3.5 stars. I really knew nothing about Marie Antoinette. So, I'm glad I read this. People say this account paints her in a positive light, but through most of the book, I can't say I felt that way. ( )

This is a fictional account of Marie Antoinette’s life, as she moved from being a princess in Austria to the queen of France before the French Revolution overthrew the French monarchy.

I listened to the audio and it just didn’t draw me in much, so since I was often distracted, I did miss much of it. I have read only one or two other books on Marie Antoinette. I found some of the vocabulary used in the book a bit… “pretentious”? I can’t think of a good word – “high-falutin’”? (LOL!) I suppose pretentious works. That certainly didn’t help get me more interested. I am still rating it ok, as it did pick up a bit toward the end during the Revolution. I did find interesting what happened to Marie and Louis’ son and daughter after their parents were put to death. I likely did read of that previously, but I had forgotten. ( )

It's amazing how much I learned reading this book. There was very little I knew about Marie Antoinette, the French throne, the Austrian throne, and the political intrigue between the two. ( )

This extremely thorough but fictionalized account of the life of Marie Antoinette was just ok for me.
The dialogue felt dry and the pace was too slow.
Also some of the internal dialogue was just odd. The entire birth scene of Madam Royale is just ludicrous.
I've had natural childbirth. It's not at all dreamy. It's painful and hardwork.
I'd definitely read another book by this author. ( )

I LOVED this book. Marie Antoinette's story as the ultimate scapegoat is an unbelievably sad one. I like to think this book captures her spirit, and the bewilderment she must have felt as everything came violently crashing down around her. Imagine how afraid she must have been for her children! That too, comes through.
The novel is well written, and the events of her life flow along without confusing the reader. I finished reading it last night and it is still with me this morning. It is for this reason I give it 5 stars. ( )