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First off, Karleen Koen is also the author of one of my favorite Historical Fiction trilogies:
Dark Angels (a prequel, I read the other two first...)
Through a Glass Darkly
Now Face to Face
So I was excited to find this gem, focusing back on Louis XIV, and covering only four months of his early reign, before moving to and changing forever that French residence, Versailles. A pretty quick read, and switching back and forth between the perspectives of Louise, a Ladies' maid to Madame, who is married to Louis' brother Phillip, and Louis himself, as well as the Viscount Nicolas who controls the finances of the court, this book dramatizes what life could have been like in 1661. Louise is the star here and while she is extremely innocent and mostly naive, the story of her relationship with Louis, with the court as a whole, and this long ago extravagant way of life is still pretty good escapism. I especially enjoyed the antics of Madame herself. Simple writing, a bit of intrigue and of course secrets, both new and long-held, keep the reader's interest. If historical fiction is your thing, this is a good stand alone. The author does much with a very short time frame, and imagines these real life characters' emotions, motivations, and a bit of growth for the King in fine detail. Good escapism!!!!
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