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A review by eslismyjam
The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley
4.0
Slow, but solid. I was interested in the occult underworld during the court of the Sun King that Merkle Riley presents in this book. The Shadow Queen was really something and I was shocked to learn that she was a real woman, who was burned at the stake! This author did a great job tying the historical figures with the fictional story of the marquise de Morville. What an interesting character! I don't really want to get into the plot, not because it is spoilery, but honestly it was fun watching Genvieve go through her various transformations.
There is a *hint of a love story here. It didn't realize satisfy me, I would have like a bit more in that department, but this book works well as a solid historical. There is enough intrigue here to keep you turning the pages and wondering how the police force led by de la Reynie will eventually catch up with the underground witches of Paris who deal in everything from black masses, to abortions, to fortune-telling to poisons. However, I found I wasn't really overly concerned with the fate of Paris witches in the book. I'm not sure why, but there was very little suspense for me in the book, though the author does attempt to build it in various ways. There is a confrontation at the start of the book between the marquese de Morville and the police chief to set off the action and then the author includes short chapters throughout from the perspective of the police officers, but neither device had me gripping the pages.
No, what kept me turning the pages was the incredible and unbelievable world that Merkle Riley paints of the French aristocracy and their intrigues seen not through the ballroom but through the eyes of a woman who through her role as fortune-teller was able to see all of its sordid inner workings.
There is a *hint of a love story here. It didn't realize satisfy me, I would have like a bit more in that department, but this book works well as a solid historical. There is enough intrigue here to keep you turning the pages and wondering how the police force led by de la Reynie will eventually catch up with the underground witches of Paris who deal in everything from black masses, to abortions, to fortune-telling to poisons. However, I found I wasn't really overly concerned with the fate of Paris witches in the book. I'm not sure why, but there was very little suspense for me in the book, though the author does attempt to build it in various ways. There is a confrontation at the start of the book between the marquese de Morville and the police chief to set off the action and then the author includes short chapters throughout from the perspective of the police officers, but neither device had me gripping the pages.
No, what kept me turning the pages was the incredible and unbelievable world that Merkle Riley paints of the French aristocracy and their intrigues seen not through the ballroom but through the eyes of a woman who through her role as fortune-teller was able to see all of its sordid inner workings.