23. Louise de la Vallière - Alexandre Dumas

In the court of Louis XIV of France, youth and opulence is widely seen. Since Mazarin's death, Louis has spent money lavishly and flouted normal laws of etiquette. It's rumored that he is in love with his sister-in-law, the Duchess d'Orleans. But then new rumors begin that his eye has been caught by Louise de la Vallière. Sent away as an amabassador to England, these rumors reach Raoul, son of Athos, who is eager to learn the truth. Meanwhile, d'Artagnan seeks to unravel the mystery of Aramis and his aquiantance with the governor of the Bastille. What is Aramis planning and where has Porthos disappeared to?

Originally Alexandre Dumas wrote three books for the Three Musketeers series. The last book, due to it's incredible length, was split into three books: The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Vallière, and The Man in the Iron Mask. The middle of the three focuses the least on the four Musketeers (d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis). Most of the book is focused on the King and his quest for Louise. It was a little disappointing that hundreds of pages were read and nothing was seen of d'Artagnan or his fellow Musketeers. There were a few chapters where d'Artagnan is following Aramis' trail and trying to discover what his comrade is working on and thosed were very enjoyable. I love reading how d'Artagnan's mind works and how he's able to solve all the mysteries he's dealt. Unfortunately there was hardly any mention of Athos, my second favorite charcter in the series. However, this book was able to keep my attention by developing the new characters well. Reading more about the King, Louise and the Duchess d'Orleans was interesting and learning about the intrigues of the court. Overall, I'm glad this book is finished, because it was a little drawn out sometimes, and cannot wait to finish the series with The Man in the Iron Mask.

Rating: 3/5