Review: The Son of Porthos: Or, the Death of Aramis

The Son of Porthos: Or, the Death of Aramis by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Look this is really not the satisfactory conclusion I'd have liked but it's more Musketeer love so I'm all for it. I was satisfied the first time I read it (see original review below) but I guess I've become more demanding, and my craving for Musketeer adventures is not so easily sated as it was two years ago.

Anyhoo.

So pleased to discover this little-known Son of Porthos, Joel, who is on a quest to discover who his father was. Along the way, he's thwarted by a cunning, scheming old duke, who we all know better as Aramis. I cannot express how much it pains me that he's still scheming. It just adds insult to injury that the victim this time is the son of his BFF.

The adventure is fun and more of a spinoff than continuation of the previous books, and Joel makes his own friends but it's just not the same.

I love this for the simple fact it is part of my favourite series ever, and I think more people need to know of its existence, but you could probably read it as a standalone. Just be ready for spoilers if that's the road you take.

Ah, my musketeer heroes. I'll miss you.

Until my next re-read.

***
Original Review 10/16

Who could possibly not be entertained by the work of Dumas? This is such a simple yet satisfying conclusion to the D'Artagnan Romances. It has plenty of references to our old friends - mostly through the reflection of an aged Aramis - to keep their spirit alive but it's clearly its own story, conveying the sense that our Musketeer heroes have truly departed to make way for a new generation of heroes.
Joel, our new hero, is an admirable protagonist though somewhat lonely at times after the comraderie of the original sagas. However when he finds his own friends we easily warm to them. I found myself smiling frequently and even laughing out loud; such is the effect this saga has on me. I always feel the realness of Dumas's characters, and so I found with this novel. The writing is eloquent and creates vivid images in the mind whilst indulging the imagination. The story itself was fairly simple, and though I hoped for more references to the past I can see that this novel was stronger without them. It's certainly a tricky novel to track down but for fans of the previous installments I highly recommend getting your hands on this most fulfilling conclusion.

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