Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Fiction Novels set in France

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books Set in/Take Place During X (Pick a place, time, era, etc. Examples: Books set in Europe/Italy/Australia/Chicago, books set in Regency England, books that take place during the 1900s, books set in imaginary worlds/post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds, books set on the ocean, books set it castles, books that take place during WW2, etc.)

On a recent post Deb from Readerbuzz asked me to do a post on historical fiction set in France. Challenge accepted Deb!

When I read books set in France, they are most often either contemporary stories about people moving to France (usually from the UK) or they are set during WWII. For the purposes of today's exercise I am going to mostly books avoid set during WWII as I could probably do multiple TTT posts on that theme. The books I have chosen are mostly shown in chronological order. There are some relatively old books on the list too!

Let's get started.

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick - Eleanor of Aquitaine is a woman who I have read quite a bit about. I find her completely fascinating. Did you know that she is the only woman who was queen of both France and England and a major landowner in her own right? This is the first book in a trilogy about her life and it starts in 1137

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C W Gortner - Catherine de Medici is another fascinating woman from history, although her life and actions are much darker. A member of the famous Italian Medici family, Catherine married the man who became Henri II. This books starts in 1527 and charts the tumultuous reigns of both her husband and her son. We visited the beautiful chateau at Chennonceaux when we went to France a couple of years ago. This was one of her homes after she confiscated it from her husband's lover following his death. (My review)

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll - This is the first in the Faire Isle trilogy which is set in the 1570s during Catherine de Medici's reign. In theory, this is a romance, but it is firmly based in history, albeit with a bit of witchcraft thrown in. This whole trilogy is excellent and I was obsessed with them for a while. (My review)

Angelique by Sergeanne Golon - If you want to read a rip roaring, huge and epic novel try this series which was originally published in 1957. This book starts in 1648 and Angelique gets into all sorts of adventures throughout the series. At various times she is welcomed at the highest levels of court, at others she lives with the poorest of the poor. At one point later in the series she is even captured by pirates. Towards the end of the series it all gets a bit silly but the early books are spectacular.  (My review)

An Astronomer in Love by Antoine Laurain - Antoine Laurain is the first of three French authors I have in this list. In this book Antoine Laurain tells the story of Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de La Galaisiere, astronomer to the Academie Royale des Sciences who is chasing the first of two Transits of Venus which occurred during the 1760s.  (My review)

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B by Sandra Gulland - This book is the first in a trilogy that tells the story of the woman who we now know as Josephine Bonaparte. This story starts 1777 when we first meet young Rose, a planters daughter from Martinique in the Carribean. This author has also written about a couple of other infamous women who were mistresses of kings (My review)

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg  - This story starts in the late 1790s and tells the story of a young woman called Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, who we now remember more famously as Veuve Cliquot - the widow Cliquot. This tells the story of how this remarkable woman revolutionised the champagne industry. (My review)

For the King by Catherine Delors - Set in 1800, this book tells the story of an assassination plot against Napoleon. Delors is a French author. I read a couple of her books and really liked them but apparently never reviewed them! 

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - What a huge book this is! It took me a good couple of months to gt through this story that starts in 1815 and follows the political upheaval through to the 1830s. This story would be as well known through the musical and movies as it from the book, but I am glad that I took the time to read it a few years ago. (My thoughts)

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K Runyan - This is the most recent historical novel that I have read set in France (as at the time when I am writing the post any way). This is a dual timeline set in the 1870s and in the immediate aftermath of WWII in 1946. I did say I was going to avoid WWII but I really wanted to include this book because of the 1870s storyline which is about the Prussian siege of Paris and the subsequent uprising of the Communards. (My review)

I am sure that there are lots of other books I could have included on this list. What books would you add?

I am also sharing this post as part of Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.

Romance Reading Challenge

Have you started thinking about what your reading goals are going to be next year? I have, and one of the things I have been thinking about doing is joining in some of the challenges that are going on around blog land. I decided very early on this year to resist the urge to join in because it is enough of a challenge for me to manage my library list usually, but if the challenge can fit in with my other reading goals, then I might join in!

The first one I am joining in on is the Romance Reading Challenge that is being hosted by Naida.

Now, I read a fair proportion of romance as it is, so what I wanted to do is tie it in with some of my other reading resolutions. One of these will again be to try and read some of the books that I have gone and spent my hard earned cash on but haven't yet read! In order to complete the challenge you have to read (and review!)5 books next year, so below is a list of five books that I have bought, but still haven't read yet, despite the fact that I really, really want to! Believe me when I say that there are plenty of other books that I could have chosen from for this challenge too!





The Huntress by Susan Carroll - I was so excited about this book coming out in June 2007. Still haven't read it!











The Wild Hunt by Elizabeth Chadwick - I have loved the two books that I have read by Chadwick and so want to now start working my way through her backlist. I was so excited when I won this on Ebay because it is a book that is a bit hard to come by at this point in time, although from what I understand this book, and the two that follow it, are going to be reissued soon.

My review is now up here.








Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan - I've actually got both this book and Warsworn here to read.

Review now up here








Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter - The first book in this series was the first book that I finished in 2007. Despite having preordered this, still havent read it!

My review is now up here












Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas - What exactly am I waiting for?

Review is now up here









I'll have one book in reserve as well...just in case!





Lover Unbound by JR Ward - Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I had this one preordered as well and haven't read it yet.

The Bride Finder by Susan Carroll

Anatole lives on the steep crags of Cornwall, trapped in isolation by his legacy and powers. Surrounded by only a handful of servants and his dogs, he has never ventured far from the thick stone walls of his castle. Now, as part of timeless tradition, Anatole must turn to his former tutor and distant cousin, Septimus Fitzleger, also known as the Bride Finder, a man blessed with the power to find the one woman who is Anatole's destiny.

Madeline Breton is that chosen bride and has come to Cornwall to meet her new husband. I know you are all Anatole St. Leger could ever want, Septimus had told her. And sensible Madeline had begun to dream. But, now that she has reached her strange destination, the dream is diffusing quickly in the shadow of the dark and ominous Castle Leger. Her husband is hardly the gentleman she had envisioned. He looks more like a fierce Celtic warrior, one whose wild, ebony hair and brusque manner hint of stranger, mysterious gifts. What unknown forces are at work at Castle Leger? Why do the servants and the villagers both respect and fear her husband? Anatole knows only too well the legacies that to him have been more curse than gift. But as Madeline embarks on an odyssey both otherworldly and undeniably real, she and her husband fall hopelessly in love - until she also sees the haunting vision of murder in the crystal of the St. Leger sword and vows never to let this dire portent come to pass. Then, into this hypnotic world, a sudden, terrifying enemy emerges to threaten both their lives.

Once every so often a novel comes along that takes your breath away. From its mesmerizing first page to its unforgettable last, Susan Carroll spins a sweeping, spellbinding tale of magic, romance and legend - a beautifully written, utterly gripping epic that illuminates the undying power of love.

Ever since I read the Faire Isle trilogy by this author, I have been intending to read her backlist. So when it was my turn to choose author of the month in the Historical Romance Chat Yahoo group, I chose Susan Carroll, and decided to read the first book in the St Leger trilogy. The main reason for choosing this book was that The Huntress wasn't quite out yet (which I still haven't managed to read) and I wanted to get to her other books in due course anyway.

Straight off the bat, I want to say that I loved this setting - 1800's in a haunted castle in Cornwall - can it be anymore gothic? Add to the setting the fact that the hero is afflicted with a terrible curse, and I am totally there!

When Anatole sends his cousin and bride finder to London to find him a wife he gives him a very strict list of requirements. It's no wonder he didn't recognise his intended because Madeline Breton is pretty much everything he doesn't want in a bride! His dreams have foretold what is to happen and he now can't stop those events from coming to fruition, and it could mean the end of the line for his family!

With a cast of kooky and a little bit spooky characters, lots of paranormal activity (not werewolves and vampires - more ghosts and strange events) and a bit of suspense this was a cracking read.

Of the books that I have read by Susan Carroll so far, I am yet to read a dud. I will definitely be reading more of this trilogy.

Rating: 4.5/5

Othere Blogger's Thoughts:

The Eclectic Reader

Upcoming book alert!

To borrow a phrase from Sybil.......



SQQQUUUUUEEEEEE!


An anonymous commenter on Kailana's blog left a little more info about the upcoming release from Susan Carroll, called The Huntress!


I am so getting this book when it comes out! You can check out the details here.

Joint review - The Silver Rose by Susan Carroll

Kailana and I were meant to do a joint review of The Silver Rose by Susan
Carroll ages ago. She has just read it and she has added her thoughts to mine on her blog. Her post can be found here.

Something for Rosario

I finally posted my review for The Silver Rose!!!

The Silver Rose by Susan Carroll

The third book in the Faire Isle trilogy, following on from The Dark Queen and The Courtesan.

From Brittany's fog-shrouded forests to the elegant dark heart of Paris's royal court, one woman must challenge a country's destiny-and her own dangerous fate.

France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the "Sisters of Faire Isle," women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those around her, Miri Cheney has returned to her ancestral home to take refuge from a land devastated by civil war-and to grieve for her family, driven to exile. But she cannot hide from the formidable new power threatening to seize control of France from the dread "Dark Queen," Catherine de Medici-a diabolical woman known only as the Silver Rose. Miri has no choice but to turn to the one man she distrusts as much as she desires: Simon Aristide, the charismatic witch-finder who is now himself the hunted, and who has reluctantly made an unholy pact with Catherine. Miri must defy throne and family to save all that she loves most-and command a future greater than she could ever imagine.

Vibrant with stunning historical detail, alive with characters as richly passionate as they are compelling, The Silver Rose is a sweeping, exquisitely wrought tale from a mesmerizing storyteller.

When the legendary witch hunter Simon Aristide, is becoming the hunted rather than the hunter, he turns to the one person who he would prefer not to - Miri Cheney. Miri was just a young girl living on the Faire Isle when he first met her, but he betrayed her and nearly caused her to be tried as a witch. Some years later he met her as a young lady in Paris, but he was well and truly entrenched in his role as witch hunter, and she was once again betrayed.

After many years of living in exile, Miri has returned to live on the Faire Isle, looking to recapture her lost happiness. For Miri, Simon was a young boy that she first came to love during an idyllic summer that nearly ended in tragedy. When he reappears asking for her assistance Miri is reluctant, especially once she understood that he was asking for her assistance in tracking down a witch.

Miri has always thought of herself, and others like her, as a wise woman, as opposed to a witch, and getting Simon to understand the difference was a big part of their journey, but in a way another part was having Simon find the man behind the witch hunter. The young boy with a happy family life, who survived in the face of tragedy, and who was taken in and taught to hate and fear. Ah...Simon. He would have to be write up there with the most tortured heroes every written..surely. Not only is the man terribly scarred, and missing an eye, but he really is a good man as well struggling to live with the way he had previously lived his life and the actual and emotional consequences of that life.

Miri was practically engaged to Wolf, a man who had been her loyal friend, for many years, but she had always held back from committing to him, and from allowing any kind of hanky panky. In a way I felt sorry for Wolf even though he was a bit of a womaniser. I liked him from the time we first met him in the second book in the trilogy, and I was really scared that something horrible was going to happen to him. It was certainly an interesting twist in the story for him during this book. The other really interesting twist was the identity of The Silver Rose!

This third book is definitely one that you will appreciate more if you have read the two books proceeding it in the series. I am not sure if there is going to be more books related to this one, but there certainly seems to be scope for it particularly in relation to Wolf who you may notice I have a certain tenderness for! I for one would certainly read any future books.

One small note to the author though...please, please get a website so that your fans have some idea about what is coming up next! Having read and enjoyed this trilogy, I will definitely be trying to find whatever books I can of Susan Carroll's backlist. Anyone have any idea what she is working on now?

Rating 4.5/5

The Courtesan by Susan Carroll

For something a little bit different, Kailana and I decided to read a historical fiction novel together. This is the sequel to The Dark Queen, which I read and reviewed a while ago (Wow...where did the last six months go?).

Kailana is writing in black, and I am writing in blue:

Anyways, we are coming towards this from two different backgrounds. As I said with the last one, there is a lot of romance in these books. I don't particularly like romance novels, while Marg on the other hand is a very big romance reader. This should offer two different views on how we took the novel.

From the back:

Skilled in passion, artful in deception, and driven by betrayal, she is the glittering center of the royal court - but the most desired woman of Renaissance France will draw the wrath of a dangerous adversary.

Paris, 1575. The consort of some of Europe's most influential men, Gabrielle Cheney is determined to secure her future by winning the heart of Henry, the Huguenot king of Navarre. As his mistress, Gabrielle hopes she might one day become the power behind the French throne. But her plans are jeopardized by Captain Nicholas Remy, a devoted warrior whose love Gabrielle desires - and fears - above all. She will also incur the malevolence of the Dark Queen, Catherine de Medici, whose spies and witch-hunters are legion, and who will summon the black arts to maintain her authority. With the lives of those she loves in peril, Gabrielle must rebel against her queen to fulfill a glorious destiny she has sacrificed everything to gain.

Alive with vivid detail and characters as vibrant as they are memorable, The Courtesan is a sweeping historical tale of dangerous intrigues, deep treachery, and one woman's unshakable resolve to honor her heart.

I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. So much so that I gave it to my mother to read, in the hopes that she will one day read something other than Nora Roberts. She had been saying that she read a book by Nora Roberts that wasn't up to par, so I thought maybe she would give this book a try. Me and her rarely ever read the same sort of books. I too enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. In fact, the day after I finished reading it, I went and bought this book, and ordered The Silver Rose. I had good intentions of reading them pretty much straight away but it didn't really happen. By the way....I've enjoyed the Nora Roberts books that I have read!

Anyways, to the review. I think the thing about this book we all have to remember is that it is called "The Courtesan". That betrays what the main character in this book is all about. You see, it is Gabrielle, Ariane from the first books younger sister. Gabrielle has had a rough life. The thing that is essential to who she is at this time in her life is that one "honourable" knight took advantage of her, and Gabrielle has never been able to get over it. If anything, she thinks that it is her fault and she feels the compulsion to take on the scars this man left her with as all she is worthy of. She could annoy me in the first book, but she grows on you in this one, and I actually found myself both wanting to interject to tell her that she's foolish, but I also felt bad for her. She is living in Paris now, a life of a Courtesan. It is not until ghosts from her past make an appearance that she starts to second guess her life. In The Dark Queen, Gabrielle was portrayed as a completely disenchanted character. We knew that Nicholas Remy had fallen for her, but Gabrielle had so many walls built up around her because of her previous bad experience that he was really not allowed to get all that close. Fast forward three years and shift to Paris, and into the French court, and Gabrielle has left behind all that she knows and loves and has become one of the most famous and desired courtesans. Yet behind the glamorous facade, there is a very lonely woman, who is haunted by the ghost of a supposedly dead man - Nicholas Remy. When it is revealed that Nicholas is not in fact dead, but is plotting to get into the French court to try and arrange for his king to escape, it soon becomes clear that Gabrielle and Nicholas are not necessarily on the same side...and yet they are extremely attracted to each other.

I found this novel to have more romance than the first one. I don't even think it was any different, but for some reason it felt like more. Once Gabrielle starts to get her life back on line and give her heart to the man that she loves, they spend a lot of time leading up to and then in bed together. It just seemed like once they made it to the bed, that was a central occurrence for the next little while. The sex scenes are tasteful. For example, there are a few scenes with Ariane and Renard, and we finally learn that he has brown hair - a fact that was left out in the first book, or so most people believe (we had a big discussion about this over at Historical Fiction Forum a while ago!). So, the scenes are not all about the action, like a romance novel, so I didn't find them distasteful, which is always good. I actually wonder whether you are confusing romance with sex? There is definitely a more romantic storyline in this book, and in many ways less of a focus on historical events. In The Dark Queen, one of the key events was the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, and there are many references back to the events of that day here, but in this book there was more a historical context as opposed to actual historical events. Whilst the sex is there, and there is a section where there is a strong emphasis on the development of the physical relationship between Gabrielle and Nicholas, this is something that was necessary to enable Gabrielle to move on from her emotional and self esteem issues, to go back to finding herself. Sex and romance are both the same to me. I read books that rarely have any romantic or sexual scenes, so this book had a lot more of everything than I was used to

A bit more background information. Simon, the witch hunter apprentice from the first novel makes a court approved appearance. It has been prophesied that the Dark Queen's power is waning, and there are moments when she does not seem to have her son the King under her command. Ariane and Renard are married, but Ariane is suffering through some unhappy moments because of her desire to have a child. She also does not like it when her sister runs off, she is protective of her little sisters. Miri follows Gabrielle to Paris in the hopes of keeping her sister safe, and enchants a young boy affectionately called 'the Wolf'. I am hoping we will learn more about him in the third book that centres around Miri. I have made reference in previous posts to the fact that I love a series, so for me it was great to revisit Ariane and Reynard, and the build up is definitely there for Miri's story in The Silver Rose. I do however have one concern for the next book, and that is that I really liked Nicholas's offsider Wolf. It would appear that it is not his fate to end up with Miri, but I really hope that he does get some Happy Ever After.

This is a very engaging novel. I never though I would say it. I didn't like it as much as the first one, but it was still a very worthwhile read. I enjoyed the first book more too, mainly because it was more of an intriguing mix between historical fiction, fantasy and romance. This book was more like straight romance, with a historical context and a bit of magic thrown in. I would say however that this one flowed a bit better. There were the odd occasions during the first book that parts dragged as there was a bit too much infodump. However, on the down side for this book, it felt as though there were a few storylines that were introduced that were either not resolved, or resolved very quickly and conveniently. Maybe this will be resolved during the next book. The thing I have noticed about these books is that I don't feel like you have to read them in order to understand. Susan Carroll does a very good job making each book look more like a stand alone. Whilst I guess you don't HAVE to read the books in order, I would think that it is far more rewarding to do so. For example, if you haven't read The Dark Queen, you would not understand the significance of Simon being the main witch hunter in this book, and then in whatever role he is in in the next book. Even though these books contain more romance than I normally would seek out, I can not wait until I get book 3 from Random House and can see how the story continues. Me and Marg are discussing maybe reading that one together too. We will see how it goes. I am planning to read The Silver Rose pretty soon, but then again, it did take me six months to pick this one up!

Kailana's rating 4/5
Marg's rating 4/5

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll was quite an unusual read for me! Just deciding what to classify this book as has taken me a while. I have seen it classified as historical romance on one website, and yes, there is definitely a strong element of that here, including a relatively standard plot progression, but there seemed to be more of a basis in actual history in the book than you normally see in most historical romances (which tend to feature a historical setting, but not a whole lot of historical content!).

So, how about historical fiction. Certainly, it is strong enough to stand up in that category (and I saw it shelved in fiction when I went to the bookstore yesterday) with many of the key events based on real events, including the horrifying climax. There are however a lot of witches, spells, potions and enchantments that feature throughout the book so maybe we need to have a category called Historic/Romance/Fantasy for this book.

This mix of styles is part of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much!

Ariane Cheney has inherited the title of Lady of Fair Isle following the death of her mother. With her mother gone, and her father off exploring the world (who knows if and when he will return), it is Ariane's responsibility to look after her sisters - the emotionally damaged Gabrielle and the sensitive Miribelle, whilst also looking after the people of Fair Isle, and guarding the secrets that have been passed from generation to generation. For a lot of the ladies of Fair Isle are white witches, in a time where witchery is a crime, and witch hunters have been known to roam the land. Ariane's great skill is healing, Gabrielle's is using painting and art to create magical environs, and Miri's is that she can talk to the animals, and that she has dreams foretelling the future. Due to events that happen before the start of this book we know that Gabrielle has not painted for a while, due to losing her magic because of an encounter with a man. Gabrielle is becoming a much harder person, laying the foundations for the next book, and causing problems during this book for Ariane and her beau, who Gabrielle calls The Ogre.

Enter Justice, Compte de Renard, who has decided that Ariane is to be his bride. Poor Ariane has so much already going on, that another persistent suitor is the last thing she needs. The book opens with the Compte waiting patiently at the church for his bride to turn up, after he has ordered her that she will marry him after only their second meeting. He will take care of all the arrangements. When a straw mannequin dressed in the wedding dress he provided is taken from the carriage, Justice realises that it is not going to be as easy as he thought to bend Ariane to his will. He goes to visit Ariane at her home, and gives her an enchanted ring. He will leave her alone with the proviso that if she needs him, she places the ring on her finger, and holds it near her heart. If she calls him with the ring 3 times, then they must be married. Ariane accepts the ring, along with the guarantee that he will not continue to bother her, with no intention to use the ring once, let alone 3 times! More interestingly though, and more troubling for Ariane, where did he obtain such enchanted rings, and how can he read her eyes and thoughts so easily if he has no knowledge of witchcraft, whilst being able to guard his own thoughts from her at the same time.

However, there are dark clouds on the horizon. The Dark Queen, Catherine de Medici is planning foul deeds, and she is also a witch, a dark witch at that. Before too long Ariane is called to assist a wounded soldier (Nicholas Remy) who was trying to make his way too Fair Isle. He is carrying a pair of gloves that he believes Catherine used to murder his Queen, Catherine's rival. He needs Ariane's assistance to prove it so that he can stop the wedding between Henry of Navarre and Catherine's daughter. Catherine is however determined to get the gloves back, even if that means sending the witch hunters to Fair Isle to flush out the wanted man..even if it means that all the women on Fair Isle have to die.

This was a very compelling read. The romance between Ariane and Justice was well written and satisfying. Seeing Ariane relax and become a normal young lady at times with Justice instead of the Lady of Fair Isle with all her responsibilities was refreshing for the character. There was plenty of intrigue, and the stage has definitely been set for the next two books in the trilogy featuring the two other Cheney sisters, but also with setting up their nemesis in at least one of the two books.

If there was one criticism to be made of this book, it would be that it was a touch too long, but that is minor when compared to the strengths of the rest of the book.

I had never read any Susan Carroll before this book. I will however be on the lookout for more from her, especially the sequel The Courtesan which is not available here in Australia yet. The third book, The Silver Rose is due out in March of this year.

Rating 4 out of 5