The Maid and the Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101561297
Total Pages : 455 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid and the Queen by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-03-29 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Attention, ‘Game of Thrones’ fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics—double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest—are in abundant evidence in Nancy Goldstone's The Maid and the Queen.” (Laura Miller, Salon.com) Politically astute, ambitious, and beautiful, Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily, was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande championed the dauphin's cause against the forces of England and Burgundy, drawing on her savvy, her statecraft, and her intimate network of spies. But the enemy seemed invincible. Just as French hopes dimmed, an astonishingly courageous young woman named Joan of Arc arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom, claiming she carried a divine message-a message that would change the course of history and ultimately lead to the coronation of Charles VII and the triumph of France. Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc-or was it also Yolande of Aragon?

The Maid and the Queen

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Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0143122827
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid and the Queen by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2013-03-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Attention, ‘Game of Thrones’ fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics—double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest—are in abundant evidence in Nancy Goldstone's The Maid and the Queen.” (Laura Miller, Salon.com) Joan of Arc, the brave peasant girl who heard the voices of angels and helped restore her king to the throne of France, astonished her contemporaries and continues to fascinate us today. Until now, though, her relationship with Yolande of Aragon, the ambitious and beautiful queen of Sicily—mother-in-law to the dauphin—has been little known. In a stunning work filled with intrigue, madness, and mysticism, Nancy Goldstone solves the thrilling mystery by showing that if you pry open the Queen's secrets, you will find the Maid's. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande of Aragon championed the dauphin's cause. As French hopes dimmed, a courageous young woman arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom. But how did she gain an audience with a king? Was it only God's hand that moved Joan of Arc—or was it also Yolande of Aragon's?

The Maid and the Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 0297863371
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (978 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid and the Queen by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2011-12-29 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exceptionally dramatic life of Joan of Arc and her previously unchronicled mentor, Yolande of Aragon. How did an illiterate seventeen-year-old peasant girl manage to become one of histories most salient females? It is almost 600 years since Joan of Arc heard the voices of angels that would change her life for ever: in a breathtaking story her quest saved France from English domination and restored France's hereditary monarchy. Just thirteen when her life was turned upside down, Joan's holy guidance led her on an arduous eleven-day journey into the unknown, restoring the Dauphin back to his original birthright in an official coronation, allowing him to resume his rule as France's legitimate king. Joan summoned and led an impressive army of French loyalists against the English; the siege at Orleans was an exhilarating English defeat that liberated the city. The following year witnessed Joan's capture by the enemy. After a series of heroic endeavours to escape cruel adversaries, she was subjected to trial by inquisition and then in Rouen, the heart of France, Joan's courageous journey came to a heartbreaking conclusion. This is the story at the core of centuries of myth-making. But what if we no longer accept this tale? What if we question whether the Heavens and their angels were truly Joan's only source of strength and power? What if we demand a different narrative? This revisionist biography unearths the secular and verifiable basis for Joan's heroic exploits: Yolande of Aragon, a forgotten mentor. This is a story of not one life, but two; two lives that together were intertwined in the restoration of France's greatness.

The Lady Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316524034
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (165 download)

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Book Synopsis The Lady Queen by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book The Lady Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2018-09-01 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The riveting history of a beautiful queen, a shocking murder, a papal trial -- and a reign as triumphant as any in the Middle Ages. On March 15, 1348, twenty-two-year-old Joanna I, Queen of Naples, stood trial for the murder of her husband before the Pope and his court in Avignon. Determined to defend herself, Joanna won her acquittal against overwhelming odds. Victorious, she returned to Naples and ruled over one of Europe's most prestigious courts for the next three decades -- until she herself was killed. Courageous and determined, Joanna was the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own name. She was widely admired: dedicated to the welfare of her subjects, she reduced crime, built hospitals and churches, and encouraged the licensing of female physicians. A procession of the most important artists and writers of the time frequented her glittering court. But she never quite escaped the stain of her husband's death, and the turmoil of the times surrounded her -- war, plague, and treachery would ultimately be her undoing. With skill, passion, and impeccable research and detail, Nancy Goldstone brings to life one of history's most remarkable women. The Lady Queen is a captivating portrait of medieval royalty in all its incandescent complexity.

Maid of Secrets

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1442441380
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (424 download)

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Book Synopsis Maid of Secrets by : Jennifer McGowan

Download or read book Maid of Secrets written by Jennifer McGowan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1559 England, Meg, an orphaned thief, is pressed into service and trained as a member of the Maids of Honor, Queen Elizabeth I's secret all-female guard. But her loyalty is tested when she falls in love with a Spanish courtier who may be a threat.

The Maid of the White Hands

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Author :
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0307422143
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid of the White Hands by : Rosalind Miles

Download or read book The Maid of the White Hands written by Rosalind Miles and published by Crown. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Isolde's day has come. In Ireland, her mother, the Queen, lies dying. The throne of the Emerald Isle, one of the last strongholds of the goddess, awaits her. But while Ireland is her destiny, Isolde is already Queen of Cornwall, trapped in a loveless marriage to its mean-spirited King Mark. Her true love is his nephew, Tristan of Lyonesse, who has never married, remaining faithful only to Isolde. Across the sea in France, a young princess who shares Isolde's name enters the story. King Hoel named his daughtor in honor of Isolde of Ireland, and young Isolde of France has always been determined to outdo her beautiful namesake. She is a physician, too, and is called "Blanche Mains," for her white hands and healing touch. Blanche is of an age to be married, and she has chosen her husband—Tristan of Lyonesse. Her father objects, but fate favors Blanche. King Mark has become suspicious of his wife and nephew, and when Tristan is wounded in battle, he sees a chance to separate them for good. Mark sends Tristan to France to be healed by Blanche, who makes the most of the opportunity. Tristan's letters to Isolde are intercepted, and he is told that she has given him up. Near death from his wounds, Tristan sends one last, desparate letter to Isolde by a trusted servant. He is dying, he tells her, and asks for one final sign of their love. If she can forgive him for betraying her, she must come to France in a ship set with white sails. If the ship's sails are black, however, he will know that she no longer loves him. Isolde immediately leaves for France, but when Blanche sees the white-sailed ship from the castle window, she pulls the curtains and tells Tristan that the sails are black. To her horror, he turns his face to the wall and dies. There ends the traditional medieval story of Tristan and Isolde—with betrayal, death, and grief. But the original Irish lengend ends differently, and so does this book, wth magic and drama as only Rosalind Miles could write it.

The Maid, the Witch, and the Cruel Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Capstone
ISBN 13 : 9781404812994
Total Pages : 74 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid, the Witch, and the Cruel Queen by : Terry Deary

Download or read book The Maid, the Witch, and the Cruel Queen written by Terry Deary and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2006 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A poor serving girl conspires to save an innocent woman that Lord Scuggate is planning to burn as a witch in order to impress the queen.

The Maid

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Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1408821869
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (88 download)

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Book Synopsis The Maid by : Kimberly Cutter

Download or read book The Maid written by Kimberly Cutter and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-03-29 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The girl who led an army. The peasant who crowned a king. The maid who became a legend.

The Queen's Handmaid

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Author :
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
ISBN 13 : 1401686850
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis The Queen's Handmaid by : Tracy Higley

Download or read book The Queen's Handmaid written by Tracy Higley and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A jealous Egyptian queen. A lascivious Galilean governor. A beautiful servant girl. Theirs is a story of prophecy, self-discovery, and revelation. The year is 39 BC. All of Alexandria awaits the arrival of Herod, the Galilean governor with his eye on the Judean kingship. The handmaid of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, receives a troubling visit from her aging mentor. An orphan since birth, Lydia lives in the palace at the demand of Cleopatra and her royal child, the son of Julius Caesar. But Lydia has a growing problem on her hands: her beauty is becoming a liability to the aging queen, and the visiting Herod’s undisguised interest only makes matters worse. When Lydia’s mentor is murdered, the handmaid inherits a daunting task. An ancient set of sealed scrolls, the secret writings of the prophet Daniel, must be returned to Jerusalem—before those who killed her mentor destroy the scrolls as well. The future of the Israelites depends on it. So Lydia leaves the palace to serve as lady’s maid to Herod’s wife in the Holy City. As Lydia is absorbed into the machinations of Herod’s household, her mission— and her people’s hope of a Messianic King—are endangered at every turn. Can Lydia avoid the adulterous intentions of Herod? Can she deliver the scrolls to the mysterious man on the steps of the Temple? Will the true King of Israel ever rise? "Higley amazes us with another of her action-packed feats of storytelling." —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK! (on Palace of Darkness)

The Rival Queens

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Author :
Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316409677
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (164 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rival Queens by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book The Rival Queens written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2015-06-23 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The riveting true story of mother-and-daughter queens Catherine de' Medici and Marguerite de Valois, whose wildly divergent personalities and turbulent relationship changed the shape of their tempestuous and dangerous century. Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to destroy the realm. Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for thirty years. Her youngest daughter Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control. When Catherine forces the Catholic Marguerite to marry her Protestant cousin Henry of Navarre against her will, and then uses her opulent Parisian wedding as a means of luring his followers to their deaths, she creates not only savage conflict within France but also a potent rival within her own family. Rich in detail and vivid prose, Goldstone's narrative unfolds as a thrilling historical epic. Treacherous court politics, poisonings, inter-national espionage, and adultery form the background to a story that includes such celebrated figures as Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Nostradamus. The Rival Queens is a dangerous tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and the true nature of courage, the echoes of which still resonate.

Daughters of the Winter Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316387886
Total Pages : 496 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (163 download)

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Book Synopsis Daughters of the Winter Queen by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book Daughters of the Winter Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thrilling family saga of five unforgettable women who remade Europe From the great courts, glittering palaces, and war-ravaged battlefields of the seventeenth century comes the story of four spirited sisters and their glamorous mother, Elizabeth Stuart, granddaughter of the martyred Mary, Queen of Scots. Upon her father's ascension to the illustrious throne of England, Elizabeth Stuart was suddenly thrust from the poverty of unruly Scotland into the fairy-tale existence of a princess of great wealth and splendor. When she was married at sixteen to a German count far below her rank, it was with the understanding that her father would help her husband achieve the kingship of Bohemia. The terrible betrayal of this commitment would ruin "the Winter Queen," as Elizabeth would forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loved, and launch a war that would last for thirty years. Forced into exile, the Winter Queen and her family found refuge in Holland, where the glorious art and culture of the Dutch Golden Age indelibly shaped her daughters' lives. Her eldest, Princess Elizabeth, became a scholar who earned the respect and friendship of the philosopher René Descartes. Louisa was a gifted painter whose engaging manner and appealing looks provoked heartache and scandal. Beautiful Henrietta Maria would be the only sister to marry into royalty, although at great cost. But it was the youngest, Sophia, a heroine in the tradition of a Jane Austen novel, whose ready wit and good-natured common sense masked immense strength of character, who fulfilled the promise of her great-grandmother Mary and reshaped the British monarchy, a legacy that endures to this day. Brilliantly researched and captivatingly written, filled with danger, treachery, and adventure but also love, courage, and humor, Daughters of the Winter Queen follows the lives of five remarkable women who, by refusing to surrender to adversity, changed the course of history.

Maid of Wonder

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1481418289
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (814 download)

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Book Synopsis Maid of Wonder by : Jennifer McGowan

Download or read book Maid of Wonder written by Jennifer McGowan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sophia must master her psychic ability if she is to save the life of Queen Elizabeth and her fellow maids from a dark prophecy, in this third book in the Maids of Honor series. Sophia Dee, the most unusual spy in Queen Elizabeth’s Maids of Honor, has run out of time for her psychic skills to fully manifest. A terrible prophecy haunts Windsor Castle, and the Queen demands answers before the next doomed soul dies. Thrust into a dangerous competition to solve the deadly prediction, Sophia finds herself pitted against the most celebrated mystics of Europe: John Dee, her devious uncle and the Queen’s personal astrologer, and Nostradamus, the renowned prophet-seer of France. In a court where whispers of witchcraft, poisonous plots, and grim assassins threaten her at every turn, Sophia needs answers fast. But does she dare trust Marcus Quinn, her uncle’s striking assistant? Or should she turn to the tortured dark angel of the spirit realm, who whispers to her only of danger and death? As new dangers surface and the prophecy sweeps toward its final victim, the five Maids of Honor prepare to do battle. Only then will the girl who so often sees the future finally discover if she can save the Crown—and herself.

Queen on Wednesday

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0374374465
Total Pages : 45 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (743 download)

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Book Synopsis Queen on Wednesday by : Gabi Swiatkowska

Download or read book Queen on Wednesday written by Gabi Swiatkowska and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014-05-20 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Thelma is bored, she decides to become a queen but the responsibilities are so great that she soon has a royal headache.

Four Queens

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101202173
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Four Queens by : Nancy Goldstone

Download or read book Four Queens written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-04-19 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser, acclaimed author Nancy Goldstone’s thrilling history of the royal daughters who succeeded in ruling—and shaping—thirteenth-century Europe Set against the backdrop of the thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, troubadors, knights and monarchs, Four Queens is the story of four provocative sisters—Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence—who rose from near obscurity to become the most coveted and powerful women in Europe. Each sister in this extraordinary family was beautiful, cultured, and accomplished but what made these women so remarkable was that each became queen of a principal European power—France, England, Germany and Sicily. During their reigns, they exercised considerable political authority, raised armies, intervened diplomatically and helped redraw the map of Europe. Theirs is a drama of courage, sagacity and ambition that re-examines the concept of leadership in the Middle Ages.

Maid of Deception

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1442441437
Total Pages : 416 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (424 download)

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Book Synopsis Maid of Deception by : Jennifer McGowan

Download or read book Maid of Deception written by Jennifer McGowan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-08-26 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elizabethan glamour and intrigue abound in this heart-pounding Maids of Honor novel, which Kirkus Reviews called “a quick-paced romance” that will “thrill and engage readers with a penchant for history.” Beatrice Knowles is a Maid of Honor, one of Queen Elizabeth’s secret protectors, who has proven herself to be a valuable asset in the Queen’s court—or so she thinks. It has been three weeks since the Maids thwarted a plot to overthrow the Queen, and Beatrice is preparing to wed her betrothed, Lord Cavanaugh. However, her plans come to a crashing halt as rumors of a brewing Scottish rebellion spread among the court. Beatrice’s new assignment is to infiltrate the visiting Scottish delegation using her uncanny ability to manipulate hearts. The mission seems simple enough, until the Queen sets Beatrice up for failure by pairing her with the worst of the lot—Alasdair MacLeod. But Alasdair could be the key to unlocking the truth about the rebellion…and her heart. Caught in a web of ever-more-twisting lies, Beatrice must rise up among the Maids of Honor and prove what she’s known all along: in a court filled with deception and danger, love may be the deadliest weapon of all.

The Corpse Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1984816705
Total Pages : 417 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (848 download)

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Book Synopsis The Corpse Queen by : Heather M. Herrman

Download or read book The Corpse Queen written by Heather M. Herrman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Deliciously macabre and utterly decadent.” —Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper In this dark and twisty feminist historical mystery, a teenage girl starts a new life as a grave robber but quickly becomes entangled in a murderer's plans. Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as a maid for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share—for a price. Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.

The Shadow Queen

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Author :
Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 0385537530
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (855 download)

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Book Synopsis The Shadow Queen by : Sandra Gulland

Download or read book The Shadow Queen written by Sandra Gulland and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2014-04-08 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.