Lucien Fabre's second volume of the Rabevel trilogy picks up the thread of ambition and pulls it taut. We leave the wider world-building of the first book to zoom in on the man himself, Rabevel, now entrenched as the indispensable financier to the French crown.

The Story

Rabevel has climbed the ladder. He's no longer just a clever outsider; he's the banker who funds wars, manages royal debt, and essentially keeps the kingdom's lights on. But with great power comes a target on your back. The novel follows him as he navigates a treacherous court filled with jealous nobles, skeptical clergy, and rival money men who all want a piece of his influence. All the while, the literal plague—the 'mal des ardents'—sweeps through the lower classes, serving as a constant, grim backdrop to the financial and political sickness infecting the powerful. The central drama isn't a battle, but a series of tense negotiations, secret deals, and the psychological toll of living in a gilded cage of his own making.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was how modern this all feels. Swap out the doublets for suits, and Rabevel's story could be about a Wall Street titan or a tech mogul. Fabre makes high finance in the 1500s incredibly readable. You feel the pressure Rabevel is under, the constant calculation, and the isolation that comes with being the 'necessary evil' everyone relies on but nobody truly likes. He's not a hero, but he's compellingly human—flawed, brilliant, and increasingly aware of the moral cost of his success. The book brilliantly uses the physical plague to mirror the spiritual decay among the elite.

Final Verdict

This isn't a breezy beach read. It's for you if you love character-driven historical fiction that goes beyond the battlefield and into the boardroom (or, in this case, the counting house). Perfect for readers who enjoyed the political machinations of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell or the detailed, immersive worlds of Neal Stephenson. You'll need to have read Volume 1 to fully appreciate the journey, but if you're up for a smart, slow-burn story about the price of power, Le financier Rabevel pays off in spades.