - but where Poets are involved, all is not what it seems, as allies become enemies and the group's return to France turns out to be less than triumphant...
17 - Medmenham Abbey
Having been summoned by Lord Dashwood, Maximilien and has companions are on their way to Medmenham Abbey, the home of the Revolutionary Brethren, where punishment seems to await him for acting too much on his own initiative. Back in London, d'Eon and the others consider what they've learnt from Queen Mary while awaiting Durand's release - while the knowledge that the Comte de Saint Germain is a Poet is important (especially given his links to Madame Pompadour), travelling to Medmenham to deal with the Brethren themselves seems to be more important...
18 - The New World
The Brethren at Medmenham Abbey may have been expecting the arrival of d'Eon and the others, but what they hadn't counted on was Lia's proficiency with the Psalms - a skill that allows her to easily deal with the opposition she meets there, but also threatens harm to Robin, Durand and Teillagory. Her actions leave the Brethren with no way to open the Royal Psalms - a success on one level - but with Maxmiliem dead, they now have no idea who currently possesses them. It also seems as though some are determined to make sure they never find out...
19 - Toward a Bloody Red
Dashwood is dead, the Revolutionary Brethren are no more, and the Royal Psalms are in d'Eon's hands - of the four Frenchmen, he's the only person who can open and read the book, although Durand is soon quick to take custody of it, in the name of protecting the King's secrets. The question now is what he'll do about his orders to kill the others. Meanwhile, it seems as though Maximilien's death wasn't quite what it seemed, and he's still on the track of the Royal Psalms...
20 - Ready to Die For...
And then there were three. Durand's death at Lia's hands leaves the group short an able fighter - but ironically means that there's now no-one to carry out Louis' orders to kill them. They seem to be in the clear, too - back in London, the backlash against those who tried to start war with France has begun, with Guercy arrested and the Earl of Sandwich, one of the lead conspirators, removed from his position. That clears the way for their return to France (much to Anna's relief) - but d'Eon's dreams of returning to a peaceful life soon prove to be very wishful indeed...
After last volume's focus on politics and diplomacy, this volume come back to the action side of the story, with a series of confrontations for d'Eon and the others to deal with as the truth behind the Royal Psalms is slowly revealed. There's still some confusion about Lia's role in all this - her actions make clear that she was pretty much a Poet herself, at least in as far as her ability to cast Psalms was concerned, and her relationship with Maximilien - referred to several times through these episodes - often makes you wonder whose side she was really on. The answer seems to be "her own" - while ostensibly working for King Louis XV, she seems to have had her own idea about what was right to do. Given the King's attitude towards anyone with knowledge of the Psalms, that's perhaps understandable.
There's a constant thread of betrayal running through this volume, though. Maximilien's stand against Dashwood, Durand's orders regarding the others, and more besides - it soon becomes clear that there are very few people in this series who can really be trusted. Between the power of the Psalms and the backlash that's rising against Royalty in both England and France, peoples' loyalties can no longer be taken for granted. All the twists and turns that that provides make this volume thoroughly enjoyable to watch, and while there's plenty going on, somehow it still manages to feel as though the story is moving along at a leisurely pace which makes it easy to sit back and just enjoy the experience.
So all told, another enjoyable volume. Le Chevlaier d'Eon has turned out to be one of the unsung gems of the past year - it's managed to slip past most people without getting any of the attention that it deserves for its intriguing storyline and rich historical setting, and that's a damned shame. This volume leaves the story at a crucial juncture, with the path for d'Eon from here being far from clear - and that means the final volume can't arrive soon enough. Highly recommended.
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