Book's Premise:
Versailles depicts the very essence of
King Louis XIV, but amidst secret executions, abductions, and imprisonments,
two men have served Louis’ every whim, never questioning the why of it, now one
of those men has imprisoned the other at the king’s command. Has Lady Fate or the hand of God provided a chance escape to King Louis’ former Intelligencer, and can revenge ever be sweet for king or commoner? With the past revisited and finally laid to rest, love blossoms as a new life beckons, and the lovers pray they can cross the border to safety. With the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
a tidal wave of fear has swept across France, thus a secret society formed by Huguenot
merchants from within safe havens abroad assists those in need. In the
meanwhile a secret society in England to dethrone James II brings the merchants
together as a united force to uphold the Protestant faith under the royal
standard of William of Orange. War is nigh, and can a Frenchman be trusted as
William’s spy extraordinaire?
The Award and Editorial Review:
What
a thrill-packed spicy fan fiction sequel this is.
The
background setting is France during the reign of Louis XIV. Dare it be said the
author has either delved deep into research of her subject or has an uncanny
familiarity with this period in history. The plight of the Huguenots and the ghastly
consequences after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes is laid bare in this stylish
sequel to the TV series Versailles. Fervour for the series in my house was met
with ‘oh no, is that it?’ when a cruel cliff-hanger scene left devotees of
Fabien Marchal in limbo and in horror there was no more episodes to come. There
is no absolute proof it is Fabien in this novel, or is there? If not, was
Fabien Marchal his full name and who was his father. All these questions have
answers, and more. In any case, the hero’s dark side we witnessed from the TV
series matches this hero who is plagued with memories. He is effectively damned
by who he is and all that was undertaken in the name of the king. It is a
common enough phrase to say the love of a good woman will sort him out, and that
may be true if a poignant past would cease to torment him (a tissue box advisable).
Then, when a spirited young woman tends to the needs of his horse her verve is somewhat
refreshing to the jaded hero. She is then set to become his torment of a different
kind when trusted into his care, and he is bound by sworn promise to deliver her
to the care of her older brother. While the road to freedom is paved with many perils
two familiar figures from the TV series are found en route and needy of help,
and our hero rides to the rescue of royal blood. And so it goes all the way
through this engaging novel with wonderful cameos very much in the vein of the Three
Musketeers as the hero and heroine make of life thrown their way. All the while
historical facts are interlaced with fiction as the hero tells us of his past
in vivid colour. Interestingly the timeline begins in 1685 in France and ends
in 1688 with a happy conclusion after the coronation in England of William and
Mary of Orange. The Last Betrayal was recommended for the Historical Readers’
Award and is hereby granted the gold award, and goes without saying it is well written.
Congratulations on the award. Well deserved.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Charlotte. I'm so very thrilled because it is set in the 17th century, and that is not a popular period in history as far as books go.
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