The First Sir Percy

The writing in The First Sir Percy was much tighter than in The Laughing Cavalier, yet I didn't enjoy it quite as much. This is probably due to the fact that Diogenes and Gilda spent much less screen time together. Nevertheless it earned its solid four star rating and left me hungry for more. Bring on the Scarlet Pimpernel!
Oh, and just as a quick note, I recently learned that Emmuska Orczy did not learn English until she was fifteen, with it being the fourth language she learnt. To have only learnt English at this age, and yet to write with such success I think is a great achievement for her.

A good read but predictable ending. The whole story does hinge on Gilda not fleeing the city before it was taken over... Knowing The enemy it was strategically a bad move but there would have been no story if it were otherwise.

Sir Percy Blakenley, the Laughing Cavalier of Hals' fame, was a Dutch soldier of fortune until he discovered his rich English father. Although the Spanish are still threatening the Netherlands, Percy intends to retire to England and wealth with his beautiful Dutch bride, but treachery threatens his former friends and he must remain to finish the battle with them. This is actually a dandy story. It's written in Orczy's florid and romantic style, but the characters are interesting and I enjoyed it very much. Second of The Scarlet Pimpernel's prequels.