Milady

By: Laura L. Sullivan

Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden

From the glittering ballrooms of 17th Century England to the dangerous intrigues of the French court, Laura L. Sullivan brings an unlikely heroine to the audio, turning on its head everything we’ve been told about The Three Musketeers and their ultimate rival.

I’ve gone by many names, though you most likely know me as Milady de Winter: Villainess. Seductress. A secondary player in someone else’s tale.

It’s finally time I tell my own story. The truth isn’t tidy or convenient, but it’s certainly more interesting.

Before you cast judgment, let me start at the beginning, and you shall learn how an innocent girl from the countryside became the most feared woman in all of Europe.

Because we all know history was written by men, and they so often get things wrong.

©2019 Laura L. Sullivan (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Laura Sullivan’s Milady is an enthralling historical novel, beautifully crafted and richly detailed. Its fascinating, utterly real characters and spellbinding plot twists will keep readers breathlessly turning the pages.” (Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times best-selling author of Resistance Women)

“As sharp and merciless as a Musketeer’s blade, Milady is the historical adventure I’ve been waiting for, one that will leave you gasping to the very last page. Adventuress, assassin, and provocatrix, Milady de Winter is an unforgettable heroine, more than a match for any adversary. This is the story Dumas should have told.” (Deanna Raybourn, New York Times best-selling author of A Dangerous Collaboration)

“A woman's place is no longer in the subplot and Milady de Winter is a 17th century heroine destined for the 21st century. With bold, witty writing, and a narrative that rips along, Laura L. Sullivan crafts a compelling novel for a character deserving of her own story. I loved it!” (Hazel Gaynor, New York Times best-selling author of The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter)

Excellent story, characters, and narration

This book was even better than I expected it to be! I couldn’t stop listening. I love the story of the Musketeers. I never put much thought into Milady’s history. This book is well-written, intriguing, unexpected, and well narrated. Highly recommend!!

There was never a dull moment

Loved this story. The author holds the story very well and created a very believable story.

I couldn’t put it down

When I first read the Three Musketeers, I was struck by how the female characters were portrayed. They were one dimensional and either considered pure, perfect, submissive virgins or alternatively, evil, promiscuous manipulators. I couldn’t understand how this story had become so popular and had a myriad of representation in pop culture and media. I realized that no adaptations truly showed the misogynistic truths of the original, and if they did, the story would immediately fall prayed to cancel culture. I strongly dislike the original Three Musketeers. However, one of my favorite books of all time is the Count of Montecristo, written much later in Alexander Dumas’s life. It is clear that his understanding and view of women drastically changed and evolved during his life time. This book is phenomenal. I could not put it down. It rectifies the misogyny and one dimensional platitudes of the original story and manages to create intricate multidimensional female characters and to turn the original story on its head. It takes away the floored language of Dumas and reveals his heroic masculine characters, for who they truly are. This novel concocts the idea that a strong clever woman, can take her own fate into her hands and shape her own destiny, despite the incredible challenges women faced at the time and regrettably, still face sometimes today. I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

Great Story

I loved hearing the other side of the story and learning Milady’s origins. And the ending was perfect!

Maybe it’s a great story

I can usually get through any audiobook but the narrator for this one is awful. She is trying too hard to be demure and she just sounds like shes gasping for air. I couldn’t stand it for more than an hour. Might be a great story but I’ll never know.

Loved every minute

Exceptionally written. Super entertaining and unpredictable story. Twists and turns all the way to the very end. I have never read the three musketeers, and had no problems following this story. The performance was a little breathy, but I was riveted and got used to it. Would highly recommend!

Made me rethink The Three Musketeers

I loved seeing this story from Milady’s point of view. It really makes you think about history being written by the victors, we rarely have both sides of the story. The only thing that bothered me were the time jumps, I understand why they are there but they were jarring to me.

A twisty backstory!

Dumas’ classic tale of the Three Musketeers leaves out the stories of the supporting cast, but Laura Johnson brings us one of them. Villainess Milady Winter comes to life in 3D here. She recounts her coming-of-age and much later escape from her fate. We discover, as she does, the hidden events that shape her life and spill over into history and fiction.

Not what I expected

The story was uninteresting and the narrator was irritating. I thought it would get better but it didn’t.