A marvelously vivid and enthralling novel set in a period ripe for fresh historical fiction. Mosse once again entices the reader in a world long lost, yet peopled with richly human characters. Something a little different--yet not to be missed.

I love historic fiction that transports and engages, particularly when you see the errors and mistakes in the past evidenced in the present –people really haven’t changed all that much, and frankly there are some whose own ambitions and desires override humanity. This is that tale – one of Minou, the eldest of three children and the ‘woman of the house’ after her mother’s death. Minou has always been allowed and encouraged to learn and read: as have her younger brother and sister, her bookseller father owns a small shop that stocks ALL kinds of books, particularly dangerous in these times of strife. Like in England with Henry VIII, there are a small yet growing group of people who are more Calvinist or Protestant in nature, wanting to ‘demystify’ the religion and bring it to the common people. Believing this to threaten the papacy and the priests – there are revolts, often violent, that have pitted neighbor against neighbor, and priests and the church against citizens. Into this mess there is Minou’s father – after her mother’s death and him returning from a journey, he’s been reclusive and isolated himself- we do learn later why – but she’s carrying the burden of the shop and the care of her brother and sister. Not particularly drawn to either religion (catholic or protestant) but singularly humanist in her outlook, Minou is disheartened by the attitudes of those around her, and carefully works to maneuver through her life staying out of trouble.

But, as we see from another POV (there are several in this story that provide both background information as well as add to current issues and mysteries) that Minou is not safe in her little hometown, and her father has arranged for her to go to her maternal aunt’s home for a sort of “finishing” in Toulouse. Leaving Carcassonne becomes almost imperative when she comes face to face with a Huguenot, Piet, being sought by the authorities for his role in a murder he did not commit. Although Minou and he met only for moments, sparks flew and the two will find one another repeatedly, in strife and quiet, until the story ends.

With people coming and out of the story, everyone with connections past and present that will impact the climax of the story and bring us no end of moments to gasp and wonder just where things will lead, the story is hard to put down yet wholly accessible. Each point of view is clearly presented with its own voice and style, and secrets to reveal, and there are moments of great hope and love that often feel as if they are the only light to be found in the dark times in which the story occurs. Gripping, mysterious and often atmospheric - one never really recognizes the simple fact of human nature being both light and dark – and often unchanged throughout generations. As a first book in a trilogy that really only takes place in a year, I can’t wait until the next.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ase/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I received an ARC of The Burning Chambers from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. What follows is my honest review.

Today is the release day for The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse, so I thought I’d share my review. The Burning Chambers is a historical fiction novel about the religious dissent between the Protestants--called Huguenots--and Catholics in 16th century France. Mosse uses the growing closeness between her main characters Minou (raised Catholic) and Piet (a Protestant) to explore the persecutions the Huguenots faced and how this contentious time affected everyday citizens.

I really enjoyed how this novel gave me insight into a period of history I don’t know much about. However, one of my biggest complaints was the romance between Minou and Piet. I guess because I read a lot of romance novels, I’m used to stories that spend a lot of time developing the attraction and relationship between characters. This novel, however, provides only a few brief meetings before Minou and Piet are in love and considering marriage. In a novel of this length, it was disappointing to see how little time was devoted to developing what I perceived to be one of the central focuses of the book. After all, it’s Minou and Piet’s relationship that allows the novel’s final act to reach the conclusion that it does. However, that conclusion is made less believable by the rushed romance between these characters.

Speaking of the ending, the other thing that bothered me was how the novel’s epilogue foreshadows the possible deaths of Piet, Aimeric, and Alis at the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. I’m certain this tragedy is one of the points of the epilogue because Mosse placed her Historical Note about the event at the front of the book--where readers are more likely to read through it--than after the epilogue. This ensures readers understand the significance of the epilogue, but I felt that after all these characters have been through, it’s an extraordinarily bleak ending. I suppose a more generous reading would be that the epilogue is meant to push readers to pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. This reading is supported by the fact that the novel’s prologue, which takes place in the 19th century, has no other follow-up anywhere else in the book. However, because of my other issues with The Burning Chambers, I don’t know that I will be reading book 2.

Still, I recommend this book for readers who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in learning more about the religious wars in France.
3.5 stars

This book was okay. I loved that it was a different type of historical fiction from what I usually read. Most are about Jewish people and World War II. I was hoping this would be as interesting as the others, but it just didn't drag me in like I like for books to do. It was slow building, and a bit confusing at times.

I wanted to love this book. I didn't. When I saw the description, I was intrigued and excited. Here is something different from the same old-same old. It wasn't going to be just another World War I or II historical fiction novel. But I found the characters to be flat and way too much time spent on the world building. Perhaps a separate section at the beginning to explain things would have kept the narrative moving. I kept going but in the end I just couldn't get involved or interested enough to slog through it. Thank you netgalley and St. Martin's for my review copy.

France, 1562: Minou Joubert is a nineteen-year-old growing up in a world filled with religious tensions between the Catholics and the Huguenots. For a while it seemed as though her family would avoid any consequences from the ongoing war surrounding them, but it appears they won’t be as luck as they had hoped. Minou’s father is dealing with struggles related to the war that he keeps buried deep down instead of sharing with his family. As a result, Minou must step up as head of household.

Soon Minou finds herself in the possession of an anonymous letter sealed with a distinctive family crest. All the letter says is “She knows that you live”. Minou has no idea who the letter could be from or what the message means. In her quest to get to the truth Minou has a chance encounter with a young Huguenot, Piet Reydon, who will soon play a bigger role in her life than she could ever imagine. Follow Minou’s journey as works to discover what has happened with her father, who has written her this strange letter, and avoid being caught in a religious war.

Kate Mosse’s THE BURNING CHAMBERS is a staggering almost 600 page commitment of a journey into the religious wars that took place in France in the mid-1500s. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, but have never been drawn to this time period before. When Minotaur Books reached out to me about reviewing THE BURNING CHAMBERS there was something about the possibility of exploring a new timeline with a fascinating synopsis that I simply couldn’t decline.

I love reading a chunky book, but it always feels like I have to work up the courage to start the book. Once I’m in and hooked, I have no issues dedicating several hours to the lives of those within the pages of the story I’m reading. Since this book was so far out of my comfort zone, my nerves were pretty high before opening this book. Rest assured for those in the same boat, Kate Mosse’s writing will sweep you away! Her writing is effortless and she transforms a complicated premise into something incredibly readable.

One of the things that makes this book such a winner is the cast of characters. Minou is a strong, determined, and bold main character who leads the bulk of this story. She’s incredibly likeable and easy for the reader to want to cheer along in her journey as the story goes on. My favorite character easily goes to Piet, however, who slides in and stole the show with a fascinating storyline. I loved where each character’s individual storyline went, as well as how they ultimately converged.

I would recommend THE BURNING CHAMBERS for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. There is a definitely subplot filed with a great mystery, but it doesn’t sit front and center. As a diehard crime fiction reader, I loved that that element was present just under the surface and didn’t mind that it wasn’t the main focus. I know that page count may scare off many readers, but I assure you that this one is worth the commitment.

Disclosure: Thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me a free copy of this book for my honest review.

A very intriguing historical fiction read! This takes place in the mid-1500's during the time of the religious wars in France between the Catholics and the Huguenots. Mosse did a remarkable job in portraying the atmosphere and the climate of those times as well as imagining a fast-paced mystery that kept my interest - a family with a secret. I liked the strong female characters portrayed and enjoyed the romance between Minou and Piet. I don't know much about this period in France's history other than briefly touching on the period in high school history class, so I found the historical aspect really interesting.

Thanks to Kate Mosse and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I love historical fiction but this was slow and boring to me. I tried to like it. I was ok with the characters
.. Though there were many so I kept mixing up who was who. I was looking for more mystery than it gave.

Tl;dr: (gallic shrug)

Kate Mosse is back with a new series focusing on the persecution of Huguenots in France. It looks like the series will track not just the beginning and the infamous massacre, but also the migration of those who survived to other European countries and eventually colonial Africa (primarily South Africa, it seems)

This is a fantastic idea for a historical series--it focuses on a lesser known period of European history, it's about what it's like to live in a world where people fight over religion (some things never change, sadly)--but the execution doesn't work. It's clear that there's been lots of research, which is great, but Mosse is so building settings and explaining the politics and religious policies (and persecutions) that the characters are flat and way, way less interesting than they should be. The second book--teased at the beginning and at the end--seems like it will be more character driven. I'd give it a chance but this one is meh.

I absolutely love historical fiction but it was very hard for me to get into this one. I felt it was very slow and hard to get into the characters. It could be the time period too, not one I usually go for.

Kate Mosse takes the reader to the Languedoc in 1500s France and you feel like you are living there with the characters. Having been fortunate to visit Carcassone, I could really envision this. Set during the religious wars, this is a mystery set in a violent and dangerous time. It is also filled with romance and paints a good picture of what life was like in this place and time for the ordinary people who lived and worked there. I heard that this is the first book in a new trilogy. I loved her other trilogy, so this would be very exciting!

"From the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of Labyrinth, comes the first in an epic new series.

Power and Prejudice: France, 1562. War sparks between the Catholics and Huguenots, dividing neighbors, friends, and family - meanwhile, nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: She knows that you live.

Love and Betrayal: Before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, she meets a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon. Piet has a dangerous task of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to stay alive. Soon, they find themselves on opposing sides, as forces beyond their control threaten to tear them apart.

Honor and Treachery: As the religious divide deepens, Minou and Piet find themselves trapped in Toulouse, facing new dangers as tensions ignite across the city - and a feud that will burn across generations begins to blaze..."

What is sure to be the beginning of a new fan favorite series.

The Burning Chambers was an entertaining read that managed to keep all ~600 pages engaging, no small feat. Overall, I found the writing a tiny bit less mature (some telling, not showing etc), but still a completely worthwhile read. The author had the bravery to touch on some very heavy, important topics from a character-development perspective as well, which is always appreciated.

19-year-old Minou Joubert lives in a divided region of France in the late 1500s; Catholics firmly on one side of the conflict, and Huguenots firmly on the other. And then there are people like her family, who technically belong to one side but still remain open-minded about the other. War and violence ebb and flow.

Her father has been mysteriously depressed ever since he returned home from his most recent travels, refusing to leave the house or do much of anything. So it falls to Minou to run their family bookshop and keep them afloat. One day, a mysterious note shows up addressed specifically to her (“She knows that you live”) and shortly after, a man comes calling for her father. But then her father sends her and her younger brother to stay with relatives in the larger city of Toulouse so that her brother can learn from their uncle. Just before they leave, the man who’d called for her father is dead and she encounters Piet, a young Huguenot from Toulouse, in the street. Everything changes.

While she is living in Toulouse, war comes. Blood is shed. And meanwhile, an ancient Catholic relic is missing and a mentally unstable woman miles away wants Minou dead. The ending is suspenseful and satisfyingly complex.

I don’t read a lot of historical fiction because I don’t really like the genre for the genre’s sake; I never loved history in school. I usually only read historical fiction if it also does something else very well, like broaden my understanding of oppressed communities’ historical trauma, or tell an exceptional story. You can tell that this book was written for people who love historical fiction because they love history itself and being pulled backward in time. Kate Mosse obviously knows her stuff about this period of history and this region of France! If that also interested me, I think that I would have loved this book more.

Still, I’m not sorry that I took the time to read this one; the story was engaging, the characters were lovable, and the details were delicious. This is a story of family, ambition, tolerance, and love.

I usually love a good historical fiction. And I did like this one, for the most part. But I did find it to be a little TOO wordy. I think that normally wouldn’t have been an issue, but honestly I am still coming out of a pretty big reading slump and that might have contributed to my opinion on this one. I did enjoy the story itself though.

I have to start off by saying that I have never read a book that takes place during the 1500's and the conflict between French Catholics and Huguenots. Because of this, it took me a bit to warm up to the setting and language. The basic storyline is not only about religious persecution but a love story of those from the different sides.

While I enjoyed reading the book, it did not flow as easily as other period pieces I have read. Some parts made me want to keep going and others not so much. Truthfully, I am having a hard time reviewing this because I am so neutral. I have never read any other writings from Kate Mosse so I do not know if this is typical of her work. Based on a quick search, she has written many books and seems to have her following. Maybe this is a series that should be read in order and not a one-off as I have experienced.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Mosse returns to the Languedoc and the persecution of the Huguenots in “The Burning Chamber.” The setting is so well done; I felt I could touch the stones to either side of the passageways in Toulouse and Carcassone. The love story takes place between a Catholic daughter and a Huguenot soldier. Their unlikely attraction is set against the constant battles between the religious factions that lead up to the torture and death of thousands.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Set in the 16th Century during the Religious Wars in France, the story is centered in Carcassonne. While this is historical fiction, there is also romance which is not surprising as most historical fiction does have a fair amount included. Yet the great divide between the Catholic Church and Protestant Huguenots was expertly drawn . A lengthy read, it took some time to get through, but definitely worthwhile. I have never read anything written by Ms. Mosse, it won't be my last. As I know there is another episode in this series, I definitely am looking forward to reading what comes next.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Kill them all. God will know His own."


3.5/5 stars. The Burning Chambers is the first in Kate Mosse’s new series, set in a similar historical time period as her earlier series, but this time entirely in France during the bloody wars between French Huguenots and Catholics. This book started out reeeeeeeally slow. So slow that, had I not been given a review copy, I probably would have put it down indefinitely. However, the description was excellent and so was the writing, it was just…so much. Also SUCH a huge cast of characters! There was a three page list of characters at the very beginning (which honestly terrified me before I even started reading). A lot of focus was on the religious conflict, too, which I found kind of off-putting but I understand that it was a HUGE part of life at that time, and was the motivating factor for a lot of the characters’ actions. There was SO MUCH double-crossing in this story...it made my head spin at times, trying to figure out who was on what side and who was a spy and who was playing both sides!

Characters

The story is centered around Minou and to a lesser extent Piet, but there are so many chapters from such a variety of people it was rather mind boggling. Minou is great and I loved that she acted demure enough to blend in seamlessly in the current French society no matter where she was…but beneath all that “proper-ness” was a backbone of steel and GOD HELP ANYONE who tried to hurt her loved ones. Phew.

Piet is a good, steady man with a heart of gold and again the backbone of steel. Despite getting something of the short end of the stick in life, he is still unwilling to believe the worst of people (something that comes back to bite him in the behind). I liked him, but I wasn’t swooning over him. I guess I prefer more of the bad-boy/wounded hero type. He’s just too…nice? (What kind of a person does this thought make me…)

However, all that said, my favorite character was Minou’s little brother. HE is going to grow up to be just the sort of bad-boy-with-a-cause I can get behind, I just know it! The most INTERESTING character is actually the villainess, but the interest of spoilers I’ll leave it at that.

Plot

The Huguenots (Protestants) and the Catholics of 16th century France hate each other for various reasons, and those with no strong religious sensibilities want only to profit from war. Minou’s father has been keeping some dark family secret, Minou receives a vaguely threatening letter…and she is oblidged to leave her beloved Carcassonne for the “safety” of Toulouse, which turns out to not be safe at all.

I really thought this would be more of a historical thriller than it was. As it turned out it was much more of a political/social commentary for the first 75%, with a insta-love sort of romance thrown in. It was sweet, but seemed QUITE unfounded…however, ignoring that little issue, the last quarter of the book really picked up the pace and made me MUCH more invested in the characters and their story, as everyone actually came together instead of being scattered all across the map.

Overall

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. The last quarter really saved the book, and I’m hoping all the meandering and emphasis on the societal aspects of the Huguenot/Catholic wars was setup for the future books in the series, which I will definitely be reading!

Review will be posted on GR, and at the link below on May 27th.

The Burning Chambers is a historical novel about the sixteenth-century Languedoc during the period of religious strife between the Catholic Church and Protestant Huguenots. I knew nothing of this period and it was awesome to discover it. The Burning Chambers is a spellbinding story.

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this epic book. The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse is available at your favourite book store.

I had real trouble getting into this book. I found the beginning slow, and it didn't engage me. It just wasn't enough to keep me going through a six hundred page book.