Book Review: Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland

I was so excited to see that Sandra Gulland had a new book out. I had decided that she was happy with her masterpiece trilogy on Josephine and Napolean (which was such a wonderful read) and I was VERY happy to see that she was working on another book. I was even more excited when I saw it at the bookstore last month.

Mistress of the Sun didn't seem to have the same magical appeal that the Josephine trilogy did. I can't really put my finger on exactly what it was that was missing, but there wasn't a passion or innate love of the story that was present in the Josephine trilogy.

That said, Mistress is still a good book and kept me interested and reading. Gulland tells the story of Petite, Louis XIV's mistress, as she grows from a little girl until she is introduced at court. A woman of many talents, Petite can tame wild horses and ride like a man and garners the attention of the king during a hunt. The story about their love and relationship is very good and shows the heartbreak of being the king's mistress--the denied children, the lack of control over your life, etc.

I highly recommend Mistress of the Sun to readers who love historical fiction. And if you do read it, please let me know if you found the chronology a little confusing, especially once Petite goes to court.