Heretic Dawn: Fortunes of France 3

The best so far * Sunday Times Culture magazine *
Merle's writing style is entertaining, easy to read and well-paced... thought-provoking yet thrilling swashbucklers - and immensely good fun * Historical Novel Society *
A powerfully accessible path of introspection and questioning of the present through the past. * Bookanista *
This is the most absorbing of the series so far... each volume may be built like a mouse brick to look at but it's not at all brick like in the reading. * Book bag *
If you remember reading and loving Alexandre Dumas then this continues in the same vein... sword-slashing action * The Connexion *
Modern-day Dumas finally crosses the channel * Observer *
Swashbuckling historical fiction... For all its philosophical depth [The Brethren] is a hugely entertaining romp... The comparisons with Dumas seem both natural and deserved and the next 12 instalments [are] a thrilling prospect -- Christobel Kent * Guardian *
A sprawling, earthy tale of peril, love, lust, death, dazzling philosophical debate and political intrigue... an engrossing saga * Gransnet *
Historical fiction at its very best... This fast paced and heady brew is colourfully leavened with love and sex and a great deal of humour and wit. The second instalment cannot be published too soon. * We Love This Book *
A vivid novel by France's modern Dumas... [there is] plenty of evidence in the rich characterisation and vivid historical detail that a reader's long-term commitment will be amply rewarded * Sunday Times *
A master of the historical novel * Guardian *
Both wise and audacious, constantly nudging up against the extraordinary. * The New York Times Book Review *
So rich in historical detail... the characters are engaging * Sunday Express *
This is old-fashioned story-telling. It has swagger and, vibrancy with big characters... A gripping story with humour and strength and real attention to historical detail * Mature Times *
Cleverly depicts France's epic religious wars through the intimate prism of one family's experience. It's beautifully written too. * Metro *
The spectacular 13-volume evocation of 16th-17th-century France * Independent *
A lively adventure... anyone keen on historical fiction [should] look forward to the next instalment * Telegraph *
The Dumas of the twentieth century * Neues Deutschland *
A wonderful, colourful, breathlessly narrated historical panorama * Zeitpunkt *
Robert Merle is one of the very few French writers who has attained both popular success and the admiration of critics. The doyen of our novelists is a happy man * Le Figaro *