Waters of Versailles by Kelly Robson is a charming novella of court intrigue in 1738 Versailles as a clever former soldier makes his fortune by introducing a modern water system (and toilets) to the ladies of the palace. He does this with magical help that he may not be able to control.
I was kind of expecting this novella to be funnier than it was. The concept struck me as lending itself to a comedic tale, but this wasn't one. That's not to say it wasn't lighthearted and, at times, amusing, but going in, I had been hoping to laugh more.
That said, it was a fun and entertaining read. I certainly wasn't bored at any point. Sylvain, the protagonist, paints himself into a corner with his plumbing venture and a lot of things go wrong for him. The main story was his progress in fixing problems and pushing new limits with the plumbing.
Although it wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as I had hoped, I enjoyed this novella and will happily read any more of Robson's work that crosses my path. I recommend Waters of Versailles to fans of period fantasy and court shenanigans. Also, you can read it free on Tor.com.
4 / 5 stars
First published: June 2015, Tor.com
Series: No.
Format read: iBooks ePub
Source: Purchased from iBooks
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