Bellarion the Fortunate : $b a romance

by Rafael Sabatini

"Bellarion the Fortunate: a romance by Rafael Sabatini" is a historical novel published in 1926. Set in early fifteenth-century Northern Italy, it follows Bellarion, an orphan raised in an abbey who sets out to study at university. A case of mistaken identity draws him into political intrigue surrounding Princess Valeria of Montferrat. After committing murder to protect her interests, Bellarion claims to be the son of a powerful mercenary captain—a lie that unexpectedly becomes truth. He rises through the ranks as a soldier of fortune, navigating treacherous plots while serving the princess.