Reviewing "The Snare" by Rafael Sabatini

The Snare by Rafael Sabatini is one of those books that takes a lot of patience at the start, but once you get past the preliminary setup the rest of the story is totally worth the wait.

Set in Portugal, 1810, the story begins with a lengthy  account of how a Lieutenant Richard Butler of the British Expeditionary Force gets drunk and then invades a nunnery (mistaking it for a monastery famous for its wine production). As if that breach of etiquette and diplomacy weren't enough, Butler makes it worse by running away...effectively deserting his regiment and becoming an outlaw. Upon learning of the "Tavora Affair," Butler's superiors investigate, and because they cannot find Butler, assume he has been killed by the mob of Portuguese peasants that gathered to protect their convent.

Richard Butler is not the protagonist of the book.

The narrative then shifts to Sir Terence O'Moy, the Adjutant-General in Lisbon. Butler happens to be his brother-in-law, but fortunately for O'Moy's reputation no one knows this detail.  Despite being a selfish, stupid, and frivolous person, O'Moy loves his wife Lady Una so much so that he's covered for her brother plenty of times in the past just to protect her feelings.


Sir Terence O'Moy isn't the protagonist of the book, either.

Lady Una is half her husband's age and very pretty. She craves attention and admiration from everyone. Her husband's devotion isn't enough; she tends to flirt with all men she comes in contact with--though it's "harmless" in her eyes as she has no intention of actually engaging in an affair with any of them. In addition to getting attention from various admirers, it also flatters her vanity that this drives her husband mad with jealousy.

Lady Una is definitely not the protagonist of the book.

Captain Ned Tremayne is O'Moy's secretary, confidant, and most loyal friend. When he finds out about Lt. Butler's actions and disappearance, he asks how O'Moy will help his brother-in-law, which immediately wakens O'Moy's dormant jealousy. Since Butler is such an unsympathetic figure, the only reason he can think that Tremayne would want to help him would be because Tremayne loves Una.

But while Ned Tremayne is much more likable than the other characters introduces thus far, he isn't the protagonist of the book, either.

Count Samoval is the Portuguese diplomat sent to O'Moy to get the entire scandal resolved. However, Samoval is also a spy, and sensing that O'Moy is hiding something, befriends Una and tries to flatter information out of her. Portugal is not a place that usually comes to mind when thinking about the Napoleonic Wars, but this novel makes clear how important it was to Britain that they have a place in continental Europe nearer to French territory. The relationship between England and Portugal is, however, uneasy at best, as Portugal suspects that England is going to conquer them to establish a better foothold on the continent, and England suspects that Portugal is secretly siding with their French neighbors.

Count Samoval is the antagonist.

It is not until page 52 that the hero--or rather, heroine makes her first appearance. Sylvia Armytage is Una's cousin visiting from England, and no two women could be equally as beautiful and yet otherwise diametrically different. Where Una is shallow, Sylvia is thoughtful. Where Una is frivolous, Sylvia is serious. Where Una is selfish, Sylvia is selfless. And though Una only understands a vague outline of what is happening around her, Sylvia is intelligent, educated, and aware of the gravity of their situation in Portugal. Sylvia unnerves most of her male acquaintances--including O'Moy--with her probing questions into the war and refusal to accept their explanations passively.

Sylvia and Tremayne love each other, but for different reasons each has kept their feelings secret.
Lt. Butler's crimes, O'Moy's blind jealousy, and Count Samoval's political machinations all weave together to form a tightly integrated plot.

When I first began reading this book, I was bored. Once I got to Sylvia, however, the story really took off. She's a rare heroine in an adventure novel who isn't simply a "pure and innocent" woman, but also strong, principled, opinionated, and willing to take great risks. While Tremayne starts out as sort of a bland "good and noble" love interest, his characterization deepens as the plot unfolds. Characters misunderstand each other's motives, loyalties are tested or betrayed, and while I don't want to give away too much of the ending, I will say that true to swashbuckling expectations, there is a thrilling duel.