This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.

From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy, comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King.

1660, Paris

Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. From an impoverished childhood wandering the French countryside with her family’s acting troupe, Claudette finally witnesses her mother’s astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theaters. Working with playwrights Corneille, Molière and Racine, Claudette’s life is culturally rich, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she’s socially scorned.

A series of chance encounters gradually pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athénaïs de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV and reigning “Shadow Queen.” Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athénaïs offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant.

Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the 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 as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king’s bed.

Indeed, Claudette’s “reputable” new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs, becomes ever more desperate to hold onto the King’s favor, innocent love charms move into the realm of deadly Black Magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her own life—and the family she loves so dearly—at risk.

Set against the gilded opulence of a newly-constructed Versailles and the War of Theaters, THE SHADOW QUEEN is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France.
This book was on my “want to read” list, and I picked it up from my local library. As soon as I started reading, I was transported into France in the 1600’s–with all the sights, sounds, and smells of the period. Claudette was an easy heroine to like, and her desire to make her family’s life better will resonate with many readers.

One of the best things about THE SHADOW QUEEN is that the author Sandra Gulland didn’t bury the plot in a lot of politics. Rather, she spends her description on the trials and triumphs of stage actors, and later, the sumptuous trappings of Louis the XIV’s Court. Her characters come alive: Moliere, Corneille, and Athenais are alternately drawn to scale and then appear larger than life at times. Gulland keeps the story true to life, for the most part, as she takes historical fact and makes it sing. She brings the hopes and fears of Athenais to the forefront, and helps the reader to see who she was and who she turned into: a cunning and manipulative woman who fears the loss of her youth and vitality, and resorts to black magic to keep the affections of her beloved Sun King. It seemed hard to understand if that affection was true, or just opportunistic.

Claudette stayed true to herself throughout the book, continuing to care for her mother and brother even as her innocence is slowly pulled from her; and she made a stand against her beloved Athenais, which comes back to haunt her and threatens to ruin her life. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would end for Claudette.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and intend to read other novels of Gulland’s. Her research is thorough and her writing is clean. Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.



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I became a fan of Sandra Gulland through the Josephine B trilogy. As a regular reader of historical fiction, I am drawn to books and authors that teach me about society and politics/beliefs of a different era. Ms. Gulland's research is evident in this (as well as her prior) books, and The Shadow Queen was fascinating to me. Though I knew nothing about the queen herself or France in the 1600s going in, I do now! Loved it so much that I finished it in about four days--the fastest I've ever read a book. Thank you, Ms. Gulland! ( )

An interesting story of the French theatre world during the reign of Louis XIV. The main character's family is a family of wandering actors and end up in Paris working in theatre. The main character through a series of events ends up being the companion of one of Louis's official mistresses. We see the competition, corruption and illicit behaviour of the court from the point of view of the companion. The book has a good plotline and the development of the main character is quite interesting. ( )

The title is a little misleading, as the book is not about

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan, better known as Madame de Montespan, an official mistress of King Louis XIV of France, called by some the "true Queen of France" or the "shadow queen" because of her influence at court. Athénaïs is a character in the book, but it is really about her companion, Claude de Vin des Œillets, the daughter of two actors. The most interesting parts of the book are those depicting 17th century French theater, and it's clear that author Sandra Gulland did a lot of research on this topic. Meredith Mitchell was an adequate reader with a youthful voice, although she had a bit of a lisp that I found distracting at times. ( )

This is an interesting and surprisingly sympathetic side view of the notorious Athenais,Madame de Montespan, main mistress of King Louis XIV. I say surprising as most of what I have read about her tends to focus on her capacity for bitchiness and then downright evil. Did she use poison and black magic? I am not sure anyone truly knows the answers. It is interesting as Athenais developed a very close and trusting friendship with Claudette,and everything is seen through Claudette's eyes.
This man fascinates me, his women as well. They were all so very different from one another! This novel gives a great peek into life at the bottom and the top, during the Sun King's reign. Recommend! ( )