The Man in the Iron Mask

The closing part of the long d'Artagnan saga, set in the reign of Louis XIV. The aging musketeers find themselves on different sides as a secret threatens the throne of France. Fouquet, the king's wealthy minister, falls into danger, while Aramis pursues a bold and hidden plan.

The novel mixes court politics, friendship tested by divided loyalties and a mood of farewell to an heroic age. Its title figure, a mysterious prisoner, has become one of the best-known images in popular history and fiction.