For the King by Catherine DelorsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I knew I would enjoy this book for the very reason that it is historical fiction, and I love historical fiction. Especially historical fiction that is well-researched.
I was first taken in by this book because of the time period. I have always been fascinated by the French Revolution, but I was not too familiar with what happened after the French Revolution in Paris. Talk about it being the worst of times, maybe Charles Dickens should have written a book during that time period! It was horrid! I knew Napoleon was bad, but he made things worse than I imagined.
After the first few chapters, my interest waned. Delors is a fantastic authoress, but for the second quarter of the book, I was not as enthralled. I don't know why. I guess I just didn't care so much about the characters. Maybe the intrigue just didn't draw me in.
I remember that about a week ago, the plot took a twist that I wasn't expecting. That is when I was so drawn to the book that I did not want to put it down. I won't add any spoilers, but it concerns the character Blanche. And as I read on, the plot become even more intriguing. I now cared about what happened to Roch, the main character. I did not know if the ending would be happy or sad or a mix of both.
The best part of the book for me was when Delors described the historical authenticity of the book. Although she took artistic liberty, much of what she wrote was based on actual fact. The event around which the book is centered really happened. If you do decide to read the book, do not hesitate to read that section. There is even a United States tie-in that I never would have guessed.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to most people with a taste for historical fiction. While I found a portion of it dry, the last half of the book made it very worth reading. The sex scenes are not graphic, for the most part. And profanity is very rare--I appreciated that. I think Delors has the power to write in such a way that you feel as though you are transported back in time and are living the events of the lives of the characters right along with them. Or at least you are watching from a safe spot close by. While it is not the best book I have ever read, it is well worth your time.
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