The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland

Claudette, a poor theater actress living in France in the 1600's, has a chance meeting with a rich, beautiful young woman who will change the course of her life forever. The woman is Athénaïs de Montespan, better known as the Madame de Montespan, who would go on to become the favorite mistress of Louis XIV, the Sun King. The two women are drawn to each other, and when Athénaïs asks Claudette to be her maid, she jumps at the chance. Claudette is drawn into a splendid court of mystery, intrigue, and politics in The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland.

The magnitude and depth of Gulland's research is the first thing that struck me as I read - I had no idea that I would learn so much about French theater in the Middle Ages by reading this book! But perhaps that is this novel's flaw - there is too much emphasis on the intricate workings of a theater in 1600's France, and not enough time at court until relatively late. For a novel with the Shadow Queen as the title character, the reader does not get to know her until halfway through when Claudette becomes her maid, which makes for an unbalanced narrative. However, the characters are fully realized, the historical details are top notch, and when Claudette finally joins the court, the book really picks up. Check this one out if you love the richly detailed historical fiction of Philippa Gregory or Alison Weir.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian