In the Shadow of the Sun King

Let's get a few things out on the table. First, I'm a man. Second, I normally enjoy thrillers and suspense novels. Third, I loved this book. On a whim, I picked up "In the Shadow of the Sun King" and began reading. Before I knew it, I was on page 100, flipping pages to see what would happen to the Clavell family as they faced imprisonment and worse at the hands of French dragoons. Set in the seventeenth century, the story is one of Huguenot persecution at the hands of King Louis, the Sun King, and the Catholic Church. It's based on the author's family history, but she makes sure to clarify late in the story that it's not a matter of taking sides, but coming to a unity in belief in one God and Savior. Along the way, though, Parsons gives us a fast-paced tale that leads from burned homes to prisons to slave galleys to magnificent Versailles and the intrigues of the royal court. She presents a large cast of characters in an easy-to-follow manner, educating us about history, religion, and the affairs of the heart. Like Bodie Thoene and Tricia Goyer, Golden Keyes Parsons has breathed new life into stuffy history. She appeals to our souls as much as our minds, guiding her characters (and the readers) through a world that is believable in its old ways and yet so familiar in its human essence. Since childhood I've been an avid reader, always on the prowl for the next great novel, the newest author to hit the scene. It's akin to first love every time I make that discovery. With Golden Keyes Parsons' book, I've experienced that same sort of jittery, adolescent excitement. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of A Prisoner of Versailles, book two in the Darkness to Light series.

It's the oldest cliche' of them all...but I couldn't put this book down! Not particularly well-read in the realm of historical romance, I was nonetheless instantly engaged by this story of intolerance and violence imposed upon the Huguenots in 17th century France. Madeleine Clavell proves to be a brave yet complex heroine as she fights to save her family from the persecution imposed by King Louis XIV. Golden Keyes Parsons shows impressive skills as a storyteller, weaving elements of brisk pacing and----even though the book is rich with historical detail----a swift immediacy that carried me along as if I had known this world all my life. A truly fine debut; I eagerly await this author's next work! --James E. Robinson, author of The Flower of Grass

From page one I was sucked into this story, reading the pages as fast as I could. What a great drama this author has created. I love a well written, well researched historical book with lots of tension and this one did not disappoint.

It's historical fiction, it's a love story, it's an adventure, it's inspirational. Author Golden Keyes Parsons' carefully crafted story of the Clavell family will no doubt become a beloved classic. Her attention to detail helps the reader imagine the story as it unfolds, yet her clever plot development style keeps the reader intrigued page after page. Protagonist Madeleine Clavell grabs the humanity in all of us as she faces challenges with courage, resourcefullness, integrity, and most of all, hope.

The Clavell family finds themselves at the mercy of King Louis XIV's merciless dragoons, soldiers who terrorize the Protestant Huguenots and try to force them to convert to Catholicism, the state religion. Madeleine Clavell, who knew King Louis when they were both very young, believes she can persuade him to call off the dragoons. Her husband, Francois, and her mother, Elizabeth, both try to dissuade her from traveling to Versailles, but Madeleine is desperate. Surely the king cannot be heartless. Surely he must remember what they once meant to each other and he will show mercy to her and her family. It is a gamble which could cost her everything. I had no idea that such persecution went on in France in the 1600's. I found it very intriguing to "experience" through this story what it was like to be persecuted simply for believing a different doctrine. A dramatic story of love, betrayal, and persecution! This is a powerful, fast-paced story that kept me guessing what might happen until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this family's story. I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series! I want to know how things turn out for each of the family members. I highly recommend In the Shadow of the Sun King.