Items related to The Shadow Queen
[Read by Meredith Mitchell]
Set against the gilded opulence of a newly constructed Versailles and the bloodstained fields of the FrancoDutch War, The Shadow Queen is a seductive, gripping novel about lust, power, loyalty, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strongwilled women whose actions could shape the future of France. From the author of the beloved 'Josephine B.' series comes a spellbinding historical novel about a young woman who rises to become the confidante to the most powerful, provocative, and dangerous woman in the seventeenthcentury French Court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King. Paris, 1660. As the daughter of itinerant actors who once lit up the Parisian stages, Claudette always thought her future lay in the theater. But a series of chance encounters pulls her into the alluring orbit of the most beautiful woman in all of France: Athénaïs de Montespan, the mistress to Louis XIV and reigning ''Shadow Queen.'' Impetuous by nature, Athénaïs wields a disconcerting amount of power a fact that has ruffled many of the Sun King's key advisors. Needing someone to act as her eyes and ears, Athénaïs hires Claudette as a personal attendant. The young stagehand leaves the world of theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin while young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed. Indeed, Claudette's supposedly respectable new position is marked by spying, rumormongering, illicit trysts, and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs begins to lose her grip on the Sun King, her plots and fascination with the magical arts take a dark turn that makes Claudette question her allegiance to this mercurial figure and puts the young maid's life in jeopardy.
Set against the gilded opulence of a newly constructed Versailles and the bloodstained fields of the FrancoDutch War, The Shadow Queen is a seductive, gripping novel about lust, power, loyalty, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strongwilled women whose actions could shape the future of France. From the author of the beloved 'Josephine B.' series comes a spellbinding historical novel about a young woman who rises to become the confidante to the most powerful, provocative, and dangerous woman in the seventeenthcentury French Court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King. Paris, 1660. As the daughter of itinerant actors who once lit up the Parisian stages, Claudette always thought her future lay in the theater. But a series of chance encounters pulls her into the alluring orbit of the most beautiful woman in all of France: Athénaïs de Montespan, the mistress to Louis XIV and reigning ''Shadow Queen.'' Impetuous by nature, Athénaïs wields a disconcerting amount of power a fact that has ruffled many of the Sun King's key advisors. Needing someone to act as her eyes and ears, Athénaïs hires Claudette as a personal attendant. The young stagehand leaves the world of theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin while young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed. Indeed, Claudette's supposedly respectable new position is marked by spying, rumormongering, illicit trysts, and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs begins to lose her grip on the Sun King, her plots and fascination with the magical arts take a dark turn that makes Claudette question her allegiance to this mercurial figure and puts the young maid's life in jeopardy.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Back Cover:
About the Author:
The daughter of actors, Claudette has been playing different roles since she was a child. After settling in Paris, where her mother becomes a star, Claudette finds a position as personal assistant to Athénaïs de Montespan, the highly influential mistress of Louis XIV and France’s “Shadow Queen.” But amid the gilded opulence of the newly constructed Versailles, she is shocked to discover that the Court’s veneer of respectability and glamor conceals just as many plots and deceptions as the stage.
As she is caught up in Athénaïs’s paranoia and desperation to keep the King’s attention, Claudette is forced to consider a move that will risk her own life—and that of the family she loves so dearly.
Sandra Gulland is the author of the 'Josephine B'. trilogy, which has sold over a million copies worldwide and is being developed into a television miniseries. Prior to writing full time she was a book editor in Toronto.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBlackstone Audio
- Publication date2014
- ISBN 10 1482970236
- ISBN 13 9781482970234
- BindingAudio CD
- Number of pages1
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
Buy Used
US$ 21.42
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Shadow Queen
Published by
Blackstone Audio, UNITED STATES
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1482970236
ISBN 13: 9781482970234
Used
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description AUDIO CD. Condition: Very Good. 9 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs. NEW CDs sealed in the shrink wrap. Slight publisher remainder mark. Enjoy this NEW Audio CD performance, GIFT QUALITY for your home and library. Seller Inventory # 171720676767428
Buy Used
US$ 16.50
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Shadow Queen
Published by
Blackstone Audio, UNITED STATES
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1482970236
ISBN 13: 9781482970234
Used
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description AudioCD. Condition: Very Good. 9 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs. NEW CDs sealed in the shrink wrap. Slight publisher remainder mark. Enjoy this NEW Audio CD performance, GIFT QUALITY for your home and library. Seller Inventory # LUVLYAUTMN16127
Buy Used
US$ 19.50
Convert currency