The Sisters of Versailles

The first in a new trilogy focused on the 18th Century French Court of Louis XV, the Nesle sisters, four of whom occupied the position of mistress, is detailed with lush imagery, treachery fitting the most twisted thriller, the opulence and over the top splendor of Versailles all in a story that explores the effects of power, betrayal, competition and family in a story that brings history to life.

I love the court drama, sometimes even more animated and always more treacherous than one would expect. This story reads much like favorites (Pillars of the Earth) as the sisters are all developed and detailed: personalities, physical types, even moralities are different. With Hortense being the only sister NOT a mistress to Louis, we run through the sisters, and see their machinations within the family bonds, not to mention the behind the back maneuvering within the court. All struggling for power, presence and admiration – from one and all. Starting with Louise and moving on shortly to Pauline: the truly bitter and life altering interactions are gobsmacking. Frenemies have nothing on these women: and sadly, each was a brilliant strategist: were they born in another time, or had more options available to them – they could have ruled the world. But, boredom, greed, limited options and the family connections turned their attentions inward, as each slowly worked to destroy their rivals/sisters in benefit of their own rise on the ladder.

This is gripping, telenovela-style drama that is all the more intriguing (and heart wrenching) for the fact that these were real women involved in real situations. The historical research in this novel is impeccable, descriptions are lush and evocative and the people… well, suffice it to say that the revolution against the rulers in France is understood better after seeing the attitudes, the wastefulness and the unrestrained behavior of the court. A wonderful read, I can’t wait for the next.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Although it is hard to imagine that this story of the five sisters is true, (and it was), the characters and setting were fascinating and certainly did make me understand why the French Revolution occurred. I enjoyed the descriptions of palace life and the intrigue and agree that it was easy to see the perspectives of each character with the style that the author used.

If you enjoy history, especially royal fiction, you will devour this book as I did. I am looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy. Thank you, Sally Christie, for sharing the story of these sisters with us!

I would like to thank Atria Books & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.

Goodreads Teaser:
"A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, France's most "well-beloved" monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed.

Goodness, but sisters are a thing to fear.

Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters: Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne, four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.

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 as various factions put their best foot - and women - forward. The King's scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, the four sisters:sweet, naive Louise; ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne, will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.

In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour. Based on meticulous research on a group of women never before written about in English, Sally Christie's stunning debut is a complex exploration of power and sisterhood; of the admiration, competition, and even hatred that can coexist within a family when the stakes are high enough."

I went into this book anticipating that it would read like The Other Boleyn Girl and other similar books. That was a faulty expectation on my part. While it was similar in the research, the approach taken was different. Or maybe it's because the main characters themselves were different. At least they were in the beginning.

Five young, aristocratic, girls from a family with a moderately good name but very limited means. They were fairly well spread out in age, with almost ten years between eldest and youngest. Ten crucial years. And each girl was so very different, not just in appearance, but more importantly in personality. And those personality differences are essentially what make this book work. To begin in a loving nursery, all together and pledging to love each other always and end where they did - well that's a truly interesting story. And one that's well told by Ms. Christie.

Each sister embodied characteristics that would ideally all be found in one person, and maybe they were in each sister to a degree. But in their case each had a dominant trait, though two were very close in their trait. And it was a most unbecoming character trait they shared. Between them they covered piety, kindness, greed, desire for ultimate power, and general cheerfulness. Such a mix of personalities - and all were desired by the King of France at one point or another. Sometimes at the same time.

I enjoyed learning about each sister, and of them all there was only one I truly disliked, even when it probably should have been two that I disliked. But Ms. Christie does a wonderful job of bringing each sister to life, and doing her best to recreate the story of their lives with very little material to work from. I certainly would have imagined that when a King takes four out of five sisters as mistresses it would have been worthy of chronicling, especially as he'd have taken the fifth if she'd been willing. Apparently times were very different then, for they slipped into obscurity almost before the last one died.

Seeing the inner life of the King through each of the sister's eyes was fascinating. They certainly got to learn about him better than almost anyone, for almost no one lets their guard down around anyone as much as they do their lovers. As this was originally to be a non-fiction story, I am left wondering how much of the King's personality is accurate. So much so that I'm tempted to find a biography about him to see if they sisters saw him truly, or saw a side that very few others were privy to. One of the final scenes with the King did make me like him a bit more, while also making me dislike him a bit more as well. It made me want to shake him and tell him to look deep to see what he really wanted. Any book that makes me want to interact with a character or two is a good book in my opinion. And while it didn't begin as expected, it was well worth the read.