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The Last Troubadour
First Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle
A Reviewer's Synopsis —
"Brilliance"
"The story (which is set in the mid-thirteenth century) is intriguing: a motley trio of heroes—a troubadour, a Templar, and a beautiful woman—must find the world’s most important religious relic before the evil Diableteur, a disfigured witch hunter who is working for the Pope, gets to it. At stake: the future of the Catholic Church. The characters are amusing. The novel is thoroughly readable and has more than a few moments of brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways. A writer of abundant talent."
— David Pitt, Booklist Magazine
Full synopsis here • More Reviews here • Chapter Excerpt here
Meet the author • Purchase from your favorite retailer now
US Price $ 24.95
Canadian Price $26.95
ISBN 9781601640109
Book Flap Copy
Ramon Troubadour returns to his devastated home city of Carcassonne to rescue the holy Dame of the Cathars from the flames of the Inquisition. His famous voice and sense of humor help him make new allies in his quest to prevent a bloody crusade
Only the Dame knows the secret of the holy relic of Montségur. A king will go to war for the relic. A dying pope will kill for it.Helped by a nameless one-eyed knight, a fighting damsel, a witch and a circus of colorful entertainers on dancing horses, Ramon must stand against a terrifying army led by Death incarnate, complete with archetypal scythe.Based on the true history of the Inquisition and the legend of the Tarot, The Last Troubadour assembles a magnificent cast right out of the Tarot deck: the Fool, the Magician, The Emperor, The Pope, Death and even The Devil. Don’t miss this tale of knightly valor, Tarot symbolism, tragic history and exciting quests.
Visit Armstrong's informative and fun Tarot Cards and Troubadour Magic blog!
Please order if you enjoy "brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways." If your favorite bookseller is not on this list—or if you ARE a bookseller and would like to be on this list—please email derek. If your favorite retailer doesn't have a copy of The Last Troubadour, please ask them to order! We support all booksellers. Thank you!
SYNOPSIS
Armstrong brings his "genre-bending" skills to the thirteenth century, quilling a laugh-out-loud historical thriller that is at once genuine, amusing, tragic and exciting. The last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue the Holiest Christian relic from a crusading Sainted King and "flaming" Pope Innocence. With him are a disgraced Templar and a luscious Temptress. Together, the Troubadour, the Templar and the Temptress—a heretic, athiest and pagan—are the last hope to save the Holy of Holies from powerful men who would exploit it to provoke a new crusade to Jerusalem.
Armstrong somehow retains his trademark "prose style that keeps us chuckling" (Booklist) while pointing his satirical wit at a Church that believes the answer to faith is to burn any who do not believe. With larger-than-life characters that manage not to become caricatures, Armstrong sets his heroes against the Diableteur, a witch hunter who resembles the archetypal "Death and his sickle", a lecherous archbishop who believes the relic can make him the next Pope, and a Pope who knows the true nature of the relic will destroy the Church. With Ramon Troubadour and his Templar/Temptress duo are an eclectic cast of characters—the one-eyed "white" knight who falls in love with the virgin Holy Lady, a Novgorodian wandering sorceress, and famous rebels, Doré the Dandy and Osric the Hammer. Oh, not to forget little Mauri, a "rat-like" mongrel of a dog who often "saves the day", and Izzy and Wizi, two "nearly human" horses.
If you enjoy your thrills and history—crusading knights, romantic-but-funny troubadours, fighting damsels, evil archbishops and roasting "heretics" on the pyre—mixed with a generous dollop of humor, large dashes of historical tragedy, and a big splash of satire, you'll adore The Last Troubadour, a genre-bend if there ever was one.
IN USA: $24.95
NEW Canadian Price $26.95*
ISBN-13: 978-1-60164-010-9
ISBN-10: 1-60164-010-2
Fall 2007
384 pages
US$ 24.95
Kunati Cloth Hardcover
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Armstrong, Derek Lee.
The last troubadour : a novel / Derek Armstrong. -- 1st ed.
p. cm. -- (Song of Montsegur ; bk. 1)
Summary: "Historical thriller focused on the 13th century Cathar crusade, the development of tarot cards, Pope Innocent IV, Saint Louis of France, the Holy Grail, based on true history"--Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-60164-010-9
1. France--History--13th century--Fiction. 2. Carcassonne (France)--History--Fiction. 3. Troubadours--Fiction. 4. Albigenses--Fiction. 5. Inquisition--France, Southern--Fiction. 6. Tarot cards--Fiction. I. Title.
PS3601.R575L37 2007
813'.6--dc22
2007028101
Tarot and the Cathars
Armstrong seamlessly blends true history and historical characters—Pope Innocent, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, Ramon Troubadour, Archbishop Amiel, Viscount D'Arci—with a little whimsical "possible history." It has long been reported by scholars that one possible source of Tarot symbolism were the Christian Cathars who feature in Armstrong's novel as the persecuted people "burned as heretics" by the Church. Armstrong cleverly weaves a "possible" history of the Tarot, making historical characters come alive as the Fool (Ramon Troubadour), the Magician (Nevara), Death (Diableteur), the Pope (Pope Innocent IV), the High Priestess (Dame Esclarmonde de Foix), Chariot (Arnot, the Templar) and many other eclectic and fascinating characters. Not only is the "mystical" history possible, it's clever and funny, adding rich dimension and imagery to The Last Troubadour.
The Holy of Holies
The Cathars of Montségur are famous as the "guardians" of holy relics of Christianity, and Armstrong uses this "fact" to weave a historical epic of great intensity and joy.
The Quest and The Last Stand
Don't miss the sequels to The Last Troubadour—The Quest (Second Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle) and The Last Stand, scheduled for spring and fall 08 respectively.
Derek Armstrong
Derek Armstrong loves the provocative, controversial and unique. What the critics say:
"Derek Armstrong is good,"
Michael Korda, Simon & Schuster VP."Gruesome, suspenseful, and rich with dark humor, Armstrong moves the reader through time and space with a keen sense of momentum and dash. His characters are diverse, bold, unforgettable..." ForeWord Magazine
Armstrong focuses on "high concept" but with a key difference. Black humor, edgy dialog and "broad swipes at the cultural zeitgeist" are integral to Armstrong's unique writing. Armstrong is as likely to make fun of his own "thriller" genre as reality television--the target of his attack in The Game. His historical thriller, The Last Troubadour makes light of both the historic Catholic Church AND the latest passion for Holy Grail. He has been called "cheeky" and "daring" and "provocative." Derek Armstrong writes thrillers because, according to him, "they're entertaining and you can be ridiculous and serious at the same time. Thrills and laughs belong together. Really."
Accomplishments: Derek Armstrong has won many awards for advertising copywriting Internationally and wrote The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster) with co-author Kam Wai Yu, now translated to five languages. Forthcoming titles include MADicine, the whacky thriller sequel to The Game, this time taking major swipes at medicine and scientific research.
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