Enchantress of Paris

I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl on the Gold Coin about Frances Stuart. I was really excited to read this author's second novel about a character I knew nothing about, Marie Mancini. I have read several novels about The Sun King's mistresses, but all were later in his life. It was a new experience to read about his younger life while still under the control of Mazarin and queen mother. The novel started off slowly and I was pretty disappointed until about halfway through, when the story suddenly picked up. I didn't find myself liking any of the characters much; Marie seemed intelligent and strong at first, but I later found her actions vapid and weak. King Louis was a pawn for most of the novel too. So I didn't really connect with any of them, but the story was interesting and new to me. Overall, it deserves 3.5 stars, but I rounded up. I still like Frances Stuart's story better.

The stars foretold Marie Mancini’s family that she would be the ruination of them, even while her skills at divination would exceed their wildest dreams. But her uncle, Cardinal Mazarin takes Marie in anyway. He introduces her to life at court in Louis XIV palace and gardens. The sun king is already besotted with Marie’s sister Olympia and Marie learns that her uncle uses Olympia to manipulate the king. Determined not to be sent off to live in a convent, Marie reinvents herself and as she becomes more popular at court, the Sun King takes notice. Marie will now do everything she can to win Louis’s favor, even if it is at her own sister’s expense. But when things go badly, Marie exposes her uncle’s darkest secrets and even Louis cannot keep the young woman safe from angry mobs. Marie will have to use her considerable powers to save herself. A glittering, fascinating combination of historical fiction and magic.