Written on the Dark

The pen proves mightier than the sword in this masterful historical fantasy from Kay (All the Seas of the World), who draws from the life of French poet François Villon (c. 1431–1463) in crafting his wily hero, poet and thief Thierry Villar. Plunged into royal politics when his simple heist of gold coins is interrupted by the assassination of a duke, Villar finds that both his literary skill and his skullduggery are better known than he suspected. With the King of Ferrieres mentally incapacitated, his majesty’s uncles attempt to smooth over the killing, much to the queen’s outrage. Villar is drawn into the mystery by the investigating provost, Robbin de Vaux, who inveigles him to use his writing to bring the guilty to justice. This service forces Villar to flee the city for the country to avoid retribution and find new inspiration for his verses. Kay burnishes his reputation for worldbuilding with this believable, magic-tinged analogue for medieval France, complete with its own Hundred Years’ War and a Joan of Arc stand-in. While Kay’s fictional outcomes tend toward the happier, he plays fair with the suffering of his heroes and humanizes his villains. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be sucked in. Agent: John Silberback, Bent Agency. (May)