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Original Essays | November 5, 2009

John Buntin: IMG Notes from the (Bibliographic) Underground

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The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur

by Derek Armstrong

The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur Cover

ISBN13: 9781601640109
ISBN10: 1601640102
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In this historical thriller set against the rich background of the 13th-century Inquisition, the last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue a holy Christian relic from a crusading king. Seamlessly weaving the history of the Cathar Crusade with the historical origins of the Tarot deck, this fascinating, genre-bending epic brings symbols of the Tarot to life through medieval characters—Arnot the Knight Templar as the Chariot, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix as the High Priestess, Nevara as the Magician, Pope Innocent IV as the Hierophant, and Ramon Troubadour as the Fool—to create a richly textured historical fantasy that is suspenseful, humourous, tragic, and satirical by turns.

Review:

"The 13th-century French inquisition that targeted the heretical Cathar sect provides the backdrop for Armstrong's action-packed second novel (after The Game), the first in a planned trilogy. Ramon, 'last of the Occitan's famous heretical troubadours,' and his motley band of allies take on the forces of evil as personified in the witch-hunter known as the Diableteur, whose scarred and burnt face strikes terror in those who behold him. The Diableteur was responsible for the burning at the stake of Ramon's mother decades earlier, and the minstrel's desire for revenge remains strong. Workmanlike prose and superficial characterization make this a less satisfying read than Zoe Oldenbourg's Destiny of Fire, which likewise centers on the Cathar heresy." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
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About the Author

Derek Armstrong is the author of The Game and the coauthor of The Persona Principle. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
tongchan, September 15, 2007 (view all comments by tongchan)
Entirely unique. The Last Troubadour is still true to the spirit of Armstrong’s previous novel, combining equal parts adventure, comedy, satire and suspense. But unlike his last novel (The Game), the author journeys back to the 13th century, to the founding of the Inquisition. Instead of dark and depressing, he creates an upbeat adventure with a touch of the mystic. Here, all the characters are trump cards from the Tarot deck, and the story is the journey of the Fool. What fun this is. I couldn’t put this down, especially knowing that this was all somewhat based on real history. All the characters are such fun, from Death and his scythe to the Fool and his little dog, yet they’re still deep enough to seem real in the moment. Ramon, the Fool returns to his home city, a place of tragedy, on a mission to rescue the Priestess of the Cathars from the fires of the Holy Inquisition. She holds the secret to a Holy Relic sought after by everyone in Europe of the time. It could start a war, or stop one. Everyone in this novel has a dark secret, which the author reveals with a real sense of mischief. Knights Templar, Cathar heretics, lecherous archbishops, pagans with hand-painted tarot cards –every chapter has a nice surprise. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys adventure, suspense, humor, historical novels or tarot cards.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781601640109
Subtitle:
Song of Montsegur
Author:
Armstrong, Derek
Publisher:
Kunati Inc.
Subject:
Alternative History
Subject:
History
Subject:
Inquisition
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
Adventure fiction
Publication Date:
September 2007
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
375
Dimensions:
9.24x6.36x1.15 in. 1.44 lbs.
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