About this ebook
Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.
Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.
Until one night the king’s men arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Viviani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?
When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life, or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father . . . and tear apart the very fabric of society.
- A Sword-Fighting Heroine: Elizabeth isn’t just a poet’s daughter; she's been secretly trained in sword fighting and languages for a mission she doesn't understand.
- Secrets and Lies: A mysterious Italian scientist, Antonio Viviani, offers his help, but his brilliance and passion might be hiding his true motives.
- A Literary Conspiracy: The key to saving her father lies hidden within the pages of his epic masterpiece, Paradise Lost, and Elizabeth is the only one who can crack the code.
- High-Stakes Historical Adventure: Journey through 17th-century England, from country homes to the halls of Oxford, as a daughter’s desperate quest could ignite a revolution.
- Slow-Burn Romance: Forced to rely on the enigmatic Antonio, Elizabeth must decide if she can trust him with the conspiracy, let alone her heart.
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About the author
Anne Blankman is the acclaimed author of Prisoner of Night and Fog, which received a starred review and a Flying Start from Publishers Weekly. When Anne was twelve, she read Anne Frank's diary and has been haunted by World War II ever since. The idea for Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke came to her after she read about a real-life unsolved street assassination from January 1933, which was the inspiration for Monika Junge's murder. To research this book, she studied a wide range of sources, including biographies, memoirs, social histories, psychological profiles, old maps, photographs, and video footage.
Anne lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband, Mike, her young daughter, Kirsten, and, of course, lots and lots of books.
