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The Shadow Queen
Von C. J. Redwine
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Mit Lesen beginnenBeschreibung
A New York Times bestselling dark epic fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White, from C. J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series. This breathtakingly romantic, action-packed fantasy is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Cinder.
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
Buchaktionen
Mit Lesen beginnenInformationen über das Buch
The Shadow Queen
Von C. J. Redwine
Beschreibung
A New York Times bestselling dark epic fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White, from C. J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series. This breathtakingly romantic, action-packed fantasy is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Cinder.
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
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I loved this book! It's one of my favorite snow white retellings. I highly recommend this book. It has the perfect balance between the original fairytale and the action/adventure added to it.
I love retellings so I like when I read one and end up loving it! I so look forward to reading C.J. Redwine’s other retellings. I love how independent and powerful she made the main characters. Also dragons are super cool, especially shapeshifting ones. Superb book, and I absolutely adore it!
3.5 StarsI found the story and the setting of this novel fascinating. I haven't read as many books from the 17th century as other time periods, but every subsequent book makes me want to devour more. Shadow Queen follows right along in this pattern. The author has brought to vivid life the world of Renaissance theaters, the sparkly world of court politics, the dreariness of the common man, and the danger in trying to reach high in a world filled with vipers. Historical details like the Affair of the Poisons, the War of the Theaters, and the many love affairs of Louis XIV made me live and breathe the book, not just read it. This book definitely has the historical setting down pat.I enjoyed the character of Claude. I felt she had a load of verve and pluck that saw her through many a trial. She didn't have an easy life at all, but she faced her trials with strength of character and a crap load of guts. I also liked seeing how intelligent she was. She thought out her plans of action, how best to take care of her loved ones, and how to survive in such dangerous surroundings. My only gripe with her character would be her almost complete fascination with Athenais, almost right up to the very end. It seems to come out of nowhere and leaves the reader wondering why in the world Claude finds this woman so beautiful and loyalty-deserving. It's almost an obsession and not in a good sense.I could wish that the balance of setting was a bit more even. The world of Louis the XIV's court didn't receive near the attention that the world of 17th century theaters and the peasant world received. And for a book that is titled after someone very strongly tied into that court and its intrigues and who draws our main character into that world, I felt like maybe we should have gotten more action there. However, I, for one, was enthralled with the world of the theaters and their inner machinations for power and prestige. So I guess when all is told and done, the lack of court story wasn't a huge detriment. Just a little twinge of disappointment.At the end of the day, this is an enjoyable historical fiction that brings to light some not-often-explored material. I enjoyed my journey into 17th century court intrigue and theaters with Sandra Gullard my conductor. Her characters, for the most part, shone with life. And while her story balance may be a bit off, this book is still one I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction novel. Note: Book received for free through GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for honest review.
I really enjoyed this novel set in 17th Century France and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The book’s main character is Claude des Oeillets whose family is part of a troupe of actors. In the 17th century actors are viewed as base and sinful people who are shunned not only by the upper classes but also by the Catholic Church. It is ironic that they nobility loved the theater and patronized it regularly, yet they treated actors with such disdain and wanted nothing to do with them outside of the theater.The main part of the book takes place in Paris where Claude and her family work for the most popular theaters at the time. The author did a fantastic job of researching and brining to life the competition among the acting troupes and the most famous playwrights at the time, Moliere, Racine and Corneille. The strongest aspect of the book is the characterization of Claude who is gradually drawn into the morally questionable lives of the nobility and the court of King Louis XIV. Claude is oftentimes called on to do things for court that are deceptive and dishonest. As a poor peasant who has a family to support she cannot afford to say no to the powerful nobility who hold her fate in their hands.
An intriguing look at the world of the Parisian theatre in the 1600's and an emotional look at the medieval mindset towards acting and the superstitious fears open the stage for this story. Claudette is a victim of her circumstances of poverty and ridicule but yet always compassionate. The incredibly alluring Athenais delivers a step into the high society of Paris going even as far as the royal bedchamber bringing both Claudette and the reader to scenes not easily attainable. Athenais is feisty and strong willed. Her need to stay young and beautiful is similar today as many privledged women seek out extreme methods to look young. The pressures were just as real then as they are today and this is conveyed to the reader. Duels and black magic give a richer and deeper level all the while the reader is enlightened and entertained moved from joy to sadness to shear heartbreak. A fantastic novel!
5 stars
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is historical fiction at it best with a stunning cast of characters including Moliere, Racine, and the Sun King himself, Louis XIV. It is told through the eyes of Claude a poor daughter of actor parents. When her father dies, she is the one who finds ways of keeping the family fed. Her brother is mentally handicapped and her mother suffered from depression after her husband's death. She gets her mother back up on stage as a star, and Claude herself becomes the maid of the Sun King's Mistress. If nothing else, the reader comes away with the desolate realization of how little control women had over their lives.
Based on real people in 17th century France, "The Shadow Queen" is a light-weight but interesting look at the life of actors and aristocracy during this time. Claudette is the daughter of traveling actors down on their luck at the beginning of the story. Through happenstance and conniving, Claudette finds herself as an adult as the personal maid and confidante of a woman her age who calls herself Athenais. Athenais is the daughter of an aristocrat who eventually becomes the second mistress to King Louis XIV and bears him several children.The decadence of the French court, the passion and competition of French theaters, and the abysmal life of many of the ordinary French citizens is the setting of this story which tells the life of Claudette and her impaired brother Gaston. Told in the first person, it took me a while to really become interested in these people as much of the beginning of the story seemed very contrived. However, when the story relied on more historical details of the theater, I picked up interest. The "happy ending" also seems somewhat contrived, but all in all, a fun read if one is into French historical fiction.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the world of 17th-century French theater.
The title of the book is a little inaccurate - while the novel certainly features the woman who was known as 'The Shadow Queen,' Athénaïs, Madame de Montspan, the main character is the woman who came to be her companion, Claude des Oeillets.
We follow Claude from dire poverty, as the daughter of a family of travelling players, to reasonable success in the theater world. Through a series of coincidental meetings (and they do seem very coincidental) she develops a huge girl-crush on the wealthy Athénaïs, who eventually takes her into her confidence as her intimate maid.
The story starts out extremely strong, with vivid characters, a great set-up, and a lively writing style. The depictions of the theatrical lifestyle and its intrigues are fascinating and fun.
However, the pacing didn't quite hold up, for me. The character of Gaston, Claude's autistic brother, grew a bit tedious. Rather than the classic dramatic structure of rising action to a climax... things happen... and then some more things happen.
Historically, Mademoiselle des Oeillets is known for her alleged involvement in 'The Affair of the Poisons' - a huge court scandal in which Satanic black masses were supposed to have been put on, and thirty-six people were executed. For such a major (and shockingly dramatic!) event, in this book it's brought up and skipped through quite quickly - and I felt that an opportunity was missed to explore the true complexity and nastiness of the French court society.
The author's focus here, is more creating a rags-to-riches story set in the theater world. (To that end, she definitely also exaggerates Claude's family's low standing - in reality her family were official appointees to court, and owned their own theater company, so her meeting Madame de Montspan was probably not nearly as unlikely as the book makes it appear.)
Still, while there were things I'd like to have seen more of in the story, this was a very entertaining diversion. Gulland's a new author to me, but I'd definitely read more of her work.
Copy received through NetGalley, from Doubleday Books. Thanks!
The title of the book is a little inaccurate - while the novel certainly features the woman who was known as 'The Shadow Queen,' Athénaïs, Madame de Montspan, the main character is the woman who came to be her companion, Claude des Oeillets.
We follow Claude from dire poverty, as the daughter of a family of travelling players, to reasonable success in the theater world. Through a series of coincidental meetings (and they do seem very coincidental) she develops a huge girl-crush on the wealthy Athénaïs, who eventually takes her into her confidence as her intimate maid.
The story starts out extremely strong, with vivid characters, a great set-up, and a lively writing style. The depictions of the theatrical lifestyle and its intrigues are fascinating and fun.
However, the pacing didn't quite hold up, for me. The character of Gaston, Claude's autistic brother, grew a bit tedious. Rather than the classic dramatic structure of rising action to a climax... things happen... and then some more things happen.
Historically, Mademoiselle des Oeillets is known for her alleged involvement in 'The Affair of the Poisons' - a huge court scandal in which Satanic black masses were supposed to have been put on, and thirty-six people were executed. For such a major (and shockingly dramatic!) event, in this book it's brought up and skipped through quite quickly - and I felt that an opportunity was missed to explore the true complexity and nastiness of the French court society.
The author's focus here, is more creating a rags-to-riches story set in the theater world. (To that end, she definitely also exaggerates Claude's family's low standing - in reality her family were official appointees to court, and owned their own theater company, so her meeting Madame de Montspan was probably not nearly as unlikely as the book makes it appear.)
Still, while there were things I'd like to have seen more of in the story, this was a very entertaining diversion. Gulland's a new author to me, but I'd definitely read more of her work.
Copy received through NetGalley, from Doubleday Books. Thanks!
I will begin by writing that my knowledge of French history is not as strong as my knowledge of English history so I was excited to explore something new. I knew bits and pieces about Louis XIV and his reign but not much about Athenais, the Shadow Queen as she was known. The title of this book is a bit of a misnomer as it is more about Athenais maidservant, Claudette than about Athenais herself. So if you are looking for a novel about the court of Louis XIV and the machinations of his mistress you will not be fully satisfied with this tale for while it does show some of that it is more focused on Claudette and the theatre life of the times.I found the book rather fascinating despite the fact that I didn't exactly get what I was promised by the title. I'm fascinated by the theatre and to read about the greats of this time - Moliere, Racine and Corneille - kept me turning the pages. It gave full bodied life to what had before been names on a page to me. The mores of the time were also quite interesting and to read about the battles between the church, the king and the theatre - fascinating. There was an author's note in the back which explained more about the times. I always appreciate such an addition although I'm one to delve into further research anyway.Neither of the two protagonists is entirely likable but Claudette comes out ahead in that many of her decisions were almost forced upon her by the need to care for her family and societal pressures of the times in which she lived. Athenais has come down through history with many a question swirling about her and this novel does nothing to brighten that reputation.The novel reads quickly and delves into the backgrounds of Claudette's parents and brother. Both the gritty side of life in Paris and the court life are written well. The ending was somewhat of a disappoint and a little confusing and abrupt. After so much attention to Claudette's life it seemed to just end with a whimper.
3.5 The title refers to Athenais de Montespan, who for many years was said to have the power of a queen as the long term mistress of Louis XIV. It has been many years since I have read anything about the "Sun KIng, and I don't remember ever reading about laude des Pellets, who for a time was Athenais's servant and confidant.This is actually her story, starting in the theater with her performing parents. I loved reading about the early days of the theater, the theater wars and the famous playwright Pierre Corneille. The settings, the infighting, the competition between playwrights, who were often given an endowment from the crown. The scenes are vivid, the descriptions wonderful.We are treated to a young Athenais, her first love, her famous temper tantrums, her potions to strengthen the kings ardor and her jealousy, always afraid of losing his favor and being replaced by someone younger. The poison scandal, the debates between theater, government and the Catholic Church. Claude see it all, helps her mistress in procuring her various potions, trying to care for her sick mother and her brother. A woman who I thought took loyalty to a new level.A wonderfully entertaining read, and as always I applaud the author for her notes that helps the reader know what is history and what is not.
What I liked:
Great plot,nice and slow
Detail
In the middle:
They had a lot of chapters about the villain. It made her seem so....human. I almost felt sad when she died.
What I disliked:
Not much
Great plot,nice and slow
Detail
In the middle:
They had a lot of chapters about the villain. It made her seem so....human. I almost felt sad when she died.
What I disliked:
Not much