The Splendid Spur
Free public-domain edition — preview in your browser, no account required for the first chapter.
Preview free · sign up to save progress, download to your shelf, and sync with the apps
Already have an account? Sign in
This swashbuckling historical novel offers a vivid, human-scale portrait of the English Civil War, blending thrilling action with deep themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and love.
Edition details
Book Summary
A young Oxford scholar, Jack Marvel, becomes entangled in the English Civil War after witnessing a murder, embarking on a perilous journey to deliver a king's letter to Cornwall. Along the way, he faces battles, betrayals, and sacrifices, finding love and comradeship amidst the chaos of war.
In 1642, Jack Marvel, a servant of King Charles I, accidentally witnesses a secret meeting and a murder, receiving a blood-stained letter from the dying Anthony Killigrew. Fleeing Oxford, Jack sets out to deliver the letter to Sir Ralph Hopton in Cornwall, encountering Delia Killigrew, Anthony's sister disguised as a boy, who becomes his comrade. They are captured, imprisoned, and separated; Jack loses the letter but is rescued by Joan, a young woman who nurses him and later delivers the message, helping save the Royalist army. After Joan's death, Jack reunites with Delia, confronts the treacherous steward Hannibal Tingcomb, and fights in the Battle of Stamford Heath. The story culminates in a daring rescue and a bittersweet farewell as Delia sails to Brittany, leaving Jack to continue his service.
Reading guide
Go deeper in The Splendid Spur
Character guides, themes, chapter companions — plus Character Web, narrative arc, and theme heatmap teasers that unlock fully beside the text in BetterReads.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
Jack Marvel
Jack Marvel is a young royalist messenger whose chance errand—returning a dropped paper to a stranger—drags him into a tangle of duels, letters, and hidden enemies. He is quick to laugh, slow to trust, and honest enough to be dangerous in a war where nobody's coat stays one color. His voice carries the book: wry, watchful, and forever a little out of his depth, which is exactly why we follow him.
Joan
Joan of the Tor moves between the Cornish hills and the edges of the war, mending wounds, hiding fugitives, and speaking in a blunt country tongue that hides a fierce competence. She saves Jack's life with sackcloth and steady arms, then refuses to be thanked or ordered about. Her loyalty is real but unsentimental, and her presence quietly reshapes what Jack thinks courage looks like.
Delia Killigrew
Delia Killigrew is the mistress of Gleys, a royalist lady whose beauty and name make her a prize in more than one schemer's game. When she is snatched aboard a sloop by Settle and his knaves, Jack's private errand becomes a rescue. She is no passive captive—her composure among strangers and her instinct for villainy steady the men around her, and her claim on her father's house drives the middle of the book.
Captain Billy Pottery
Captain Billy Pottery is a disreputable, cheerful rogue whose coat is a patchwork of blue, orange-tawny, and flame-color over the parent black. He has been a Turkish slave, a Gravesend husband, and a survivor of more scrapes than he can count, and he shares his bread and his stories with equal generosity. His company gives Jack a taste of the road's odd brotherhood, and his luck—good and bad—colors the early chapters.
Sir Deakin Killigrew
Delia's late father, a royalist whose death sets events in motion.
Molly
A servant or companion to Delia, appearing in domestic scenes.
Loyalty and Betrayal
The narrative is driven by shifting allegiances during the English Civil War, with characters like Jack Marvel and Anthony Killigrew navigating a world where friends can be enemies, and trust is constantly tested through conspiracies, murder plots, and political maneuvering.
Honor and Chivalry
Jack Marvel's actions are guided by a personal code of honor, from defending a friend's reputation to fighting for the King, reflecting the romanticized ideals of a gentleman-adventurer in a time of war and personal vendetta.
Identity and Disguise
The theme is central through Delia Killigrew's disguise as a boy, Jack's mistaken identities, and the hidden agendas of characters like Hannibal Tingcomb, highlighting how appearances deceive and true identity is revealed through crisis.
Love and Sacrifice
Romantic and platonic love compel characters to risk their lives, as seen in Jack's devotion to Delia, Joan's selfless nursing, and Anthony's fatal loyalty, underscoring love as a powerful motivator for personal sacrifice.