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Kelly Robson
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Waters of Versailles: A Tor.Com Original Kindle Edition

by Kelly Robson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
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Finalist for the World Fantasy Award and Nebula Award, and winner of the Aurora Award

Waters of Versailles is a historical fantasy about sex, magic, and plumbing. In 1738 France, soldier and courtier Sylvain de Guilherand enlists magical help to bring modern conveniences to the court of Louis XV. The innovation sparks a cold war in the hothouse palace environment as the nobles compete to outdo each other. Everyone wants what Sylvain has, but can he control the magical creature who makes it all possible?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    69 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Tor Books
  5. Publication date
    June 10, 2015
  6. File size
    464 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00VPX20RC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (June 10, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 10, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 464 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 69 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

About the author

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Kelly Robson

Kelly Robson

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Like you, I'm a passionate reader. I spent most of my teenage years either hanging out at the drugstore waiting for new issues of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine, or when I was in the city, lurking in the SF and Fantasy section of the bookstore. This was pre-Internet and since there were no bookstores in my town and the library was pretty bare, good books -- the kind that made my heart sing -- were precious treasures. To this day, nothing is more important to me than reading, nothing is more delicious than a great novel, and few people are as important as my favorite writers.

My writing life has been pretty diverse. I've edited science books, and from 2008 to 2012 I had the great good luck to write a monthly wine column for Chatelaine, the largest women's magazine in Canada. I've published short fiction at Tor.com, Asimov's Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and a number of anthologies. Several of my stories have been chosen for "year's best" anthologies, and in the past two years I've been a finalist for several high-profile awards.

My favorite writers are Connie Willis, Walter Jon Williams, Michael Bishop, Jack Womack, Hilary Mantel, Alan Bennett, Patrick O'Brian, A.M. Dellamonica, Saladin Ahmed, Gemma Files, Maureen McHugh, Cat Rambo, Peter Watts, and Caitlin Sweet. I have a huge soft spot for classic literature, including Jane Austen, Anne Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Ford Maddox Ford, John Galsworthy, George Eliot, and Mrs. Gaskell. I also love reading non-fiction -- history, historical geography, and science.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Zig Zag Claybourne
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Poignant
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
It's hard for me as a writer to read solely for pleasure. There's always that sub-brain analyzing & studying the writing alchemy. Rarer still: being so immediately whisked by words that the sub-voice fades with each paragraph. In a short, wonderful work Kelly Robson does what a brace of novelists couldn't accomplish given a 400 page head start: lays out a story so rich and round that it feels more like lived history than fiction, and made more magical for the expert blending of original subject matter with fable and genuine heart. I wish I had it as a paperback. Something to read outdoors to a loved one within a summery breeze. Waters of Versailles was a huge pleasure to read, and one I plan to return to when I need to be reminded that words are joyful things that sing and dance when tended well. Highly, highly recommended!
5 people found this helpful
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Hugh J
4.0 out of 5 stars A lovely little fairy tale about plumbing
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2017
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Set in the court of Louis XV, Silvain hopes to win the king's favor by using a nixie to repair the fountains of Versailles and provide other comforts. But the court's appetites appetite fickle and inexhaustible.
A quick,light novella that was a delightful read!
One person found this helpful
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Simon Crow
5.0 out of 5 stars clever and full of unexpected feeling
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2020
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Fun, fascinating, then exhilarating - it's a pleasure to read such cleverness. And then the unexpected breaks of feelings - starting small and getting progressively bigger until they crash everything, just like the water.
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Shauna S. Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun romp in the court of Louis Quinze
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2015
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Courtier by day, plumber by night, the hero of this novella does his best to fit in among upper-crust society at Versailles. To fulfill his ambitions, he endures horrible people and gets frustrated with his friends. I laughed through the novella and then was sad but satisfied by the end. I wish there were a second novella about this character and his friends because I wanted more.
One person found this helpful
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Fenrix
3.0 out of 5 stars The fountain and the evolution of the training were particularly inspired.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2019
I’m not sure how to feel about this novella. The magic and the nixie were phenomenal, and the blending with the setting and the burgeoning plumbing technology was great. The fountain and the evolution of the training were particularly inspired. But I didn’t really love spending that much time with our protagonist and the rest of the members of the court.

Decide for yourself. I listened to this for free over at PodCastle:
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Amy P.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2016
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Very imaginative story and a fun read.
One person found this helpful
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Kevin H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book....
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2016
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Waters of Versailles was a great book... It was an honor to read it and I highly recommend it....
One person found this helpful
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Jonathan Maberry -NY Times Bestseller
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, elegant, funny and unexpected.
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2016
I'd read some of the author's work before in Clarkesworld and elsewhere and am always surprised at her chameleonic literary style, changing her voice in ways that speak to a sophistication of the writing craft and a deep understanding of her characters. Brava!
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

peter darbyshire
5.0 out of 5 stars Drip drip drip
Reviewed in Canada on June 26, 2016
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Oh my goodness, I adored the hell out of this. Great story by a great writer. Why are you reading this when you could be reading the story?
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AJM
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on August 21, 2017
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A lovely, well crafted story from a talented new author. Read this.
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Starship Library
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2017
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This novella was funny, sharp and intriguing, with wonderful worldbuilding, great characterisation and a warm-hearted centre.
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Kit
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story
Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2015
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I read it in one sitting. Hugely entertaining and original. Highly recommeded! I look forward to reading more by Kelly!
One person found this helpful
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