Daughter of Snow and Secrets (Defying the Crown)
This is the final adventure in Kerry Chaput’s award-winning Defying the Crown series. Isabelle’s journey begins in Daughter of the King as she flees from France to Canada, denying her Protestant beliefs to escape persecution by the Catholic king, in 1661. In book two, Daughter of the Shadows, Isabelle is leading a double life as a spy traveling from Quebec to Paris to challenge King Louis XIV in 1667. In Daughter of Snow and Secrets, Chaput masterfully weaves the tangled threads of Isabelle’s childhood persecution and early marriage to a Catholic soldier with the Protestant Resistance in 1681 as she tenaciously leads Huguenots through the French countryside to safety in Geneva.
Isabelle’s thoughts, dreams, and memories give readers a glimpse into her plans, creating anticipation and injecting suspense into the fast-paced plot. After rescuing Huguenot families and killing many of the king’s dragoons, Isabelle, a warrior and fighter, becomes known as the Red Fox. The loss of a long-time friend and the need for revenge forces Isabelle’s return to Paris.
Humorous banter with a rescued duke adds levity to the decision as readers are whisked to the ornately ostentatious Palace of Versailles and its labyrinth of gardens. Vivid details of the nobility, their dress, and activities pale in comparison to the elaborate scheme Isabelle and her family have concocted to defy the king. From poisoning guards to the stench of the mirrored halls, Chaput creates impassioned escapades that fill readers and guests with desperation and fear as word spreads that the infamous Red Fox is indeed inside the palace.
This thrilling novel demonstrates how, after years of preparation, fierce women must choose between survival instincts and personal convictions to keep their cause alive. The series is highly recommended.
