ItтАЩs the time for heroes. But the Musketeers are no more.
As DumasтАЩ "Twenty Years Later" begins, only DтАЩArtagnan still serves in the QueenтАЩs guard. Porthos, Aramis, and Athos are living comfortable lives, their fighting days long behind them. But all thatтАЩs about to change. With the country on the brink of civil war, DтАЩArtagnan is given a dangerous new mission, and he knows heтАЩll need his old friends by his side.
Expanding upon the mythology of "The Three Musketeers", the sequel is just as packed with sword fights, conspiracies, and political double dealings. And a very hateable new villain in Cardinal Mazarin. This first part of the novel sets the scene for the adventure that follows. Alexandre Dumas (1802 - 1870) was a hugely popular 19th century French writer. Born of mixed French and Haitian heritage, Dumas first rose to prominence in Paris as a playwright, but later gained international fame with his historical fiction. Often co-authored with other writers, these stories wove together swashbuckling adventure, romance, and real events from FranceтАЩs past. Among the best known are "The Three Musketeers", and its sequels "Twenty Years After", and "Le Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later". Set across four decades, this trilogy follows the rise of the dashing DтАЩArtagnanтАФfrom hot-headed soldier to trusted captain under Louis XIV. DumasтАЩ other novels include "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Black Tulip". His works have been adapted into more than 200 movies, including The Man in the Iron Mask starring Leonardo DiCaprio.