Reviews for Mistress of the Sun

The average rating for Mistress of the Sun based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-11-11 00:00:00 Franklin D Mills I had never read a book by Sandra Gulland before but after reading I was curious to learn about more Louis XIV first mistress Louise de Valliere, the daughter of an impoverished knight. I was pleasantly surprised by Gulland's ability to bring to life the time and place of this era. I was soon engrossed as I read about de Valliere's childhood in the French countryside. All was going well until Gulland introduced the wild white stallion that Louise fell in love with as a child and her foray into ancient dark magic to tame said horse and which broke the beautiful reverie I was experiencing. Finally the story moves on from the above mentioned magical white stallion and I was delighted to continue reading the rags to riches story of de Valliere. Just when I was completely absorbed into Louise's life at the court of the Sun King that darn magic white stallion would suddenly turn up yet again making Louise sad as she longed to ride her childhood horse. Maybe I'm not a horse lover because I found the detailed horse training experience boring. This so called magical horse sure did have a long life span too. Other than that horse I enjoyed learning about the life of Louise and I felt a lot of sympathy for her predicament; she certainly lead a fascinating life. My next book to read will be Gulland's take on Athenais de Montespan another mistress of the Sun King. I'm happy to have discovered this talented author and recommend her books to anyone interested in this era of history. For those interested this book didn't contain vulgar love scenes. If not for that horse I would've given this book a 5 star rating instead of 4.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-10-15 00:00:00 Wayne Dutton THIS REVIEW WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW: In her first novel in eight years (following the international success of her Josephine B. trilogy) Sandra Gulland has chosen an enigmatic figure'Louise de la Vallière, mistress to Louis XIV and mother of four children by him. Louise has been overshadowed in history by her more glamorous successors and the flamboyance that characterized the later years of Louis's reign, but in her captivating jewel of a novel Gulland offers an absorbing account of a woman who reluctantly became a royal mistress and paid the price. Gulland's Louise has a fey spirit with the ability to enchant horses. In a desperate act of magic to save a feral stallion's life she sets the course for her own destiny, one that will bring her equal measures of sorrow and joy. Uneasy with the cruel sycophantism of court, caught between her innate spiritual introspection and an impoverished lineage that compels her to noble servitude, Louise eventually catches the young king's eye. Louis is handsome and vital, poised to assume his later embodiment as the Sun King; in Louise, he discovers incorruptible innocence and their romance flourishes under a secrecy that continues for years, even as he grows in stature and she wrestles with her conscience and the degradation of her illusions. Scandal ensues when Louise is brought into the open as Louis's lover; this fateful moment also sets the stage for her decline. Fascinating details of life at the French court sparkle throughout the narrative, evidence of Gulland's dedication to research; and while Louise may not be as ambitious or clever as those who followed in her footsteps, she imbues an unforgettable authenticity that gives credence to the belief that she was Louis XIV's only true love.