It took me a while, but I finally digested this story in full. While a departure from the light-hearted tone of the series, it shifts closer to the style and spirit of the original Dumas novels. And yet, it is the masterful blending of many different incarnations of the Musketeers--historical, novel-verse, movie-verse and Young Blades that makes this story extremely enjoyable.

Aside from the obvious influences from "the Man in the Iron Mask" I enjoyed the subtle nods to fans of the film, and how you've incoporated Gabriel Byrne's D'Artagnan into the mix. It was also interesting to see your take on the Phillipe and Louis relationship.

As for the original cast of Young Blades, under your steady guidance, they're not just evolving, they're growing up.

Wonderful!

I always wondered about the rumors about Siroc being Mazarin's slave and personally, I didn't like the idea of the character heading in this direction. To my knowledge, even Mark Hildrith didn't realize that these were the initial plans for our beloved inventor, which solidified my skepticism all the more.

However, having read your story, I must say I've warmed up to the idea considerably--not entirely convinced, mind you, because I'm as stubborn as a mule in my convictions, but it's a good start.

Where the Young Blades fandom is concerned, it never ceases to amaze me how many talented writers are in our midst, and how bold and different everyone's style is! You're a master story teller, vigilanti; your painstaking attention to detail coaxes the early modern french setting to leap into the foreground. You're also very careful to blend Alexandre Dumas' original universe with that of our beloved series. I was presently surprised to see the original musketeers play a significant role in this story.

I see that this is only the first in a series of Young Blades fan fanfiction you've written. I've always meant to go back and read your work, but lengthy stories are dangerous procrastination tool for a university student, especially those part of an ongoing series. I'm pleased to have the time to finally sit down and gobble down the vigilanti canon without fear of missing a deadline ;)

Thank you for sharing! :D

" Porthos ought to return from his honeymoon cruise in time to join the party."

Okay, I guess you have me there--can you give me a small bit of information about this version of the Musketeers story? Does it have a firm historical base, or does it work more along the lines of 'Xena' and 'Hercules' where the traditional characters are put into a more modern setting? Hope you can clear this up for me.