Sandra Gulland

The Shadow Queen Sandra Gulland

Paris, 1660. As the daughter of itinerant actors, Claudette always thought her future lay in the theater. But a series of chance encounters pulls her into the orbit of Athnas de Montespan, the mistress to Louis XIV. Impetuous Athnas wields a disconcerting amount of powera fact that has ruffled many of the Sun Kings key advisors. Needing someone to act as her eyes and ears, Athnas hires Claudette as a personal attendant. She fears political enemies are plotting her ruin while young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the kings bed. As Athnas begins to lose her grip on the Sun King, her plots and fascination with the magical arts take a dark turn.