Review: Courting the Sun by Peggy Joque Williams

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Peggy Joque Williams to Ruins & Reading. I have the pleasure of sharing my review for her debut historical novel, Courting the Sun – set at the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV. My followers will know I have a soft spot for that era (though I tend to delve into the more poisonous side of it).

And what a cracking debut it is! Read on!

Courting the Sun is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Find fascinating historical guest posts, enticing excerpts and other reviews HERE!

 

Courting the Sun

A Novel of Versailles

by Peggy Joque Williams

What an absolute gem of a novel this is! I'm still trying to get my breath back from the action-packed plot. Definitely one to read late into the night...

Courting the Sun tells the story of young Sylvienne, who lives with her mother in a cottage they share with two confidantes (not calling them 'servants'). Young Sylvienne goes to a nun's school for her education, but she is no stranger to mischief and adventure. She has vague memories of living in a grand manor house, before her father died when she was very young. She also knows her mother declined her brother-in-law's advances, who then cast both out.

But what she doesn't know is her mother's real background, about which rumours abound, including that Sylvienne is not really her father's daughter. 

But when King Louis XIV stops off outside their cottage – ostensibly to water his horses in their yard – the intrigue grows, setting tongues wagging. How does a woman living a simple life have the honour of the king's presence? 

Sylvienne is surprised to find her mother a cousin – albeit illegitimate – of the illustrious king, and when, on her 16th birthday, an invitation to join him at court arrives, she is thrilled to bits.

However, she is also torn, as the man she thinks she loves – shoemaker Etienne – has asked her to marry him, but as he is away on business, she can't even share the news of her invitation in person.

Still, keen to see the glittering court of the Sun King, she heads off to join the court, where she is soon assigned to the household of the king's maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan. Over time, she seems to find supporters in the most unusual place: Monsieur, the king's brother, and his English wife Henriette. But with the prince preferring men, and Henriette enjoying her own freedoms, Sylvienne is never truly certain of whether they mean her well, or are merely toying with her.

She has a number of bumbling experiences at court, much to the amusement of the nobility and courtiers – the country bumpkin on show. Torn between humiliation and anger, she begins to take advice to heart. Head high, chin up.

But when the king reveals his plans for her, the situation turns, and Sylvienne finds herself trapped. Will she escape the dark side of the glamorous court of Louis XIV? Read the novel to find out!

 

Courting the Sun is a sumptuous adventure that depicts the realities of life during the reign of France's most (in)famous king. We witness the lives of ordinary citizens compared to the superficial nature of the king's much-travelling court. As Sylvienne moves from a nun's school to the gambling tables of the Tuileries, Fontainebleau, and the building site that was to become the impressive new Palace of Versailles, she tries to keep a level head, and when needed, she remembers her roots, regardless of any new discoveries. She enters the fashionable salons, where literary discussions took place, and – as she is well-read – she is soon accepted in their inner circle.

Sylvienne is an extremely likeable character: naïve in her youth, but fair to those she considers friends, including her maid at court, Lisette. But she is forced to learn to swim fast as the fast-moving tide of Louis' court sweeps her off her feet. And her loyalty to those she loves never wavers.

Louis XIV himself is realistically depicted – his egotism often well-hidden during gentle walks or rides out. But it does shine through in his treatment of his poor wife, Queen Maria Theresa, his brother, and other courtiers at times, though he does have a soft spot for Henriette – something of an issue between the brothers – and Isabelle, Sylvienne's mother.

The scheming Marquise de Montespan steals the show, though, with her ruthless ambition. She accepts Sylvienne into her household, on the king's orders, and makes sure she is well turned-out. But she does snark at her, and her jealousy is ever-present. She plots her intrigues, blithely outshining the queen on every occasion. She is fully aware of her allure, and uses it to her advantage. But with a king of Louis' voracious appetite, she never truly feels at ease, as her place at his side could so easily change. The novel shows this very cleverly, adding a human touch to one of France's most infamous women.

There are other characters, both real and imagined, and they add to complete the incredible setting. Courtiers flit around, keen to attract the king's attention, while others plot evil deeds. 

Courting the Sun is a sumptuous feast for all the senses, with a strong heroine, a thrilling plot full of intrigues and unexpected twists, especially at the end. A compelling, riveting reading experience that makes you want to read on, even beyond the last page. 

I hope we will read more of Sylvienne's adventures soon. 

 

Highly recommended.

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Blurb:

“A rich journey through 17th century France in all its aspects—its bucolic countryside, the still-unmatched splendor of the court of Louis XIV, and the struggling French colony in Canada.”
~ Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth I, The Autobiography of Henry VIII & The Memoirs of Cleopatra

France, 1670. On her sixteenth birthday, Sylvienne d’Aubert thinks her dream has come true. She holds in her hands an invitation from King Louis XIV to attend his royal court. However, her mother harbors a longtime secret she's kept from both her daughter and the monarch, a secret that could upend Sylvienne’s life.

In Paris, Sylvienne is quickly swept up in the romance, opulence, and excitement of royal life. Assigned to serve King Louis's favorite mistress, she is absorbed into the monarch's most intimate circle. But the naïve country girl soon finds herself ill-prepared for the world of intrigue, illicit affairs, and power-mongering that takes place behind the shiny façade of Versailles.

This debut historical novel from Peggy Joque Williams captures the vibrancy and quandaries of 17th century life for a village girl seeking love and excitement during the dangerous reign of the Sun King.

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About the Author: 

 

Peggy Joque Williams

 

Peggy Joque Williams is the author of Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles and co-author of two mystery novels, On the Road to Death’s Door and On the Road to Where the Bells Toll, written under the penname M. J. Williams. She is an alumnus of Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

A retired elementary school teacher and avid researcher, Peggy's fascination with genealogy and her French-Canadian, European, and Native American ancestry inspires her historical fiction. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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