The Shadows Of Versailles

"Dunn's masterful portrayal of the glittering world of the Sun King's court and the contrasting dark, human stew of 17th Century Paris, will delight any reader familiar with the Affair of the Poisons - and equally thrill those new to the period." Kate Braithwaite, author of Charlatan Dazzled by Versailles. Broken by tragedy. Consumed by revenge. When Fleur de La Fontaine attends the court of King Louis XIV for the first time, she is soon besotted with handsome courtier, Philippe de Mortain. She dreams of married life away from her uncaring mother, but Philippe keeps a secret from her. Nine months later, after the boy she has given birth to in a convent is whisked away, she flees to Paris where she ends up mending gowns in the brothel of Madame Claudette, a woman who helps 'fallen' girls back on their feet. Jacques de Montagnac investigates a spate of abducted children when his path crosses Fleur's. He searches for her son, but the trail leads to a dead end - and a dreadful realisation. Her boy's suspected fate too much to bear, Fleur decides to avenge him. She visits the famous midwife, La Voisin, but it's not the woman's skills in childbirth that Fleur seeks. La Voisin dabbles in poisons. Will Fleur see her plan through? Or can she save herself from a tragic fate? Delve into The Shadows of Versailles and enter the sinister world of potions, poisons and black masses during the Affairs of the Poisons, a real event that shook the court of the Sun King! An Affair of the Poisons series: Book One: The Shadows of VersaillesBook Two: The Alchemist's Daughter (out in 2021)

The Great War has ended. From all over the world, politicians and diplomats gather in Paris to negotiate the Great Peace. But Max Anderson, former lieutenant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, cares for none of that. With no home waiting back in Canada, he is determined to make a new life for himself in the City of Light. But soon he finds himself immersed in intrigue and political turmoil of the treaty negotiations. The war may be over but the city is full of violent men pursuing violent causes, and when no one else seems willing to do the right thing, Max has no choice but to act.

The court of King Louis XIV was the envy of all Europe for its grandeur and etiquette. Marc Esprit, a poor but clever and ambitious boy from Normandy, vows that he will be part of this exotic scene. Zoë DuBois is an equally ambitious ward of the court who will change his life and ambitions in ways even this scheming would-be aristocrat can't begin to predict. After serving as a soldier, young Marc travels to Venice, where a man does not need a title to become successful. With borrowed money, he acquires a fleet of ships. As a ruthless trader in the Middle East, he creates success, wealth, and power in the trade of spices and luxury goods to sell in Venice. And when he saves the Sultan of Turkey from pirates, he gets everything that's coming to him-and more. Soon, his reputation earns him an invitation to serve the king of France. There, he meets Zoë, who has been left penniless after the death of her titled husband. Desperate to escape her fate, she seduces Marc, who is torn between desire for her and the freedom to further his ambition. After a tempestuous romance, he deserts her on a remote island to pursue his goal. Five years later, he returns to the island and learns that she has borne him a son. After an acrimonious reunion, she returns to Paris with him, only to further complicate his life. Ultimately, however, they must work in tandem to accomplish their dreams.

Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed. The King's scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, of the five Nesle sisters-- Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne-- four will become mistresses to King Louis XV. All will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.

Excerpt from The Story of Versailles Do you still see the shadows of the great? On powdered wigs and velvets, silks and lace; Or dream at night a feted queen, in state, Accepts men's homage with a haughty face? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The art of "magic shadows" which just before the dawn of the twentieth century evolved into the modern motion picture, was born three centuries ago, in Rome. Just at the appointed hour for Kircher's show, a few distinguished Monsignori, in flowing purple were driven to the entrance in their carriages with a mounted escort. Nothing like Kircher's show had ever been presented before. He had chained light and shadow, but the suspicion was held by some of the spectators that there was a dark magic about it all and that Kircher had dabbled in the black arts.

This is a long poem about the history of the famous French palace at Versailles. Here's an excerpt: "If you could speak what tales your tongues could tell, You voiceless mirrors of the storied past! Do you remember when the curtain fell On him who learned he was not God at last? Do you still see the shadows of the great? On powdered wigs and velvets, silks and lace; Or dream at night a feted queen, in state, Accepts men's homage with a haughty face? A thousand names come tumbling to the mind. Of dead who gazed upon themselves through you. And went their way, each one his end to find In paths that glory or red terror knew. Voltaire and Rousseau and Ben Franklin here, You've seen hobnobbing with the highly-born; Seen Genius smile, while, with a hint of fear, It gave to Birth not homage but its scorn."

This book traces changing attitudes towards secrecy in eighteenth-century France, and explores the cultural origins of ideas surrounding government transparency. The idea of keeping secrets, both on the part of individuals and on the part of governments, came to be viewed with more suspicion as the century progressed. By the eve of the French Revolution, writers voicing concerns about corruption saw secrecy as part and parcel of despotism, and this shift went hand in hand with the rise of the idea of transparency. The author argues that the emphasis placed on government transparency, especially the mania for transparency that dominated the French Revolution, resulted from the surprising connections and confluence of changing attitudes towards honour, religious movements, rising nationalism, literature, and police practices. Exploring religious ideas that associated secrecy with darkness and wickedness, and proto-nationalist discourse that equated foreignness with secrecy, this book demonstrates how cultural shifts in eighteenth-century France influenced its politics. Covering the period of intense fear during the French Revolution and the paranoia of the Reign of Terror, the book highlights the complex interplay of culture and politics and provides insights into our attitudes towards secrecy today.