The Incendium Plot vs The Talleyrand Maxim: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mystery
The Incendium Plot
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'A fantastic tale of spies, deceit and murder in the Elizabethan age' S. D. Sykes'Colourful and gripping' The TimesEngland in 1572 is a powder keg of rumour, fanaticism, treachery and dissent. All it would take is a…
The Talleyrand Maxim
“Linford Pratt, senior clerk to Eldrick & Pascoe, solicitors, of Barford, a young man who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook, with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy, had once during one of his periodical visit to the town Reference Library, lighted on a maxim of that other unscrupulous person, Prince Talleyrand, which”
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The “Talleyrand Maxim” holds that “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.” The adage has the character of guidance for life for an ambitious legal clerk, Linford Pratt. Unlike most people, he…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 7 for The Incendium Plot.
- The Incendium Plot has the widest readership — 1499 ratings behind its score.
- The Incendium Plot runs the darker storyline; The Talleyrand Maxim stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Incendium Plot | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (1499) | 3.9 (180) |
| Hardcover | 3.3 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (30) | 4.5 (13) |
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Reception
| The Incendium Plot | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1499 | 180 |
| Editions | — | 115 |
| Want to read | 1129 | 102 |
| Reading it now | 528 | 28 |
| Written reviews | 103 | 30 |
| Pages | 405 | 195 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Incendium Plot or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Incendium Plot has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Incendium Plot 4.0/5, The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Incendium Plot or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Talleyrand Maxim (195 pages, ≈ 3 h 37 m); The Incendium Plot (405 pages, ≈ 7 h 30 m).
Which is harder to read: The Incendium Plot or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Incendium Plot: Moderate; The Talleyrand Maxim: Challenging.