Book Title: The Bastard Prince of Versailles: A Novel Inspired by True Events
Author: Will Bashor
Publisher: Diderot Press
Cover Artist: Will Bashor
Release Date: September 6, 2023
Genre: Historical gay fiction
Tropes: Forbidden love, friends to lovers, coming of age
Themes: Love, war, redemption
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 95 000 words/ 330 pages
It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.
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In The Bastard Prince of Versailles, a factually based historical novel, a disowned gay prince struggles to redeem himself through heroism and self-sacrifice at war in 17th century France.
Blurb
Author Will Bashor portrays the intrigues of the 17th-century French court with fantastic detail and a passion for atmosphere, filling every page with rivalries, betrayals, and political maneuvering. The character of Louis is sensitively drawn, and readers witness his struggles with identity, love, and the demands of royal life. The Chevalier de Lorraine’s manipulation and the gay society subplot add depth to the narrative, highlighting the complexities of sexual identity and society’s prejudices of the time. As Louis is exiled and later given a chance at redemption through military service, the novel delves into themes of heroism and self-sacrifice with some deeply compelling emotional scenes that tug at the heartstrings and help us relate to human beings from centuries ago on a modern personal level. Overall, The Bastard Prince of Versailles is a compelling historical novel that not only entertains but also educates about a lesser-known aspect of French history, and I would not hesitate to recommend it. 5 Stars.
Readers’ Favorite – K.C. Finn
Although Louis had less space in his room than Jules-Armand, it was well lit with a varnished writing table cluttered with books, toy soldiers, and maps. Today, the room was busier than usual. One of his valets opened the doors of an intricately carved armoire, removed a blue velvet jacket, and laid it out on Louis’ poster bed. Madame Colbert picked up a small box from his night table and opened it.
“You could wear your gold medallion today, Count Louis,” she said.
Louis turned to her with wide eyes. “But I’ve never worn it before. Am I allowed?” “Why not? You are the Admiral of France.”
Not only would Louis don his military uniform and medallion, but he and his sister, having practiced for weeks, would surprise their father with a dance. Louis had heard stories that the king was an accomplished ballet dancer, and he was worried because he didn’t excel in dance like his sister. But he would do his best, knowing that Monsieur Colbert wanted the performance to reflect on his diligence in raising the king’s children. As soon as Louis was dressed and Madame Colbert had finished fussing about his outfit, she left the room and Louis returned to his window.
The château buzzed loudly with excitement, only unnerving Madame Colbert even more. Valets could be heard rushing from chamber to chamber with stiffly pressed clothing for the men, ladies-in-waiting were fervently polishing the furniture and sweeping the marble-tiled floors, and musicians were tuning their stringed instruments in the orangery. Even the kitchen was a discord of gossipy whispers and restrained laughter—until a loud shriek came from the second floor, causing all the servants to stop in their tracks.
“His Majesty, the king! Papa! Papa is here!” cried Louis when he spotted from his window the over-the-top procession of horse-drawn carriages emerging from the wooded landscape. Gilded in 24-carat gold leaf, the royal coaches glistened from afar, even on this overcast morning. The sight of the grand structures of wood and iron with ornate doors and glass windows took Louis’ breath away.
The sides of the road leading to the château filled with carriages and onlookers from nearby villages as the king’s coach, flanked by musketeers on horseback, led the way. Inside, King Louis XIV sat across from thirteen-year-old Dauphin Louis of France, his eldest son and heir to the throne. Stout with a ruddy complexion, the dauphin gazed blankly into the distance with his head leaning against the window. He had barely finished yawning when he broke the uncomfortable silence.
“This would have been a perfect day for hunting,” he said in a whiney tone.
The king swallowed down annoyance at his son’s cranky comment. “I chose this day to honor Minister Colbert with a special visit,” said the king. “We will hunt tomorrow at Fontainebleau.”
The dauphin replied with a slight grunt and returned his gaze to the window. He watched military troops traveling alongside the king’s coach on horseback, focusing on their military-blue coats, decorated with gold braids and a silver silk sash tied around the waist.
Queen Maria Theresa’s coach, surrounded by her bodyguards, followed closely from behind. Inside, the queen sat opposite the king’s former, but still official mistress, Duchess Louise de La Vallière, and his current favorite, Madame Françoise-Athénaïs de Montespan. The air could be cut with a knife. The three women had hardly spoken a word since leaving the gates of Versailles over an hour earlier, only breaking the silence once, when the queen had pulled her cloak up around her neck to protect it from a draft and motioned for the mistresses to change sides with her.
“I am not fond of the cold,” she’d said in broken French with her heavy Spanish accent. “I wish to be at my ease.”
When Françoise stood to change places, she whispered into Louise’s ear, “She’s so childish.”
Louise ignored her.
Although the king had mistresses, he was still fond of his Spanish wife. She was not as attractive as the king’s favorites, however. She had short legs, and she ate so much chocolate and garlic that her teeth were blackened.
As her coach approached the château, onlookers at the gates stretched their necks to get a glimpse of the women. The queen grimaced when her subjects cried out, “Look at them! Look at the three queens!”
From Columbus, Ohio, Will earned his Ph.D. from the American Graduate School of Paris, where, in his spare time, he read memoirs and researched the lives of royals and their courtiers. He hopes to share his fascination with the Bourbon dynasty and its quirky inhabitants and, at the same time, weave the historical record with creative fiction. He has written articles for the Huffington Post, Age of Revolutions, BBC History Magazine, and Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book.
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