Synopsis
Dispossessed of crown and kingdom, crushed and routed at the Battle of Worcester, the young Charles II is forced to flee for his life. Out of the heat of battle, the outlaw king and his tiny party must try to escape to France.
Library Journal
Royal Escape is one of those historical novels that contains a lot more history than the casual listener expects. A considerable amount of meticulous research went into this story about Charles II, who had been smuggled to safety in France as a young boy. In 1650, the young man returns to Scotland and attempts to forge an alliance with Presbyterian Covenant forces to reclaim his father's throne. All his plans come to ruin in 1651, when the Scottish army is defeated at the Battle of Worcester by the English under Oliver Cromwell. Charles, disguised as a servant, is forced to flee for his life and spends 40 days roaming the English countryside in search of a way to get back to France. Heyer portrays Charles II as a charming, levelheaded, and brave young man who manages to retain his calm and sense of humor despite the dashing of his hopes and constant threats to his life. In spite of the archaic language used in the dialog, a clear, precise narration by Cornelius Garrett moves the tale along smoothly. His changes in diction, accent, and tone enable the listener to keep the large number of characters differentiated. This program is highly recommended for libraries where historical fiction or the works of Heyer are popular. Barbara L. Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.