The Myrtle Wand

 

The Myrtle Wand

Margaret Porter

Publication Date: October 11, 2022 by Gallica Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Summary: The Myrtle Wand, a retelling and a continuation of the classic ballet Giselle, restores original story elements to transform a tale of blighted romances and betrayals into a quest for redemption and restorative love.

Princess Bathilde de Sevreau, unlike her school friend Myrte and the peasant Giselle, doubts the existence of legendary vilis, ghostly maidens who rise from their graves by night to roam the forest to take revenge on faithless lovers. Until she, too, has cause to fear being ensnared by that spectral sisterhood . . .
Destined for a marriage of convenience with Albin, Duc de Rozel, Bathilde leaves her ancestral château for the Sun King’s sophisticated and scandalous court. As participants in royal ceremonies and entertainments, the princess and the soldier gradually recognize deep feelings for each other and mutual hopes for marital contentment.
But the tragic consequences of Albin’s brief masquerade as a commoner and the amorous Louis XIV’s quest for a mistress divide the lovers. Together and separately, they must overcome conflicting duties and unexpected dangers to determine their fate.

My thoughts: Porter starts off this tale with the main character Bathilde, a young motherless child, getting placed in a convent to receive an education. Her father was a prominent member of French society and an officer in the army. While at school, Bathilde made several friends, specifically Myrte and Frances, who helped her get through her studies and taught her about the larger world. 

Her father's rank meant a royal audience and Bathilde found herself face to face with a young Louis XIV. The relationship between the two was pure and never turned romantic. Bathilde enjoyed her friendship with Louis but never truly embraced all of the frivolity of court life. She felt more at home when she was able to be the mistress at any of her father's properties. There she could ensure all those who depended on her were adequately cared for. It was also where she could teach one of the village girls, Giselle how to read. When her father chose a husband for her, the Duc de Rozel Albin, Bathilde and her betrothed navigated through court intrigue and individual aspirations as they developed a relationship with each other. The obstacles placed in their path were largely of their own making and complicated their journey.

I went into this book blindly as I am not big into ballet. I had never before heard of the story of Giselle. I appreciated that Porter wrote this largely because she wanted more to the original storyline of Giselle. I enjoyed the historical content on the early reign of Louis XIV. I have read this author's work before and truly enjoy her style and the way she builds her characters. She adds just the right dose of imagery and historical elements. This one is a slow burn but an enjoyable read overall. 

I received a copy of this book in conjunction with it's promotion via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.