A Chalice Argent: The Story of William Neilson, Volume 2

(Hardback)

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The astonishing story of William Neilson continues.

New Year's Eve, 1746. A castle in the depths of France. A thunderstorm. A pair of lovers in a hay-loft. A wounded soldier toppling from his horse.

So begins the second instalment of the life of William Neilson, Scottish soldier in French service and Jacobite agent against his will. Around his neck, William carries the most precious jewel on the surface of the earth, but it is not his, and he must carry it to the exiled King of England, Scotland and Ireland in Italy. Before that, he wishes to see for a last time the woman he has loved for more than half his life.

The scene shifts from the wastes and marshes of the Sologne, to the disorderly houses and prisons of the Most Serene Republic of Venice and the desolate court-in-exile of James Stuart in Rome. Along the way are sword-fights, love stories, intrigues, assassinations, blasphemies, kidnappings, musical performances, and treacheries.

Reviews

'PRAISE FOR JAMES BUCHAN:

'I don't believe that this country has a better writer to offer than James Buchan' Michael Hofmann, London Review of Books.

'One of our finest writers' John Burnside, The Times.

'Each book he writes is a discovery' Steven Poole, Guardian.

'There is really no word for it but 'masterpiece'' Philip Hensher, Spectator, on A Good Place to Die.

'A daringly ambitious, phenomenally accomplished novel'' - John Dugdale, Sunday Times, on The Gate of Air, A Ghost Story

'Praise for A Street Shaken by Light, volume 1 of the series:

'An epic voyage well worth taking ... Exhilarating' Marianka Swain, Telegraph

'A hugely readable adventure-romance encompassing imperial France, the East India Company, Persia, the Jacobite rebellion, shipwreck, duels, derring-do and more. Buchan [...] really knows how to construct a ripping tale' Adam Roberts, Guardian

'There is nothing quite like a James Buchan novel: even another James Buchan novel ... By throwing everything he has into this transporting romp, Buchan does what a good fiction writer should: he makes us believe' John Self, Financial Times

'Writers who create a six-book historical series revolving around a fictionalised historical character can seldom be accused of lacking ambition. Judging by this thrilling first instalment in the William Neilson chronicles, Buchan is equal to such a commitment ... Buchan has not only created a thoroughly engaging protagonist, but has complete control over the milieu that he depicts' Alexandar Larman, Observer

'In the end, novels succeed not only by what they do, but, more importantly, by how they do it ... it is the how that makes the book exceptional. A lesser novelist would have stretched out Will's adventures over six or seven hundred pages. Buchan knows when to cut and dance away'' - Allan Massie, Scotsman

Author Bio

James Buchan is one of Britain's most acclaimed writers. His books have won many prizes and been translated into a dozen foreign languages. He has written widely on the modern history of Scotland, most recently in John Law: A Scottish Adventurer of the Eighteenth Century. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He lives on a farm in Norfolk.