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Milady
Všetci za jedného a jedna proti všetkým
Vystupovala som pod mnohými menami, hoci vy ma poznáte ako Milady de Winter: nemilosrdnú zvodkyňu a vedľajšiu postavu v legendárnom príbehu Troch mušketierov.
Všetci však vieme, že históriu písali muži a tí sa často mýlia. Takže skôr než ma odsúdite, dovoľte mi, aby som vám prezradila, ako sa z obyčajného dievčaťa z vidieka stala najobávanejšia žena v celej Európe – terč nenávisti, meno, ktoré sa šepká len so strachom alebo s odporom. Nechcem, aby ste ma mali radi. Potrebujem si očistiť meno. Konečne nastal čas, aby som vyrozprávala svoj príbeh. Pravda nie je príjemná, ale určite je zaujímavá.
Vystupovala som pod mnohými menami, hoci vy ma poznáte ako Milady de Winter: nemilosrdnú zvodkyňu a vedľajšiu postavu v legendárnom príbehu Troch mušketierov.
Všetci však vieme, že históriu písali muži a tí sa často mýlia. Takže skôr než ma odsúdite, dovoľte mi, aby som vám prezradila, ako sa z obyčajného dievčaťa z vidieka stala najobávanejšia žena v celej Európe – terč nenávisti, meno, ktoré sa šepká len so strachom alebo s odporom. Nechcem, aby ste ma mali radi. Potrebujem si očistiť meno. Konečne nastal čas, aby som vyrozprávala svoj príbeh. Pravda nie je príjemná, ale určite je zaujímavá.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published July 2, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
April 18, 2021
MILADY, by Laura L Sullivan, is a work of Historical Fiction and the author’s first attempt to reach an adult audience.
Milady is born a fictional character to Alexandre Dumas in THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Sullivan’s book imagines a retelling of the life of Milady from her perspective as a French spy and assassin in the employ of Cardinal Richelieu’s network.
I have never read THE THREE MUSKETEERS, but I did see a version of it in a 1952 movie called “At Sword’s Point” (not very inspiring). Happily, I very much enjoyed MILADY. The essence of the time period and court intrigue were faithful 17th century histories.
Mystery abounds and adventure grows with Milady’s first experience away from home into her new life at the behest of her father. As an innocent in the world outside of home, Milady’s trusting eyes are opened time after time as she makes the journey through her new life. Each step taken is one on shaky ground; but, she must overcome. She has no choice. Her instincts are sharpened. Milady is resolute.
The cover art of this book is beautiful and strong—just like Milady. One might assume from the look of it that the book’s cover is screaming “romance read”, but the book is more about relationships than romance.
“Morals are only consequences in disguise.”
What does one do when the only ones around that can be trusted are spies? How does one protect oneself in a time when the mere fact of being female places you below your fellow man and values you only as chattel?
“In the tide of great affairs, it is not the many who make the crucial choices, but the individual. Mobs do not decide the fate of the world, or even armies. It is always one man-or one woman-often unknown to history, working in secret, dedicated to a greater good, who shifts the tide.”
I recommend MILADY as a great read and a gasping page-turner.
Many thanks to Berkeley Publishing/Penguin Random House for this Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Milady is born a fictional character to Alexandre Dumas in THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Sullivan’s book imagines a retelling of the life of Milady from her perspective as a French spy and assassin in the employ of Cardinal Richelieu’s network.
I have never read THE THREE MUSKETEERS, but I did see a version of it in a 1952 movie called “At Sword’s Point” (not very inspiring). Happily, I very much enjoyed MILADY. The essence of the time period and court intrigue were faithful 17th century histories.
Mystery abounds and adventure grows with Milady’s first experience away from home into her new life at the behest of her father. As an innocent in the world outside of home, Milady’s trusting eyes are opened time after time as she makes the journey through her new life. Each step taken is one on shaky ground; but, she must overcome. She has no choice. Her instincts are sharpened. Milady is resolute.
The cover art of this book is beautiful and strong—just like Milady. One might assume from the look of it that the book’s cover is screaming “romance read”, but the book is more about relationships than romance.
“Morals are only consequences in disguise.”
What does one do when the only ones around that can be trusted are spies? How does one protect oneself in a time when the mere fact of being female places you below your fellow man and values you only as chattel?
“In the tide of great affairs, it is not the many who make the crucial choices, but the individual. Mobs do not decide the fate of the world, or even armies. It is always one man-or one woman-often unknown to history, working in secret, dedicated to a greater good, who shifts the tide.”
I recommend MILADY as a great read and a gasping page-turner.
Many thanks to Berkeley Publishing/Penguin Random House for this Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2019
”We all know history was written by men, and they so often get things wrong.”
I always love a good reversal of classic stories, where the villain becomes the central character, and the hero's faults are exposed. A story that makes you think about why the villain acted the way they did. Maybe not forgiving them, but sympathizing.
In Laura L Sullivan’s Milady, we see the story of Clarice (aka Milady de Winter), a spy, villainess, and antagonist of the classic book, The Three Musketeers. I have read Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and if I’m honest (though it has admittedly been a long time since I read it), I always found Milady de Winter to be an interesting character, and one who was treated poorly by D’Artagnan in the first place.
Lest we forget when he tricked her into meeting him for a romantic liaison by pretending to be her lover, and then had sex with her under the cloak of darkness, letting her think he was someone else. Then later when she actually did agree to have sex with him, he told her they’d actually had sex before (I’m paraphrasing). Dirt bag.
That type of behavior would not be tolerated in 2019, but of course it was a different time back then.
Side note: I had a friend growing up who had a bunch of cats named after D’Artagnan, the three musketeers, and Milady. True to the book, Milady the cat was a stunning creature. But I digress…
Early in the book, Milady is a bit naïve. Growing up with her mother, only to then be taken by her father to the royal palace, Milady soon sheds her naivety. Betrayal has a way of forcing a young woman to harden, afterall. I found it incredibly fascinating to see Milady shed the innocence of a sheltered upbringing. Through a series of events in the book, Milady becomes the spy and assassin we know from The Three Musketeers.
Sullivan’s Milady is a wonderfully complex character. Still flawed, still cunning, still a bit vengeful. But I hope readers also sympathize with her. It is hard to imagine the life this woman led and at the time. Women certainly were used and seen as less than, so I cheered her on when her cleverness and boldness allowed the men to finally understand that she is stronger than they believed. That a woman is capable of getting on over one them is an important lesson, despite her ultimate fate.
I found the focus on Milady’s life prior to the events in The Three Musketeers to be wonderful. Sullivan rounded out her character and fantasized how this brave, flawed, and diabolical woman became the person she was. At times the writing was so elegant that I had to reread the sentences.
It is also apparent that Sullivan spent considerable time researching and plotting this book, and to great effect. I thought it was brilliant that Sullivan didn’t change who Milady was, but she did tell you more about her. Milady wasn’t necessarily a nice character, but she was sympathetic. And she’s also fascinating! Much more so than the four males it took to bring The Three Musketeers to notoriety. (I’m exaggerating, I actually do love the original story as well, but I’m making a point here about the male-female dynamic and characterizations)
Fans of this reimagining of a classic story will enjoy this one! It’s a fascinating historical fiction novel, filled with all sorts of scandal, spies, treason, murder, and secrets. And Milady de Winter is certainly a woman who can carry a book!
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
I always love a good reversal of classic stories, where the villain becomes the central character, and the hero's faults are exposed. A story that makes you think about why the villain acted the way they did. Maybe not forgiving them, but sympathizing.
In Laura L Sullivan’s Milady, we see the story of Clarice (aka Milady de Winter), a spy, villainess, and antagonist of the classic book, The Three Musketeers. I have read Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and if I’m honest (though it has admittedly been a long time since I read it), I always found Milady de Winter to be an interesting character, and one who was treated poorly by D’Artagnan in the first place.
Lest we forget when he tricked her into meeting him for a romantic liaison by pretending to be her lover, and then had sex with her under the cloak of darkness, letting her think he was someone else. Then later when she actually did agree to have sex with him, he told her they’d actually had sex before (I’m paraphrasing). Dirt bag.
That type of behavior would not be tolerated in 2019, but of course it was a different time back then.
Side note: I had a friend growing up who had a bunch of cats named after D’Artagnan, the three musketeers, and Milady. True to the book, Milady the cat was a stunning creature. But I digress…
Early in the book, Milady is a bit naïve. Growing up with her mother, only to then be taken by her father to the royal palace, Milady soon sheds her naivety. Betrayal has a way of forcing a young woman to harden, afterall. I found it incredibly fascinating to see Milady shed the innocence of a sheltered upbringing. Through a series of events in the book, Milady becomes the spy and assassin we know from The Three Musketeers.
Sullivan’s Milady is a wonderfully complex character. Still flawed, still cunning, still a bit vengeful. But I hope readers also sympathize with her. It is hard to imagine the life this woman led and at the time. Women certainly were used and seen as less than, so I cheered her on when her cleverness and boldness allowed the men to finally understand that she is stronger than they believed. That a woman is capable of getting on over one them is an important lesson, despite her ultimate fate.
I found the focus on Milady’s life prior to the events in The Three Musketeers to be wonderful. Sullivan rounded out her character and fantasized how this brave, flawed, and diabolical woman became the person she was. At times the writing was so elegant that I had to reread the sentences.
It is also apparent that Sullivan spent considerable time researching and plotting this book, and to great effect. I thought it was brilliant that Sullivan didn’t change who Milady was, but she did tell you more about her. Milady wasn’t necessarily a nice character, but she was sympathetic. And she’s also fascinating! Much more so than the four males it took to bring The Three Musketeers to notoriety. (I’m exaggerating, I actually do love the original story as well, but I’m making a point here about the male-female dynamic and characterizations)
Fans of this reimagining of a classic story will enjoy this one! It’s a fascinating historical fiction novel, filled with all sorts of scandal, spies, treason, murder, and secrets. And Milady de Winter is certainly a woman who can carry a book!
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
June 28, 2019
Have you ever heard of Milady de Winter? She was the arch nemesis of the fictional Three Musketeers. She was a villain in their eyes and the eyes of many at the time. This is her story as she tells it.
Milady’s story starts simply, a child born and raised in the countryside. Then, it becomes a story of love and betrayal, loss and retribution, with a phenom of a strong female main character.
Milady reads as an adventure story. The culture and time period fly off the pages. Having read The Three Musketeers will add an inside edge on what occurs. Milady is a spy and an assassin, and she’s bringing an entertaining retelling of The Three Musketeers from a fresh perspective. Wonderfully and skillfully written!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Milady’s story starts simply, a child born and raised in the countryside. Then, it becomes a story of love and betrayal, loss and retribution, with a phenom of a strong female main character.
Milady reads as an adventure story. The culture and time period fly off the pages. Having read The Three Musketeers will add an inside edge on what occurs. Milady is a spy and an assassin, and she’s bringing an entertaining retelling of The Three Musketeers from a fresh perspective. Wonderfully and skillfully written!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
June 7, 2020
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is one of my favorite books of all time. In fact, my next tattoo is going to be inspired by it. So when I saw Milady by Laura L. Sullivan I just knew I had to add it to my shelf. If you are a fan of The Three Musketeers then you know the villainess Milady de Winter. This book follows two timelines. The first is Clarice as a young woman before she became Milady. Her mother raises her on a farm. She teaches her about plants and their medicinal properties and all about human anatomy. When her father makes a rare appearance, he realizes his daughter is now a woman and immediately takes her to London to use her to gain power in government. The second timeline is Milady trying to outrun the Musketeers. The timelines come together to give a complete background on how a woman from the country became an assassin.
“The truth is found in the silence before the lie.”
MILADY
This is definitely a fascinating take on the well-known villainess! There are so many lies and moments of misdirection that fooled the musketeers. Now, to fully enjoy this book, readers need to be familiar with The Three Musketeers. There is a lot of background information that directly ties into The Three Musketeers. One thing that I did love is that the author weaves in many historical characters just like Dumas. She introduces George Villiers before he became the first Duke of Buckingham. It shows how she helped him come into favor with King Charles I.
I preferred her development into becoming an assassin over her perspective of the events in The Three Musketeers. There is so much suspense and betrayal within the court of King Charles.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The one thing that I didn’t like is that she comes from a family of assassins. It felt cheap in a sense. I would have liked the book better if she developed her talents for murder on her own and not because of a family legacy. It just diminished her development.
Other than that, I loved her character. She is heartless and selfish as portrayed in The Three Musketeers but she is also a woman and became what she needed to become in order to survive. Overall, this is an exciting read and made me want to revisit one of my favorite books for the 100th time. This book gets 4 out of 5 stars.
“The truth is found in the silence before the lie.”
MILADY
This is definitely a fascinating take on the well-known villainess! There are so many lies and moments of misdirection that fooled the musketeers. Now, to fully enjoy this book, readers need to be familiar with The Three Musketeers. There is a lot of background information that directly ties into The Three Musketeers. One thing that I did love is that the author weaves in many historical characters just like Dumas. She introduces George Villiers before he became the first Duke of Buckingham. It shows how she helped him come into favor with King Charles I.
I preferred her development into becoming an assassin over her perspective of the events in The Three Musketeers. There is so much suspense and betrayal within the court of King Charles.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The one thing that I didn’t like is that she comes from a family of assassins. It felt cheap in a sense. I would have liked the book better if she developed her talents for murder on her own and not because of a family legacy. It just diminished her development.
Other than that, I loved her character. She is heartless and selfish as portrayed in The Three Musketeers but she is also a woman and became what she needed to become in order to survive. Overall, this is an exciting read and made me want to revisit one of my favorite books for the 100th time. This book gets 4 out of 5 stars.
July 2, 2019
"In the tide of great affairs, it is not the many who make the crucial choices, but the individual. Mobs do not decide the fate of the world, or even armies. It is always one man - or woman - often unknown to history, working in secret, dedicated to a greater good, who shifts the tides."
How amazing is that sentence? I swear I could have highlighted about 3/4 of this book, it is filled with so many great lines!
I've got one word for this book and for Milady....badass!
I was immediately charmed by the writing style and de Winter's voice. The opening scene...whooo...what a doozy that was! Going in to this novel I didn't know much at all about Milady de Winter, and the only thing I've watched about the Three Musketeers was from that movie The Man in the Iron Mask (don't judge, I was a 90s kid...haha), so I jumped at the chance to read this one.
If you want to know how a naive and innocent young woman becomes the most feared assassin in France who spies for the infamous Cardinal Richelieu, then you must pick up this book!
Scheming, spying, court machinations, betrayal, love, and adventure are all masterfully combined in this exciting read! I would seriously love to see this adapted as a movie. I think Milady is the heroine we all need right now :)
"My name - my title, rather, for no one knows who I truly am, and even in Paris I have many guises - is whispered in the dark and furtively as some speak of the devil, as if to breathe my name would conjure me up in the flesh. And oh, what flesh! My beauty is part of my legend. Deadly beauty."
I absolutely loved Milady and am anxiously awaiting the next release from Laura L. Sullivan!
How amazing is that sentence? I swear I could have highlighted about 3/4 of this book, it is filled with so many great lines!
I've got one word for this book and for Milady....badass!
I was immediately charmed by the writing style and de Winter's voice. The opening scene...whooo...what a doozy that was! Going in to this novel I didn't know much at all about Milady de Winter, and the only thing I've watched about the Three Musketeers was from that movie The Man in the Iron Mask (don't judge, I was a 90s kid...haha), so I jumped at the chance to read this one.
If you want to know how a naive and innocent young woman becomes the most feared assassin in France who spies for the infamous Cardinal Richelieu, then you must pick up this book!
Scheming, spying, court machinations, betrayal, love, and adventure are all masterfully combined in this exciting read! I would seriously love to see this adapted as a movie. I think Milady is the heroine we all need right now :)
"My name - my title, rather, for no one knows who I truly am, and even in Paris I have many guises - is whispered in the dark and furtively as some speak of the devil, as if to breathe my name would conjure me up in the flesh. And oh, what flesh! My beauty is part of my legend. Deadly beauty."
I absolutely loved Milady and am anxiously awaiting the next release from Laura L. Sullivan!
June 23, 2019
A riveting tale is told by Milady in this new book from Laura L. Sullivan. It is so much more than a historical romance. Told in dual timelines, we see Milady at a crossroads as well as the experiences that have brought her there. The three musketeers are demanding justice and Milady makes her case to us in this book. A fascinating look at the plight of women in the early 17th century and a reminder of the treachery in court politics. The twists and turns in this plot will keep those pages turning. A perfect choice for book groups -- discussion questions already included!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2021
One of my all-time favorite books is The Three Musketeers, and one of my all-time favorite characters is Milady De Winter. So of course, when I saw this book, I had to read it. I even ordered it before it came out.
Now there is a strange myth and lore surrounding The Three Musketeers. It truly is a masterpiece. However, like most great things it didn’t come entirely from Dumas. Large portions of the story come from The Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan by Charles de Batz de Castelmore. What’s even worse, I’ve read that Dumas did not give any credit to Castelmore when he published the book, and instead eluded to a fabricated historical document about the Comte de La Fère to throw his readers off. It's also quite possible Dumas didn't know, like we do now, that d'Artagnan is actually a true historical figure.
However, this does not in any way take away from the brilliance of The Three Musketeers. Dumas was a master storyteller, and he gave his characters a life of their own. And while the musketeers may have been taken from other sources, Milady De Winter is almost solely a creation of Dumas. Yes, she makes an appearance in Castelmore’s The Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan as well as the Mémoires de M. le Comte de Rochforte. But she is a minor character, and Dumas changed her backstory drastically. Consequently, I look at Milady as being all Dumas, and she's an awesome character.
My first exposure to The Three Musketeers is actually from the old Richard Lester movies that were made in the 1970s with Faye Dunaway as Milady. The thing about Faye Dunaway’s performance though, is that she looks dangerous as hell and is a force to be reckoned with. I keep thinking of this line Faye said in The Thomas Crown Affair -- “All right, Eddie, I'm immoral. So is the world.” lol
This fits Milady too.
I was really young when I saw this movie, so I didn't quite appreciate her determination. I thought Milady was vile.
However, when I read The Three Musketeers, my opinion changed drastically, and one of the main reasons was this etching from Maurice Leloir called And he hanged her to a tree .
This is where Athos, aka the Comte de La Fère, hangs Milady because he sees that she has been branded with the fleur de lis marking her as a criminal. Now he doesn’t ask her about how she got the brand. He doesn’t talk to her. No, he just hangs her to a tree, like in the picture, and keep in mind she's only sixteen years old.
Nice guy right?
Suddenly, my whole point of view started to change, and I started to come to the conclusion that Athos was actually kind of an asshole. In fact, there's all kinds of evidence that the musketeers are not really the good guys. They're gray. This makes Milady gray as well. In fact, an excellent review I read from Brad describes this complexity extremely well.
Brad's review
So in other words, Dumas characters are wonderfully complex. That’s one of the reasons I love the book so much.
So now you might be asking, what did I think of Laura L. Sullivan’s Milady?
Well, it’s all right.
Sullivan writes very well, and parts of the book are really inventive and entertaining, especially when Milady is in England in King James’ court. I liked how she mixed historical figures and true events with the action. Especially when I was already somewhat familiar with these characters after reading The Weaker Vessel by Antonia Fraser. For instance, when Milady starts a romance with George Villiers, I just started laughing. That was awesome.
However, Sullivan's Milady is definitely not my idea of Milady. Sullivan goes through a lot of hoops to try to make Milady a heroine. She makes her a protector of women and loyal to her friends. She talks about how being a spy and an assassin is a noble calling. She has Milady outsmarting the musketeers, always being three steps ahead of them.
Yet, this makes her less interesting I think. I say that because I wanted the fiercely ambitious Milady, who came from nothing and moved up to a higher and wealthier class. The Milady who was a valued spy and assassin because she was willing to do the dirty work that was necessary. The Milady who was so enraged by d'Artagnan taking advantage of her, she would kill his mistress to get even. I wanted the morally questionable Milady, warts and all. A woman who could say, "All right, I'm immoral. So is the world."
Consequently, I was disappointed. I shouldn't have been though. There are not many who can create characters as fascinating as Dumas.
I’m sure other readers will enjoy it.
Now there is a strange myth and lore surrounding The Three Musketeers. It truly is a masterpiece. However, like most great things it didn’t come entirely from Dumas. Large portions of the story come from The Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan by Charles de Batz de Castelmore. What’s even worse, I’ve read that Dumas did not give any credit to Castelmore when he published the book, and instead eluded to a fabricated historical document about the Comte de La Fère to throw his readers off. It's also quite possible Dumas didn't know, like we do now, that d'Artagnan is actually a true historical figure.
However, this does not in any way take away from the brilliance of The Three Musketeers. Dumas was a master storyteller, and he gave his characters a life of their own. And while the musketeers may have been taken from other sources, Milady De Winter is almost solely a creation of Dumas. Yes, she makes an appearance in Castelmore’s The Memoirs of M. d'Artagnan as well as the Mémoires de M. le Comte de Rochforte. But she is a minor character, and Dumas changed her backstory drastically. Consequently, I look at Milady as being all Dumas, and she's an awesome character.
My first exposure to The Three Musketeers is actually from the old Richard Lester movies that were made in the 1970s with Faye Dunaway as Milady. The thing about Faye Dunaway’s performance though, is that she looks dangerous as hell and is a force to be reckoned with. I keep thinking of this line Faye said in The Thomas Crown Affair -- “All right, Eddie, I'm immoral. So is the world.” lol
This fits Milady too.
I was really young when I saw this movie, so I didn't quite appreciate her determination. I thought Milady was vile.
However, when I read The Three Musketeers, my opinion changed drastically, and one of the main reasons was this etching from Maurice Leloir called And he hanged her to a tree .
This is where Athos, aka the Comte de La Fère, hangs Milady because he sees that she has been branded with the fleur de lis marking her as a criminal. Now he doesn’t ask her about how she got the brand. He doesn’t talk to her. No, he just hangs her to a tree, like in the picture, and keep in mind she's only sixteen years old.
Nice guy right?
Suddenly, my whole point of view started to change, and I started to come to the conclusion that Athos was actually kind of an asshole. In fact, there's all kinds of evidence that the musketeers are not really the good guys. They're gray. This makes Milady gray as well. In fact, an excellent review I read from Brad describes this complexity extremely well.
Brad's review
So in other words, Dumas characters are wonderfully complex. That’s one of the reasons I love the book so much.
So now you might be asking, what did I think of Laura L. Sullivan’s Milady?
Well, it’s all right.
Sullivan writes very well, and parts of the book are really inventive and entertaining, especially when Milady is in England in King James’ court. I liked how she mixed historical figures and true events with the action. Especially when I was already somewhat familiar with these characters after reading The Weaker Vessel by Antonia Fraser. For instance, when Milady starts a romance with George Villiers, I just started laughing. That was awesome.
However, Sullivan's Milady is definitely not my idea of Milady. Sullivan goes through a lot of hoops to try to make Milady a heroine. She makes her a protector of women and loyal to her friends. She talks about how being a spy and an assassin is a noble calling. She has Milady outsmarting the musketeers, always being three steps ahead of them.
Yet, this makes her less interesting I think. I say that because I wanted the fiercely ambitious Milady, who came from nothing and moved up to a higher and wealthier class. The Milady who was a valued spy and assassin because she was willing to do the dirty work that was necessary. The Milady who was so enraged by d'Artagnan taking advantage of her, she would kill his mistress to get even. I wanted the morally questionable Milady, warts and all. A woman who could say, "All right, I'm immoral. So is the world."
Consequently, I was disappointed. I shouldn't have been though. There are not many who can create characters as fascinating as Dumas.
I’m sure other readers will enjoy it.
March 3, 2020
This story alternates between current time of 1628 and the time when Milady was growing up and how it led to who she is.
1628, Milady de Winter is “the cardinal’s creature, the most feared assassin in France.” Her new assignment is to befriend the young D’Artagnan, who appeared out of nowhere and already mocked two of the cardinal’s plots.
1615, Lady Clarice, off-spring of English father and French mother, raised in Yorkshire, from early age her mother taught her about herbs and their medicinal use, including foxglove, which could kill the strongest man within an hour. She also taught her patience, and of course all the social skills to advance in society, including dancing, singing, poetry. Overall, how to charm a man and to be “prepared for almost anything life might fling her way.”
Then she is forced to leave her mother and home behind, and go to the court with her father to help him achieve his ends.
Her mother’s words turned out to be the most precious gift. “Keep your secrets for they are your treasure. Keep your knowledge, for that is your weapon. Speak softly to your enemies, and make them love you. And when you strike your foes, be sure they never know who wielded the weapon.”
On the way to the court, they stop at Lady Mary’s estate, her father’s accomplice. Here under direction of Lady Mary, Clarice continues her tutelage for a few months. Then her first assignment comes.
The storyline is interesting, but the style of writing is very descriptive, making the pace slow for most of the time.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
1628, Milady de Winter is “the cardinal’s creature, the most feared assassin in France.” Her new assignment is to befriend the young D’Artagnan, who appeared out of nowhere and already mocked two of the cardinal’s plots.
1615, Lady Clarice, off-spring of English father and French mother, raised in Yorkshire, from early age her mother taught her about herbs and their medicinal use, including foxglove, which could kill the strongest man within an hour. She also taught her patience, and of course all the social skills to advance in society, including dancing, singing, poetry. Overall, how to charm a man and to be “prepared for almost anything life might fling her way.”
Then she is forced to leave her mother and home behind, and go to the court with her father to help him achieve his ends.
Her mother’s words turned out to be the most precious gift. “Keep your secrets for they are your treasure. Keep your knowledge, for that is your weapon. Speak softly to your enemies, and make them love you. And when you strike your foes, be sure they never know who wielded the weapon.”
On the way to the court, they stop at Lady Mary’s estate, her father’s accomplice. Here under direction of Lady Mary, Clarice continues her tutelage for a few months. Then her first assignment comes.
The storyline is interesting, but the style of writing is very descriptive, making the pace slow for most of the time.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2019
4.5
Laura Sulivan's Milady is a delightfully robust and thought-provoking addition to Duma's Three Musketeers canon.. Told from Milady de Winters' POV, Sullivan gives voice to the supposed villainess of the story, gifting her with a refreshing no-nonsense and firm unapologetic attitude as she weaves a compelling tale of love, loss, betrayal, and retribution as she forged her own path from the one that was forced upon her. Leaving little to the imagination, Milady verbally wipes the shine from Duma's darlings, giving readers a whole new outlook on the legends behind each Musketeer, Constance, the Cardinal, and most importantly, Athos.
Laura Sulivan's Milady is a delightfully robust and thought-provoking addition to Duma's Three Musketeers canon.. Told from Milady de Winters' POV, Sullivan gives voice to the supposed villainess of the story, gifting her with a refreshing no-nonsense and firm unapologetic attitude as she weaves a compelling tale of love, loss, betrayal, and retribution as she forged her own path from the one that was forced upon her. Leaving little to the imagination, Milady verbally wipes the shine from Duma's darlings, giving readers a whole new outlook on the legends behind each Musketeer, Constance, the Cardinal, and most importantly, Athos.
July 5, 2019
She's one of literature's most famous villains - Milady de Winter. But, who was she really? In MILADY we get her own story - from her childhood ordeals in life to the trials that will make her the ruthless woman d'Artagnan will meet. The woman who Athos married and who he thought was dead. Now she tells her story...
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
March 5, 2019
There’s nothing more satisfying than a riveting tale with a swash-buckling, cunning female spy at its center. MILADY is a worthy addition to the canon of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, told with well-paced, elegant prose and a keen eye for historical detail. I couldn’t put the book down!
April 7, 2019
If you're familiar with The Three Musketeers then you'll know who Milady De Winter is. This book tells her untold story-- and what a story it is! If you like strong heroines that overcome life's challenges against incredible odds then this is a must read. Even if you don't know The Three Musketeers story, you will still enjoy this book. And don't let the cover fool you into thinking it's just a sappy love story because it is way more then that. It is action packed with espionage and romance, murder and betrayal and a heroine that outwits them all.
*I received this ARC from Penguin Random House First to Read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
*I received this ARC from Penguin Random House First to Read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
June 22, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with the good stuff:
The writing has a beautiful literary quality. Sometimes I'd stop and linger over an elegantly worded sentence.
Sullivan clearly knows her history. The dialogue rings true for the times. Little details are sprinkled throughout that thoroughly immerse us in the historical period.
Now the stuff I didn't love: The Three Musketeers are vilified here. If you're a fan of the original Musketeers, you might not like where this story takes you. In fact, most every male in this story is either a rapist, abuser, con artist, or some combination of all those things. While I know life was intensely difficult for women back then, the backdrop is too black-and-white, men versus women.
The author relies on readers having a firm understanding of the Three Musketeers story. I've forgotten more than I remember, and consequently I felt I was missing major pieces of this story.
And, finally, the pacing becomes oh so slow. At about the one-third point, we come to a place where the story seems to stand endlessly still. I got bored, started skimming, put the book down a lot, and could have easily left it at that.
While this book will absolutely hold appeal for a lot of readers, ultimately I'm not part of the ideal target audience.
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
The writing has a beautiful literary quality. Sometimes I'd stop and linger over an elegantly worded sentence.
Sullivan clearly knows her history. The dialogue rings true for the times. Little details are sprinkled throughout that thoroughly immerse us in the historical period.
Now the stuff I didn't love: The Three Musketeers are vilified here. If you're a fan of the original Musketeers, you might not like where this story takes you. In fact, most every male in this story is either a rapist, abuser, con artist, or some combination of all those things. While I know life was intensely difficult for women back then, the backdrop is too black-and-white, men versus women.
The author relies on readers having a firm understanding of the Three Musketeers story. I've forgotten more than I remember, and consequently I felt I was missing major pieces of this story.
And, finally, the pacing becomes oh so slow. At about the one-third point, we come to a place where the story seems to stand endlessly still. I got bored, started skimming, put the book down a lot, and could have easily left it at that.
While this book will absolutely hold appeal for a lot of readers, ultimately I'm not part of the ideal target audience.
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
May 5, 2019
WOW! What a thrilling adventure! From beginning to end, I found this book so completely absorbing. Milady is a remarkable character and her story is one I plan to get to know better through Alexandre Dumas' THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Another book that lands at the top of my favorites this year.
**DRC copy courtesy of Penguin's First to Read program.
**DRC copy courtesy of Penguin's First to Read program.
May 11, 2019
ARC received courtesy of Berkley Publishing
This novel is so incredibly well researched! The characters, culture and intrigue from the era draw you in and make you a part of the scenes. "Milady" is Milady de Winters real story. She was a huge villain in "The Three Musketeers". Every character in every story could have their own story told. I think this is a terrific idea! Kudos to Laura Sullivan for the immense amount of research she must've done and for putting it on the page in such an enjoyable way for the readers!
I was at a bit of a disadvantage because I've never read "The Three Musketeers" and some knowledge would have been helpful for me. The novel goes back and forth in time and I had a hard time keeping up, which, again, is my fault for taking so long to finish the book.
This novel is so incredibly well researched! The characters, culture and intrigue from the era draw you in and make you a part of the scenes. "Milady" is Milady de Winters real story. She was a huge villain in "The Three Musketeers". Every character in every story could have their own story told. I think this is a terrific idea! Kudos to Laura Sullivan for the immense amount of research she must've done and for putting it on the page in such an enjoyable way for the readers!
I was at a bit of a disadvantage because I've never read "The Three Musketeers" and some knowledge would have been helpful for me. The novel goes back and forth in time and I had a hard time keeping up, which, again, is my fault for taking so long to finish the book.
July 24, 2019
I won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway. The author and publisher were nice enough to send me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Oh, how I wished this book hadn't ended. Of course, I know, all good things must come to an end, and so it is with Milady. A story of love, betrayal, spying, scheming, loss and redemption. Who could ask for more from a book?
Told from Milady's POV. If you have read 'The Three Musketeers', you know who she is. If not, she is the nemesis of the Three Musketeers.
Milady is born to lower nobility as Clarice. She has an idyllic life with her mother, until her father comes and takes her away. The trials and turbulence she endures throughout her life, only makes her Stronger and really who she becomes.
Can't wait to read more from Laura Sullivan. Happy Reading 😊
Oh, how I wished this book hadn't ended. Of course, I know, all good things must come to an end, and so it is with Milady. A story of love, betrayal, spying, scheming, loss and redemption. Who could ask for more from a book?
Told from Milady's POV. If you have read 'The Three Musketeers', you know who she is. If not, she is the nemesis of the Three Musketeers.
Milady is born to lower nobility as Clarice. She has an idyllic life with her mother, until her father comes and takes her away. The trials and turbulence she endures throughout her life, only makes her Stronger and really who she becomes.
Can't wait to read more from Laura Sullivan. Happy Reading 😊
April 22, 2019
3.5 stars
Milady by Laura L. Sullivan chronicles the origins of Milady de Winter, the infamous villainess from Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers. The story follows Clarice (later known as Milady de Winter) as she embarks on a series of adventures, ranging from her childhood home in Yorkshire, to the court of King James I, to a convent in France and beyond. The bulk of the novel takes place from 1615 to 1616, 13 years prior to the events that took place in The Three Musketeers.
This novel is immersive and hard to put down; it combines insightful prose with a well-paced, exciting plot. This is very much an historical fiction novel, which is appropriate since The Three Musketeers was also historical fiction. The author did a fabulous job weaving historical events, as well as events from the original story, into her novel. King James and the Duke of Buckingham were realistically (if not sympathetically) drawn. The author obviously did her research.
If you're not familiar with the original story, I would recommend at least reading the Spark Notes for The Three Musketeers before you read Milady. It will deepen your understanding of the events and characters and it will give you a better appreciation of the story overall.
My only complaint about this book is the treatment of the characters. Modifying established characters is always risky, and while I commend the author for trying, I personally wasn't fond of the results.
I'll admit that the Musketeers in the original story did some questionable things, but so did Milady. Sullivan excuses the actions of Milady, whilst exaggerating the faults of the Musketeers. The Musketeers become bumbling cruel-hearted drunkards who only succeed in their endeavors due to blind luck. Meanwhile, Milady is portrayed as a tragic victim of circumstance who only did what she had to to survive.
Unfortunately, this rebranding of Milady doesn't really work.
Clarice comes across as self-absorbed and foolish. She pities herself for being used, and then she uses others without remorse. She resents others for lying to her, and then she turns around and lies to people who are trying to love her and help her. She makes terrible choices, and then blames others for her misfortunes. Felix might have been a troublesome dolt, but he didn't deserve to be treated so abominably. Clarice uses him and then discards him—quite cruelly—without a thought. This doesn't make her a heroine–it makes her a hypocrite.
Milady's most egregious deeds from the original story are glossed over in order to make them more palatable, and the other characters—Constance Bonacieux, especially—had to be altered quite a bit in order to fit into this new Musketeer-bashing narrative. In some ways this makes sense—this is, after all, the story from Milady's perspective—and yet it just doesn't sit well with me.
In a lot of ways, Clarice reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara; her determination, independence, and will to survive are admirable, but the methods she uses to achieve her goals are not. Milady de Winter is a fun character, I'll grant you, but she's not a nice character. I think I like her better as an unrepentant, blissfully evil villain.
But don't let my criticisms dissuade you from reading this book. My complaints aside, I found this novel to be well-written and immensely readable. It's a riveting mixture of court intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, and romance. If you like historical fiction with strong feminist undertones, then this book is for you.
I received this advance reading copy through a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book.
Milady by Laura L. Sullivan chronicles the origins of Milady de Winter, the infamous villainess from Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers. The story follows Clarice (later known as Milady de Winter) as she embarks on a series of adventures, ranging from her childhood home in Yorkshire, to the court of King James I, to a convent in France and beyond. The bulk of the novel takes place from 1615 to 1616, 13 years prior to the events that took place in The Three Musketeers.
This novel is immersive and hard to put down; it combines insightful prose with a well-paced, exciting plot. This is very much an historical fiction novel, which is appropriate since The Three Musketeers was also historical fiction. The author did a fabulous job weaving historical events, as well as events from the original story, into her novel. King James and the Duke of Buckingham were realistically (if not sympathetically) drawn. The author obviously did her research.
If you're not familiar with the original story, I would recommend at least reading the Spark Notes for The Three Musketeers before you read Milady. It will deepen your understanding of the events and characters and it will give you a better appreciation of the story overall.
My only complaint about this book is the treatment of the characters. Modifying established characters is always risky, and while I commend the author for trying, I personally wasn't fond of the results.
I'll admit that the Musketeers in the original story did some questionable things, but so did Milady. Sullivan excuses the actions of Milady, whilst exaggerating the faults of the Musketeers. The Musketeers become bumbling cruel-hearted drunkards who only succeed in their endeavors due to blind luck. Meanwhile, Milady is portrayed as a tragic victim of circumstance who only did what she had to to survive.
Unfortunately, this rebranding of Milady doesn't really work.
Clarice comes across as self-absorbed and foolish. She pities herself for being used, and then she uses others without remorse. She resents others for lying to her, and then she turns around and lies to people who are trying to love her and help her. She makes terrible choices, and then blames others for her misfortunes. Felix might have been a troublesome dolt, but he didn't deserve to be treated so abominably. Clarice uses him and then discards him—quite cruelly—without a thought. This doesn't make her a heroine–it makes her a hypocrite.
Milady's most egregious deeds from the original story are glossed over in order to make them more palatable, and the other characters—Constance Bonacieux, especially—had to be altered quite a bit in order to fit into this new Musketeer-bashing narrative. In some ways this makes sense—this is, after all, the story from Milady's perspective—and yet it just doesn't sit well with me.
In a lot of ways, Clarice reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara; her determination, independence, and will to survive are admirable, but the methods she uses to achieve her goals are not. Milady de Winter is a fun character, I'll grant you, but she's not a nice character. I think I like her better as an unrepentant, blissfully evil villain.
But don't let my criticisms dissuade you from reading this book. My complaints aside, I found this novel to be well-written and immensely readable. It's a riveting mixture of court intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, and romance. If you like historical fiction with strong feminist undertones, then this book is for you.
I received this advance reading copy through a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book.
July 21, 2019
When I was barely coming into my adolescents, I discovered the swashbuckling adventures of The Three Musketeers. Albeit on the big screen and not the Dumas novel, but swashbuckling adventure all the same!
I loved the 1993 film version, even if I did hate Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell in it, it was still exciting and as a young girl who longed for grace adventures, it had everything I could hope for. Sword fights, friendship, and of course a bad ass femme fatale!
Oh how I loved Milady de Winter! She was one of the first female characters that stands out in my mind. She wasn’t a maid in need of rescuing, like Maid Marian in Robin Hood, she was the villain and she captured my imagination.
So when this book showed up for review on my desk, I squealed! I couldn’t believe someone wrote a novel from her perspective! I couldn’t wait to star reading it and crack it open almost immediately!
For me, this book had to pack a big punch. It needed to come in swords blazing. I don’t know that it completely blew me over, but I thought it came in strong all the same. In my opinion, Milady de Winter is kind of a lesser known character/villain unless you are familiar with the Musketeers’ story. I only have a condensed, Hollywood ideal for reference and I think this novel would have had a greater impact if I had read the Dumas classic first.
I think one of the biggest struggles of this novel for me was the time shifting. The most interesting part of the book is Milady’s coming of age story, but it would awkwardly get broken up to shift back to Milady’s ‘modern’ story featuring the Musketeers. The change was only marked by a new date and for my, I kept having to go back and find what date I had been at in the previous chapter to orientate myself with the timeline.
At times I felt like Milady (or Clarice) was fiery and fierce but yet that didn’t translate into action. I often felt like Clarice was plotting and scheming but then things happened to her rather than her making those things happen if that makes sense. I didn’t feel like (at least in the beginning) that she every really got to execute her plans the way that she had plotted because outside characters or situations would limit her or interfere.
While these two things were a struggle for me, I did still love the book and the concept of her story. I found Clarice very relatable on a number of levels and I loved seeing her vulnerability especially as a young girl just coming to court for the first time. It was very evident that she would never make a typical courtier, but yet her innocents made her susceptible to more cutthroat courtiers. I think it’s in this part of the story that the author thrives and we get to see what Clarice could have been if she been in different circumstances.
Overall I ended up giving this book a 4 star rating. It was too unique and interesting to go with anything lower than 4 stars but the timeline switching was a bit of a struggle to bump it up to 5 stars.
See my full review here
I loved the 1993 film version, even if I did hate Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell in it, it was still exciting and as a young girl who longed for grace adventures, it had everything I could hope for. Sword fights, friendship, and of course a bad ass femme fatale!
Oh how I loved Milady de Winter! She was one of the first female characters that stands out in my mind. She wasn’t a maid in need of rescuing, like Maid Marian in Robin Hood, she was the villain and she captured my imagination.
So when this book showed up for review on my desk, I squealed! I couldn’t believe someone wrote a novel from her perspective! I couldn’t wait to star reading it and crack it open almost immediately!
For me, this book had to pack a big punch. It needed to come in swords blazing. I don’t know that it completely blew me over, but I thought it came in strong all the same. In my opinion, Milady de Winter is kind of a lesser known character/villain unless you are familiar with the Musketeers’ story. I only have a condensed, Hollywood ideal for reference and I think this novel would have had a greater impact if I had read the Dumas classic first.
I think one of the biggest struggles of this novel for me was the time shifting. The most interesting part of the book is Milady’s coming of age story, but it would awkwardly get broken up to shift back to Milady’s ‘modern’ story featuring the Musketeers. The change was only marked by a new date and for my, I kept having to go back and find what date I had been at in the previous chapter to orientate myself with the timeline.
At times I felt like Milady (or Clarice) was fiery and fierce but yet that didn’t translate into action. I often felt like Clarice was plotting and scheming but then things happened to her rather than her making those things happen if that makes sense. I didn’t feel like (at least in the beginning) that she every really got to execute her plans the way that she had plotted because outside characters or situations would limit her or interfere.
While these two things were a struggle for me, I did still love the book and the concept of her story. I found Clarice very relatable on a number of levels and I loved seeing her vulnerability especially as a young girl just coming to court for the first time. It was very evident that she would never make a typical courtier, but yet her innocents made her susceptible to more cutthroat courtiers. I think it’s in this part of the story that the author thrives and we get to see what Clarice could have been if she been in different circumstances.
Overall I ended up giving this book a 4 star rating. It was too unique and interesting to go with anything lower than 4 stars but the timeline switching was a bit of a struggle to bump it up to 5 stars.
See my full review here
April 19, 2019
I received an ARC from First to Read for an honest review. I really wanted to like this book. Milday is an intriguing villainess and to hear her own story sounded exciting. Except she seems to be a woman that things happen to instead of one who makes them happen. There are a few events where she is the one orchestrating the plan but almost everything that happens to her is through circumstance. Instead of a story of an intriguing villain, it's the story of a poor girl who had people make bad choices for herself and when she did make choices for herself they inevitably led to tragedy. Milady has no power despite the fact that she seems to think she does. It's constantly stated how she is clever and seductive and she seems to either abhore these qualities or think they're the best things ever. I got whiplash trying to figure out which woman I was seeing and not because she was playing a part but because her personality shifted as the narrative needed it to.
December 19, 2019
Laura Sulivan's Milady is a delightfully robust and thought-provoking addition to Duma's Three Musketeers canon.. Told from Milady de Winters' POV, Sullivan gives voice to the supposed villainess of the story, gifting her with a refreshing no-nonsense and firm unapologetic attitude as she weaves a compelling tale of love, loss, betrayal, and retribution as she forged her own path from the one that was forced upon her. Leaving little to the imagination, Milady verbally wipes the shine from Duma's darlings, giving readers a whole new outlook on the legends behind each Musketeer, Constance, the Cardinal, and most importantly, Athos.
June 27, 2019
The premise seemed to be different than the book and its hard to enjoy it when they don't seem to coincide. It took longer for me to get through this book since there was no real connection for me to the plot or the characters. I wanted to enjoy this one but for reasons, I couldn't.
When it came to Milady, she did a lot of vile things but at the same time she also blamed it on others and love. She also seemed to have multiple personalities and I am not sure if one was for show or not. I had a hard time connecting with her and that always plays a huge role in grabbing my attention for the book as a whole. I can't say that I was interested in any of the other characters and some didn't have much background or a lot of character development.
The writing style was one that I was not fond of. At times the narrative seemed to switch from past to present within the same chapter and it made for quite a confusing read. The plot was somewhat interesting but still needed something and it didn't grasp my attention. There were certain scenes that also rubbed me the wrong way early on in the book and could also be another reason I couldn't get into it. Although it was quite creative and had a strong female character, it just wasn't for me.
Overall, it is another case of the, "its me, not you". I know others will find this book to be wonderful. So like always, take my review with a grain of salt.
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
When it came to Milady, she did a lot of vile things but at the same time she also blamed it on others and love. She also seemed to have multiple personalities and I am not sure if one was for show or not. I had a hard time connecting with her and that always plays a huge role in grabbing my attention for the book as a whole. I can't say that I was interested in any of the other characters and some didn't have much background or a lot of character development.
The writing style was one that I was not fond of. At times the narrative seemed to switch from past to present within the same chapter and it made for quite a confusing read. The plot was somewhat interesting but still needed something and it didn't grasp my attention. There were certain scenes that also rubbed me the wrong way early on in the book and could also be another reason I couldn't get into it. Although it was quite creative and had a strong female character, it just wasn't for me.
Overall, it is another case of the, "its me, not you". I know others will find this book to be wonderful. So like always, take my review with a grain of salt.
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 2, 2019
Wow. I cannot remember the last time I read a book this good. This book has it all, and I won't say a word about the content because it is so masterfully presented and weaved together that I could not reveal one thing without revealing all. Just do yourself a favor and pick up this book and read it ASAP. If you love spies, English court life, historical fiction in general, strong women, and the ties that bind, this book is for you.
I write this without having read The Three Musketeers, but rest assured that I have put the original on hold and look forward to seeing how Milady is weaved into that story.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader copy of this book, which I won through a Goodreads giveaway.
I write this without having read The Three Musketeers, but rest assured that I have put the original on hold and look forward to seeing how Milady is weaved into that story.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader copy of this book, which I won through a Goodreads giveaway.
March 16, 2023
I've always loved the story of The Three Musketeers, from childhood on, in every incarnation in which I've encountered it. However, when it comes to the treatment of its female characters, that classic is very much a product of its time. Laura L. Sullivan's concept of concocting an origin story for the Musketeers' iconic female antagonist Milady de Winter, casting her in the central role of a take on Dumas's novel that turns heroes and villains on their heads, is a brilliant idea, very well executed. She even managed to turn Constance into a far more interesting character, which is quite the feat. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
June 12, 2019
Rating: 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟's
Review:
This book is everything that Historical Fiction is about. The time era it is set in is my absolute favorite time era.
It's mainly about a girl with MULTIPLE Character POVS who marries more than 1 man at once because she doesn't know who she wants to be.
It got confusing at times BUT All in all it was an amazing read and an amazing retelling of The Three Muskateers retelling!!
If you love a retelling than this book is for you!!!
Review:
This book is everything that Historical Fiction is about. The time era it is set in is my absolute favorite time era.
It's mainly about a girl with MULTIPLE Character POVS who marries more than 1 man at once because she doesn't know who she wants to be.
It got confusing at times BUT All in all it was an amazing read and an amazing retelling of The Three Muskateers retelling!!
If you love a retelling than this book is for you!!!
September 15, 2019
This is a wonderful story which has taken a well know character and told her story. History is always different from a women’s perspective and this was a fantastic book that kept me guessing the whole way!
January 3, 2022
My first finished read of 2022 and it's a 5. I enjoyed every second spent in this world. Excellent debut adult novel by this author.
July 15, 2019
I had no idea who Milady was. I have not read The Three Musketeers and I am not at all familiar with who Milady de Winter was or what her story was. That being said I picked up this story excited to learn all that I could about this girl who was young and naive living with her mother until her father comes for her and has other plans for the path her life will be taking.
Milady is an interesting story. It takes a young girl and turns her into a feared and dangerous woman. The paths she takes, the people she meets, and the things she does are scary, amazing, and sometimes deadly. I enjoyed meeting the diverse characters with their different social status’, different levels of education, and different upbringings. There was an interesting mix of cultures and I was amazed at how easily Milady was able to find her place in each one.
This is a fun historical fiction story. I recommend picking up your own copy and learning more about the woman who many men fear and many men loved.
Milady is an interesting story. It takes a young girl and turns her into a feared and dangerous woman. The paths she takes, the people she meets, and the things she does are scary, amazing, and sometimes deadly. I enjoyed meeting the diverse characters with their different social status’, different levels of education, and different upbringings. There was an interesting mix of cultures and I was amazed at how easily Milady was able to find her place in each one.
This is a fun historical fiction story. I recommend picking up your own copy and learning more about the woman who many men fear and many men loved.
June 23, 2019
Let me preface this by saying that I am one of the only people on the planet who isn’t familiar with the Three Musketeers. I knew OF them, but had never heard, read, or watched their story. In fact, until recently, I had no idea the story was about four men and not three. Needless to say, I’d never heard of Milady. I picked up this book (after winning a Goodreads giveaway for it) because I thought the premise itself was fascinating.
And it is. This is a fascinating story of the choices one woman makes and the ways in which she deals with the outcomes and uses them to her advantage. Not only that, but also how she learned to think steps ahead of everyone else. I enjoyed getting to know the story of the Three Musketeers through this view and trying to figure out who was who (mainly who Athos is from her past).
While I’m normally a fan of slow character pieces, I will say that this one felt a bit too slow a lot of times. There was a lot of internal rumination on the same things over and over again, that got s but frustrating. That and some of the details from Milady’s past were a bit too unnecessary and slowed everything down. I had a difficult time staying interested and invested in certain scenes. That could very well be because of my lack of familiarity with the base story, but many scenes that I’d get distracted during took place in the original story’s background, seemingly without any of the original characters aside from Milady.
This was a fascinating story of how underestimated and incredibly smart women can be and I was more than satisfied with its ending (in that it sort of mirrored the novel’s opening scene), but was still wanting a bit more from this story and wanted to care more about the protagonist than I ended up doing.
And it is. This is a fascinating story of the choices one woman makes and the ways in which she deals with the outcomes and uses them to her advantage. Not only that, but also how she learned to think steps ahead of everyone else. I enjoyed getting to know the story of the Three Musketeers through this view and trying to figure out who was who (mainly who Athos is from her past).
While I’m normally a fan of slow character pieces, I will say that this one felt a bit too slow a lot of times. There was a lot of internal rumination on the same things over and over again, that got s but frustrating. That and some of the details from Milady’s past were a bit too unnecessary and slowed everything down. I had a difficult time staying interested and invested in certain scenes. That could very well be because of my lack of familiarity with the base story, but many scenes that I’d get distracted during took place in the original story’s background, seemingly without any of the original characters aside from Milady.
This was a fascinating story of how underestimated and incredibly smart women can be and I was more than satisfied with its ending (in that it sort of mirrored the novel’s opening scene), but was still wanting a bit more from this story and wanted to care more about the protagonist than I ended up doing.
May 1, 2019
The Three Musketeers from Milady’s Perspective
In this novel, the arch-villainess of the Three Musketeers, Milady de Winter, tells her own story. She began as a simple country girl, Clarice, and rose to the highest courts in Europe. Much of the novel is devoted to her early life giving the background that made her the woman she became. Once she meets the Musketeers, the story takes some liberties with the original Dumas book. It’s good to be familiar with the story before reading this novel.
The story is clearly told from a feminist perspective. Milady is seen as a clever, strong woman, who uses her beauty and brains to accomplish her ends. The novel is filled romance, murder, betrayal, spying, and palace intrigue. It is not a romance novel, although there is sex and romance. The novel is a historical adventure with plenty of action.
I enjoyed the book, but was rather disappointed by the amount of license the author used in presenting the characters of the Three Musketeers. In Dumas book, they are not particularly nice people. They were representative of the fighting men of the era. In this book they become much more villainous to highlight Milady’s virtue in intriguing against them.
I recommend reading the book as an historical adventure. The historical figures, like the King and Cardinal, are reasonably accurate. However, don’t try to tie the book too closely to the original Dumas work. They are told from different points of view and understandably each side presents itself in the best light.
I received this book from First to Read for this review.
In this novel, the arch-villainess of the Three Musketeers, Milady de Winter, tells her own story. She began as a simple country girl, Clarice, and rose to the highest courts in Europe. Much of the novel is devoted to her early life giving the background that made her the woman she became. Once she meets the Musketeers, the story takes some liberties with the original Dumas book. It’s good to be familiar with the story before reading this novel.
The story is clearly told from a feminist perspective. Milady is seen as a clever, strong woman, who uses her beauty and brains to accomplish her ends. The novel is filled romance, murder, betrayal, spying, and palace intrigue. It is not a romance novel, although there is sex and romance. The novel is a historical adventure with plenty of action.
I enjoyed the book, but was rather disappointed by the amount of license the author used in presenting the characters of the Three Musketeers. In Dumas book, they are not particularly nice people. They were representative of the fighting men of the era. In this book they become much more villainous to highlight Milady’s virtue in intriguing against them.
I recommend reading the book as an historical adventure. The historical figures, like the King and Cardinal, are reasonably accurate. However, don’t try to tie the book too closely to the original Dumas work. They are told from different points of view and understandably each side presents itself in the best light.
I received this book from First to Read for this review.
March 24, 2022
Okay, so I have a new favorite book!! No joke, MIlady is absolutely one of my new favorite works of historical fiction. This is one of those rare finds that I know I will read over and over throughout my life and recommend to everyone! Now that I’ve made myself sound like a creepy-stalker fan I’ll justify my words. Milady de Winter has been the epitome of the evil-harlot villainess since Alexandre Dumas birthed her into the harsh, male-run world of The Three Musketeers almost two centuries ago. In that time we’ve all celebrated the Musketeers for their selfless heroism, laughed off their debauchery as boys being boys and celebrated with them after they take down (supposed) villains like Milady de Winter. But is Milady so bad? We must remember history is written by the victors. Laura Sullivan corrects that with Milady by telling her story. She is a product of her world. She is what the men in her life made her to be. After all, in the 17th century being a strong, independent woman, who doesn’t need a man to protect her, is a dangerous thing in itself. And that’s just who Milady de Winter is. In other words: she rocks! We also find out the Musketeers themselves aren’t quite the honorable men history has made them. This is the other side of The Three Musketeers story. One of love, betrayal, scheming and survival. I hope Laura Sullivan will tell the stories of more infamous female characters in the future because she has a knack for it. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m so glad I did.
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