The Burning Chambers (The Joubert Family Chronicles)

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A gorgeously written, utterly absorbing epic and, despite being set in the sixteenth century, has some very pertinent messages for our time about the evils of religious persecution and the transcendent power of love and family. In case it’s not clear enough yet, I absolutely LOVED it - Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party Every inch a classic Mosse novel, The City of Tears is diligently researched, beautifully written and, crucially right now, both substantial and immersive – if you want to leave 21st-century pandemic Britain behind, this should be your preferred mode of transport - Radio Times Languedoc, region in Southern France, was marked by Cathars Inquisitions before the 14th century and after the 15th century the region experienced another Crusade now against Huguenots (French Protestants), who seemed to be putting the strongest resistance in this particular region. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Impressively bold and ambitious, [ The Burning Chambers] features betrayals, broken friendship, family secrets, and the horrors of fanaticism. Fans will love it." - Daily Mail (UK)

Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex. An invitation has arrived for Minou Joubert and her family to attend this historic wedding in Paris in August. But what Minou does not know is that the Joubert family’s oldest enemy, Vidal, will also be there. Nor that, within days of the marriage, on the eve of the Feast Day of St Bartholomew, her family will be scattered to the four winds and one of her beloved children will have disappeared without trace . . . Emprendí con entusiasmo la lectura de esta nueva trilogía, después de haber leído, hace algún tiempo, El laberinto y Sepulcro de esta misma autora. This powerful story of love, secrets and deceit is pacy, rich and stylish – and as compelling as they come. One to stay up late for - Isabel Ashdown, author of Lake Child

Their relationship places them in great danger; Minou has received a cryptic, threatening note bearing an unknown seal. The message reads: ‘She knows that you live.’ Meanwhile Piet is in possession of a priceless holy relic, the Shroud of Antioch, said to have wrapped Christ’s body after his crucifixion. Reydon’s enemies are in hot pursuit to retrieve it.

The first book in a new series of novels by Kate Mosse, The Burning Chambers is sublime historical fiction. It is set in France, in the year 1562, when the Wars of Religion were beginning to take hold. These were a sequence of eight civil wars between Catholics and Huguenots and the loss and destruction was profound, with several million people dead or displaced over the 36 years these wars raged on for. Such a very long time; what madness. The story is well-written with some moments that stand out, such as the great dialogue or concise yet beautiful descriptions of scenery. These descriptions wonderfully render each of the major set pieces, from the fortified city of Carcassonne to the lush green forests surrounding the mountain town of Puivert.This book has so many layers and is so engrossing that I finished it in no time. It's great to have the mystery wrapped up in the story. It's a entertaining book start to finish. I’m Lucy, an award-winning book blogger, bibliotherapist and writer with a passion for brilliant books, independent bookstores, literary travel and book festivals around the world. The Literary Edit is your guide to the beautiful world of books. rounded down for an intense and powerful novel set around 1562, Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers takes its inspiration from the Political and Religious unrest in France, combines with an intriguing and fascinating plot and well-drawn characters to deliver a wonderful story that is gripping, exciting and tense from start to finish.

The story also mentions Catherine, the Queen Regent and Calvin. Further recommendations: The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner and The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin by Douglas Bond. Mosse does what good popular historical novelists do best - make the past enticingly otherworldly, while also claiming it as our own * Independent *Mosse is a master storyteller, balancing thrilling suspense with complex characters and a thoughtful exploration of a fascinating time in history. Her heroine Minou is a pleasure to root for: clever, loving, down-to-earth and courageous! -- Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe Another of Mosse’s immersive dramas, which takes you to the heart of the past - Grazia on The Burning Chambers Set in the 16th Century during the wars between the Catholics and Huguenots Mosse brings alive the story with the descriptive attention to detail giving a real sense of the period. At times I felt it quite hard going because of the religious aspect but I ploughed on to be rewarded with a entertaining story based around this of divided loyalties, conspiracies, love and betrayal. May 1572: for ten violent years the Wars of Religion have raged across France. Neighbours have become enemies, countless lives have been lost, and the country has been torn apart over matters of religion, citizenship and sovereignty. But now a precarious peace is in the balance and a royal wedding has been negotiated. It is a marriage that could see France reunited at last. The Burning Chambers is a refreshingly accessible and compulsively readable piece of historical fiction that marks the beginning of the Burning Chambers trilogy. Kate Mosse, of Labyrinth fame, has crafted a wonderful tale that takes place during the infamous Huguenot religious wars in France. It is filled with tension, romance, betrayal, and some relatively infrequent but nonetheless harrowing depictions of violence.

You well know that if a lie is repeated often enough, in the face of the clearest evidence to the contrary, even the most level-headed of men start to believe in it. Falsehood easily becomes accepted truth.” stars rounded up to 3. I've read and enjoyed two of Kate Mosses' books before, but unfortunately I thought that The Burning Chamber was not of the same high standard. I loved learning about the time period and thought her descriptions of the places and historical events were very well done, but I found the characters in the story very one dimensional. I enjoy reading about people that are a bit more complex, and here you were either a hero (with no personality flaws) or a villain (with no redeeming qualities). With a moving prose, the story engages three historical places of Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Puivert, bringing the richness of those places: their history and secrets of those who know those places well.

La historia de las injusticias perpetradas en nombre de la religión contra sus antepasados es prueba segura de que Dios no existe. ¿Qué dios permitiría tantas muertes agónicas, tanto miedo y terror por su causa?" Religious fanaticism, political intrigue and the heart-wrenching tale of a lost child add to a highly readable historical adventure, with women firmly centre stage - Mail on Sunday The Burning Chambers is a chunk of a read, no bones about it. That said, it reads like a dream. It’s gripping, with great tension, and there’s mystery and adventure everywhere you look. The atmosphere is on point, and I was transported to France during this unique and tumultuous time period. Bringing sixteenth-century Languedoc vividly to life, Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers is a gripping story of love and betrayal, mysteries and secrets; of war and adventure, conspiracies and divided loyalties . . .