Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King's Court by Marci Jefferson

Final Rating: 2.9/5

An ornamental illustration of the early court of the Sun King complete with scandalous antics, family drama and battles for dominance over the determined heart and the stars above us all.

  In Enchantress of Paris we follow Marie Mancini who opens the doors to the decadent palace life of the 17th century and takes us through events that revolve around her scheming relations and the young king caught in the middle of a struggle for influence over of the French crown. For the modern reader more drama and examples of scandalous behavior are tossed throughout the pages and our narrator is never a step away from possible ruin and the sumptuous descriptions of the early court of the Sun King. Opulence seems to reign in this novel and unfortunately outshines the characters who can be a little drab and cliché (ex. dastardly uncle who curls his mustache when he is doing something underhanded) in presentation. The dialogue also ventures at times out of the era, setting and into silly but the historical details and flourishes of herb lore and mystical elements nearly level the inconsistencies that occasionally appear.

  Overall, a decent read that was more interesting with its details versus the romance which to be honest seemed forced in the pages. I think I may have enjoyed this novel more if another view was presented, preferably the Countess of Soissons (Olympia Mancini) or if roles in the Affair of the Poisons which were briefly touched on at the end would have been expanded and not just mentioned in passing. Still this type of novel serves as an inviting introduction to history and I for one would like to read more about this time period and the many mistresses of King Louis XIV. 

* I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King's Court

Release Date: August 4, 2015