This is the fourth book in the author's series of historical novels set during the French wars of religion in the 16th and 17th centuries. This novel focuses on the 15 or so years after the infamous St Bartholomew's Eve massacre in 1572, particularly focusing on the attempts by the moderate King Henri III to keep his kingdom together, with the extreme Catholic League led by the Duc de Guise wanting to wipe out all Huguenots, while the childless King has no heir except his distant cousin the Protestant Henri of Navarre against whom he has to pretend to wage war while secretly wanting Navarre to succeed peacefully to the throne. In the last chapter, the moderate but exasperated King finally decides there is no alternative other than to assassinate Guise to prevent his plotting to overthrow him. This fourth novel felt less closely connected than its predecessors with the personal fortunes of the novels' narrator Pierre de Siorac who, nevertheless, manages to conduct his usual range of romantic and sexual escapades with many ladies. Not the best of the series, but a solid and enjoyable read as always. Now my problem is that none of the remaining nine books in the series have yet been translated into English and even the French versions seem hard to find. ( )