The Court of Darkness by Victor Dixen takes me into a dark world ruled by Louis XIV, the Sun King, who became a vampire 300 years ago. The setting in and around Versailles is superbly developed and gives the story a fascinating atmosphere. In this first volume of the Vampyria trilogy I was able to delve deep into a world full of intrigue, secrets and supernatural powers.

The Court of Darkness ♦ Victor Dixen
Opinion

The protagonist Jeanne Froidelac, who poses as the noblewoman Diane de Gastefriche, is at the center of the action. Her character development and the way she deals with the challenges of the dark court make her an interesting main character. However, I couldn't help but notice that Jeanne shows a certain naivety in some passages. While this may add to the plot, it could have been interesting if her character had been made a little more complex. But here too it is probably due to the age of the Prota.

A refreshing aspect of the book is the restrained portrayal of the romance that the blurb here announces. This one is also rather misleading when it comes to this part. Typically, stories that are filled with supernatural beings and political intrigue are interspersed with excessive romantic adventures. It was very pleasant that the author held back here. This gives the story greater depth and focuses on the actual plot.

The plot itself is full of unexpected twists and secrets, which made me almost unable to put the book down. Dixen manages to build up a tension that lasts until the last page and even gains momentum at the end. The mix of history and fantasy is really well done here and offers a refreshing change for fans of both genres.

Conclusion

All in all, The Court of Darkness is a captivating read that will delight both lovers of historical novels, which I tend not to be one of, and of fantasy stories. Despite the occasional naivety of the main character and the deliberate reticence in the romance, I am excited for the sequel and look forward to the next two volumes of the trilogy.

This review was first published on The Art of Reading.

I AM BLOWN AWAY! I went into this book without much idea of what it would really be like so I didn’t have any expectations.

The concept of this book was just so well done, even though the vampire theme is not anything new, it was a refreshing take on an old classic. Plot-wise, the plot twists and events were well-timed, and a lot of them were spread out evenly throughout the book. There’s not much to note other than that but there were some twists that were quite unexpected to the point where I had to just put the book down and let my brain catch up with the rest of the story.

The characters were so intriguing even the villains and morally grey! I was so fascinated by the complexity and the LAYERS of character development! the main character, Jeanne, is one of my favorite characters ever because her character growth, wit, and badassery just took my breath away. Some of her actions and decisions made were definitely questionable but I felt that it added a lot of depth to her character building and it went SO well with the story. Her bloodthirstiness paralleled the story really well and I found that it was a good moral qualm that was explored throughout the story in a meticulous and ingenious manner. One thing I absolutely LOVE is when authors make the readers question the main character in a way that still keeps them engaged and I think this was expected exceptionally well.

For me this was both a plot-driven and character-driven book, which is why I’m giving it a full five stars! ALSO, this is a translated book so I did not know if the writing style would be transferred over well enough, but I really enjoyed the writing. It wasn’t too simple or confusing but it was a perfect blend of simplicity and prose. I thought the writing went well with the story!

My Rating: 5/5 stars

This was quickly a five-star read for me since it combined my infatuation with vampires and the French aristocracy in this dark fantasy of blood, betrayal, and monsters. The macabre and evil Court of Versailles, as well as the Grand Ecurie, were an excellent backdrop for a revenge story that would kickstart a revolution vampiric France needs. I am now impatiently waiting for The Court of Miracles to be released so I can sink my teeth into the story again.

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me the eARC of this novel so I now have a new favorite read of 2023!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Very well written and love the characters. Off to read book two.

Strap in for a fast-paced ride that brings a fresh envisaging of vampires and humans with a historical feel. Stow your glittery ideas and brace for some gore.

The Court of Shadows had a gripping start and that sense of interest didn't wane for me. The protagonist Jeanne, found herself alone, traumatised and angry. She quickly had to don convincing acting skills and reverence to the Vampyria. She found herself being schooled amongst foes and some eventual allies. She feared the shadows and what they were.

This book caught me up and whisked me along with some interesting characters and great twists. I loved the dark feelings, academia setting and tension. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Thank you to Over the river PR & Amazon Publishing for the review copy.

Very interesting take on a vampire story. The character building was intriguing and made me like the main character even more. Going from a rebel kid in a misunderstood family to taking someone else's place in a high society school is very bold. A story I didn't know could be so compelling, governmental vampire society.

Translated novels are a favorite of mine, especially if they’re done well. This one is done amazingly well! Translated from the original French, The Court of Shadows immerses the reader in a world where monsters are real; not just real but aristocratic and in charge of lowly human commoners.

The main character, Jeanne/Diane, has no choice but to take on an aristocratic identify after her family is killed. She joins a finishing school of sorts. But this school is run by the elite Vampyre. A king who was turned into a vampire, immortal and disfigured, he runs his kingdom hiding behind a golden mask.

This book has it all, vampires, ghouls, evil scientists and a mysterious “shadow essence” that controls it all.

Wonderful world building, from the quaint and human commoner village Jeanne runs from; to the forbidding kingdom full of monsters she runs too.

This is not a typical story of vampires. They are not romantic and tortured souls looking for someone to love. These are blood drinking monsters who are messing with alchemy and witchcraft.

I will for sure continue this series to find out what happens to our heroine, Jeanne.

⭐ 3,75 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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For the last three decades Louis XIV, the King of Shadows, has ruled France as an immortal vampire. To keep his rule, his thirst and his other vampire nobles in check, there's been laid down some harsh rules for the human "livestock" living in the country, like donations of blood and a curfew.

Jeanne Froidelac lives in a small rural town in France with her family, until one day, where the king's soldiers come and murder her whole family for treason. As the lone survivor Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and is enrolled into a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers, with a possibility to be chosen as one of the king's human guards. Soon Jeanne finds herself at the doors of Versailles with only one thing on her mind: Revenge.

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It's taken it's time to finish this book, but I can finally say that I'm finished! It's actually kind of weird, when I look back at it, and am now trying to collect my thoughts about the book.

In general I think this book has a lot to offer. The alternative history of monarchs becoming vampires and making a new class system is a concept I'm in love with. The world created and explored in this book is absolutely amazing, and I love the small grotesque things happening due to a perversion of the court.'

While this book both has an amazing setting and a lot of elements it uses to it's advantage, I still found it hard to actually connect with the book and the characters in it. Some of the world-building and revelations came to at a weird pace, and I wasn't always sure in what direction the story wanted to go.

Victor Dixen is a masterful storyteller, and while I wasn't quite sold on the story in general, I'm still considering picking up the next few books as they release, because the grotesque vampiric court is hard to let go of.

I love a well-written Gothic novel that includes beautiful maps, a mortal code, and a Preamble. The dark action begins immediately and I was plunged into a world of secrets, murder, and Vampyres. The pacing is good, the characters intriguing, and the plot line solid. This is the perfect book to read at this time of year and let the spookiness enthrall you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This one had so many good things going for it. Historic France? Vampires? Spooky fall vibes? Sign me up.
An entertaining and unique read that I enjoyed.

An absolutely enthralling story, reminiscent of Anne Rice that will have you diving into medieval France, and a world where vampires are king...literally. I have absolutely fallen in love with Jeanne. Hands down, one of my favorite book heroines. The story drops you right into the action, with vivid descriptions that will have you feeling like you stepped right through the pages and into Jeanne's life. Dixen does an amazing job of bringing this alternate world to life - where royalty was so desperate to hold onto power that they turned to dark ways, complete with immortality, blood tithes, and their own form of "secret police" (everything a tyrant needs to stay in power). I could sit here and talk about this book for ages, but let me leave you with this - if you're looking for a book that brings back those old school vampire vibes with a new twist, then you'll want to grab this book. You won't be disappointed!

In an alternate history, Louis XIV became the King of Shadows when he became a vampire. Ruling from the Court of Shadows at Versailles, he demands the blood of his subjects to give his nobles and ensure their loyalty. Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family due to their role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. Disguising herself as an aristocrat, Jeanne enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers and is soon at Versailles. She's there for blood, but not in the way the king thinks.

This is the first book in the Vampyrica Saga. Jeanne is clever, taking on the identity of the reclusive lord's daughter the night her family is killed. As Diane, she escapes death. The vampire who accompanied the king's soldiers is her primary target at first, but then she realizes that one easily disgraced vampire wouldn't get at the root cause of the fourth estate's woes. Instead, she decides to set her target as the King himself. We then follow her days at the school, learning the various kinds of etiquette expected of nobility intending to serve the King and his elite vampire nobles. There are those who would help her fit in as well as those who feel she's a rival for their eventual goal of becoming part of the King's court.

There is a lot of fun world-building in this series, which the translator put into English flawlessly. The vampires here had begun with the Sun King's transfiguration into the first royal vampire, then it moved into the nobility and the European nations allied with him. There is a vast network of vampire rulers, as a result, and by the same token enough mortals who would want them gone. Jeanne as Diane wants to avenge her family, and soon learns that there is a very straightforward path to court. It brings its own risks and perils, and through her, we discover just what they are. We see many aspects of vampire culture at court, where they fuse vampire blood with plants, musical instruments, and even weapons for their eternal amusement at mortals' expense. The stakes are high if Jeanne loses, and pulling through only puts her in even more danger. Vampires are deadly foes, and the world in these novels, are full of them. They're my favorite supernatural creature, and I can't wait to see more about them in this world.

* I got a free copy through the publisher, this in no way affected my review*

If there hadn’t been a heatwave right now, this book would have been the perfect autumn read!!

Dixen has proven to be an amazing writer and the way he describes things and can create the vibe throughout the entire book really is his strong point. I really feel like he thought out everything in this book very well and it really showed in his writing.

It did however become confusing at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and while you have a small listing at the beginning of the book, but I don’t want to flip back every single time, but that could just be a me problem.

I also don’t know if this was intentional or not, but it became more and more difficult to like our main character Jeanne as the book progressed. I can’t say too much without spoiling stuff, but she just kept on making the wrong decisions and I was almost screaming at her because I couldn’t understand what she was doing.

Definitely a good autumn read if you’re into vampires and historical fiction!

I was enticed by the great concept of this book but ultimately felt it was let down by the style and pacing. In an alternate historical France the revolution never happened as Louis XIV made himself a vampire and has ruled France with an iron fist for the past 300 years. Our heroine Jeanne Froidelac determines to infiltrate his court and avenge her family after they are brutally killed for attempting to rebel. While she was an exciting character with a great motivation, the style and structure meant I failed to be engaged. The novel begins in media res with the attack on Jeanne’s family, meaning the background is inserted in blocks of exposition that feel unnatural and slow down the story. From there the style is interesting but hampered by statements about Jeanne’s life, making the sudden violence shocking but not earnt. I was let down by the story falling into cliche territory as she travels to a school to learn to take her place at the court (although this may be attributed to my own preferences, it is another decision that feels obvious without being satisfying). Great world, let down by plot and style.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader's copy in exchange for a review of the book. I have to say, I loved everything about this book except the main character. However the world building and all of the secondary characters were amazing. The idea of a world trapped in time and completely ruled by vampires has been done before but this was done creatively and with expertise. I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys vampire fiction. I cannot wait for the next one. The only thing I wish is that I knew enough French to read it in the original language, but this translation is quite well done and the author has created quite a story.

DNF. The writing was poor and the story was not compelling. I am not one to not finish a book, but I could not make it through this one. I loved the premise of this book from the description but was very disappointed in the execution. I love dark novels, but could not get this one to work for me. As an avid reader, I always want to give a book a fair shot, but this felt like something written by a wannabe novelist in high school.

DNF - i wish i liked this but it was just so slow paced and it was hard for me to keep up. Also, very boring. Hated the main character

The book blurb really got me excited to read this one. It started off pretty good but then I got bored. There wasn't enough excitement in it for me, nor was the plot that interesting. This felt like your typical story about poor little outcast being bullied by the rich girls. I got about 30% through and had to stop.

Thank you for #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions above are my own.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to read.

A interesting take on Vampiric lore where instead of dying in 1715, the Sun King becomes a vampire. An alternative universe 299 years later, Jeanne Froidelac finds her entire world turned upside down in a few hours.

While an interesting premise and interviewing of lore and history, this novel fell short for me. The pace changes often and the characters fall a bit short. Through the eyes of Jeanne, so may things fell short and at times almost had you rooting against her. Consistently going against her own best interests and plan, yet magically fitting in perfectly with the other students doesn't quite mesh well.

I think the translation was done well, with the start of the world building quite interesting. It just never felt fully connected to me, especially the glimmers of lore and what could be without the vampires.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to the to this arc. I love a good vampire story. This translation was epic. The MC is aloof and easy to relate to. I want more!