Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Milady by Laura L. Sullivan tells the story of Clarice, Lady de Winter, and how she came to be the villainess, seductress, and antagonist to the infamous Three Musketeers. We all know there are two sides to every story, and Sullivan turns the classic tale on its head. Readers follow Clarice’s idyllic childhood, rough coming of age, loves, betrayals, and secrets – everything that shapes her into the notorious woman she becomes. It is a fun diversion from the stresses of the real world.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Clarice’s story, but apparently I do not remember as much about Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers as I thought. I felt like I was missing important information at times. This did not ruin the book for me, but it was frustrating. My fault, not Sullivan’s. The book is obviously well researched and thought out. In fact, the writing is quite beautiful. I found myself stopping to reread sentences here and there because they were so striking. The pace is generally pretty steady though there are bits that do drag a little.

It takes some terrible life experiences to turn someone bitter and so vengeful, and Clarice definitely comes up against more than her share, but it never feels over-the-top. She is young and naïve at first, but her training as a spy and the betrayal and lies of those closest to her harden her. She is not the most likable protagonist, but it is not difficult to feel sympathetic to her plight. At a time when women were essentially property, I particularly enjoyed the moments when Clarice is especially clever and those she targets really get their comeuppance.

Milady is quite the adventure, and I heartily recommend it to fans of The Three Musketeers and readers who especially enjoy a strong protagonist and plenty of intrigue and revenge.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Historical fiction is my favorite genre but I just could not connect with the characters in Milady. Thank you for the opportunity.

Milady is a very enjoyable retelling of The Three Musketeers, from the point of view of the villain, Milady de Winter. It's a retelling of sorts, anyway - the book follows two storylines, one that fleshes out Milady's history and how she came to be a spy and assassin, and the other the events of The Three Musketeers from her perspective. I loved how Sullivan took scenes from The Three Musketeers that seemed to be defeats for Milady and repurposed them. The Musketeers think one thing happened, but what if they have no idea that they're just Milady's pawns and she's three steps ahead? Milady, or Clarice, is a wonderful character. She's richly developed, and I loved her backstory, as well as the relationships she develops. My only complaint about this book is that I haven't read The Three Musketeers, and this book required knowledge of that story to be fully understandable. (At least I felt that way in the beginning - after I got about 3/4 done I felt less lost in those parts and I loved seeing how the two stories came together.) But, I did feel the need to read a Three Musketeers plot summary, which I tried to do without reading too many spoilers, which was tough. As an aside, when I did that I was horrified by the actions of the Musketeers and was so glad that MIlady's story was being told, and that that was the book I was reading instead of the original. I would have appreciated some sort of "what you need to know" summary in the beginning of the book before diving in. Overall, though, this was absolutely lovely and I recommend it. To those of you who've read The Three Musketeers before, I highly recommend it.

History is always written by the perceived victors and nowhere is that more true than in this book, which offers a refreshing perspective on a literary character who doesn’t always get her due. Sullivan’s Milady is complex, shrewd, capable and in charge, and her retelling of a story we thought we knew from a different POV was impossible to put down.

If you want an unrepentant, badass assassin heroine, then Milady by Laura L Sullivan is the book for you. I loved it. I gave up precious sleep for it. I want to read it again.

My introduction to The Three Musketeers and therefore the Countess de Winter (also known as Milady) was through the 1993 movie that starred Chris O’Donnell as D’Artagnan and Rebecca De Mornay as the Countess de Winter. It also starred Charlie Sheen, a fact I had clearly scrubbed from my memory. In that movie, just as in the book, Milday is a classic femme fatale. She uses her sex appeal to manipulate good men all while betraying them for her own ends.

Laura L Sullivan revisits Milady’s story from her point of view, and rather than a two-dimensional vixen who spies for the evil Cardinal Richelieu, she’s nuanced, intelligent, independent woman with a complicated past. This is a historical adventure, not a romance, and I do want to caution readers that it contains depictions of torture and attempted rape.

Milady is divided into two sections, the “present day” which takes place in 1628 and coincides with the events of The Three Musketeers, and Milady recalling the events that brought her to this place. If you’ve never read The Three Musketeers that’s fine, although I do recommend reading this Wikipedia summary so you can see how Sullivan’s tale varies from the original. This is a feminist retelling, and to appreciate that you need to understand a little bit about the original novel.

Milady’s true name is Clarice, and she was born in Yorkshire to a noble family. Her father was often at court and her mother taught Clarice everything from running a household, to herbalism, to where to stab a dude if he’s attacking you. When she is of age, her father takes her to be presented at court, and Clarice finds out that her mother was preparing her for survival. Her father, Lord Paget, is determined to use Clarice’s beauty to elevate their family, and he’s involved in all sorts of schemes along with George Villiers (the future Duke of Buckingham). Initially Clarice is so eager to win her father’s approval and George’s love, that she engages in their machinations without realizing the ways in which she’s being used and manipulated. When she learns she’s just a pawn to these men, she basically says “the fuck with this,” and that’s where the story of Milady takes off.

When she refuses to participate in their schemes any longer, Clarice is shipped off to a hellish convent in France. That’s where she meets her BFF, Connie, someday Madame Bonacieux. Clarice and Connie, both abandoned by their families, are meant to suffer and perish at the convent, something neither of them is about to do. They plot together and Clarice convinces a young priest to help them escape.

Hello wonderful reader friends! I don’t know where you’re reading from today but it is a scorcher over here – temperatures over 100F! Never have I been more thankful for air conditioning and a good book! Speaking of which, I wanted to spotlight Milady by Laura L. Sullivan today!



What’s Milady All About? (Thanks to the Publisher Berkely for providing summary!)

I’ve gone by many names, though you most likely know me as Milady de Winter: Villainess. Seductress. A secondary player in someone else’s tale.

It’s finally time I tell my own story. The truth isn’t tidy or convenient, but it’s certainly more interesting.

Before you cast judgment, let me start at the beginning, and you shall learn how an innocent girl from the countryside became the most feared woman in all of Europe.

Because we all know history was written by men, and they so often get things wrong.

YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO KNOW JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR — LAURA L. SULLIVAN – AND AGAIN, THANKS TO THE PUBLISHER FOR PROVIDING THE INFORMATION!
Laura L. Sullivan is the author of five books for middle grade and young adult audiences. This is her adult debut. She lives in Florida with her son.



WHO SHOULD CHECK OUT MILADY BY LAURA L. SULLIVAN?
Based upon what I have read of Milady so far, I would say you’d be at an advantage going into this book if you’ve already read Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. That’s because the main character in this book is actually the villain in The Three Musketeers. Milady features a very strong woman as a main character who moves about in a way that she uses society to work for her. There’s machinations and politics and double crossing. If historical fiction with some swash buckling and a different perspective of a villain is your thing, you’ll be so pleased with this book!

Milady by Laura L. Sullivan is one of those books that the reader has a hard time putting down. I like many others have watched the Three Musketeer movies. I always thought that they were awesome, three friends going around and taking care of the bad guys. I don't remember anything about a woman assassin who takes on the Musketeers.

As the story goes one, it starts in 1628 In Paris. The first sentence "The things a woman has to do to make her way in this world" Clarice, a young widow finds herself in a whorehouse as part of a house of prostitutes run by Mrs.Fox. Thus starts the story of the life of Milady de Winter. We learn in alternating chapters the beginning of Milady's spy life. Spying for Cardinal Richelieu puts her in danger over and over. How did she become the most feared female assassin? What was her role with The Three Musketeers? She was taken from her father for his own gains. Sent to a woman who teaches her the things she needs to know to become a successful assassin for the Cardinal.

Written beautifully, in different times of her life, her loves and hopes and also her losses. It is a historical adventure of a strong, beautiful woman who is fearless and who was treated badly by D’Artagnan. This story is told in two different timelines, 10 years apart, with her doing things that were more often than not dangerous. The book is true to the time. Very well researched. The only thing I can say is that the author has made The Three Musketeers to be villainous and all-around bad boys. I remember them to be more for the downtrodden and very romantic. Didn't find that here. Does it matter? Not to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

When I was barely coming into my adolescents, I discovered the swashbuckling adventures of The Three Musketeers. Albeit on the big screen and not the Dumas novel, but swashbuckling adventure all the same!

I loved the 1993 film version, even if I did hate Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell in it, it was still exciting and as a young girl who longed for grace adventures, it had everything I could hope for. Sword fights, friendship, and of course a bad ass femme fatale!

Oh how I loved Milady de Winter! She was one of the first female characters that stands out in my mind. She wasn’t a maid in need of rescuing, like Maid Marian in Robin Hood, she was the villain and she captured my imagination.

So when this book showed up for review on my desk, I squealed! I couldn’t believe someone wrote a novel from her perspective! I couldn’t wait to star reading it and crack it open almost immediately!

Summary

She was the greatest nemesis of d’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers–but Milady de Winter was so much more than just a villain in their swashbuckling adventures.

I’ve gone by many names though you know me as Milady de Winter: Villainess, seductress, a secondary player in The Three Musketeers story.

But we all know history was written by men, and they so often get things wrong.

So before you cast judgment, let me tell you of how a girl from the countryside became the most feared woman in all of Europe. A target for antipathy, a name whispered in fear or loathing.

I don’t need you to like me. I just need to be free.

It’s finally time I tell my own story. The truth isn’t tidy or convenient, but it’s certainly more interesting (summary from Goodreads).

Review

For me, this book had to pack a big punch. It needed to come in swords blazing. I don’t know that it completely blew me over, but I thought it came in strong all the same. In my opinion, Milady de Winter is kind of a lesser known character/villain unless you are familiar with the Musketeers’ story. I only have a condensed, Hollywood ideal for reference and I think this novel would have had a greater impact if I had read the Dumas classic first.

I think one of the biggest struggles of this novel for me was the time shifting. The most interesting part of the book is Milady’s coming of age story, but it would awkwardly get broken up to shift back to Milady’s ‘modern’ story featuring the Musketeers. The change was only marked by a new date and for my, I kept having to go back and find what date I had been at in the previous chapter to orientate myself with the timeline.

At times I felt like Milady (or Clarice) was fiery and fierce but yet that didn’t translate into action. I often felt like Clarice was plotting and scheming but then things happened to her rather than her making those things happen if that makes sense. I didn’t feel like (at least in the beginning) that she every really got to execute her plans the way that she had plotted because outside characters or situations would limit her or interfere.

While these two things were a struggle for me, I did still love the book and the concept of her story. I found Clarice very relatable on a number of levels and I loved seeing her vulnerability especially as a young girl just coming to court for the first time. It was very evident that she would never make a typical courtier, but yet her innocents made her susceptible to more cutthroat courtiers. I think it’s in this part of the story that the author thrives and we get to see what Clarice could have been if she been in different circumstances.

Overall I ended up giving this book a 4 star rating. It was too unique and interesting to go with anything lower than 4 stars but the timeline switching was a bit of a struggle to bump it up to 5 stars.

Book Info and Rating

Paperback, 384 pages
Published July 2nd 2019 by Berkley Books
ISBN 0451489985 (ISBN13: 9780451489982)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: historical fiction

I enjoyed this story a lot. I wouldn't recommend going in blind however. I didn't realize that the author was building off of a character from the Three Musketeers until I read the author"s note at the end. The author did a great job of making her main character fascinating, but I was a bit confused by the jumping back and forth between decades.

From the very first page, I was completely absorbed in this book. I wish that I remembered more of the story from The Three Musketeers, but my poor memory of that book didn't keep me from enjoying this book. This story stands completely on its own and can be enjoyed for itself. I loved the strong feminist themes. Although this has nothing to do with the content of the book, I don't like this new cover trend with a woman' s body hovering over a building or scene.

This was a fascinating read. This book takes the villainess of the Three Musketeers story and explains how she came to take that role. Although it is easy to see her as the villain in the Three Musketeers, understanding her past and her motives makes it easier to understand, empathize and even like her, at least a little bit. It’s clear from the writing and the story that Sullivan did a good amount of research to make the story seem realistic. She did a great job with the atmosphere and dialogue, leading to feel as though they have stepped back in time. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

First line: The things a woman has to do to make her way in this world…

Summary: The villainess of the classic novel, The Three Musketeers, is Milady de Winter. She is accused of many terrible crimes. However, maybe Dumas’ story got it wrong? Milady now wants to tell her story.

Clarice is a young girl, raised in England on a small estate. When her father decides that she is old enough to be of use to him he takes her to the court of King James I of England. There she meets that handsome rogue, George Villiers. They are both taught how to manipulate and use the people around them to gain power. But when Clarice learns something she is sent away to a convent in France. Here she learns more about who she is and sets her on the path to becoming one of the most notorious women in literature.

My Thoughts: The Three Musketeers is one of my favorite books. I love the action, the love, the revenge and of course Milady! When you read the original story it is easy to see her as the villain but Sullivan gives us a look at who she might have really been. It was fascinating and loads of fun to read.

I loved how the author switched between the events of the TTM and Milady’s past. Giving her a past makes her much more likeable and easier to understand her motives. She does do a lot of terrible things to the musketeers but she is also a victim. I never considered the interactions between Milady and D’Artagnan as rape but as I read this I realized that it totally is. Crazy! This romantic hero did what?!

When I began reading I was highly anticipating the events mentioned in TTM at Milady’s trial. I loved her time at the convent. Sullivan twisted the original story and its characters to fit into her story. I could tell that she did lots of research in order to make the story plausible. If I had not recently reread TTM I would have almost believed that things happened the way she wrote it.

My second and probably favorite part was her relationship with the Vicomte de la Fere. He is one of the major twists in the classic novel. I could not wait to see what their relationship was like and how it turned so deadly. It was well worth the wait. I loved seeing her change over time but in the end she could not escape her past.

FYI: If you love swashbuckling tales then this one is for you! And please read The Three Musketeers. It is wonderful!

This was such a fun book, from the very first scene. Broadly, it’s the story of how a young woman becomes the badass spy-assassin Milday deWinter, one of the villains of the Three Musketeers. There are two timelines—one that shows how Clarice becomes Milady (loosely following the backstory that Athos and Dumas give her in The Three Musketeers) and the other is contemporaneous with the story of The Three Musketeers.

Thinking about it, it feels weird to describe a book so filled with terrible, manipulating men who feel entitled to sexual assault as “fun,” but it was for me. Primarily because Clarice is competent, witty, and gets shit done for herself (most of the time). Sometimes you need a good romance, other times you need a good hardcore “sticking it to the patriarchy” kind of book. This is definitely the latter, and I loved it.

I always love a good reversal of classic stories, where the villain becomes the central character, and the hero’s faults are exposed. A story that makes you think about why the villain acted the way they did. Maybe not forgiving them, but sympathizing.

In Laura L Sullivan’s Milady, we see the story of Clarice (aka Milady de Winter), a spy, villainess, and antagonist of the classic book, The Three Musketeers. I have read Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and if I’m honest (though it has admittedly been a long time since I read it), I always found Milady de Winter to be an interesting character, and one who was treated poorly by D’Artagnan in the first place. Lest we forget when he pretended to be someone else and had sexual relations with her under the cloak of darkness. That type of behavior would not be tolerated in 2019, but of course it was a different time back then.

Early in the book, Milady is a bit naïve. Growing up with her mother, only to then be taken by her father to the royal palace, Milady soon sheds her naivety. Betrayal has a way of forcing a young woman to harden, afterall. I found it incredibly fascinating to see Milady shed the innocence of a sheltered upbringing. Through a series of events in the book, Milady becomes the spy and assassin we know from The Three Musketeers.

Sullivan’s Milady is a wonderfully complex character. Still flawed, still cunning, still a bit vengeful. But I hope readers also sympathize with her. It is hard to imagine the life this woman led and at the time. Women certainly were used and seen as less than, so I cheered her on when her cleverness and boldness allowed the men to finally understand that she is stronger than they believed. That a woman is capable of getting on over on them is an important lesson, despite her ultimate fate.

I found the focus on Milady’s life prior to the events in The Three Musketeers to be wonderful. Sullivan rounded out her character and fantasized how this brave, flawed, and diabolical woman became the person she was. At times the writing was so elegant that I had to reread the sentences.

It is also apparent that Sullivan spent considerable time researching and plotting this book, and to great effect. I thought it was brilliant that Sullivan didn’t change who Milady was, but she did tell you more about her. Milady wasn’t necessarily a nice character, but she was sympathetic. And she’s also fascinating! Much more so than the four males it took to bring The Three Musketeers to notoriety. (I’m exaggerating, I actually do love the original story as well, but I’m making a point here about the male-female dynamic and characterizations)

Fans of this reimagining of a classic story will enjoy this one! It’s a fascinating historical fiction novel, filled with all sorts of scandal, spies, treason, murder, and secrets. And Milady de Winter is certainly a woman who can carry a book!

Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

(Note: This review is *SPOILER FREE*.)

4/5 stars

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this one from the publisher! If there is a type of book I love almost more than any other, it is when a well-known story is retold with a twist. In this case, we get to hear the story of the Three Musketeers from the point of view of the "villainess", Milady de Winter. Before I get into the finer details, here's the bottom line: I thought this was a really great read with a good writing style and a fantastic main character! 

Things I loved: The biggest thing I loved about this story is the reminder it gives us that the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, often depends very much on who is telling the story. Nothing is simple, and there is a lot of room for moral grey in our lives. I also really love our main character. She starts out as such a naive, sweet, soft-hearted girl, and we get to follow her journey to becoming one of the most deadly and feared assassins in France, who works as a spy for the infamous Cardinal Richelieu. It was awesome! She had so many layers and a lot of depth, and that really impressed me because this isn't a super long book. The plot of the story aligns nicely with most of the main points of the original Three Musketeers story, which is also a plus. But you don't have to have ever read that (or seen the various movies and shows depicting the story) to still enjoy this book. If you like adventures, writing that flies off the pages, and stories of love and betrayal, retribution and grief, then you'll like this one.

Things I didn't love: There were very few things I didn't love about the story. At times, I felt the writing was almost too light-handed. I would sometimes want a few more details about the sights and sounds and smells of a scene, or it would skip through time just a little too quickly for my taste. However, I really think this is probably a personal preference and may not bother others at all. 

Overall, it was a great read, and I look forward to reading others by this author. If you like historical fiction, moral relativism, and strong heroines, this is the book for you. Thank you so much to Berkley for sharing the eARC with me!

Her father comes for an infrequent visit and ends up taking her with him on his return. His lady friend at home has a son she might be interested in. She is and she gets instructions on how to act like a lady from the lady friend. She doesn't realize they plan to use her...

Berkley sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It is being published today.

She helps George get to be the King's assistant and then he dumps her. Her own father sends her to a nunnery. Who expected her to be nice after that?

She knows poisons: how much will kill, how much will make them sick, what antidotes work. She uses her charms to snare a young priest. They escape together but when she wants to separate, he won't. She ends up sneaking off. She's out of luck, though. He stole gold, and they are captured. She's branded by the executioner but she gets away. Now she can't pretend to be a lady, she's permanently marked. But she does what she can. She even gets married but won't let him consummate the marriage. Then she learns about his temper. He's a wicked man.

She really just wanted a man she could settle down with and have a family. It's not to be. With her poisons she leaves dead ones behind, she's escaping old enemies until they find her again and she's close to death many times. She doesn't have a tame life. She doesn't have love, just the power of her poisons and her personal strength. Will that be enough?

Anyone who is familiar with The Three Musketeers will know of Milady de Winter. This story is told from Milady's point of view and alternates between her present (1628), and flashbacks to her past, from childhood on up. However, even if you haven't actually read The Three Musketeers (I have not), you'll definitely still enjoy this!

Chronicled in a straightforward, unapologetic way, Milady details how circumstances, the actions of those in whose care she was under as a child, and some of her own choices, crafted her into the woman she would become - who is also not quite as you'd believe.

This one was really a page-turner, with a strong female lead and lots of adventure!

Stevie‘s review of Milady by Laura L. Sullivan
Historical Fiction published by Berkley 02 Jul 19

While I’m familiar with the basic premise of The Three Musketeers through various media, I’ve never actually read Dumas’ original novel in any translation; not that this omission stoppped me enthusiastically requesting a review copy of a new retelling to that tale from the point of view of the main female antagonist. As I often point out, I love a good re-imagining of a well-known story, especially one that sticks to the established facts while turning their interpretation completely on its head. And that’s exactly what I got here.


Told over two time lines, almost a decade and a half apart, the story begins in 1628 with Milady de Winter beginning to grow weary of her life of deception and longing for the day when she will be free to spend more time with her lover, their son, and her best friend, But first she must make one last attempt to defeat the Musketeers and bring the new member of the group – D’Artagnan – over to Cardinal Richelieu’s way of thinking. Seeking to increase her knowledge of her prey, Milady dons a series of disguises and gains her first glimpses of both the boy and his trio of famous companions, of whom she has heard much. Her intelligence has not, however, prepared her for the discovery that one of them is already known to her under another name and from the time before she took up her destiny as a spy. Her plan suddenly altered, Milady thinks back to happier times.

The second time line to the story begins in 1615, when Clarice – as she is then known – is approaching adulthood on the Yorkshire estate of a minor English nobleman. Raised mainly by her French mother, Clarice has fond memories of growing up surrounded by the children of her parents’ servants, most particularly Denys, the son of the French falconer. Up until now, Clarice’s father has mostly ignored her on his infrequent visits home, but this time he realises that she has grown into a beautiful young woman who can be manipulated into furthering his ambitions in the court of King James. And so Clarice is educated in the arts of a spy by her father’s friend Mary Villiers and her son George (the future Duke of Buckingham, though none of them are aware of his destiny at the time).

Once trained, Clarice and George are thrust into a plot to discredit the King’s favourite, Robert Carr. Although they are successful, Clarice soon finds herself at odds with her fellow plotters and is sent away to a place where she believes none except her mother is likely to find her. Rescue is tortuously slow in coming, and Clarice is forced to rely on her wits and on the one true friend she makes while a virtual prisoner. Even when help arrives, danger and intrigue are never far behind, and Clarice learns time and again that no one is ever quite what they seem.

The two time lines alternate beautifully as Clarice cheats death in both, until at last she faces her final fate from those enemies she has made along the way. Fortunately, some of her friends have remained true to her, and her wits are still sharper than those of the four Musketeers combined.

I loved this story. All the characters appeared in both time lines. Although it was not always easy to identify their alternate identities straight away, the pieces fitted together perfectly once all became clear. In true swashbuckling style, most of them appeared to die at least once, only to reappear later. I definitely want to read more from this author and I shall be seeking out the translation of Dumas that she referred to in her notes at the book’s end.

Grade: A

A riveting tale is told by Milady in this new book from Laura L. Sullivan. It is so much more than a historical romance. Told in dual timelines, we see Milady at a crossroads as well as the experiences that have brought her there. The three musketeers are demanding justice and Milady makes her case to us in this book. A fascinating look at the plight of women in the early 17th century and a reminder of the treachery in court politics. The twists and turns in this plot will keep those pages turning. A perfect choice for book groups -- discussion questions already included!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with the good stuff:

The writing has a beautiful literary quality. Sometimes I'd stop and linger over an elegantly worded sentence.

Sullivan clearly knows her history. The dialogue rings true for the times. Little details are sprinkled throughout that thoroughly immerse us in the historical period.

Now the stuff I didn't love: The Three Musketeers are vilified here. If you're a fan of the original Musketeers, you might not like where this story takes you. In fact, most every male in this story is either a rapist, abuser, con artist, or some combination of all those things. While I know life was intensely difficult for women back then, the backdrop is too black-and-white, men versus women.

The author relies on readers having a firm understanding of the Three Musketeers story. I've forgotten more than I remember, and consequently I felt I was missing major pieces of this story.

And, finally, the pacing becomes oh so slow. At about the one-third point, we come to a place where the story seems to stand endlessly still. I got bored, started skimming, put the book down a lot, and could have easily left it at that.

While this book will absolutely hold appeal for a lot of readers, ultimately I'm not part of the ideal target audience.