1636 The Cardinal Virtues, Eric Flint
1636 The Cardinal Virtues, Eric Flint
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

1636: The Cardinal Virtues

Author: Eric Flint, Walter H. Hunt

Narrator: George Guidall

Unabridged: 12 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 07/07/2015


Synopsis

Book #19 in the multiple New York Times bestselling Ring of Fire series.

After carving a free state for itself in war-torn 17th-century Europe, citizens of the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia, must contend with France's infamous Cardinal Richilieu, who is determined to keep his grip on power no matter what history says.

France, 1636 … It has been twenty years since King Louis took Aña Maria Mauricia, daughter of Spain's King Philip III, as his wife, and their union has not yet produced an heir. Under the guidance of his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, a plan is developed to remedy that situation. Once she is with child, Queen Anne goes into seclusion to guard her health and protect her from those who would prefer that the child is never born—France's foreign enemies as well as schemers such as Monsieur Gaston d'Orleans, the King's younger brother and heir. When the Crown's opponents make their move, factions inside and outside France must choose sides and help determine the future and fate of the kingdom.

About Eric Flint

Eric Flint was a bestselling American author and editor celebrated for his influential contributions to science fiction and alternate history. He is best known as the creator of the Ring of Fire series, which begins with 1632, a landmark novel that reimagines a modern American town transported to seventeenth-century Europe. The series became a cornerstone of the genre, praised for its blend of rigorous historical detail, political realism, and expansive world-building.

Flint's writing frequently explored themes of social change, technology, and collective action, often emphasizing how ordinary people shape history under extraordinary circumstances. In addition to his novels, he was a longtime editor at Baen Books, where he championed innovative storytelling and supported emerging voices in speculative fiction. His collaborative projects and open-universe approach helped redefine how shared-world series could evolve.

Known for his clear, energetic prose and idea-driven narratives, Eric Flint's work translates especially well to audiobook format, where the scope and momentum of his stories shine. His legacy endures through a vast body of work that continues to engage listeners who enjoy intellectually stimulating, history-rich speculative fiction.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Dan

It is very rare that I do not really enjoy one of Eric Flint's novels, especially those in the 1632 / Ring Of Fire series. This book was NOT a waste of my time. But neither did it ever manage to truly engage me. It left me feeling like I was drowning in French, and Catholic titles. None of the chara......more

Goodreads review by Daniel

In 1636: The Cardinal Virtues, Eric Flint and Walter Hunt move the action west into France where the ongoing strife between King Louis and his loyal minister Richelieu and his brother the scheming Monsieur Gaston, Duc d'Orleans is boiling over. Richelieu has concocted a plan to get the barren Queen......more

Goodreads review by Marijan

This one should be subtitled 'Sympathy for the devil'.......more

I enjoyed the beginning but after the ambush I thought the story line dragged. I'm not a fan of Terrye Jo Tillman but I enjoyed having Sherrilyn and Turenne mixing things up!......more

The Ring of Fire series has become something of a giant sprawling mess (almost like real history, which was of course, the point) to the point where it's very easy to miss several books and not always be sure what's going on. Fortunately, anybody who's read more than a book or two in the series won'......more