Élie Berthet (1815–1891) was a French novelist, born in Limoges and living in Paris from 1834. He authored numerous adventure and historical works, which quickly gained popularity among 19th-century readers. His most famous novels include The Beast of Gévaudan, The Catacombs of Paris, The Desert Bird, The Trembling Rock, The Lost Valley, and The Band of Orgeres. Of particular interest is The Child of the Woods, in which the image of a savage growing up far from civilization anticipates the famous Tarzan story.

The novel The Castle of Montbrun takes place in 14th-century Aquitaine—a time of unrest and disaster, when popular superstitions and unbridled passions coexisted with chivalrous virtues and brutal feuds. Against a backdrop of dark historical events, anxieties, and prejudices, a drama unfolds in which the destinies of individuals are closely intertwined with the fate of a land experiencing devastation and chaos.

This work combines chivalric romance and historical chronicle, immersing the reader in the harsh world of the Middle Ages, where human passions prove stronger than peace and reason.