Books with title Fortune's fool

CONRAD THE GOOD serves as court jester to a most unworthy master: Lord Otto “the Witless,” who rarely appreciates jesting and acrobatics and more often rewards his good fool with a good whipping. So one night, Conrad flees, leaving Otto’s realm in search of a more enlightened master—taking with him only his noble horse, Blackspur, and his beloved, the servant girl Christa the Fair. As they take to the road, they soon learn that along with their quest comes hardship. But for all the hardships they encounter, there are as many unexpected joys and friends in unexpected places, and there is always their love for one another. And always, their destination lies before them: somewhere, a sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom to be together and be themselves.From the Hardcover edition.

“A well-mapped medieval road trip.”—The BulletinOrphaned and left to make his own way in the world, Conrad the Good serves as court jester to a most unworthy master: Lord Otto “the Witless,” who rarely appreciates jesting and acrobatics and more often rewards his good fool with a good whipping. So one night, Conrad flees, leaving Otto’s realm in search of a more enlightened master—taking with him only his noble horse, Blackspur, and his beloved, the servant girl Christa the Fair.As they take to the road, they soon learn that along with their quest comes hardship. But with Christa disguised as a boy, they are able to make their way as traveling entertainers, and for all the difficulties they encounter, there are as many unexpected joys and friends in unexpected places, and there is their love for one another. And always, their destination lies before them: somewhere, a sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom to be together and be themselves.

CONRAD THE GOOD serves as court jester to a most unworthy master: Lord Otto “the Witless,” who rarely appreciates jesting and acrobatics and more often rewards his good fool with a good whipping. So one night, Conrad flees, leaving Otto’s realm in search of a more enlightened master—taking with him only his noble horse, Blackspur, and his beloved, the servant girl Christa the Fair. As they take to the road, they soon learn that along with their quest comes hardship. But for all the hardships they encounter, there are as many unexpected joys and friends in unexpected places, and there is always their love for one another. And always, their destination lies before them: somewhere, a sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom to be together and be themselves.

At first he had protested against the extravagance of the entertainment. But his protests had been laughed aside with good-humoured scorn. His hostess knew a gentleman when she saw one, he was assured, and knew how a gentleman should be entertained. Unsuspicious of the designs upon him, he never dreamed that the heavy debt he was incurring was one of the coils employed by this cunning huntress in which to bind him. -from "Chapter 1: The Hostess of the Paul's Head" Often spoken of in the same breath as Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexandre Dumas, Rafael Sabatini wrote thrilling tales of swashbuckling derring-do that were tremendous bestsellers in his day and have delighted generations of readers since. This 1922 novel, set in Reformation-era England, follows the misfortunes and misadventures of Randal Holles, a former soldier adrift without a war to fight... though the one threatening to erupt with Holland may be his grim salvation. Replete with intrigue, kidnapping, regicide, and plague, this is a captivating must-read for fans of adventure fiction. Novelist RAFAEL SABATINI (1875-1950) was born in Italy but traveled extensively throughout Europe as a child and eventually settled in England. His best-known works are The Sea Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), and Captain Blood (1922).

London 1665 is no place for Randal Holles, a former soldier in Cromwell's army, now that the monarchy has been restored and the exploits of the Republicans are being condemned in the highest degree. Holles, desperate for an escape from his hopeless situation and almost certain execution, sees no option but to accept the Duke of Wellington's rather dubious commission – to abduct a famous actress and bring her before him. However, as events take an unexpected turn, Holles is presented with the opportunity to be reinstated to his former glory.