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Michael Stolle
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The French Orphan — Be careful what you wish for: Historical novel Kindle Edition

by Michael Stolle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 523 ratings

A Legacy Lost. A Secret Waiting to Be Uncovered. A Journey That Could Change Everything.

For as long as he can remember, Pierre de Beauvoir’s world has been confined within the walls of a monastery in Reims. Orphaned and raised in solitude, he has never questioned the quiet life laid before him—until the day fate intervenes.

A revelation shatters everything he thought he knew, pulling him from the safety of the monastery and into the heart of a dangerous game of power, deception, and ambition. With enemies lurking in the shadows and whispers of his past threatening to unravel the present, Pierre embarks on a perilous journey through the courts of France and England, where loyalty is fleeting and treachery is second nature.

But Pierre is no ordinary orphan. He carries a secret—one that powerful forces and even his own family would kill to protect… or to destroy.

A Battle for Identity. A War of Deception. A Young Man’s Fate Interwoven with the Future of Nations.

From candlelit palaces to the perilous roads of 17th-century Europe, Pierre must outmaneuver spies, outwit enemies, and uncover the truth about his past before it’s too late. What he learns could change the course of history—or cost him his life.

A sweeping tale of courage, betrayal, love and self-discovery set against the grandeur and intrigue of 17th-century France.

For readers who love:

  • Dramatic court intrigue and noble rivalries
  • Epic coming-of-age tales woven into history
  • Atmospheric storytelling with rich period detail

What makes this book unmissable?

  • A hero’s transformation from an unassuming orphan to a nobleman reclaiming his rightful legacy
  • A thrilling mix of mystery, adventure, and historical depth
  • A captivating journey through the power struggles of 17th-century Europe

A single revelation can rewrite history… if he survives long enough to see it.

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Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 5
    The French Orphan
  2. Print length
    378 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    8 Dec. 2013
  6. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  7. File size
    2.9 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 5 books in this series.

From the Publisher

regency romance books
17th century historical romance
historical mystery fiction

Product description

About the Author

Born and educated on the Continent, Michael Stolle has always been intrigued by the historical setting and the fact that what makes us human was as true in the 17th century as it is now. He has been reading and writing about history for longer than he cares to recall...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008AK8WDY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michael Stolle
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 8 Dec. 2013
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 378 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 5 ‏ : ‎ The French Orphan
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 - 18 years
  • Customer reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 523 ratings

About the author

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Michael Stolle

Michael Stolle

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
523 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this historical novel to be a riveting read from start to finish, praising its absorbing plot and good descriptive writing. Moreover, they love the characters and appreciate the book's unique style. However, the historical accuracy receives mixed reviews, with some customers describing it as a great historical piece of fiction while others find the story somewhat stretched out.

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13 customers mention ‘Readability’13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a riveting read from start to finish with an absorbing plot.

"...At times it felt a little cliche and slow but at the same time an enjoyable read...." Read more

"...A good book, overall, and very much a page turner...." Read more

"...are the books strongest facet, and I found following their stories genuinely interesting, but I didn't feel like much new ground was being broken...." Read more

"...It has a great plot, full of political scheming and a great adventure. It has rich description and interesting characters of great depth...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Writing quality’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, particularly its descriptive style and imagery, with one customer noting it's a page turner.

"...The author did a good job with the descriptive writing with regards characters, their emotions and the plot...." Read more

"...A good book, overall, and very much a page turner...." Read more

"...It has rich description and interesting characters of great depth. The story is truly absorbing and I have now started the second one...." Read more

"...They were truly living in another world. The author fills the book with imagery that really sent me back to those times, as if I was..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Character development’5 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book.

"...Without a doubt, the plot and the characters are the books strongest facet, and I found following their stories genuinely interesting, but I didn't..." Read more

"...It has rich description and interesting characters of great depth. The story is truly absorbing and I have now started the second one...." Read more

"...manoeverings, court intrigue, well drawn baddies and deserving protagonists all go to make up an absorbing read and a pleasurable journey...." Read more

"...The characters are well fleshed out but the story is very stretched out and will probably run to Parts 20+ !" Read more

3 customers mention ‘Style’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's unique style, with one mentioning the well-drawn characters.

"...Michael Stolle has a unique style and does his own thing. Strangely enough, it works...." Read more

"...sequence of events, political manoeverings, court intrigue, well drawn baddies and deserving protagonists all go to make up an absorbing read and a..." Read more

"I love this book! The writing is descriptive and beautiful and you can almost imagine yourself there...." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Historical accuracy’6 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the historical accuracy of the book, with some praising it as a great historical piece of fiction, while another customer notes that the situations may feel a bit twisted.

"...What I liked was the mix of genres incorporated from historical adventure, mystery to romance. There truly was something for everyone to enjoy...." Read more

"...The author shows his love of history and, since I am fascinated by the period, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of dress, food and so on...." Read more

"...It may feel a bit flat and overly fictional and the situations may feel a bit twisted to fit the narrative, but if you've got some spare time and a..." Read more

"...This would make a marvellous film. Anyone who enjoys a good historical novel will I am sure enjoy this. I highly recommend this." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • H.Taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting start to the series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 May 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The French Orphan by Michael Stolle is the beginning of a 5 part series that follows a young teenage orphan living in a Monastery school in Reims France. At times it felt a little cliche and slow but at the same time an enjoyable read. The reading audience, this is aimed at is young adults but I feel it would appeal to fans of history fiction series. Romance is touched upon in this book but I didn’t feel it was as explicit, like some books I have read.

    The reader is transported back to the 17th Century where we follow Pierre. He becomes good friends with a popular boy at school named Armand. With the help of Armand the pair of them slowly begin to unravel the mystery surrounding Pierres life, however what the boys discover causes his life to change and so the story takes off.

    The book picks up pace as the reader gets into it. What I liked was the mix of genres incorporated from historical adventure, mystery to romance. There truly was something for everyone to enjoy. The author did a good job with the descriptive writing with regards characters, their emotions and the plot. The downside was the cliff hanger ending, although I can see why the authors written it this way, it does lead the reader into wanting to buy book 2 to continue on the journey with Pierre and his friends. One good thing is you don’t have to wait for book 2 to come out and can read straight away.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The French Orphan
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 December 2012
    Verified Purchase
    The book ends with unresolved major problems affecting the main characters, so it is necessary to get the sequel to find out what happens next.
    A good book, overall, and very much a page turner. There are a few minor grammatical errors, such as missing words, for example: page 343, 'You cannot ignore forever a Queen who has borne the heir to throne,' which should surely be 'the heir to the throne'. Or on page 284, "You're a Duke now," in one bit of dialogue and 'well he was a duke now,'in a later sentence, which may be an inconsistent use of capital letters. These errors are few and do not stop the book being a good read.
    Michael Stolle has a unique style and does his own thing. Strangely enough, it works. For example, where all the writing manuals say 'show not tell' he tells how his characters feel, some of the time.For example 'A suddenly joyful Jean Baptiste.'page 303. It is refreshing to find such an individual style. Sometimes, however, the writing reminds me of Dennis Wheatley, with the excellent Roger Brooke series.I think this is because of the historical explanations made by some of the characters and the fact that there is always an unresolved problem to keep readers turning the page.
    There are some excellent descriptions of the everyday life of the period, which I love. The author shows his love of history and, since I am fascinated by the period, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of dress, food and so on.
    I would recommend the book, as I found it difficult to put it down, until I had finished it. Then I found out I needed the sequel!
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  • Ben
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting characters, doesn't add much new
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 May 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I felt like the French Orphan could've reached a much more impressive level of literature, but I didn't totally come round to the writing style.

    Without a doubt, the plot and the characters are the books strongest facet, and I found following their stories genuinely interesting, but I didn't feel like much new ground was being broken. Overall, this created a disjointed feel to the book.

    I don't feel like the tone or writing was particularly fitting for the time period, and the dialogue didn't show that much in the sense of character. So, overall, I think it fell flat of lofty expectations.

    However, I think this is a great read if you're not looking for the next, great historical piece of fiction. It may feel a bit flat and overly fictional and the situations may feel a bit twisted to fit the narrative, but if you've got some spare time and a cup of tea, this is undoubtedly a good way to fill it.
    Helpful
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  • Ms Judith Connett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a novel of the highest calibre. It has a great plot, full of political scheming and a great adventure. It has rich description and interesting characters of great depth. The story is truly absorbing and I have now started the second one. This would make a marvellous film. Anyone who enjoys a good historical novel will I am sure enjoy this. I highly recommend this.
    Helpful
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  • Charlie Latham
    4.0 out of 5 stars A gripping tale of 17th century Britain
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 May 2020
    Verified Purchase
    We are sent back to the 17th century, a period of time that I absolutely love reading about.

    The world was so unimaginably different back then, it’s almost as if we can’t compare our existence today to the existence people had back then. They were truly living in another world.

    The author fills the book with imagery that really sent me back to those times, as if I was living in those awful conditions.

    We follow the life of an orphan living in a monastery, he has nothing and knows nothing about who he is or who he wants to become.

    Although I am not an orphan, and of course my life circumstances are so very different to that of our protagonist, I couldn’t help but feeling really connected with the young boy.

    So many of his emotions and thoughts I’ve had before and he is portrayed in a wonderfully relatable fashion.

    But when he finds out who he is, it is a great surprise and an even greater shock. I won’t add any spoilers in here but let’s just say it flips the whole story on its head.

    A riveting read from start to finish, Michael Stoole succeeds in his depiction of 17th Century Britain.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jax
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very good historical novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 May 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed every page of this book and it is only Part 1. I look forward to getting my hands on Part 2 in due course.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K N
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such Marvelous Details
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 February 2020
    Verified Purchase
    What a good enjoyable read, most authors don't cover that people just didn't bathe much in the 17th century. Michael Stolle payed attention to many great and small details that really drew me in. I loved the story and the characters were interesting, I will be reading the rest of the series.
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  • Vervy
    5.0 out of 5 stars From convent to adventure
    Reviewed in Italy on 11 April 2025
    Verified Purchase
    If I have understood correctly, this is the first episode of a five-part saga that tells the story of a young orphan living in a monastery in Reims who is only apparently a boy like many others, but in reality his origins, still shrouded in mystery, will gradually be revealed. With the help of his friend Armand, a trusted companion he met in the convent, Pierre begins to uncover this mystery that will turn his life upside down. We are in the 17th century in a world full of conflicts in which that between Protestants and Catholics emerges, and the adventures of Pierre and his friend move against this chaotic backdrop that will lead them to make discoveries that could change the destinies of the world. For those who love historical novels and the epic genre, this novel and those that follow will be much appreciated and a great pleasure to read. To be followed to the end
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  • Maureen Crothall
    4.0 out of 5 stars fairly good. I do plan to read the following book ...
    Reviewed in Canada on 8 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Just finished this book, fairly good. I do plan to read the following book because I really want to know how everyone fairs. Slightly poorly written here and there but still a good read.
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  • Amy Turner
    4.0 out of 5 stars A well-crafted novel that suffers from the lack of a flowing narrative
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I’d like to preface my review by stating that I am an avid reader of historical fiction, especially of early modern Europe. I appreciate good research and the attempt to portray a bygone era in detail coupled with descriptive writing and realistic characters. Author Michael Stolle does an exceptional job of crafting the indulgent, decadent, mysterious, religiously chaotic, and classist world of France in the seventeenth century. It’s a world where Protestants and Catholics wage a constant battle against each other for dominance; where kings, nobles, and clergy rules the unruly, dirty masses; where money buys positions; where everything is dictated by your birth.

    Young Pierre, along with his best friend Armand, live at a prestigious monastery where nobles send their male children to learn the ways of the wayward Church, and, in purely nepotist fashion, earn their way into important (and lucrative) positions. Pierre, however, comes to the monastery in Rheims as an orphan with little knowledge of his past. With Armand’s help, he slowly begins to unravel the mystery surrounding his life and learns he’s not who he thinks he is.

    This debut novel in this series follows a typical hero’s journey archetype. The lost boy comes to realize he’s not actually an orphan. Instead, he’s the heir to an important family. It follows a fairly predictable pattern, but Stolle crafts it well without relying on too many tropes.

    However, I noticed a distinct lack of a flowing narrative. The chapters’ brevity and choppy writing, while descriptive, didn’t impress upon me the importance of these characters. They tended towards being one-dimensional, despite being realistic and someone a reader might root for. I had a hard time spending more than a few minutes reading at a time.

    Overall, however, this book comes across as a fine debut for a now-completed series. It might be worth it to check out the sequels to see if the writing improves.
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  • Paola 🌸
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful historical book
    Reviewed in Italy on 6 April 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This book has everything I look for in a historical novel and I appreciated it very much. It tells the story of Pierre, a young orphan living in a monastery in France in the 16th century and I liked both the pace of the reading and the main characters who all have their own voice. I recommend the book to those who like the historical period or those who are looking for a book a little different from the usual fiction.
    Report

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