Versailles, 1667. Louis XIV is 28 years old and King of France. Still haunted by the memory of the Fronde, an opposition lead by the nobility against his father, Louis knows that he must tame the French aristocracy or risk being toppled by them. Louis conceives of the construction of Versailles - the greatest palace the world has ever seen - as a gilded prison designed to keep the nobles out of Paris and under his control. As his enemies circle, Louis XIV proves to be an extraordinary strategist, manipulative and Machiavellian. There is nothing he will not do to insure his sovereignty.
Meanwhile, court becomes a battlefield of tactical liaisons and private passions. Louis' queen, Theresa of Austria, must fight to keep her husband's attentions while he falls under the spell of his powerful mistress, the sister of the King of England. As tensions rise, Versailles proves to be more than a palace, it is a labyrinth of treason and hushed secrets, of political schemes and deadly conspiracies. It is a place of passion and death, love and vengeance.
Elizabeth Massie, a ninth generation Virginian, has been writing professionally since 1984. Many of her works are in the horror/suspense genre (Sineater, Hell Gate, Desper Hollow, Wire Mesh Mothers, Homeplace, Afraid, and more), but she also writes mainstream fiction (Homegrown), media tie ins (The Tudors, Versailles, Dark Shadows), educational materials, and poetry (Night Benedictions). Her first novel, Sineater, won the Bram Stoker Award. Her Tudors novelization (season 3) won the Scribe award. She is currently working on Ameri-Scares (Crossroad Press) a 50 novel series of spooky books for middle grade readers (age 8-12), as well as new novels and short works for adults.
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