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Book: “The Court of Shadows” by Victor Dixen and Francoise Bui (translator)
Publishing Info: Amazon Crossing, September 2023
Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher.
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: A fiery heroine seeks vengeance against a royal court of deadly vampires in this epic alternate history set in lavish Versailles.
Louis XIV transformed from the Sun King into the King of Shadows when he embraced immortality and became the world’s first vampire. For the last three centuries, he has been ruling the kingdom from the decadent Court of Shadows in Versailles, demanding the blood of his subjects to sate his nobles’ thirst and maintain their loyalty.
In the heart of rural France, commoner Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family and learns of her parents’ role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. To seek her revenge, Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers. She soon finds herself at the doors of the palace of Versailles.
But Jeanne, of course, is no aristocrat. She dreams not of court but of blood. The blood of a king.
Review: Thank you to Amazon Crossing for sending me an ARC of this novel!
It’s early in the Halloween season (well…. okay it’s early in October, as for me the Halloween season starts the day after Labor Day), and you know that I just had to have a vampire story in my Horrorpalooza line up somewhere. So here we have “The Court of Shadows”, a historical fiction/alternate timeline/ vampire horror tale by Victor Dixen. Originally published in France, it has been translated into multiple languages and now it is hitting the United States. When it ended up in my mailbox I was wholly, wholly interested, and knew that it was going to be perfect to showcase during Horrorpalooza. Vampires in Versailles is just ingenius. And “The Court of Shadows” really sucked me in.
Dixen has created a familiar and yet foreign alternative timeline, in which much of the world has had vampires insert themselves into seats of power to govern countries and to feed upon the lower classes while they use the upper classes to keep them in line. In France King Louis the Sun King has been ruling as a vampire for 300+ years, and has established a court of aristocrats to keep the common folk in line while they are taxed of their blood. It’s such a unique vampire mythos that uses themes of the aristocracy and a parasitic nature (in multiple ways) that works SO WELL in vampire tales and makes them feel fresh. You add in a competition at a prestigious school that creates protectors and right hand men/women for the vampires, all potentially ending with a granted chance at vampirism for the winners, and I was completely enthralled. It makes for some engaging political intrigue as people plot and scheme, and try to make their ambitions bear fruit by any means necessary, all while they are pitted against each other for darker ends. I also highly enjoyed the concept of the Vampyria rule essentially stalling society in time, technology and culture wise, as it reads like France is still very much existing during the reign of the Sun King even though it is three hundred years later (aka, modern day). As a vampire tale, it works very well.
I also really liked Jeanne’s story arc as she goes from rural ‘commoner’ to vengeful imposter with a mission to kill the vampiric King Louis, and where that drive and ambition and journey takes her characterization. When we first meet her she is a bit in the dark about her family’s involvement in a potential rebellion against Vampyria, and in a moment of panic and self preservation she passes herself off as an aristocrat and ends up at a school where she will be trained to protect the vampires from any threats. From there she decides to win the favor and the training competition they are holding, as it will get her close to those who had her family killed, including Louis himself. It harkens back to dystopia tales like “The Hunger Games” or “The Belles”, but what I liked about Jeanne is that her rage and need for vengeance starts to transform her into a calculating, and in some ways merciless and brutal, competitor. I liked the complexity and how at times she was downright vicious, and walking towards the precipice of becoming a villain in her own way. It makes me all the more excited for the next book in the series, “The Court of Miracles”.
I enjoyed “The Court of Shadows”. The intrigue, the competition, the vampires, it all worked for me. I am very interested in seeing where we go from here in the next one.
Rating 9: Filled with political intrigue, complex characters, and a dark fantasy vision of a vampire run world, “The Court of Shadows” is entertaining and a Gothic delight.
Reader’s Advisory:
“The Court of Shadows” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but I think that if you enjoyed “The Belles” and general vampire fiction, this could be a good match.
The Library Ladies 