The Mirror Makers

The Mirror Makers

Summary

Louis XIV, at the height of his powers and grandiose ambitions, dreams of constructing a great Hall of Mirrors in the palace of Versailles. But the only craftsmen who know the secret are in Murano, prisoners of the Venetian Republic. The promise (via Louis XIV's controller of finances, Jean-Louis Colbert) of riches, adventure, a new life, prompts Andrea Allegri and a renegade group of mirror-makers, to risk not only his father's wrath but the severest punishment by the Venetian authorities. And, once in the Sun King's Court, Andrea finds himself caught up, not only with dangerous palace politics, but with one of the King's mistresses. Inventive, romantic and exciting, Clare Colvin's novel is a magical evocation of a glittering period of history.

Reviews

  • Plots, secret assignations and emotional turmoil give the book dramatic intensity; the period setting which has been beautifully researched adds the vibrancy and colour to a well-crafted historical novel
    Eithne Farry, Daily Mail

About the author

Clare Colvin

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