Reading at Dawn - Book Review Blog

Anne Golon, Author (also known as Sergeanne Golon)

Book 7 in A to Z challenge

Anne Golon is a historical romance author of French descent who wrote a series of book around the character Angeligue and her life in 17th century France and Canada. She is the daughter of an impoverished French noble who is traded away in marriage for the price of a mine. She is terrified and shocked when she meets her new husband, Joffrey de Peyrac, the Duke of Toulouse, whose face is disfigured by a horrific scar and whose sharp whit and intelligence mock her. But besides being a proud and influential nobleman, Peyrac is also one of the foremost scientist, troubadour and renown lover of his time.

Angelique falls in love with him after a well planned, and well executed, seduction of body and mind and all seems well - but this is when the wider political influences intrude. Joffrey de Peyrac is burnt as a witch by the young Louis IVX and Angelique, pregnant with his second son, now has to make her life, and protect her children, alone.

Over the next two decades, and 13 books, we follow her through the thieves court of Paris and the royal court of Versailles, through the dangers of the Mediterranean and middle east to the wilds of Canada. We see her love a King and a beggar, enchant a sultan and a pirate, she leads a rebellion and becomes one of the most successful traders in France. And we see her find something she thought she had lost …

These books are rich in detail and texture, written in the more lyrical style of earlier times. The historical detail is fascinating and the author managed to interweave historical truth and happenings with her fictional heroine letting us see a world full of danger and love, loyalty and betrayal.

This is a book for historical romance lovers who like the depth and historical detail, who can revel in their own sensual appreciation of characters and intricacies of action, without losing their attention span. For me, these were the books that made me love historical romance. I was nine and found them in my great-grandmother’s bookshelves - and have never put them down again. At the age of nine, I was caught by the adventure and the strong female character - today I appreciate the male characters we are handed and just cannot help falling in love with.


Reviewed by:
Christine Blackthorn
www.christineblackthorn.eu