Second to None: A Military Romance, Volume 1 (of 3)

"Second to None: A Military Romance, Volume 1" by James Grant is a 19th-century story about Basil Gauntlet, a young man who loses his inheritance and finds himself alone as he turns eighteen. Filled with dreams and a desire for something more, he joins the Scots Greys, a famous and brave military group, and we get to see how badly Basil's grandfather treated him and how little his other family members cared. Amidst his sadness and loss, he holds onto the hope of a future with Ruth Wylie and their growing love story becomes a bright spot as Basil changes from a young man with possibilities to a soldier facing danger, and the story prepares us for him joining the cavalry, showing us his feelings of loss, his longings, and his quest to be honorable.

James Grant (1822–1887) was a Scottish novelist and miscellaneous writer.