The Heart of Princess Osra by Anthony Hope was published in 1896. It's a prequel to The Prisoner of Zenda, and is about a great-aunt (several times removed) of both Rudolfs.
Instead of having a central plot like the other books in the series, this is essentially a short story collection. All the stories revolve around the incredibly boring romantic entanglements of the eponymous princess. Every story (except one) involves yet another man falling in love with her and bringing ruin on himself or someone else. Seriously, you'd think Osra was Lúthien or Arwen, from the way all these men go crazy for her!
There are exactly two likeable characters in the whole novel: Osra's brother Prince Henry, and the Bishop of Modenstein, AKA Frederick of Hentzau -- presumably a great-uncle or some other relative of the more (in)famous Rupert of Hentzau. Everyone else is either dull as dishwater or utterly infuriating. Rudolf III (the ancestor of the two Rudolfs in The Prisoner of Zenda) is exactly the sort of scumbag I expected him to be. Princess Osra herself has all the personality of a doll. Her steady stream of suitors are either despicable or incredibly stupid.
The one high point of the book is that it gives the reader a glimpse into the history of Ruritania. Unfortunately, to get to the historical references one has to wade through the sleep-inducing saga of the latest man to fall in love with Osra. Yawn.
If the book had less romance and more of a plot, it might have been a decent addition to the Ruritanian trilogy. Instead, it's very much the weakest of the three books.
Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg, if for some reason you want to read it.
Rating: 1/10.
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