trying to flee France. Jules de St. Caux – The youngest St. Caux son. Jules attempts to flee France with Ernest, but both boys are killed. Victor de Gisons – Marie de St. Caux's fiancé. After he and Marie marry, Victor purchases the chateau that had belonged to the St. Caux family. Literary and Historical Background In the Reign of Terror was published in 1888 by Blackie and Son, a publishing company located in Glasgow, Scotland, and London, England. It was published nearly a century after the events of the French Revolution, and in his preface Henty states that the purpose of the novel is not "to impart historical knowledge, for the facts of the dreadful time when 'the terror' reigned supreme in France are well known to all educated lads." He addresses the novel to "My Dear Lads," a common practice in boys' adventure novels and with Henty's texts in particular. Like many of Henty's historical adventure novels, In the Reign of Terror emphasises the importance of British morals and encourages young boys to be courageous and virtuous. Genre and style Genres Historical Fiction In the Reign of Terror is one of over one hundred historical fiction novels written by G.A. Henty, who is considered to be "the most popular nineteenth-century English writer of historical fiction for boys." These novels combine the popular adventure fiction genre with historical settings and events, writing from the prospective of a protagonist living through a specific historical period. Typically historical fiction operates on an artistic license that permits some deviation from the details of a historical setting, providing that events and historical figures not be too dramatically altered. Harry's life and experiences in France are set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The narrative depicts important events and figures of the Revolution, including the September Massacres, the Drownings at Nantes, and Robespierre. Adventure fiction The novel is part of the large and popular subgenre of 19th-century boy's adventure fiction. G.A. Henty was among the first writers to popularise the genre for children; like much of the work of this genre, In the Reign of Terror is a novel directed at young boys and written from the perspective of a young boy. British adventure fiction of the period and style frequently promoted British nationalism and the Empire, and served as a manual of British morals and cultural values. Harry, as the protagonist, is