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Mistress of the Sun Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,524 listener ratings
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Set against the magnificent decadence of the 17th century court of the Sun King, Mistress of the Sun begins when an eccentric young Louise falls in love with a wild white stallion and uses ancient magic to tame him. This one desperate action of her youth shadows her throughout her life, changing it in ways she could never imagine.
Unmarriageable, and too poor to join a convent, she enters the court of the Sun King as a maid-of-honor, where the King is captivated by her athleticism and her striking grace. As their love unfolds, Louise bears Louis four children, is made a duchess, and reigns unrivaled as his official mistress until dangerous intrigue threatens her position at court and in Louis's heart.
A riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its heart, Mistress of the Sun resurrects a fascinating female figure from the shadows of history, and illuminates both the power of true and perfect love and the rash actions we take to capture and tame it.
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"I really enjoyed this book. The time frame in which events occurred was confusing through most of the book, but doesn't take away from the beautiful story. Historically correct with some embellishments this book is a very different look at Louis XIV through the eyes of his mistress. "
— Susan (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Suspenseful, evocative, atmospheric, and deliciously satisfying reading, with an immensely appealing heroine.”
— Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy -
“Mistress of the Sun is dangerously seductive. It’s one of those books that will grab you and hold you captive till the last page is turned.”
— Montreal Gazette -
“Skillfully blends fact and fiction…A supernatural element threaded throughout adds color to Gulland's vivid period imaginings.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Teeming with the rich period details that make historical fiction so rewarding, Gulland’s dynamic and nuanced portrait of Louis’ notorious reign thrums with page-turning expediency and deliciously seductive machinations.”
— Booklist
Mistress of the Sun Listener Reviews
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" A bit of a smutty historical summer read, but still very entertaining. "
— Christy, 2/14/2014 -
" Not as good as the Josephine B. trilogy but still entertaining. "
— Lauren, 2/12/2014 -
" Historical fiction based on the true lives of Louise de la Valliere, mistress of Louis XIV. The story takes you back to Louise's childhood, her encounter with King Louis and their relationship through the years. Petite's (Louise's) life is filled with love for her King and lover Louis, but also her struggle with admitting and living the life of a courtesan. Petite survives the death of several of her children, the "sharing" of her lover with another woman, the wish to help her family and her personal struggle with morals. The writing was well done, the description of life in the seventeenth century interesting, and history told from the eyes of Louis XIV's lover all make the book an enjoyable read. "
— Jane, 2/6/2014 -
" Ahh...trashy historical romance novel. Candy for the pool. "
— Kersten, 2/4/2014 -
" I like Gulland's books. I think she does a great job engagingly yet accurately representing "real-life" people. This particular book is a rather depressing read, especially since you know it's a true story. "
— Tiffany, 1/23/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book after I got through the first 100 pages or so. Obviously the beginning was a little slow - but the rest of the book was very good, could hardly put it down. "
— Kris, 1/17/2014 -
" decent historical fiction, but i had a hard time really believing the characterization of Louise. it didn't really all hold together for me. "
— Kelly, 1/4/2014 -
" I love ficionalized history....but this one was not as good as others I have read. Usually I devour the books, but I had to renew this book to get it read. "
— Muriel, 12/20/2013 -
" A fabulous book about a piece of history I love to read about. If you like this, I can recommend reading Antonia Fraser's book about the Sun King "Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King" "
— Cheryl, 12/20/2013 -
" Oh my goodness!! This was an awesome book! Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I was a beautiful & heart breaking love story. "
— Grayson, 11/29/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. This time period is one of my favorites and even though it was about the King's mistress it wasn't overly graphic. I'm looking forward to the books about Josephine Boneparte by this same author. "
— Tami, 11/3/2013 -
" A fantastic book. Reading this reminds me how much I enjoy French history, even though I don't spend as much time on it/reading about it as I should. "
— Nanci, 10/19/2013 -
" Good summer read. The author did over emphasis the virue of the lead character which got a little boring. "
— Michelle, 9/5/2013 -
" Have to say I was not impressed with this book and much prefer Karleen Koen's novel of Louise, "Before Versailles." "
— Jen, 8/8/2013 -
" Although this book didn't get a very high rating, I loved it. It was well written, and it kept my attention to the end. It is the story of Louise de La Valliere who became mistress of King Louis XIV. The author definitely brings this time frame to life. "
— Stacey, 6/27/2013 -
" Another great piece of historical fiction. Makes me appreciate indoor plumbing, electricity, etc. "
— Ann, 5/17/2013 -
" I love historical fiction and this is very good. Excellent depiction of life at court with all it's intrigue, pomp, ceremony, nobility, opulence, during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Louise has a good spirit and I enjoyed her journey in finding herself. "
— Mary, 1/6/2013 -
" this was my frist historical romance novel that i read and i think it was great love story. the charaters i loved but in the end i hated the king for him not understanding. "
— Kimia, 9/7/2012 -
" I loved this book. If you are a historical fiction fan, this one is for you. I fell in love with the main character, Petite, and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It was one of those books where I wanted to know what happened, but I didn't want it to end. "
— Heidi, 5/22/2012 -
" Historical fiction, mistress of Louis IV. Really enjoyed it. This is not a bodice ripper. Good stuff. "
— Laura, 5/28/2011 -
" This is a novel from my favorite historical era-- France, in the time of Louis XIV. I found it fascinating. "
— Pam, 4/26/2011 -
" I love ficionalized history....but this one was not as good as others I have read. Usually I devour the books, but I had to renew this book to get it read. "
— Muriel, 4/9/2011 -
" I love historical fiction and this is very good. Excellent depiction of life at court with all it's intrigue, pomp, ceremony, nobility, opulence, during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Louise has a good spirit and I enjoyed her journey in finding herself. "
— Mary, 3/22/2011 -
" i enjoyed this book but didn't really love it. it's a bit like a philippa gregory book, only involving the french, rather than english, monarchy/court, so if you like gregory's stuff, you'd probably enjoy it. "
— Kristina, 2/25/2011 -
" Good story, but not nearly as good as her Josephine Bonaparte books. "
— Nicole, 2/24/2011 -
" I did not enjoy this as much as Sharon Kay Penman's historical novels. The story did pick up in the second half. "
— Charlene, 1/13/2011 -
" Disappointing book compared to the Josephine series. The magical horse bit really bugged me. "
— tara, 11/14/2010 -
" Received in our recent book swap. Interesting to find out a little about the court of Louis XIV. Story a bit harlequin for me. Left me wondering what Louise might really have been like. "
— Roberta, 11/7/2010 -
" A great read! I read this author's trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte years ago and now want to read them again after getting back into her work. This is a great story! "
— Kaci, 10/26/2010
About Sandra Gulland
Sandra Gulland is the author of the Josephine B. trilogy, which has sold over a million copies worldwide and is being developed into a television miniseries. Prior to writing full time she was a book editor in Toronto.