El Dorado

The Scarlet Pimpernel 10

By: Baroness Orczy

Narrated by: Helen Stainer

"El Dorado" is a historical spy adventure from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" series. The story is set in Paris, in 1794, the time after the French Revolution and the guillotine horrors. The plot begins when Sir Percy, the Scarlet Pimpernel, reluctantly agrees to take Armand St. Just, brother of his wife, Marguerite, with him to France as part of a plan to rescue the young Dauphin. Percy warns Armand not to renew any friendships while in Paris, but it doesn't take long before Armand has ignored his warnings and renewed a friendship with the scheming Baron de Batz, who wants to free the Dauphin himself and despises the Scarlet Pimpernel and all he represents...©2017 Audioliterature (P)2017 Audioliterature

Magnificent

If you liked the Scarlet Pimpernel movie, you will love the whole series of books. And this is one of the best. The reading by Helen Stainer is very good too.

Exciting twists & turns

Great insight into interesting characters minds and distinct personalities fleshed out in a well thought out plot

Too Flat and Too Fast

The narrator reads so quickly and with so little inflection that it detracted from the story.

Great book!

This is truly a great historical novel, full of suspense and intrigue. The narrator reads at a fast pace which adds to the suspense. I would recommend the books about the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Sir Percy at his finest!

This was my third book this year from the Scarlet Pimpernel series. It’s this book that the 1982 movie (starring Anthony Andrews as Sir Percy Blakeney/the Scarlet Pimpernel, the protagonist, Jane Seymour as Marguerite St. Just, the love interest, and Ian McKellen as Chauvelin, the antagonist) draws from for the saving of the uncrowned king of France, Little Capet / The Dauphin and the betrayal and capture of Sir Percy.

Given that it is book #7 in the series, it alludes multiple times to the adventures that have taken place since book 1, and yet if you’ve read/listened to book #1 you can jump into this one. To me if feel like a Sherlock Holmes story. Even though it’s set in the midst of great tragedy, you know that nothing too terrible is going to happen to any of the heroes, and due to Sir Percy’s honor, chivalry, might and brains everything is going to come out alright in the end.

It’s an exciting adventure, full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it and was eager to listen through to the end. Baroness Orczy drives you mad with Armand’s reckless actions, and yet the dignity with which Sir Percy meets it all “as if he planned for it” is truly remarkable. You really do get the sense that God wants to open the way before him despite all odds just because he is so true, so just and upright. I only wish he truly had saved the Dauphin (who is actuality died in captivity).

I’m not sure why it’s called El Dorado, the title makes you think it has some connection to Spanish gold. The last chapter in the book is called, “The Road to El Dorado” which I think just means Sir Percy and Marguerite are once more on the road to a golden, happily ever after.

great book - inexperienced narrator

This is a really fun story. Percy's character is so likeable. the narrator has a great French accent, but besides that, was kind of monotone. This so far is the only option I saw to be able to listen to this book, so it was fine, but I might recommend just reading the book rather than listening to it in that case.