An Enemy to the King: From the Recently Discovered Memoirs of the Sieur De La Tournoire

France bleeds. The Wars of Religion tear the realm apart, and into this maelstrom rides Ernanton de Launay, a young Huguenot gentleman whose ambitions outpace his wisdom. Leaving behind the quiet hills of Anjou for the treacherous boulevards of Paris, he seeks adventure, glory, and above all, the enigmatic Mademoiselle d'Arency, a woman whose favor seems as impossible to win as the political game is to survive. He crosses blades with the legendary Bussy d'Amboise, courts the favor of King Henri III, and finds himself caught between the deadly machinations of the Duke of Guise and the Protestant cause. What begins as a young man's romantic quest becomes a descent into a world where every duel is political, every kiss is dangerous, and loyalty to one's faith may cost everything. Stephens writes with the vigor of Dumas and the period's romantic fascination with swordplay, honor, and the chaos of sixteenth-century France.