Category: 17th Century

Blog Book Tour | Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth a #fairytale re-telling of Rapunzel by #BrothersGrimm

Posted Thursday, 9 October, 2014 by jorielov A Thomas Donne Book, Bitter Greens, Illuminations: A novel of Hildegard von Bingen, Kate Forsyth, MacMillan Publishers, Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Publishing Group 3 Comments

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Published By: Minotaur Books (@MinotaurBooks), (a Thomas Donne book)
imprints of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, which is now a part of MacMillian Publishers
Official Author Websites: Site | Blog | @KateForsyth | Facebook

Available Formats: Hardback, Trade Paperback, & Ebook

Converse via: #BitterGreensBlogTour, #Rapunzel, #FairyTale, & #BitterGreens

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Bitter Greens” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I grew up inside the world of fairy-tales like most young children whose imagination is captured by the fantasy worlds a fairy-tale can generate and explode inside their minds and hearts. I did not always read the direct stories from literature, but opted instead for the motion picture versions and/or re-tellings of the same tale told from a different writer; as part of me always felt that the Brothers Grimm fairy-tales were for someone a bit older than I was at the time I had stumbled across them. I did, of course, read stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” or others that were in collection anthologies for children, but I never truly paid any mind or attention to who was writing them as I liked reading each of the short stories in succession of each other. I do know I appreciated Hans Christian Anderson as a child, but I am not sure which of his were my ultimate favourite either; I will have to re-explore his works at some point down the road.

Even if I heard the stories told aloud by family members or watched an adaptation on the screen, the entire world always fit quite happily inside my mind’s eye, as I liked the lessons stitched into the fabric of the stories themselves. I always liked seeing how the characters worked themselves out of situations and found true strength in the midst of difficulty. The fact there were more happy endings than there were unresolved cliffhangers was a big draw as well, as despite the obstacles that arose, it was quite wicked to find they could live peacefully in the end.

One of my favourite adaptations is “Ever After” on behalf of “Cinderella”, although there are a few other adaptations I appreciate as well. I am not remembering which versions of Rapunzel I am familiar with but when I first learnt of this novel, I was attracted to the deeply wrought story as an underlay to the main thread of context for the well-known fairy-tale. I do remember I used to tell different variants of the story whilst I was in elementary school, as it was a bit of a game we used to play at lunch. We were either re-inventing different outcomes for Rapunzel or Rumpelstiltskin; when we weren’t fondly trying to trip each other up remembering our US Presidents with their various nicknames to help clue us to which one was which. Elementary school games were filled with fond memories as it was one of the few times my classmates and I truly came together as one for the pure joy of ‘sharing’ and being full of ‘laughter’.

I did get a kick out of watching “Tangled” which I realise now was a Rapunzel variant of the story, but then again I grew up on Disney animated films; I tend to keep my eye on the releases that remind me of my childhood.

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love.

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens…

After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

Genres: Fairy-Tale Re-Telling, Historical Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Also by this author:

Published by A Thomas Donne Book

on 23rd September, 2014 (in the United States)

Pages: 496

Author Biography:

Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and is now the internationally bestselling & award-winning author of thirty books, ranging from picture books to poetry to novels for both adults and children. She was recently voted one of Australia’s Favourite 20 Novelists, and has been called ‘one of the finest writers of this generation. She is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers, and has told stories to both children and adults all over the world.

Her most recent book for adults is a historical novel called ‘The Wild Girl’, which tells the true, untold love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild, the young woman who told him many of the world’s most famous fairy tales. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, ‘The Wild Girl’ is a story of love, war, heartbreak, and the redemptive power of storytelling, and was named the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013.

She is probably most famous for ‘Bitter Greens’, a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale interwoven with the dramatic life story of the woman who first told the tale, the 17th century French writer, Charlotte-Rose de la Force. ‘Bitter Greens’ has been called ‘the best fairy tale retelling since Angela Carter’, and has been nominated for a Norma K. Hemming Award, the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Fiction, and a Ditmar Award.

Her most recent book for children is ‘Grumpy Grandpa’, a charming picture book that shows people are not always what they seem.

Since ‘The Witches of Eileanan’ was named a Best First Novel of 1998 by Locus Magazine, Kate has won or been nominated for numerous awards, including a CYBIL Award in the US. She’s also the only author to win five Aurealis awards in a single year, for her Chain of Charms series – beginning with ‘The Gypsy Crown’ – which tells of the adventures of two Romany children in the time of the English Civil War. Book 5 of the series, ‘The Lightning Bolt’, was also a CBCA Notable Book.

Kate’s books have been published in 14 countries around the world, including the UK, the US, Russia, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Poland and Slovenia. She is currently undertaking a doctorate in fairytale retellings at the University of Technology, having already completed a BA in Literature and a MA in Creative Writing.

Kate is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia, ‘A Mother’s Offering to her Children’. She lives by the sea in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, three children, and many thousands of books.

On reading a re-telling ahead of an original canon:

I clearly have stepped outside my own preferences in reading this past year, as previously I would attempt to read an original canon version of a story prior to picking up a re-telling of the same story. I have found that due to different reasons time doesn’t always allow the luxury of going back to the canon, but rather only allows me to read the book at hand. On the other side of the coin, there have been a few times where I felt not reading the original work might befit me moreso than if I had, such as the case with Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale and my forthcoming review of The Monogram Murders (Hercules Poirot). As this particular story is a Brothers Grimm, I was more akin to yearning to read a re-telling than perhaps the original, as I always felt the Grimm brothers wrote stories a bit more intense than I might be drawn to read on a regular basis. At the heart of their stories, I was always wholly entranced but to the actually reading of them? I was always a bit on the fence of where I fit with my inclinations. Realising I had known enough about Rapunzel to insert myself into the flow of the novel, is why I settled myself into the pace Forsyth was generating from the opening of the story and onward. I would be curious if other readers make the same choices I do, or if they have a preference for reading canons prior to after canons; it is such a curious situation to have and I find myself yielding a bit when it comes to where my preferences lie on the issue.

My Review of Bitter Greens:

The Abbey into which Charlotte-Rose de la Force enters has such a strict rule base to follow, that I was curious how she could abide by a quarter of their order’s restrictions when she was entering the convent a free-spirit of the 17th Century. The rules of her day were quite forthright as she was simply another woman cast into an Abbey at the voice of the King, as she was no longer useful nor wanted at Court. The harshness of the sentence was in the fact that most of the women who were forced into this life did not go willingly but rather begrudgingly yet they had little recourse to pursue a different course. In many ways, at the beginning of this novel I started to think back on my reading of Illuminations as the circumstances of being cast into a particular closed off from society insular world was highly familiar. On this level, Bitter Greens is a historical fiction arc of a story set against the back-drop of a biographical fiction narrative, as we are learning about the story of Rapunzel through the writer who gave birth to the idea that has staid with us for generations.

The ache of Mademoiselle’s heart clenched into a tight knot as her new cloister environment did not permit her to continue her writings or her stories from being spilt out of her quill. I was tucked up in curiosity at this revelation to sort out how her story of Rapunzel would come to flourish inside such a stark and dank place where the creative arts were discouraged. It was a bit striking to me that they did not want their sisters to take up a hobby or have a personal vice to keep their own sanity amongst the duties they would endure – so many hours would stack against the clock, and to have a bit of a reprieve in my mind would have settled the heart to endurance.

One particular part of the story I was rather keen on involves beekeeping and the wisdom of knowledge the apothecarist at the convent shares with Charlotte-Rose during a measure of repentance she owes for stepping out of line. Sister Seraphina keeps not only a full garden for her sisters but an active hive, where she cares for her bees with both love and reverence for their culture. I have always appreciated learning more about bees as their struggle to survive is always so very perilous of a plight. Inserting this thread of Sister Seraphina was most delightful, as it spoke to how some of the sisters carved out a bit of peace for themselves even within the walls of a ruled life of order. This was a turning point for me in the story, as I started to feel attached to both characters as warmly as I have felt towards Hildegard.

The origins of Rapunzel are presented as a symphony of a lived life from an era prior to Charlotte-Rose’s own, as told to her by Sister Seraphina whilst they toiled in the garden. What I found so incredible about this bit of traction of where the inspiration for the story of Rapunzel was spun from is how ironic it was for Charlotte-Rose to find herself putting roots into her time at the abbey. She was as indifferent to the life of service as Hildegard (there are a lot of cross-references for me in my mind between both stories!), irked beyond her ire to make peace with her situation, and yet had a bit of a warming glow towards acknowledging that there could be a way towards happiness despite her emotions as a small flicking candle lighting the flame. Her solace was always hinged to stories and the craft of telling stories in a voice that carried the mirth of joy of having them being told. She wandered off into her mind as soon as a measure of shadow and ill will would work itself into her path or affect those she knew around her. The stories were a freedom from reality to help her mind heal from what it did not want to acknowledge as being real as much as to calm her nerves from feeling overwhelmed by something she witnessed or heard. The infusion of how she worked her words into her own creative voice for stories is an outlet of her truest strength. Seeing how this originated and how it percolated at the abbey was the kind of insight that we do not always perceive on behalf of writers of fairy-tales and mythologies. I am not sure how much was based on actual knowledge and how much was creatively inspired, but the notion of where it all stemmed from was beyond fascinating to read in Bitter Greens!

Charlotte-Rose has been given the rarest of gifts: the chance to thread her memories through the spindle of her mind and takeaway insight into how she became the woman she is and how the choices she made affected her future. The tome of wonder you will find within this novel is only one part of the whole of Charlotte-Rose’s life and an expedition of a theory of how she came to fulfill her destiny as a spinning of stories and telling tales full of incredible wisdom. There is a particular surprise for all of us who have travelled down the rabbit hole with Kate Forsyth seeking Rapunzel and finding someone unexpectedly present instead. I felt like smirking when I realised the beauty of Forsyth’s choice and the level of eloquence she stitched into this story overall. I was quite struck by the realisation that from the moment I first opened Bitter Greens to the moment I closed the ARC, I was taken completely unawares and most delighted by the experience!

On the writing style of Kate Forsyth:

Somehow I had forgotten that the novel The Wild Girl was the first novel I had come across by Kate Forsyth at my local library – a book I had checked out a few times yet had not had the honour of reading in full. Forsyth puts dual empathsis on the story of Charlotte-Rose and of Margherita (the inspiration behind Rapunzel) throughout Bitter Greens; owning to each vein of the narrative when writing from one fusion of the story to the other. I found myself drawn closer into the plight of Charlotte-Rose during this reading as I think for me, I found a connection in her that I had discovered whilst reading Hildegard (from Illuminations), and thereby my mind simply alighted onto her path a bit more than Margherita’s at this time. I will have to see after I have the pleasure of reading the Brothers Grimm tale of Rapunzel if I feel more attachment to the passages involving Margherita.

The breadth of her vision for this re-telling is quite impressive, as she didn’t just present a new way of seeing Rupunzel but rather to bridge the gap between the fairy-tale, the reality of two women who truly lived, and the way in which the story has evolved through each generation who fell in sync with it’s telling. She has given us a hearty adaptation whose layers curate in your mind and encourage the reader to take a second reading to fully absolve through the multi-dimensional story in full earnest. I know I will be seeing how my impression of the duality shifts and evolves, but for a first reading I was properly enchanted and spellbound. This is a gutting story-line of perseverance and fortitude whilst dealing with tribulations that no one would soon want to find themselves in the midst of personally.

I do highly recommend that readers might consider reading Illuminations before they read Bitter Greens, as there are instances of overlap between situations found within both stories; for me personally, some of those instances were better understood because I had read Illuminations last year.

Bitter Greens Book Trailer via Kate Forsyth

Inspired to Share: The placards and music presented in this impressive book trailer elude to the passages that will be found within the pages of “Bitter Greens”; as this is not your ordinary fairy-tale nor is it a re-telling that you’re expecting to find; the layers of story and of time itself through different eras and recollective memories is what helps enchant you as you read; but it is the sheer vision of Forsyth to spin the tale as only she could give it life that stays with you. Consider this trailer a bit of a ‘teaser’ of what the novel will yield!

The Virtual Road Map for “Bitter Greens” can be found here:

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

I will be hosting an Author Interview
with Kate Foryth on this blog tour as well.

on my Bookish Events page!

This blog tour is also highlighting the:

A society that I hope to one day join myself as I love their content & focus on Historical Fiction. I appreciate being able to use their badge in my blog’s sidebar to promote awareness of their efforts to spotlight emerging talent inside the genre & for providing amazing ways to become integrated into the mission of supporting today’s historical authors who write such convicting narratives and stories. For the moment I support from afar but I always love alighting on their site and seeing what is new & forthcoming. They even host live events & get togethers!

I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!

{SOURCES: Cover art of “Bitter Greens”, book synopsis, author photograph of Kate Forsyth, author biography, and the tour host badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. The book trailer for “Bitter Greens” via Kate Forsyth had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Historical Novel Society badge was used with permission; as book bloggers are encouraged to promote the Society on their blogs.}

The ‘live reading’ tweets I shared as I read & reviewed “Bitter Greens”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

#amreading & #amblogging my thoughts on a #fairytale re-telling of #Rapunzel by Kate Forsyth! A #histfic set in the 17th Century #Versailles

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

#amreading & #amblogging my #review for #BitterGreens on the #BitterGreensBlogTour! :) A #Rapunzel historical fiction adaptation by Forsyth!
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

.@HFVBT My #bookreview for #BitterGreens arrives on #BitterGreensBlogTour http://t.co/mILzfGO0ax by @KateForsyth An unexpected re-telling :)

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

.@KateForsyth unique & sophisticated #fairytale re-telling #Rapunzel spun by a master story-teller who knits #histfic http://t.co/mILzfGO0ax
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

.@histnovsoc Lovely s/o of gratitude on behalf of #Historical #Novel Society; #book review of #BitterGreens http://t.co/mILzfGO0ax #histfic

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

Comments on Twitter:

@JLovesAStory Ooo! I’ve been eyeing this. Off to read your review. :)
— Rissi (@scriptsandsuch) October 9, 2014

@KateForsyth I positively *loved!* #BitterGreens & your style of story-telling! :) Such a beautiful treat for the eyes & imagination! Thanks

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) October 9, 2014

@JLovesAStory @KateForsyth This was one of my fav reads of the year! FAB! I can’t wait to read her other books!
— The Lit Bitch (@thelitbitch) October 9, 2014

@JLovesAStory @KateForsyth I picked up The Witches of Eileanan to read after I finished this one. Great writing style! :)

— The Lit Bitch (@thelitbitch) October 9, 2014

Posted Thursday, 9 October, 2014 by jorielov in 17th Century, Apiculture, Apothecary, ARC | Galley Copy, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Catholicism, Charlotte-Rose de la Force, Domestic Violence, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Honeybees, Nun, Religious Orders, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Widows & Widowers

+Blog Book Tour+ The Duel for Consuelo by Claudia H. Long

Posted Monday, 1 September, 2014 by jorielov BookTrope Editions, Claudia H. Long, The Castillo Family series, The Duel for Consuelo 3 Comments

The Duel for Consuelo by Claudia Long

Published By: BookTrope (@booktrope)
Official Author Websites: Site | Blog | @clongnovels | Facebook
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #DuelForConsueloBlogTour & #TheDuelForConsuelo

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Duel for Consuelo” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Claudia H. Long, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

The Duel for Consuelo
by Claudia H. Long
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

History, love, and faith combine in a gripping novel set in early 1700’s Mexico. In this second passionate and thrilling story of the Castillo family, the daughter of a secret Jew is caught between love and the burdens of a despised and threatened religion. The Enlightenment is making slow in-roads, but Consuelo’s world is still under the dark cloud of the Inquisition. Forced to choose between protecting her ailing mother and the love of dashing Juan Carlos Castillo, Consuelo’s personal dilemma reflects the conflicts of history as they unfold in 1711 Mexico.

A rich, romantic story illuminating the timeless complexities of family, faith, and love.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Places to find the book:

Series: The Castillo Family, No. 2

Also in this series: Invincible

Published by Booktrope Editions

on 2nd of June, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 231

Author Biography:

Claudia Long is a highly caffeinated, terminally optimistic married lady living in Northern California. She writes about early 1700’s Mexico and modern day and roaring 20′s California. Claudia practices law as a mediator for employment disputes and business collapses, has two formerly rambunctious–now grown kids, and owns four dogs and a cat. Her first mainstream novel was Josefina’s Sin, published by Simon & Schuster in 2011. Her second one, The Harlot’s Pen, was published with Devine Destinies in February 2014. Claudia grew up in Mexico City and New York, and she now lives in California.

The breadth of history knitted into the text:

I will admit, part of the reason I was drawn into reading this novel, is because although I have travelled to Mexico in my youth, I haven’t had the proper chance to seek out Mexican stories in fiction since the days I spent climbing pyramids and enjoying the local cuisine. I always appreciate stories whose characters are not only culturally diverse but religiously diverse as well – we live in such a beautiful melting pot of a world, that through literature we can all enlarge our compassion and empathy for others simply by picking up books whose characters have strong historically enriched backgrounds and are set during times in the world’s history that may or may not be highlighted in schools. I will admit, very little was covered about the Mexican history concurrent to the Americas time-line, outside of the more well-known events that are briefly covered. I was always a bit curious about our neighbour to the South, wondering about their own historical stories and the growth they had endured as their country grew through the centuries. I thankfully have started to make a bit of headway on my quest to seek out literature of Mexico and South America, as I previously read City of Promises.

I made an exception to read this novel out of sequence from its series, as when I read the full descriptions of the previous novel and cross-compared it with this novel, I felt this second novel was a better fit for me overall. I liked how the story was centered around a tumultuous slice of history with the family’s struggle for balance in a world that is fighting against their very will to find a measure of normalcy.

My Review of The Duel for Consuelo:

As soon as I opened the pages of The Duel for Consuelo, I was greeted by a passionate story-teller who wanted to not only impart the history of the time the story is set but to curate a connective thread to the family within the story itself. In the Prologue, there is a full sense of urgency to gain freedom on distant shores where both time and distance can help restore a blight on a family’s heritage moreso than staying where they have always lived. In this story, there appeared to be an issue of religious heritage that was giving the family a bit of grief, but as the next generation moved forward with their own life lived in the Americas, a sense of compassionate forgiveness was evident as was the hope for a new day for a family I had just barely begun to become acquainted with as the clock moved forward a century.

Yet, as I am settling into the story, the voice of Rosa’s granddaughter comes out quite strong as the narrative vehicle for which this story revolves; through her eyes it is evident that compassion and acceptance is still quite far away from being given. Through her maternal line of origin there is a history of Judaism, a reverence for Jewish culture and faith which is not aligning well for her family during the Spanish Inquisition. Her father comes across rather bearish as his ideal capitalistic pursuits are less shallow than his vain attempts to clarify his role in the community. Consuelo herself feels pulled through this duality of purpose – to be the daughter her father can be proud of and the caregiver of her mother, whose health is not as well as it had been in previous years. She is tied to the home, yet her dreams carry her outside the walls as she goes about her daily routines.

The most sinister moment was when it was revealed that despite her father’s efforts to quiet a blackmailer, his efforts were found out and his family was thus unprotected by the wrath of justice that would follow if he did not find a way to amend for his actions. This was a curious sideline of the opening structure of the story, as he barely agreed to the blackmail on one breath and he was found in the wrong on the next. I had almost felt that this might have carried forward as a dark secret for the duration of the story, but instead, it flickered and died.

Consuelo’s own gift was in her nurturing attentiveness to those who were ill and her maternal instincts to care for those who needed assistance. Although, I gathered she would have preferred to do more in her life than care for her mother, it was in so doing that she learnt her greatest gift was in the understanding of apothecarist healing practices and the strength of herbs. Her life was overshadowed by the forbearing presence of her father, a man who ruled his roost with a strong hand, and yet, never gave much consequence to his daughter or wife. He was much more interested in keeping up the appearance of who they were rather than being honest inside his relationships and business affairs. How she found the strength to rise above each adverse and brutal moment of shocking distrust is a credit to her confidence in herself. She was not dealt an easy life nor one that aligned with how she believed her life would fall together – in life as in love, she was betrayed and it was through anguish she started to rise again.

Her father’s inability to forestall the Inquisition’s ransom and blackmail demands (although earlier I felt they were relieved of) played a larger part of the trials in which Consuelo found herself in the middle of succumbing. Her life was not necessarily her own, and her choices although valid in their own right, rarely had the light to shine on their own accord. The most distraught part of the story is watching Consuelo attempt to right her stars only be dragged by through the mud carved out of her father’s transactions and misdirections of attempting to escape a worser fate. She was used as though she were a pawn, and despite that, she always had the hope for a future she could no longer envision probable. The acidity of rumours and insinuated falsehoods plagued her from the very start, as where truth and lies forged together as though welded in steel, it is within this nest of vipers Consuelo truly had to find a sword stronger than her entangled woes.

On the writing style of Claudia H. Long:

Long tells the story from different points of view which lately I am appreciating being given the opportunity to read with such frequency; as I originally only occasionally had come across this style of the craft. Each sequence is broken down into each of the character’s mindfulness of the events or the daily trials as they arise. As you shift through their connective chapters, you draw out more insight into how the family structure is maintained and who has the keener knowledge of what is actually going on. The ailing mother for instance is given reflective chapters where you are reading her internal thoughts rather than her spoken words in the moment. This is a bridge to understand and accept her husband and daughter, as she is revealing a bit of the unspoken truths that the other two leave amiss.

Long has infused her historical novel with such a breadth of history, you cannot help but acknowledge the dedication she had to researching this part of Mexico’s 17th and 18th Century past. She stitches into the everyday dialogue bits and bobbles of Spanish as well, and as I always lament, I appreciate when a native tongue can be included as it helps to strengthen the picture we have in our mind of the characters whose heritage is not only important to their identity but helps visualise who they are as they live inside the story.

The story is truly emotionally gutting in its intensity throughout the narrative arc, as the story is rooted in the historical knowledge of the time in which the events unfold. The brutal injustice and the prejudicial judgments of those who did not understand a different in faith and belief is quite shocking to read; even if the knowledge of the era is already known. The hardest part for me, was shifting through the more difficult passages to entreat back into the light and to see where Consuelo found her resolve and the strength to carry-on. I credit this to Long who gave her readers resolution even with the realisation that many might not have found the same in real life.

Blog Book Tour Stop,

courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Virtual Road Map of “The Duel for Consuelo” Blog Tour found here:

see what I will be hosting next for

and mark your calendars!

{SOURCES: Cover art of “The Duel for Consuelo”, author photograph, book synopsis and the tour badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Go Indie

Posted Monday, 1 September, 2014 by jorielov in 17th Century, 18th Century, Apothecary, Blog Tour Host, Christianity, Civil Rights, Cultural & Religious Traditions, Cultural Heritage, Domestic Violence, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Father-Daughter Relationships, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Geographically Specific, Good vs. Evil, Herbalist, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Judaism in Fiction, Light vs Dark, Medical Fiction, Mental Illness, Mexico, Psychological Abuse, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, World Religions

+Blog Book Tour+ East India by Colin Falconer

Posted Friday, 15 August, 2014 by jorielov Colin Falconer, Cool Gus Publishing, East India 2 Comments

East India by Colin Falconer

Author Connections: Facebook | Blog

Converse on Twitter: #EastIndiaBlogTour
OR Tweet @Colin_Falconer

Published by: Cool Gus Publishing (@CoolGusPub), 8 July, 2014 | Page Count: 314
Available Format: Paperback | E-book

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a stop on “East India” Virtual Book Tour, hosted by HFVBT, in which I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Cool Gus Publishing in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Reason I felt compelled to Read:

I previously read: Isabella: Braveheart of France whilst it was on tour with HFVBTs, however I did not make a strong connection to the narrative voice nor the content therein. I always give authors the benefit of the doubt when I first pick up a novel by them where I felt disconnected; as it could simply be that that one particular story-line was not one I could soak into. This is why I always keep my mind open to re-examining a novel by an author I previously did not connect with directly and/or felt that perhaps either the style of their story-telling might not have been the best fit for me as well. We’re all individual readers, and our approach into stories is as varied as the seven seas, but when I read the premise of this particular selection, I found at the heart of East India were two classic story-telling elements that I instantly can connect with: high seas epics intermixed with adventure! I previously adored Close to the Wind by Zana Bell and The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden, hence why I felt perhaps with this vein of narrative, I might find a connection with Colin Falconer’s style of historical fiction.

Book Synopsis:

In any other circumstance but shipwreck, rape and murder, a man like Michiel van Texel would never have met a fine lady such as Cornelia Noorstrandt.

He was just a soldier, a sergeant in the Dutch East India company’s army, on his way from Amsterdam to the Indies to fight the Mataram. Such a woman was far above the likes of him.

But both their destinies intertwine far away from Holland, on some god-forsaken islands near the Great Southland. When their great ship, the Utrecht, founders far from home, surviving the Houtman Rocks is the least of their worries.

As they battle to survive and the bravest and the best reveal themselves for what they are, Cornelia’s only hope is a mercenary in a torn coat who shows her that a man is more than just manners and money.

He makes her one promise: ‘Even if God forsakes you, I will find you.’

But can he keep it?

Described by one critic as ‘Jack and Rose in the seventeenth century’, East India will keep you wondering until the final page.

Author Biography:

Born in London, Colin first trialed as a professional football player in England, and was eventually brought to Australia. He went to Sydney and worked in TV and radio and freelanced for many of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines. He has published over twenty novels and his work has so far been translated into 23 languages.

He travels regularly to research his novels and his quest for authenticity has led him to run with the bulls in Pamplona, pursue tornadoes across Oklahoma and black witches across Mexico, go cage shark diving in South Africa and get tear gassed in a riot in La Paz.

His most recent novels are Silk Road, set in the 13th century, and Stigmata, set against the backdrop of the Albigensian Crusade in Southern France in 1209. He currently lives in Barcelona.

For more information please visit Colin Falconer’s blog . You can also find him on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

A high seas epic adventure:

Falconer presents the cast of his story well as when you first open the pages of East India, you are brought full circle and center into each of the different character’s lives you are going to become fully acquainted with by the end of the story. What I appreciated was having a modern spin of focus at the opening, where you learn of how some of the main characters befell in death rather than in life; as the opening sequence is a forensic archaeological dig site, uncovering the skeletal remains of one of the key blokes of the story itself. I have a penchant for murder mysteries, and this non-traditional opening gave me a bit of insight as to the full scope of where the novel might take me over its course of being told. I liked how he kept the details simple yet telling in their depth of what was being revealed on the dig site itself. It left a curious taste of suspense, as to whether or not this story had more to share than first realised.

He paints the picture quite grim, as the conditions of tall ships and sailing great distances during centuries past is a well-documented living hell for those who dared to live and die by the sea. The rations of food being dispensed before land is seen again and the living squalor of having to deal with unsanitary refuse of living in tight quarters without ventilation and proper means of disposing of waste. Within this space of his narrative, he breathes a bit of light into how not all the men on the ship are hardened by their life’s work nor are they blind to how to best treat the gentler few who travel amongst them. The only bit that I denoted might have been a bit obvious was giving the captain a garnishing of brutish vile attributes, as that felt a bit cliche to me, but aside from that, I was caught up in the life above and below deck.

My Review of East India:

What stood out to me about East India is the energy Falconer stitched into the story, as he starts the novel off on a high note of intrigue, where a divide of class are brought together for the intention of leaving Holland in order to reach the Far East. A motley mix of everyday citizens, soldiers, and crew for the ship itself by which they are sailing are compelled to learn to live with one another for a sailing that will last nearly six months to reach their final destination. Each of them facing conditions that are riddled with strife for anyone taking to the high seas during that period of sea travel, as it was not the best of conditions aboard ship with the volatile seas churning against the ship itself provided the most arduous adaption for a person’s constitution, but it was also in how for a swallowing of time your entire world is confined to quarters and a few merciful glimpses of the deck.

I personally liked the interaction between Cornelia and two of the serving members of the crew, one is a soldier named Michiel van Texel and one is a Commander Ambrose Secor. Her fortitude of spirit to reach her husband currently settled in the East Indies enables her forward to transition through her own personal fears of leaving behind her country and the only life she knew whilst she was there. I like how her character is honestly written, including how she breaks her society’s etiquette by forging a bond with the two men as a way to not only give her hours a bit of worth, but to give her spirit a sense of connection outside the blight of her present circumstances.

Unfortunately for me, before I even went half-way into the novel I found myself in a bit of a quandary, as the vulgar aspects of the text were turning my mind against the story rather than merely showing a gruffness of the characters who live and die by their honour living on the sea. It was harder to shake off the choices Falconer was making to convey the darker pieces of the character’s souls against the thread of the story which interested me the most: the interactions Cornelia was having with Commander Secor and Texel. I decided for myself personally, I could not finish this novel as I simply did not want to even consider what might come next in the dialogue or narrative sequences. I think the writings of Colin Falconer are better suited to a reader who does not mind a rough approach to telling a story and for inclusion of passages that are more starkly raw in their contentions of narrative thought. I, personally appreciate an approach similar to the stories I mentioned earlier as to being of my liking.

On the writing style of Colin Falconer:

I’ve read two stories by this author now, and although the first disappointed me, this one held my attention to a certain point. His personal style of creating short chapters and cunning narrative within the short space of where each chapter begins and ends works for this particular story, as he is giving you just enough knowledge of where the characters are and where they need to be next to satisfy the curiosity you have as you read. I did not notice this to be jolting as I had originally with Isabella, as I rather noticed instead that the pace for me felt more tangible and true in East India. Except to say, in the end, I did feel disappointed as the momentum I felt when I began the novel ended up being dissolved by turns of phrase and descriptive choices that simply did not sit well with me visually.

Fly in the Ointment:

I did add the tag for Vulgarity in Literature, but blessedly, the occurrences are few and far between, although given the time and era of the novel, the brutish and disrespect for women aboard ship was par for course. However, the main reason I flagged this as a novel that twitched my brow a bit is the method of delivery and the insinuations that followed the stronger words of choice. There are various ways to approach language and supposition of where said language can take a reader whilst it is used to convey different emotions and actions per use. However, I do draw the straw a bit towards what I’m willing to read and what I am willing to accept. There are a few instances inside East India, where I felt a line was crossed or could have been better abated by a different choice of visual imagery.

Virtual Road Map for
“East India” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out my

to mark your calendars!!
As well as to see which events I will be hosting with:

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Book Synopsis, Author Biography, and Book Cover of “East India” were provided by HFVBT and were used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Go Indie

Posted Friday, 15 August, 2014 by jorielov in 17th Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Arranged Marriages in Royalty, Blog Tour Host, East India Company, Edward II, Fly in the Ointment, France, High Seas Epic, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Late Middle Ages (1300-1500)

Author Interview | Sitting down with historical fiction author, Sandra Gulland {The Shadow Queen, author}

Posted Wednesday, 30 April, 2014 by jorielov DoubleDay, Sandra Gulland, The Shadow Queen 6 Comments

{: Sandra Gulland is welcomed to Jorie Loves A Story :}

{: conversing about her creative inspiration

and writing process :}

Sandra Gulland is the author of the Josephine B. Trilogy, internationally best-selling novels about Josephine Bonaparte which have been published in over seventeen countries. Her forth novel, Mistress of the Sun , set in the 17th-century court of the Sun King, was also a bestseller and published internationally. Her most recent novel is The Shadow Queen, also set in the era of the Sun King, published in April of 2014 by HarperCollins in Canada and Doubleday in the U.S.

Gulland split her novel into separate acts as though we were attending a large production set to stage rather than walking through a portal leading to the court in 17th Century Paris! Her deft hand to illuminate the delicacy needed to make bold choices and daring a glimpse at the consequences, her story propels you forward into a world glinted by masquerade.The masks are both illusionary and tangibly real, as they belie the front of which the heart attempts to dis-sway.

The agility of theatre to be an elixir of reincarnated joy out of the sorrow acts of grief, and the metamorphosis of personality entertain the notion of not allowing our past to ever be a vindication of our future. The theatre heals the soul by igniting the spirit back into the caress of emotion and of humanity dignity. I found Claudette to be a woman who always tried to listen to her heart and to honour her family by standing by them at all costs. Her own life and dreams were put on hold in order to keep the balance. The position Athénaïs puts her in is not one that can be condoned because she was only thinking of her own selfish desires and not the welfare of her confidante. I applauded her small successes and moments of feeling truly free as herself, as she never could quite break out of the pattern her life had taken. The most happiness she always protected and yielded to were wrapped inside the cosy confines of family. As true freedom is always hinged to love and is set free on the wings of hope.

– quoted from my book review of The Shadow Queen

I am happy to welcome Ms. Gulland to my blog today, as I enjoyed reading her 17th Century historical fiction novel The Shadow Queen which not only introduced me to the theatre in the 1600s but gave me a strong impression about how the court and life outside court life is deeply disparaged. Gulland has a knack for writing a story which immerses you into the context of the story and gives the heart of the narrative wings to warm up to you as the characters take their queues from her as to best impart the story at hand. My pursuit of French Literature and stories set in France took me into a different part of French History in this novel and I was thankful for the opportunity to ask questions of the author!

Let me yield to the responses Ms. Gulland gave as I asked her my questions:

I had the true honour of attending your session of #LitChat on Wednesday, 23rd of April which coincidentally was the first anniversary of France Book Tours! I appreciated hearing that your an author who thrives on research as I am myself as part of the appeal to write for me was always digging below the surface whilst rooting out the hidden layers of where a story could take the reader. You mentioned that the hardest part of the three main components for you is the assemblage of readings, internet searches, travel destinations, and speaking to experts. How did you sort out the best way to compile the accumulated data without feeling as though you were snowed under?

Gulland responds: “Snowed under”: that’s often the state of affairs, Jorie! It’s good to sort the research into events and background information (re. character, daily lives). I begin with events, and look for points that correspond to a story arc. (I favour the plot beats outlined in Blake Synder’s Save the Cat for an initial analysis.) Once I have a story arc roughly outlined, I look at the characters, and give some thought to what roles they play in the story (villain? mentor? heroine? etc.)—and then go back to the outline. And then back to the research. And then back to the outline (which grows and grows in depth). In this way a draft of a novel begins to grow.

I loved how you responded to the question pitched to you about why you became a writer: reading was a passion and as books were companions, you wanted to create one yourself. I find that most of us have a long history as readers before we turnt to the pen to create our own incantations of thought. Do you remember the first moment you realised you were a writer? When everything started to click together and you felt, this is who I am?

Gulland responds: I didn’t so much realize I was a writer as decide to write a book. But the first time I felt like a real writer was when I made the decision to cut my favourite chapter from a draft of the novel I was writing at the time. (It happened to be the first in the Josephine B. Trilogy.) At that point, I felt I had graduated in some significant way.

You had also mentioned you were a painter who had teachers inspire you to write. Did you find it difficult to segue from one creative field to another professionally or were you able to maintain fine art as you pursued writing?

Gulland responds: I stopped drawing and painting decades ago, and I was never a professional, but I often think now of drawing and painting. I think I should take a course to get back into it. I think the combination of art and writing would be wonderful for the creative spirit.

Is there a timescape of the historical past which intrigues you personally but one you are trepiderious to explore as a writer?

Gulland responds: I would be challenged going into ancient Roman, Greek or Biblical times … but then, I love a challenge!

Theatre in the 17th Century is lit alive in such a different context as the 20th & 21st Centuries, yet are there similarities to process in which the actors brought their characters alive on the stage? Did the methodologies change or did the way in which they were produced and accepted in society change?

Gulland responds: This is a big subject, and there is a great deal that’s not known. The idea of “verisimilitude” emerged gradually. For a long time there where poses struck to indicate a particular emotion. Alix, Claudette’s mother, was known for her natural style—but how far did she take this? If only we knew!

You have an element of ‘masks’ threaded throughout “The Shadow Queen”, both figuratively and literally. Do you think people oft choose to hide behind an illusionary mask out of self-preservation or to find a bold degree of strength to achieve something they would not have the confidence to do as themselves?

Gulland responds: Masks were used primarily for a practical reason: to preserve the skin from the sun. But roles were so prescribed, the idea of stepping out of character, out of class, had a decided appeal, and a masked ball was a great opportunity to do just that. Of course, too, if one were, in fact, doing something illegal, one would wear a mask, as criminals do today. Some characters are masked without wearing masks: the Sun King, for example, was rarely simply himself. He was born and raised on the stage of court life.

What do you feel is harder to convey in historical fiction: an imagined character or a character based on a historical living person whose life has been documented to a certain degree?

Gulland responds: I find it harder to convey an imagined character. I like to have some clues to go by, and from that a character emerges.

Was there a sequence from “The Shadow Queen” you edited out of the final draft that you later felt you should have kept in or once you make a final edit you own the story as it is without regrets? I have oft wondered how writers feel about the end product after spending so much time with their characters?

Gulland responds: There was a thread in The Shadow Queen that I was never able to work into the novel, so it only exists in my mind. Remember Madame Babette? And the one-eyed dwarf carriage driver? I always wanted to end up together — ♥♥♥ — but I couldn’t figure out how to work it in. In my mind, they are together and living happily ever after, perhaps even living in his carriage.

What surprised you about Claudette that you had not realised you would discover about her as you wrote the story?

Gulland responds: I knew very little about Claudette going in (in large part because there is so very little known): I knew she was responsible, and that she had a strong personality. But that’s about it! Everything else evolved from those scant clues.

My heart warmed as you were relaying instances of where readers had touched you heart with their hand-written letters and most of the ones you were highlighting were coming from people who were afflicted by adversity. As much as you gave a glimpse in how your novels are encouraging those who read YA fiction to pick up a historical fiction novel rather than carry-on with their regular fair. To me this speaks highly of a writer being able to connect directly into the human condition and lit such a connection into the center heart of her characters. Did you study sociology or is this an aspect which naturally rooted itself into your stories as you explored each character in depth?

Gulland responds: I never studied sociology, but I think every novelist is naturally empathetic to the feelings and situations of others. “To talk in another’s shoes” is something we do automatically. It’s part of the job!

I am always encouraged by writers who appreciate Indie bookshoppes and libraries as a lot of readers are attending events at both venues. What was one memory of an event where your spirit felt lifted by the reception you received?

Gulland responds: There have been many wonderful Indie and library events over the years, but one recent one sponsored by Bryan Prince books in Hamilton, Ontario, and held at the beautiful Hamilton public library, was extra special. An entire book club I had Skyped with was there, several Twitter and Facebook friends, one, Margaret Cook, who had written a wonderful review of The Shadow Queen for her blog, Just One More Chapter. A Facebook friend was there, someone who I’d known virtually for years and who had been one of the volunteers to help proofread my ebooks I published in the UK under my own imprint, Sandra Gulland INK. It was amazing!

And, the day before that, the event at the Toronto Public Library in Toronto brought me to tears: a cousin I rarely see was there, as well as a friend I also rarely see and who I met over 35 years ago, and a member of my very first writer group. Plus wonderful Facebook and Twitter friends. It’s such a treat!

How did you originally settle on writing about the French? And, specifically what led you to Josephine? As I know “The Shadow Queen” is a bit of a departure to explore a new vein of narrative in shadows of your trilogy.

Gulland responds: I will try to answer this briefly. Quite by accident I became fascinated by the life of Josephine B. and that led me, decades later, to write about her. In researching Josephine B., I learned about Louise de la Vallière, which led me to write Mistress of the Sun. And in researching that book, I learned about Claudette!

Can you expand on your plans to ‘write another novel set in the Court of the Sun King, about the women in Molière’s life’ as you briefly mentioned in #LitChat?

Gulland responds: I think this might be a novelette, told from the point of view of the different women in his life: his life and business partner, her much younger “sister” who was then revealed to be her daughter—and who became Molière’s wife. In spite of the complexities of these relationships, everything was played out on the stage: fascinating! Possibly it might even be a YA, I don’t know!

{- Author Connections -}

Site | Twitter | Facebook | Pin(terest Boards | GoodReads
Converse via: #TheShadowQueen & #FranceBT

I’d like to thank Ms. Gulland for taking the time to answer my questions and for being able to be featured for a second time during her blog tour on Jorie Loves A Story! I was thankful I had the opportunity to participate in her appearance during #LitChat which is an interactive forum on Twitter, where writers can engage directly with readers by following the hashtag #LitChat for special author appearances on Wednesdays at 4pm EST. If you were to find @LitChat on Twitter, you would stay in the know for all future engagements and appearances! I have come to appreciate #LitChat for opening doors to hearty conversations and literary enlightening topics! I implore everyone to duck in when they are able too! I also hope that throughout this Interview you have enjoyed getting to know Ms. Gulland’s writing style and approach to writing novels a bit better!

Virtual Road Map for “The Shadow Queen” Blog Tour:

Please take note of the Related Articles as they were hand selected due to being of cross-reference importance in relation to this book review. This applies to each post on my blog where you see Related Articles underneath the post. Be sure to take a moment to acknowledge the further readings which are offered.

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

on my Bookish Events page!

Previously on the blog tour I reviewed The Shadow Queen!

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

{SOURCES: Cover art of “The Shadow Queen”, author photograph of Ms. Gulland, author biography, and the tour badges were all provided by France Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. France Book Tours badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Related Articles:

An Interview with Sandra Gulland, author of Mistress of the Sun – (blog.catherinedelors.com)

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland: Interview & Review – (writingren.blogspot.com)

Interview with Sandra Gulland – (wendyjdunn.com)

Interview – Sandra Gulland – (myfrenchlife.org)

Thank you, Josephine an Interview – (sandragulland.com)

Sandra Gulland’s Daring Experiment – (sandragulland.com)

Posted Wednesday, 30 April, 2014 by jorielov in #LitChat, 17th Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Claude de Vin des Oeillets, France, France Book Tours, French Literature, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Writers Life, Writing Style & Voice

+Blog Book Tour+ The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland

Posted Friday, 25 April, 2014 by jorielov DoubleDay, Sandra Gulland, The Shadow Queen 2 Comments

The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland

Published By: DoubleDay (@doubledaypub), 8 April, 2014
Official Author Websites: Site | Twitter | Facebook | Pin(terest Boards | GoodReads
Available Formats: Hardback & Ebook
Page Count: 336

Converse on Twitter: #TheShadowQueen & #FranceBT

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Shadow Queen” virtual book tour through France Book Tours. I received a complimentary ARC copy of the book direct from the publisher Doubleday, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

First Impression of the Novel:

What appeals to me about this novel is the intense study of history during a time in France I do know anything about! I love well researched historical fiction stories and this one, appears to be one that I will have trouble putting down!

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 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 blood-stained fields of the Franco-Dutch war, 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.

{: Author Biography :}

Getting to Know Author Sandra Gulland

via Simon & Schuster

A novel befit a bookish soul:

The little extra inclusions within the scope of a novel is what set my mind aflame with gratitude for the author who gave us such a lovely little extra glimpse into their creative process. This comes to the reader in all different ways and mannerisms, but inside The Shadow Queen there are the delights of finding a Dedication to Ms. Gulland’s father who inspired character quirks to nestle inside the cast of characters; a lovely disclosure of contents set to the tone and pitch of a play on the stage; and a Historical Note to elude to the greater circle of knowledge we ought to realise about 17th Century France on the expeditious hour of our arrival in the story. A bemuseful quotation taunts us with a fevering of expectation of where we might be led.

In the back of the novel, one discovers An Author’s Note of which I hesitated to read ahead of the story and thus kept my curiosity at bay ever justly muted; a Glossary of Terminology & an index blueprint of currencies. A full list of the Cast of Characters replete with a biographical sketch on each of their behalf (I had to wink a smile seeing this section!) turnt out the Appendixes as my copy is a bound galley remiss of the Author’s Acknowledgement Notes and Author Biography.

And, here is what I happily discovered after the story absorbed into my mind’s eye and found a cosy place to occupy my wonton thoughts on its behalf. Each time young Gaston is portrayed, I could not help but notice he was either Down Syndrome or had a variation of autism. By all counts, Gaston teaches humility, pure joy, and an appreciation for kindness. He is written well for the era in which the story lives, but I wish I had found a bit more about him in the Cast of Characters Appendix. Gulland goes a step further to explain the differences between fictional accounts and the real-life histories of the main protagonists which I was thankful to see were included in the ARC!

My Review of The Shadow Queen:

We enter Claudette’s life at the turbulent hour of her family arriving on the larkspur hope of gaining a performance for the King as he is sequestered away from Paris. Her young heart is not only full of pride on behalf of her family’s innovative spirit of self-sufficiency but in her abilities to walk a line of honour as she has entered into a time of shifting away from her girlhood and into womanhood. Her maternal affection towards her dear brother Gaston is as honest as her approach to her theatrical craft of living. A girl her age is not oft full of grace towards a sibling nor one who has a bit of a disadvantage in how he observes and learns about the world. She draws out his innocent love of others and of life itself.

Gulland has stitched into the subtext a tone of 17th Century living, striving to give the modern reader a point-of-reference whenceforth to deposit them into the time and setting of where The Shadow Queen evolves into being. A bittersweet image of a dichotomy of difference between the caste sets of class and how the struggles of the commoners were out of alignment with the aristocrats who true to their nature did not feel empathy of their misfortunes. A barring of diffidence set against the rippling tides of mistrust from the Crown downward. Theatre in the 17th Century was such a curious period of ingenuity, in how troupes brought stories to life and kept the audience animated by their efforts. Even the holiday celebrations of Mardis Gras were an elaborate display of theatrical masking of character performance! The only downside is how horridly misunderstood and mistreated the players of the stage were often attacked by those of the upper classes. Curiously to me, was the belief in their falsehood performance was a direct influence against faith and how being an actor was in some reference a defiance of God. Historical stories such as The Shadow Queen bring into light the superstitious ways of the past and how perception can alter a person’s ability to thrive or besotted by poverty.

Caught in a world of varying influences and consequences, Claudette finds that her best method of advancing is keeping herself hugged to the shadows of those of whom she’d envision walking alongside in full equality. It is in the shadows she starts to see how she can alter her stars and re-align her position to lead a comfortable life compared to her poverty stricken childhood, yet in order to do so, she has to shake off the disillusioned reality of not always being in agreement with the practiced actions of the aristocracy.

Gulland split her novel into separate acts as though we were attending a large production set to stage rather than walking through a portal leading to the court in 17th Century Paris! Her deft hand to illuminate the delicacy needed to make bold choices and daring a glimpse at the consequences, her story propels you forward into a world glinted by masquerade.The masks are both illusionary and tangibly real, as they belie the front of which the heart attempts to dis-sway.

The agility of theatre to be an elixir of reincarnated joy out of the sorrow acts of grief, and the metamorphosis of personality entertain the notion of not allowing our past to ever be a vindication of our future. The theatre heals the soul by igniting the spirit back into the caress of emotion and of humanity dignity. I found Claudette to be a woman who always tried to listen to her heart and to honour her family by standing by them at all costs. Her own life and dreams were put on hold in order to keep the balance. The position Athénaïs puts her in is not one that can be condoned because she was only thinking of her own selfish desires and not the welfare of her confidante. I applauded her small successes and moments of feeling truly free as herself, as she never could quite break out of the pattern her life had taken. The most happiness she always protected and yielded to were wrapped inside the cosy confines of family. As true freedom is always hinged to love and is set free on the wings of hope.

Claudette’s self-confidence was her best gift:

And, yet it was one of her virtues that nearly overtook her ability to perform, not merely on the stage, but whilst she was out with others. She faltered a bit when she was presented with a situation outside her comfort zone, but she rebounded by adhering to the lessons of her father and in the notion that even if your cast out from what is familiar, you can find common ground. I appreciated seeing how she was keen to find an anchoring with her father’s whispered truths and how these truths guided her throughout her life after he had long since passed.

Claudette has given me a pause and urge to speak the expression “mon dieu!” As it is quite a fitting expression for a variety of situations! Most especially a blessed way of showing exasperation! Gulland is most surely a wordsmith in arms, as she has given such wonderful forgotten words and phrases a shining light of candescence! Words you must allow soak into for a bit of measure and absorb back to a time when the spoken language was slightly more curling of eloquence than our modern dialect has befallen!

The Shadow Queen Book Trailer via KnopfDoubleDay

Virtual Road Map for “The Shadow Queen” Blog Tour:

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

on my Bookish Events page!

Be sure to drop back on 30 April for my Author Interview with Ms. Gulland!

On Beginning to Write my Next Novel by Sandra Gulland via Sandra Gulland

{ of which I presume was the jump-start of “The Shadow Queen” }

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

{SOURCES: Cover art of “The Shadow Queen”, book synopsis, author photograph of Ms. Gulland, author biography, and the tour host badge were all provided by France Book Tours and used with permission. The book trailer by KnopfDoubleDay & personal video by Sandra Gulland had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. France Book Tours badge created by Jorie in Canva.}