The Reavers

After twelve gloriously scandalous Flashman novels, the incomparable George MacDonald Fraser gives us a totally hilarious tale of derring-do from a different era.It’s the turn of the seventeenth century (sort of), we’re in the wild Borders of Scotland, and a casket of jewels, an accidental murder, an estate at risk and a plot to overthrow the king are the order of the day. The irresistible and feisty Lady Godiva Dacre and her “chocolate-box pretty” companion Mistress Kylie Delishe find themselves stranded on a desolate road as highway robbers threaten their lives and possessions. Seemingly out of nowhere, the dashing Bonny Gilderoy (think Johnny Depp on a horse) single-handedly defeats the villains, but not before stealing Lady Godiva’s treasured jewels—along with her heart. After making it safely to their destination, Godiva and Kylie find themselves thrown back together with that charming scoundrel Gilderoy. A mysterious man named Archie Noble comes to their aid and also makes a play for Godiva’s affections. Despite preposterous alliances and uproarious complications of the heart, they must rely on one another as secret identities are revealed and a perilous coup endangers the Scottish throne. It is through equally daring feats of courage and outlandish costumes that our heroes wade through salacious nightlife, confront wizards and witches and endure terrifying and ridiculous odds to preserve national pride and resolve the love triangles that threaten national security. Elizabethan England, and a dastardly Spanish plot to take over the throne is uncovered. It's up to Agent Archie Noble to save Queen and country in this saucy and swashbuckling romp from the bestselling author of 'The Flashman Papers' and 'The Pyrates'. Spoiled, arrogant, filthy rich, and breathtakingly beautiful, the young Lady Godiva Dacre is exiled from the court of Good Queen Bess (who can't abide red-haired competition) to her lonely estate in distant Cumberland, where she looks forward to bullying the peasantry and getting her own imperious way. Little does she guess that the turbulent Scottish border is the last place for an Elizabethan heiress, beset by ruthless reivers (many of them unshaven), blackmailing ruffians, fiendish Spanish plotters intent on regime change and turning Merrie England into a ghastly European Union province. And no one to rely on but her half-witted blonde school chum, a rugged English superman with a knack for disaster, and a dashing highwayman who looks like Errol Flynn but has a Glasgow accent. To say nothing of warlocks, impersonators, taxi-drivers riding brooms, burlesque artists, the drunkest man in Scotland, and several quite normal characters – oh, yes, gossips, it's all happening in The Reavers, a moral tale obviously conceived in some kind of fit by Flashman author George MacDonald Fraser ... well, he's getting on, and was bound to crack eventually. He admits (nay, insists) that it's a crazy story for readers who love fun for its own sake. After twelve gloriously scandalous Flashman novels, the incomparable George MacDonald Fraser gives us a totally hilarious tale of derring-do from a different era. Its the turn of the seventeenth century (sort of), were in the wild Borders of Scotland, and a casket of jewels, an accidental murder, an estate at risk and a plot to overthrow the king are the order of the day. The irresistible and feisty Lady Godiva Dacre and her chocolate-box pretty companion Mistress Kylie Delishe find themselves stranded on a desolate road as highway robbers threaten their lives and possessions. Seemingly out of nowhere, the dashing Bonny Gilderoy (think Johnny Depp on a horse) single-handedly defeats the villains, but not before stealing Lady Godivas treasured jewelsalong with her heart. After making it safely to their destination, Godiva and Kylie find themselves thrown back together with that charming scoundrel Gilderoy. A mysterious man named Archie Noble comes to their aid and also makes a play for Godivas affections. Despite preposterous alliances and uproarious complications of the heart, they must rely on one another as secret identities are revealed and a perilous coup endangers the Scottish throne. It is through equally daring feats of courage and outlandish costumes that our heroes wade through salacious nightlife, confront wizards and witches and endure terrifying and ridiculous odds to preserve national pride and resolve the love triangles that threaten national security.

after Twelve Gloriously Scandalous Flashman Novels, The Incomparable George Macdonald Fraser Gives Us A Totally Hilarious Tale Of Derring-do From A Different Era.

it's The Turn Of The Seventeenth Century (sort Of) In The Wild Borderlands Of Scotland. The Irresistible Lady Godiva Dacre And Her "chocolate-box Pretty" Companion Mistress Kylie Delishe Find Themselves Caught Between The Dashing Bonny Gilderoy (think Johnny Depp On A Horse In A Tunic) And Archie Noble (steve Mcqueen In Elizabethan Garb). A Casket Of Jewels, An Accidental Murder, And An Estate At Risk Are The Order Of The Day. Amidst Preposterous Alliances And Ridiculous Complications Of The Heart, Our Heroines Discover A Fiendish Spanish Plot To Overthrow The King. What Ensues Is An Utterly Uproarious Thrill Ride Filled With Lecherous Mischief, Diabolical Intrigue, And A Cast Of Supporting Characters That Only George Fraser Could Deliver.

the New York Times - Neil Genzlinger

the Plot Involves The Lovely Lady Godiva Dacre; A Pair Of Dashing Suitors, Archie Noble And Gilderoy; Other Colorful Characters With Names Like Trouserless Will And La Infamosa; And A Plot To Kidnap King James Vi Of Scotland And Replace Him With An Impostor. But The Story Hardly Matters Here; The Point Is The Way It Is Told, With An Outlandish Mix Of Exaggeration, Direct Address, Historical Fact, Historical Impossibilities, Irrelevant Asides And Thick Accents.

Rescued from highway robbery by the dashing Bonny Gilderoy, feisty Lady Godiva Dacre and her pretty companion, Mistress Kylie Delishe, are reunited with the charming but disreputable rescuer as they deal with a coup threatening the Scottish throne.