The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses

Approximate level: B2
Length: 80,547 words
Reading time: 6 h 43 min
Chapters: 32
Language: English
On Project Gutenberg since: 1997

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Set during the Wars of the Roses, Robert Louis Stevenson’s historical adventure follows a young boy caught among knights, soldiers, and political struggles in fifteenth-century England. The opening introduces Sir Daniel, a powerful landowner who uses money, influence, and force to control disputed property and its tenants. The prose is lively but sometimes demanding, with long, carefully shaped sentences and older words for law, rank, clothing, and daily life. Themes include power, loyalty, injustice, and a young person’s growth.

806 downloads on Project Gutenberg

Subjects

Historical fiction
Knights and knighthood -- Fiction
War stories
Bildungsromans
Young men -- Fiction
Guardian and ward -- Fiction
Great Britain -- History -- Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485 -- Fiction
Outlaws -- Fiction

Questions about this book

What level of English do I need for this book?

The estimate is B2, based on how common the words are and how long the sentences run. It is an approximation, not a test result. With a translation under every sentence you can start one level earlier than you would with a paper copy.

Is this book really free?

Yes. The text is in the public domain and comes from Project Gutenberg, so it costs nothing. In Lingo7 you open the book and read the first page for free; a subscription unlocks the whole library, the audio and the word practice.

How does reading with a translation work?

Lingo7 shows the original sentence and, right under it, the same sentence in your language. Tap a word to see what it means, hear it, and save it for practice. The translation is made while you read, so it works for any book and for 50 languages.

How long does it take to read?

About 6 h 43 min at a native pace, spread over 32 chapters. In a foreign language plan for more: half an hour a day finishes a book of this size in a few weeks.