Book Review: The Enemies of Versailles by Sally Christie & Giveaway

The Enemies of Versailles by Sally Christie
Book 3 in the Mistresses of Versailles Series
ARC, e-book, 416 pages
Atria Books
March 21, 2017
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received via Netgalley for Review with TLC Book Tours

In the final installment of Sally Christie’s “tantalizing” (New York Daily News) Mistresses of Versailles trilogy, Jeanne Becu, a woman of astounding beauty but humble birth, works her way from the grimy back streets of Paris to the palace of Versailles, where the aging King Louis XV has become a jaded and bitter old philanderer. Jeanne bursts into his life and, as the Comtesse du Barry, quickly becomes his official mistress.

“That beastly bourgeois Pompadour was one thing; a common prostitute quite another kettle of fish.”

After decades suffering the King's endless stream of Royal Favorites, the princesses of the Court have reached a breaking point. Horrified that he would bring the lowborn Comtesse du Barry into the hallowed halls of Versailles, Louis XV’s daughters, led by the indomitable Madame Adelaide, vow eternal enmity and enlist the young dauphiness Marie Antoinette in their fight against the new mistress. But as tensions rise and the French Revolution draws closer, a prostitute in the palace soon becomes the least of the nobility’s concerns.

Told in Christie’s witty and engaging style, the final book in The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy will delight and entrance fans as it once again brings to life the sumptuous and cruel world of eighteenth century Versailles, and France as it approaches inevitable revolution.

I have been fascinated with Christie’s Mistresses of Versailles series since the first pages of The Sisters of Versailles. French history in general is an area that I am not as familiar with and therefore the stories are always new and exciting. While I still found many of the things that I enjoyed about the prior novels in the series, Enemies of Versailles didn’t carry quite the same level of feelings that I had for the first two books. Let me explain.

In both The Sisters of Versailles and The Rivals of Versailles, the women featured were all lovers of the King. This lent the chapters a competitive nature and added to the scandal that it was of the time. The Enemies of Versailles pits du Barry, his last lover, against his eldest daughter, Adelaide, and then to some extent the dauphine and later Queen, Marie Antoinette. Understandably, there is a very different dynamic at play here; at the very least they are fighting over very different types of love and power. This wasn’t as compelling a driving force for me as had been previously. It was a different kind of rivalry than I had come to expect from this series that wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

Additionally, I couldn’t help but take the side of du Barry (because you always pick a side in these types of stories). While she was the King’s lover and raised up from the gutter, she was for the most part kind and easy to read her way of thinking in her chapters. Adelaide was more difficult. Her frustration with du Barry all was because of simply her role as the lover of her father was a sin and she wanted to bring him back to the right side of God. It truly felt like a little girl not getting her way, which wasn’t cute on like a 50 year old woman. She was vindictive and conniving, yet she was supposed to be above everyone else. So ultimately I enjoyed the du Barry chapters more. One thing that I did enjoy was when Adelaide was with her whole bevy of sisters. There interactions reminded me of that of the Nesle sisters from The Sisters of Versailles; the backbiting, the one-up-manship, etc.

This book presented a different view of Marie Antoinette as well. Typically books about her feature her as a central character and we see her in a sympathetic light, or juxtaposed against the view of her from the common people. This was interesting to see how the two factions, du Barry and Adelaide sort of fought for control over her when she first came to court. She is a more minor figure in this story, but she is still used as a tool in the battle between the women. I actually enjoyed her portion of the story, even seeing her in a different way.

Overall, this was a good read, but not my favorite of the whole series.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Let Them Read Books
• The Lit Bitch

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Sally Christie:

The Sisters of Versailles (Book 1)
[My Review]

The Rivals of Versailles (Book 2)
[My Review]

Find Sally Christie: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway!

As part of the tour, I have the opportunity to giveaway one copy of The Enemies of Versailles to a reader from the USA or Canada.  Entries can be made via the Rafflecopter form below!  The giveaway will run until March 29th, 2017.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Follow the Tour:

On TLC Book Tours Website

Monday, March 6th: Books Without Any Pictures

Tuesday, March 7th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, March 8th: Reading Reality

Friday, March 10th: Books à la Mode – Spotlight/Feature

Monday, March 13th: Historical-Fiction.com

Tuesday, March 14th: From the TBR Pile – Spotlight/Feature

Wednesday, March 15th: Let Them Read Books

Thursday, March 16th: Scandalous Women

Friday, March 17th: BookNAround

Monday, March 20th: Books ‘n Tea

Monday, March 20th: An Accidental Blog

Tuesday, March 21st: Read Love Blog – Spotlight/Feature

Wednesday, March 22nd: The Maiden’s Court

Thursday, March 23rd: Snowdrop Dreams of Books

Monday, March 27th: Must Read Faster

Tuesday, March 28th: Hoser’s Blook

Thursday, March 30th: Dreams, Etc.

Friday, March 31st: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – Spotlight/Feature

Monday, April 3rd: A Holland Reads – Spotlight/Feature

Wednesday, April 5th: Becky on Books

Friday, April 7th: A Literary Vacation

 

Copyright © 2017 by The Maiden’s Court

Movie Review: The Affair of the Necklace

The Affair of the NecklaceAlcon Entertainment
118 mins.
December 7, 2001
Rated: R
★★★☆☆

The Affair of the Necklace was a critical event toward the downfall of Marie Antoinette and it was a pretty deceitful and full-bodied scandal, so I was very excited to see how it played out on the screen. I’m not the biggest fan of Hilary Swank, which put this not quite on the top of my watch list, but I pushed past that and enjoyed this film for what it was.

The film gives a basis for why Jeanne de Valois sought out Marie Antoinette and how she happened to become involved in the great scheme. It was nice to have a backstory as I had not heard of one before and it fleshed out the character of Jeanne, although I’m not sure if it is historically accurate or not. I have always found myself on the side of the Queen in this scandal, but this at least made me feel for the character and why she was doing what she was (again, I don’t think her reasons here are historically accurate). I think the way that the film put together the whole Affair was very well done. All of the intrigues felt compelling and interesting; I really enjoyed it. This film is focused primarily on this one event and does not much go into the events transpiring outside the castle walls – so the inclusion of the scene beheading Marie Antoinette felt out of place here as there was no historical context provided.

Hilary Swank was successful in the role of Jeanne mostly because not too much was expected of her here. She basically walked around in a pretty dress and schemed – nothing too difficult. Oh there is one tasteful sex scene – but that was actually pretty comical!  I wasn't a huge fan of the portrayal of Marie Antoinette here - she felt very stoic and distant.

Overall, the film was a fun presentation of a very intriguing event – without being too heavy and not expecting too much.  Not really sure why this is rated R though... 

Check out this trailer:

 
 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb

Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb
ARC, eBook, 320 pages
Plume
December 31, 2013
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review as part of HFVBT tour

“A sweeping historical debut about the Creole socialite who transformed herself into an empress.

Readers are fascinated with the wives of famous men. In Becoming Josephine, debut novelist Heather Webb follows Rose Tascher as she sails from her Martinique plantation to Paris, eager to enjoy an elegant life at the royal court. Once there, however, Rose’s aristocratic soldier-husband dashes her dreams by abandoning her amid the tumult of the French Revolution. After narrowly escaping death, Rose reinvents herself as Josephine, a beautiful socialite wooed by an awkward suitor—Napoleon Bonaparte.”

I have heard a lot about Josephine in my time reading historical fiction, but I have not read a book about her – despite owning the trilogy by Sandra Gulland for several years now. My fascination has never been with fiction set in France nor Napoleon in general. However, I did find Josephine fascinating in Webb’s novel.

First of all, this woman was pretty amazing. She survived the French Revolution (just barely!), was successful as a businesswoman, was married twice, and was beloved by most of France. She had to reinvent herself so many times and continued to make her way in the world. I appreciated that she was a woman of substance and not entirely superficial. By contrast, I still very much dislike Napoleon – and I’m sure that is not because of the author’s portrayal of him, as she was fairly even handed with his characterization. Webb did an excellent job of getting into Josephine’s head.

Webb also did an excellent job creating a truly atmospheric France. In every scene I could clearly picture what has happening and what it looked like – from the beauty of pastoral Malmaison to the desecrated and vandalized Tulieries. You also can feel what the characters are experiencing as if you were there; one scene where they are hiding in the basement during The Terror and their fear stands out vividly in my mind.

One area that I thought could be stronger was the pacing of the novel. Toward the beginning of the novel it felt uneven. Very, very quickly we were introduced to the characters and events in Martinique and then moved on. I didn’t make the connections here with Josephine’s family and homeland/culture that I think was intended. Thus, I didn’t care much when tragedies struck

there. It was still a little awkward through her first marriage. The novel really found its stride around the Revolution. From that point it seemed smoother sailing.

Overall, I appreciated this perspective of Josephine as Webb really gets at her soul and character where I think many other authors gloss over her, especially her early life, choosing instead to focus on her time as wife of Napoleon. I would certainly recommend this book to fans of French history and those who want to know more about this woman.

This is the debut novel for author Heather Webb. You can visit Heather’s website or blog for additional information about the book.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Broken Teepee
• Enchanted by Josephine

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #BecomingJosephineTour.

I also have a giveaway for US and Canada residents courtesy of the HFVBT tour.  Make entries through the Rafflecopter below.  Last day to enter is February 2nd, 2014.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Confessions of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey & Giveaway

Confessions of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
Book 3 in Marie Antoinette Trilogy
ARC, Paperback, 466 pages
Ballantine Books
September 24, 2013
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review for HFBRT tour

“Confessions of Marie Antoinette, the riveting and sweeping final novel in Juliet Grey’s trilogy on the life of the legendary French queen, blends rich historical detail with searing drama, bringing to life the early years of the French Revolution and the doomed royal family’s final days.

Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril.

Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains above all a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen and her family try to flee, and she secretly attempts to arrange their rescue from the clutches of the Revolution, they cannot outrun the dangers encircling them, or escape their shocking fate.”

The final installment of Grey’s trilogy of Marie Antoinette covers the final portion of the queen’s life, the downfall of the monarchy. I find this phase of Marie Antoinette’s life to be full of all the real drama she faced – not just the petty stuff, but the time when everything become very real for her. MA goes from being entirely ensconced in her dream world of plays, fripperies, and dances to the gritty world of the people in their revolution. Decisions become a matter of life and death – and each decision has to be weighed out. This is some pretty heavy stuff and is the more serious in tone of the three novels. Despite the tendency of the events toward the macabre, Grey does a great job of continuing to evolve the character of Marie Antoinette and Co. Like other novels where you know from the start that the ending is going to be anything but happy, the author puts you into the mind of Marie Antoinette and makes you believe that there is a chance that the outcome could be different.

Out of the three MA novels I think I liked this one the least (despite my giving them the same star rating) and I can’t exactly place the reason. It might be because of the heavier tone.

There was one thing that I didn’t really like in the style of the novel and that was the usage of another narrator, a member of the revolutionaries, in addition to Marie Antoinette. From what I remember from the first two novels, Marie Antoinette was the sole narrator, so I didn’t really like the addition of this new narrator that I didn’t have a history with already. I understand the inclusion of this narrator – with the first person narration of MA you miss out on what is really happening on the street during the Revolution – but I think I would have liked the flow better without this second narrator.

Overall, as a whole, this series does a great job in my opinion of representing the complete Marie Antoinette and her evolution of character.

Author Juliet Grey also has written the prior books in the series Becoming Marie Antoinette and Days of Splendor Days of Sorrow. You can visit Grey’s website for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

My reviews of other books by this author:

• Becoming Marie Antoinette
• Days of Splendor Days of Sorrow

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Austenprose
• Broken Teepee

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

---

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #ConfessionsOfMATour.

I also have a giveaway of one copy of Confessions of Marie Antoinette up for grabs to a US resident as part of the tour.  Giveaway is open until October 27th.  Submit your entries through Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Days of Splendor Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey & Giveaway

Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey
Book 2 in the Marie Antoinette trilogy

ARC, Paperback, 448 pages

Ballantine Books

May 15, 2012

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review – also participating in HF Virtual Book Tour

“Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty. 

From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles-one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.”

I have never been a huge fan of Marie Antoinette, or the French Revolution for that matter, but author Juliet Grey has a way of making this period new and exciting for me. In her first book, Becoming Marie Antoinette the author made me feel for the young girl who was leaving her home and being forced to become someone else entirely in a world vastly different than the court she left behind. In this installment, Grey shows us a Marie Antoinette who is coming into her own as queen and dealing with some MAJOR life changing incidents. Grey makes a Marie Antoinette who is humanized and someone that the regular person can relate to with all of her fears, wants, and concerns for her family and friends. Not only does she flesh out Marie Antoinette but we really get to know other members of the French royal circle – from the King and Queen’s families to their friends and hangers-on.

She does not miss out on including the important events, such as the Diamond Necklace affair, the meetings with the revolutionary forces in France, and the American Revolution – but she makes these events feel fresh and new. I liked reading about the courts perception of Benjamin Franklin – what a hoot! It was also interesting to see how the Diamond Necklace Affair actually played out.

The one thing that annoyed me throughout this book was the almost constant references to vulgar nickname given to Marie Antoinette – l’Autrichienne. The first time it was mentioned and explained I appreciated it and the character’s rumination about it. However by the 6th or 7th time (and yes it was at least that many) I was like, “I get it already, let’s move on!”.

Overall this was a very interesting read. The ending leave you on a slightly happy note in amongst all of the turmoil that happened in the end of the book – however knowing what is to come in book three, you can’t enjoy it too much.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Medieval Bookworm
• Quirky Girls Read

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Juliet Grey:

Becoming Marie Antoinette (Book #1)
[My Review]

Confessions of Marie Antoinette (Book #3)
[My Review]

Find Juliet Grey: Website
 

Follow the Tour

On the HF Virtual Book Tour website or onTwitter with the following hashtag: #DaysOfSplendorVirtualTour.

Giveaway!

I have a giveaway of 1 copy of Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow to offer for a reader in the USA or Canada. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below for entry. Last day to enter is November 10th. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

ARC, Paperback, 480 pages

Crown Publishers

December 27, 2011

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received from the publisher for review

“The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire…but who was this woman and how did she become one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous story comes to life as only Michelle Moran could tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin…”

I waited awhile before I got started with this one primarily because I knew it was going to be very different that the previous novel by this author. I had enthusiastically loved Moran’s first 3 novels with their Egyptian connections and with the sharp change in venue to revolutionary France I was wary as to if I would enjoy it quite the same. I gave it some time for the idea of this novel to settle in.

I did have a harder time with this novel than her other books. I think that this is possibly due to the fact that revolutionary France is not my most favorite time period. The beginning of the novel was a little slow for me. Once I reached the part of the novel where the revolution really reached its height it became much more interesting and fast paced. I disliked how wishy-washy Marie was in terms of the men in her life and the path that she wants to take.

In her traditional manner, Moran hits the mark in her descriptions; primarily in the sculpting practices of Marie and her Uncle and their exhibitions. The way that they continuously had to change their business with the tide of the revolution was truly terrifying. The scenes in the prison were eye-opening and I can imagine how one could fall in love amongst the desolation.

Overall, this was an interesting novel and I did enjoy learning about the life of the future Madame Tussaud.


If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:
• The Lit Witch
• To Read or Not to Read

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Michelle Moran:

Mata Hari’s Last Dance

The Second Empress

The Heretic Queen
[My Review]

Rebel Queen

Cleopatra’s Daughter
[My Review]

Nefertiti
[My Review]

Find Michelle Moran: Website | Blog | Facebook | Pinterest

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court

GIVEAWAY - The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to read and review The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent. It was a wonderful book. You can read my review of the book here as well as my interview with Christine.

Christine has graciously offered up one paperback copy of The Queen’s Dollmaker for giveaway. This giveaway will be open to US residents and will run from January 17, 2010 and a winner will be selected on January 31, 2010.

Here are the rules:
• Leave a comment with your email address for 1 entry
• Become a follower of this blog for 1 additional entry (if you are already a follower, just say so)
• Leave a comment on my review of The Queen’s Dollmaker for 2 additional entries
• Leave a comment on my interview with Christine for 2 additional entries

Good luck everyone!




Copyright © 2009-2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Author Interview with Christine Trent

I would like to extend a warm welcome to author Christine Trent, whose first novel, The Queen's Dollmaker was released this month. I have had several conversations with her while I was reading the book and she is the nicest person. She has taken the time to answer some questions about her book, future works, and some other interesting questions as well.

There are so many details in this book about these dolls and how they were made. Were you able to see any of these types of dolls in person? What type of research did you do in order to find out all of these details about dollmaking?

The research on 18th century dollmaking was interesting, mostly because there isn’t a lot out there. Most of the reference materials I found made passing glances at the wooden dolls of Marie Antoinette’s time, and really started their narrative with the wax, porcelain, and composition dolls that gained popularity in the early 19th century. I found myself in college libraries, reading through dusty old volumes of dolls to glean the information I needed. I filled in details on an 18th century dollmaker’s life by simply imagining what it would have been like. My readers will have to judge how well it comes across.

I was very fortunate indeed to see an excellent example of an 18th century wooden fashion doll during a 2006 trip to England. My husband and I visited Lullingstone Castle, which dated from the Tudor era, and was one of those wonderful stately old homes where you’re actually shown around by the family members themselves. Someone had recently found a doll buried in a trunk and shoved up in an attic, and sent it off to the Victoria & Albert Museum to determine its provenance. The museum concluded that because of the family’s relationship to royalty in early times, that the doll may have actually been a present from Queen Anne Stuart herself. Wow! The doll was in wonderful condition. She wore original clothing, and you could tell that it had once been a lovely shade of pink. Unfortunately, she was kept in a glass box, and I was not permitted to use my camera on her.

Although I wasn’t able to take photos of that doll, your readers might be interested in the work of Susan Parris, an 18th century reproduction dollmaker. http://www.susanparrisoriginals.com/ You can see here an example of her detailed, painstaking work.

Regarding your writing process, did you have most of the story planned out or outlined in advance or was it something that evolved as you wrote?

Oh, I am a strict plotter. I remember sitting over many a dinner with my poor husband, playing the “What if” game. What if Marie Antoinette had a favorite dollmaker? What if the dollmaker got involved in an intrigue with the doomed queen? What if the dollmaker could be quite successful in her own right? I developed a ten-page synopsis of the story before I ever wrote the first paragraph of the book. I made a few deviations during the writing of the story. For example, the scene where the competing dollmaker’s grandson breaks into Claudette’s shop was an invention long after developing the synopsis, as was the scene between Claudette and William outside the church. But generally, I stick to a detailed script.

What was the most challenging part about writing this book? The research, the writing, the publication, etc?

I would have to say that getting the book to publication was the biggest challenge. Because it was a first novel, it was far more difficult to get it noticed among the many, many manuscripts that agents and editors see on a daily basis. And I had to keep a stiff upper lip over many a rejection letter. I was fortunate enough to meet my editor at Kensington Books during a writer’s conference in 2008. I sent her a query, she wanted to read more....and the rest is history. Or, rather, historical fiction.

The story of Claudette the Parisian dollmaker was fascinating. What do you have in store for us next?

Thanks for asking this, because I’m very excited about my next book, tentatively titled The Wax Apprentice (my editor has assured me the title will change). It follows the adventures of Marguerite du Georges from The Queen's Dollmaker, as she becomes a waxworking apprentice to the great Madame Tussaud. Her new career nearly melts down when she assists the English crown in a scheme to create wax effigies of important political figures to fool Napoleon into thinking that England is negotiating treaties and alliances with other countries, when in fact something else entirely is happening. A French spy catches on to Marguerite's game and Napoleon's long grasp puts her in mortal danger.

The book is slated for release in 2011.

I know that you are an avid reader. What are some of your favorite things to read?
I am, of course, an avid historical fiction reader. I love anything British set, but also enjoy fiction set in France, Italy, and Spain. Anywhere in Europe, really. I’ve also recently become a fan of novels set in ancient Egypt and Rome. Unfortunately, it seems as though most of the books I read lately are strictly for research for upcoming books, but it doesn’t prevent me from buying the books I see reviewed on blogs like The Maiden’s Court!

I noticed on your website that you have been to Madame Tussauds. What were your favorite wax look-alikes?

I’ve actually been to Madame Tussauds in London three times (and counting). I can’t get enough of that place! The most thrilling “room” at the exhibition for me is the one which houses most of the historical royal and political figures. I love the tableau of King Henry VIII surrounded by his six wives, as well as those of Britain’s royal family today.

Just as Marie Tussaud did in the 19th century (and which you will read about in my next book), the wax exhibition changes its figures around regularly to keep it fresh, while making sure to keep its perennial favorites always on display. Sometimes they keep the same figures out, but move them across the room and develop a different setting for them.

As a side note, Madame Tussaud lived to the ripe old age of 89. Her family carried on the business until 1889, when the exhibition was taken over by a group of businessmen. The new company expanded the business to include Amsterdam, Berlin, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, New York, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. I highly recommend a visit to anyone who lives near one of these locations.

Thanks Christine for those wonderful answers. I look forward to your next release!  You can visit Christine at her website for additional information about her books.




Copyright © 2009-2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent

The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent
ARC, Paperback, 384 pages
Kensington Press
January 1, 2010
★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: From author for review

“A young woman, struggling to expand her London dollmaking trade, finds a surprising customer in Queen Marie Antoinette, an avid doll collector herself. This seemingly innocent exchange puts Claudette’s life in danger when she is lured to Paris under false pretenses. Money and jewels are being smuggled in dolls destined for the Queen, and have now been discovered by the fledgling revolutionary French government…”

Claudette Laurent is a burgeoning apprentice to her father, a well known dollmaker in Paris and she has a secret betrothal with her young love, Jean Philippe. One day Claudette wakes up and finds that part of the city is on fire and it is heading their way! After the smoke has cleared, Claudette finds herself an orphan and on a ship to England – bye, bye Jean Philippe! In England, Claudette makes some great friends, butts heads with the upper class, and eventually opens her own doll shop. When Queen Marie Antoinette becomes one of her best customers, Claudette becomes entangled with the scandal of the French court and rapidly evolving French Revolution.

This novel was my first read about the French Revolution (shocking, I know!). Trent does a great job of setting the mood of the upper class courtiers and the middle class trades people. You get an understanding of just why the Revolution took place. I found myself feeling very sorry for Marie Antoinette – she was constantly taken advantage of, and just when she starts to make her stride, she meets her end. I also enjoyed meeting a young Madame Tussaud, before she became the famous person everyone remembers.

It is a very interesting premise to have the main character, who is fictional, make her living as a dollmaker. There are many details about the dolls, the process of making the dolls, different types of dolls, and the function of these dolls in society. I didn’t know that Marie Antoinette was a big collector of dolls. I have always enjoyed reading about real characters who were not the main players in history, but this was also interesting because it was a character that does an unconventional job.

There was only one small issue that I had with the book and that was with the introduction. When Claudette was at her home and realized that there was a fire coming toward her house – her reactions seemed a little unbelievable. She was slow to leave and took the time to make her bed first – she didn’t act like the fire was a big deal. This was the only time though where her reactions seemed a bit off. Once Claudette got onto the boat to England though, the story took off and was phenomenal.

You can also read an excerpt if you are interested in getting a taste of Trent's writing style.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Always With A Book
• Devourer of Books

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Christine Trent:

A Royal Likeness
[My Review]

 

By the King's Design

[My Review]

 

Lady of Ashes (Lady of Ashes Book 1)

[My Review]

 

Stolen Remains (Lady of Ashes Book 2)

 

A Virtuous Death (Lady of Ashes Book 3)

 

The Mourning Bells (Lady of Ashes Book 4)

 

Death at the Abbey (Lady of Ashes Book 5)

 

Find Christine Trent: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

 

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court