The Henchmen of Zenda

De: KJ Charles

Narrado por: Antony Ferguson

Jasper Detchard is a disgraced British officer, now selling his blade to the highest bidder. Currently that's Michael Elphberg, half-brother to the King of Ruritania. Michael wants the throne for himself, and Jasper is one of the scoundrels he hires to help him take it. But when Michael makes his move, things don't go entirely to plan - and the penalty for treason is death.

Rupert of Hentzau is Michael's newest addition to his sinister band of henchmen. Charming, lethal, and intolerably handsome, Rupert is out for his own ends - which seem to include getting Jasper into bed. But Jasper needs to work out what Rupert's really up to amid a maelstrom of plots, swordfights, scheming, impersonation, desire, betrayal, and murder.

Nobody can be trusted. Everyone has a secret. And love is the worst mistake you can make.

Contains mature themes.

©2018 K. J. Charles (P)2018 Tantor

Adventures & Schemes

I really enjoyed this story. It was a bit confusing at first but once you get to know the characters it becomes a thrilling adventurous tale. There’s a lot of sexual tension but not that many detailed heated scenes. Definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

delightful

I loved this story! It was absolutely delightful to hear a queer romance featuring older characters.

Sexy and adventurous

The pace is a bit awkward in some parts but I really enjoy the world building and the details.

Fun characters

I enjoyed the cast of characters here, and the main plot of the story was fun.

A Surprise Pleasure!

I wouldn't have tried this hidden gem except for it being included in the Audible Plus catalog (and what a boon for members, the ability to try a new author for free!), and showing up in the "recommended for you" feed. The latter is presumably because I've downloaded a lot of historical romances over the years.

K J Charles is a superb writer whose books deal with M/M romance in the 18th and 19th centuries, I'm a middle-aged (or old, depending on your point of view) straight woman, so was a little suprised at how much I got into this one. There are several sexy scenes, including one that's quite explicit, but they are intrinsic to the story and extremely well writen.

The "Henchmen'" story is a riff on "The Prisoner of Zenda," a swashbuckler written in the late 1800's that was made into several movie versions (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.!) as well as having spawned TV and other media versions. I haven't read "Zenda," but took the time to read the Wikipedia synopsis, and am glad I did, although it's not strictly necessary. Charles's version is not told by the "hero" who narrates the original novel, but by one of the villain's "henchmen." In a passage at the very end of "Henchmen," the narrator quotes a passage from the original that seems to make clear (at least to me) what started Charles thinking about an alternate version of this story.

The book has action, romance, humor, and great characters, including strong females. Extremely well read by Antony Ferguson, and clocking in at just over 7 hours, it's a total treat that defies genre classification. Enjoyable by anyone (well, by any adult--not really childrens' fare), i HIGHLY recommend it!