MISTRESS OF THE SUN

Not only is Diana Leblanc comfortable with French pronunciations, she lingers over sensory details and differentiates classes with nuanced accents as she welcomes us into the world of Louise de la Vallière, the adored mistress of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Known to us and those of her era as "Petite," she had a childhood of wild rambles in the woods of her father's country estate. When she uses "bone magic" to tame a wild stallion and the horse kills her father, she's fearful about having sinned. After capturing the heart of Louis XIV, Petite's passionate and pious natures again collide in a court that is thrilling, or chilling, depending on the politics of the moment. Leblanc brings strength to the court's shifting alliances and Petite's internal struggles. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2009]