AUDIOBOOK
About
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 is 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. Act 01: Winter Swallows - Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Act 02: The Travesty Player - Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Act 03: War of the Theaters - Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Act 04: In the Service of the Shadow Queen - Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Act 05: Labyrinth - Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Epilogue - Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Author's Note
"The Shadow Queen is an epic feast for the senses with a cast of characters that includes Moliere, Racine, and the Sun King himself."
"A captivating glimpse into the theater, court life, and black arts of seventeenth-century Paris."
"Gulland uses her meticulous research with consummate skill, rendering vivid the luxury and squalor of Louis XIV's France and breathing life into fully formed characters."
"This book is lyrical, fascinating, and seeped in history, drama, and emotion."
"Has all the ingredients readers love, blending passion, adventure, pageantry, and danger into a heady brew as intoxicating as it is unforgettable."
"A quick-paced, captivating tale of seventeenth-century France-from the dramas and destitutions of life in the theater, to the intrigues and ruthlessness of the royal court-and of the wrenching conflict between familial bonds and the sacrifices a young woman must make to survive and thrive."
"A must-read for anyone passionate about the
theater and hungry for more of Sandra Gulland's masterful depictions of life at
the court of the Sun King."
"The characters are magnetic and the pace will dazzle you."
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. Act 01: Winter Swallows - Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Act 02: The Travesty Player - Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Act 03: War of the Theaters - Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Act 04: In the Service of the Shadow Queen - Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Act 05: Labyrinth - Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Epilogue - Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Author's Note
"The Shadow Queen is an epic feast for the senses with a cast of characters that includes Moliere, Racine, and the Sun King himself."
"A captivating glimpse into the theater, court life, and black arts of seventeenth-century Paris."
"Gulland uses her meticulous research with consummate skill, rendering vivid the luxury and squalor of Louis XIV's France and breathing life into fully formed characters."
"This book is lyrical, fascinating, and seeped in history, drama, and emotion."
"Has all the ingredients readers love, blending passion, adventure, pageantry, and danger into a heady brew as intoxicating as it is unforgettable."
"A quick-paced, captivating tale of seventeenth-century France-from the dramas and destitutions of life in the theater, to the intrigues and ruthlessness of the royal court-and of the wrenching conflict between familial bonds and the sacrifices a young woman must make to survive and thrive."
"A must-read for anyone passionate about the
theater and hungry for more of Sandra Gulland's masterful depictions of life at
the court of the Sun King."
"The characters are magnetic and the pace will dazzle you."