Pevel returns to seventeenth century France in this second novel of the Cardinal's Blades. A new threat rises to threaten the future of France. La Donna, an Italian spy known for her subterfuge and intrigue and, of course, inescapable and beguiling beauty, possesses information of a plot against the King and is willing to share it, for a price.

As a French adventure story that is supposed to remind us of Dumas - if Alexandre had had a penchant for dragons, dragonnettes, and dracs running rampant in the streets of Paris and the French countryside alongside the musketeers, that is - Pevel succeeds.

There is a flavor to this novel that is very reminiscent of nineteenth century adventure
novels, doused liberally with fantasy elements. This novel isn't without its difficulties, though. As a sequel, it stumbles a little. Certain revelations from the first book are largely ignored in this sequel, a flaw that only can be overlooked thanks to stronger writing on Pevel's part. The reader has to be prepared to do a little bit of work as Pevel traces a path through Paris street by street in what can be a confusing list of streets. Pevel, like Dumas (but sometimes without the same grace), suffers the crime of random information dumps, which mire this story in unnecessary complexity at times. Too much information, especially when revealed in a story utilizing the third person omniscience of the all knowing, all seeing, all explaining author, lends a detachment to the reader that makes it difficult to invest fully in the characters.

"The Alchemist in the Shadows" is a good read, but you may have to
work for it a little bit. .
( )

More swashbuckling adventures with France once again under threat from the Black Claw this time in the shape of the dangerous and renowned alchemist in the shadows. Cardinal Richelieu calls on La Fargue and his blades to counter this threat in whatever form it may take. How far can they trust La Donna, a spy who plays anyone against everyone, and what does she hope to gain from this encounter in which she is providing information for her immediate safety.

A little less action than its predecessor with the plot being more political in nature and the world becoming more fleshed out as are the backgrounds of the characters. The author weaves a tangled web and you’re never quite sure how the threads will all come together as the story progresses. The twist at the end of book 1 still hasn’t been fully played out here so I guess I’ll have to read the final instalment of the trilogy to find out where the author takes it. ( )

The Alchemist in the Shadows is the second book in Pevel’s swashbuckler trilogy, The Cardinal's Blades. Picking up mere weeks after the first book left off, Alchemist plunges headlong back into the world of flashing blades, courtly intrigues, dodgy liaisons and dark magic.

In Pevel's take on 17th century Paris, only the complex manipulations of Cardinal Richelieu have prevented France from being overwhelmed by its many foes. France has enemies without (its Protestant neighbours), within (scheming nobles - including the queen's mother) and supernatural (the Black Claw - draconic cultists with an apocalyptic vision for Europe). In the first book, Richelieu was forced to recall Captain la Fargue and his "blades", a group of talented (if unconventional) soldiers. Now, in the second, the Captain and his friends are up to their collective necks in danger.
The Blades may have foiled the Black Claw’s original plan but the evil sect has many more tricks up its collective sleeve. A beautiful and notorious Italian spy known as La Donna contacts Captain la Fargue offering valuable information in exchange for amnesty and Cardinal Richelieu’s protection. The Cardinal is not known for his leniency, but La Donna’s knowledge may be of such vital importance to the security of France that he has no choice. The Blades must be called upon once again to defend their country, and this time their adversary is none other than the elusive and deadly, the almost legendary, Black Claw operative: the Alchemist in the Shadows.
A very intriguing mystery keeps the pages turning. The prose is rich with the sights, smells and sounds of old Paris. The characters are very flushed out and feel as real as The Three Musketeers ever did but the ending is a cliff hanger. ( )

The second of Pierre Pevel's series about the Cardinal's Blades takes up the action immediately following the resolution of the plot in "The Cardinal's Blades". This time, however, the novelty of the concept--Dumas + dragons--wears a little thin. There is still a fair amount of sword play, some derring-do, and the requisite intrigue, but the surprise of combining the three musketeers with dragons is now dissipated.

What's left is an adventure novel with a few shaky plot points and a bravura attitude. [[The Alchemist in the Shadows]] is good, but I doubt the magic of the first book will stretch to cover a third. ( )

France is under threat from the Black Claw society. The Cardinal's Blades are working to fight this and trying to ensure the safety of the realm. There are wheels within wheels, with plots, complications and a lot of malice making people's life miserable.

It's like the Four Musketeers meet dragons, a world where the focus of the story as well are the musketeers of the cardinal rather than the king, which is an interesting twist on the whole affair. I'd say you would get greater enjoyment out of this series if you were more au fait with French Literature of this era. It's an interesting series and an interesting twist on the dragon concept. ( )