The king and the queen are dead, winter is near, and Paris
has become the city of death. But the League of the Scarlet
Pimpernel has not given up on freeing the dauphin, Louis
Charles. Tristan Chevalier, Robespierre's secretary,
approved of the Revolution, for he has seen what the
aristocrats are capable of, but he has recently started to
question Robespierre's intentions. The League has been
keeping an eye on Tristan, and when the occasion presents
itself, they bring him in. Alexandra Martin, an English
actress working in Paris and a consummate spy, uses her
talents to charm Tristan into the Pimpernel's lair. What to
do when being attracted to the enemy could cost you your life?
And after the three previous installments, I thought The
Scarlet Chronicles couldn't get any better, and
Shana Galen proves me wrong again! TO TEMPT A REBEL rivals
the best espionage thrillers as Ms. Galen, with the aid of
her exceptionally thorough research, recreates the chilling
atmosphere of the French Revolution and the trepidation of
eighteenth-century cloak and dagger. The cinematic
descriptions highlight a gripping narrative, as Tristan
reluctantly follows Alex through Paris to take part in a
mission whose validity he initially rejects. Tristan is,
without a doubt, Ms. Galen's most extraordinary character
ever, and one easily forgets that he is but a literary
creation. He is entirely justified in his hatred of the
aristocracy, yet over time he becomes deeply conflicted as
to how far he will go to exact revenge for the atrocities he
has experienced. He believes in the values of the new
republic, but not in Robespierre's methods, and I was
pleased that, this time around, we get to see the
revolutionaries' side.
TO TEMPT A REBEL is such a fantastic spy novel, that I could
not fathom how the romance could be successfully integrated
into this fabulous story. And it works, in spite of our main
characters' vastly divergent views and doubts. Although it
always escapes me that, even when time is of the essence,
the couple can always manage a quickie. Still, this is a
very minor quibble, because TO TEMPT A REBEL is another
phenomenal story in what I consider Shana Galen's best
series, do not miss it!
He’s a rebel…
It all began so well. When Tristan Chevalier joined the
French revolutionaries to fight for brotherhood, equality,
and liberty, he was full of hopes and dreams of what the
revolution could accomplish. But after several years of
serving as the bloodthirsty Robespierre’s second, Tristan is
having doubts. When Tristan tries to halt Robespierre’s
Reign of Terror, he inadvertently steps into a trap laid by
the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel and orchestrated by the
lovely Alexandra Martin. Tristan is no one’s pawn, but he
thinks by playing along, he might be able to give his
superiors information leading to the capture of the League.
He could end the Pimpernel’s antics once and for all.
There’s just one problem—no matter how much Tristan despises
Alexandra, he can’t quite stop wanting her.
She has a cause.
Alexandra Martin is an Englishwoman who’s has been playing
the part of a French actress for years. It’s a clever cover
for her real role as a member of the League of the Scarlet
Pimpernel. Alex usually works in the background, but when
she manages to snare one of the most important men in
Robespierre’s government, she’s risking it all. So begins a
harrowing adventure where Alex’s most vile enemy must become
her most trusted ally. The fate of a young prince hangs in
the balance as two clashing rebels discover enemies
sometimes make the best lovers.