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The Shadow Queen (2014)

by Sandra Gulland(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0385537522 (ISBN13: 9780385537520)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Doubleday

review 1: A lovely read, but like many has said, the title is a little misleading as it is not actually about the Shadow Queen, but is centred around her attendant. I found it very rich in history, but was disappointed to discover that some of the characters that are introduced in the book did not exist. A well written spin on a "historical event" I guess I'll call it. Exciting at parts, but it also kinda of feels like there is a lot of buildup, and certain parts are very drawn out, and then the end seems very rushed. I feel that it was not very solidly based either in fact, or a fictional take on history either, so it seems to me it could have went farther either one way or the other, either take more creative liberty and lengthen the book and storyline, or base it more solidly... more in history and take out some of the made up characters. All in all, I'd give it a solid 3.5 and would definitely suggest others read it.
review 2: I enjoyed this book. However, I did not give it four stars because it contains a description of infant sacrifice. I would not recommend this book for a sensitive reader. That one particular scene aside, this story was well written and entertaining. The author does a great job pulling the reader into the story. Gulland has a talent for making the story feel authentically French without overwhelming you with the language, names, and culture. She includes a glossary in case you get lost. I appreciated that she included the historical facts on which the story was based, including facts about the characters and a family tree. I could tell the details were well researched. I would recommend to a friend on the condition of full disclosure of the infant sacrifice scene. less

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