Daughter of Snow and Secrets Defying the Crown Series-Book 3 by Kerry Chaput

Publication March 21, 2024-Black Rose Writing-318pp

Book Summary

1681. Isabelle lives safely in Geneva but travels to the French countryside along secret Huguenot trails to rescue Protestants from the king’s vicious dragonnade program. She protects her family from the dangers of battling the Royal Army, but her wild daughter Elizabeth has other ideas. Eager to prove herself, Elizabeth attempts a solo rescue that goes horribly wrong. Isabelle comes out of hiding and travels to Paris while all of France wants her dead.

On a dangerous mission to Versailles, old enemies threaten to tear her family apart. She must rely on surprising allies and the daughter she’s fought to protect to keep them alive and rescue every Protestant in France.

In the final installment of the award-winning Defying the Crown trilogy, Kerry Chaput takes readers on another thrilling adventure through the outlandish world of Paris and Versailles. Daughter of Snow and Secrets immerses you in a breathless tale of danger with a cast of brave, fierce women as they fight for love and freedom. You won’t want to miss the stunning conclusion to this riveting historical fiction series.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab First Published-May 2024 Issue-Historical Novels Review Magazine

Daughter of Snow and Secrets is the final adventure in the award-winning series Defying the Crown by Kerry Chaput.  Isabelle’s journey begins in Daughter of the King as she flees from France to Canada, denying her Protestant beliefs to escape persecution of the Catholic King in 1661. In book two, Daughter of the Shadows, Isabelle is leading a double life as a spy travelling 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 Huguenot’s 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, 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 series conclusion demonstrates how after years of preparation fierce women must choose between survival instincts and personal convictions to keep their cause alive. Series highly recommended.