The Greatest swashbuckler of them all
Ruritania is a fictional country in central Europe which forms the setting for the three Zenda books by Anthony Hope: The Prisoner of Zenda, The Heart of Princess Osra, and Rupert of Hentzau. The first and third are set in the recent past, between the 1850s and 1880s. The second is set in the 1730s, though it refers to subsequent events that happened between that time and the time of writing.
The Prisoner of Zenda was a bestseller of its time and started the Ruritanian genre with its swords and regalia romance. The King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation so that he is unable to attend the ceremony which would then force his abdication. However, a lookalike is substituted who saves the day – for now. But more complications and intrigue lie in store, and will Rudolf Rassendyll and the King's men be able to fend off the Machiavellian Rupert?
Rupert of Hentzau is back with more machinations in further adventures three years down the line, and this time it's a fight to the finish.
The Heart of Princess Osra is a much rarer book and is a prequel set a hundred years or so before the events of Zenda and features Rudolf's ancestor and his sister the titular princess Osra.
