I am not able to finish this book. Too many characters and deep descriptions for my liking. I would recommend though for anyone who likes this time period.

"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.

Kate Mosse writes really good historical fiction and does a lot about the Huguenots in 15th century France. This is not a part of her recent trilogy but a stand alone still centered around that time. It is very good. It concerns Minou Joubert and her small family of father, Bernard, and siblings, Aimeric and Alis living in Cacassonne.

Not only is this an excellent historical novel that captures the flavor of the time but it is a mystery story with someone going around and murdering people in secret ways that are not readily obvious. Not only is that a conflict but long time friends Piet, now a Huguenot, and Vilad, a Catholic priest, are fighting over the purported shroud of Christ. Minou also has a big secret in her past that she knows nothing about.

Bernard sends Minou and Aimeric to Toulouse to stay with his dead wife's sister and her important husband, a Catholic town official to keep them safe but that doesn't work. There she meets Piet and learns about his Huguenot cause. The town is involved in a full out Catholic-Huguenot battle and the family is in a real struggle to survive.

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.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book is exchange for a fair review.

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.

This is my first book by Kate Mosse, though I had heard of her many times and will now look up more of her books as well. The Burning Chambers is a beautiful written and plotted story that took me back in time and despite its length, never felt too long or boring. I connected to the characters and found the historical details captivating. Recommended!

Very nice piece of Historical Fiction. I've not read Kate Mosse before, was pleased to discover she's an excellent researcher and storyteller.

The story is based on events of 1500s France, which I had never read about before, my previous reading experience for the period having primarily been on England. Therefore the book was doubly delightful due to the story and what I leaned.

My only down point is that apparently it is intended to be the 1st book of a series and I really strive to not get involved in a series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This story is set in 16th century France during the religious wars. Minou Joubert receives a cryptic note saying only "she knows you're alive" and also overhears part of a conversation between her father and a friend hinting at a secret long kept. Shortly after, she and her brother are sent to live with their aunt, where she meets Piet, a rebel fighting for the Huguenot cause and falls in love. Dangers are everywhere and it's hard to tell friend from enemy.
This is a time period I don't know much about, so I had a hard time with the beginning of the book, but once the action picked up it got really good and i couldn't put it down. I look forward to the next book in this series!

I've never read Kate Moss, so I was excited to see this on Netgalley and get accepted for it. The details are wonderful and you can tell the author did their research. However, the characters felt a bit flat. I liked, but I didn't love it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I've never read a Kate Moss book I didn't love - this one is no exception. The depth of her research suggests she has done more than study history but rather has lived and breathed eras before ours. Powerful, complicated, complex, Mosse is at her best in The Burning Chambers.

This is classic Kate Mosse rich historical details, vivid characters and a good rich plot that lets you time travel.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the

The Burning Chambers is a fantastic historical fiction book. The author is very descriptive and it makes you feel like you are part of the book. I must read more from this author.

This is a novel set in the Hundreds Year War. This novel has everything that you could wish for forbidden romance, mystery, and war! The writing is very beautiful and filled with historical detail. The only thing I did not like about the book was that the pacing tended to drag and there were too many characters to keep track of. Overall, I recommend this for fans of Philippa Gregory, Jeanne Kalogridis, and C. W. Gortner. Full review to come!

The Burning Chambers covers a small portion of the struggle the Huguenots (French Protestants) had against the Catholic Church in the mid 1500's. While this book is Historical Fiction, Kate Mosse has done her research and has her facts down on the historical part. She even refers back to the annihilation of the Cathars by the Catholic Church 350 years prior to the Huguenots.

It was a bit slow starting for me, introduction to the cast with no real tie in to each other for awhile. But once it started coming together it picked up and was an enjoyable read. There is a bit of mystery, romance, and history all wrapped up in The Burning Chambers.

While I have several other of Ms. Mosse's books on my TBR list, this is the first one by her that I have actually read. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was very excited about this book because so many people love Kate Mosse and this was promised as a historical novel without the supernatural aspect.. I've always gotten hung up on that with her other books, not being a fan of that kind of stuff.

But with "The Burning Chambers" I found that i just don't like her writing. There's a lot of historical detail--a lot-- but the characters are cardboard with every romantic trope in the book trotted out. Does simplistic sound right? Even with all the historical noise. Not gripping at all.

This book may satisfy her existing fans but I doubt it will win her any new ones.

~~Candace Siegle
Greedy Reader

A mystery set in the Catholic-Hugenot wars of the sixteenth century, this novel is unfortunately a total bore. The history is presented pedantically; the main characters are a tired stereotype of lovers from different religions, the kind aunt/nursemaid, and evil priest; the plot is absurd; and it is all overwritten, slow-moving, and long. Mosse's previous works also generally involve absurd plots and French history, but none have ever seemed as slow or as dull or as full of non-developed characters as this one.

Minou Joubert runs her fathers bookshop in Carcassonne after her father seems to have retired from his life. Her younger sister Alis and teenage brother Aimeric depend on Minou to maintain the store that provides their livelihood. But there are things Minou doesn't know, and she lives in dangerous times, when religious tensions are high and those in power fan the flames of intolerance and hatred for their own benefit. When Minou, a Catholic meets Piet Reydon, a Huguenot, her life is changed in many unforeseen ways.

The Languedoc and religious tensions are not a new theme from Kate Mosse, and she does a brilliant in her Languedoc series. The Burning Chambers is equally compelling; fascinating in its portrayal of the times, it reels you in with a teaser in the 1800's before taking you to Minou's time the 16th century to begin the tale. It's a wonderful story of love and loss, treachery and faith, and the incredible courage of people standing up for the rights of others. I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to read the second in the series!

Now THIS is a great work of historical fiction! Set in 1560's Languedoc, when the Catholics are persecuting the Protestant Huguenots, Minou Joubert and her family are caught in the middle of secrets from long ago and current day danger. The Burning Chambers is a wonderfully written novel of the time, with interesting characters who must use their wits to survive not only the violence wrought by the Church but also the treachery and betrayal of friends and neighbors. Action, mystery and a romance make this a great read. Kate Mosse writes with a depth that just draws you in to her world. Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the e-arc. Highly recommend! 4.5 Stars!

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.

The story begins in 1562 Carcassonne with a 19 year old Minou, who works at her father’s bookshop. A bookshop known for “selling books to suit all religious tastes” and to be “out of step with the increasingly intolerant times.” Her father, Bernard Joubert, was a faithful Catholic, but it was her late mother, who was a true Languedocien, promoting tolerance through selling books expressing her believes. Five years earlier, the plague took her life and now her husband is troubled by the Inquisition.

One day, Minou receives an anonymous letter with only five words: “She knows that you live.”

Piet Reydon, originally from Amsterdam, is visiting Carcassonne to do business. He does charitable work for Huguenot community in Toulouse.

The Edict of Toleration, which was supposed to give Huguenots’ protection, seems to be meaningless. The Duke of Guise has no intention of honoring it.

Meanwhile, a fragment of the Shroud of Antioch, “in which the body of Jesus was laid in the sepulchre,” gets stolen from the Church in Toulouse. “It was an object of great and holy significance for the Catholic Church, a relic said to be able to work miracles.” And there is someone who will do anything to get it back.

A massacre at Vassy happens; a hundred Huguenots are slaughtered as they gathered in worship.

The attacks on Huguenots continue in other places, businesses and houses are destroyed. They are left homeless with no means to support themselves.

That’s why Piet’s charitable work is so important.

After a brief encounter of Minou and Piet in Carcassonne, their paths cross again in Toulouse. The tensions in the city of Toulouse, further take them to Puivert.

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.

Secrets never stay secret forever. They can be dangerous. Especially when someone else, with something to gain and lose discovers the truth. “She knows that you live.”

This book is rich in its depth of the time period, 16th century Languedoc France. The area is strife with tension from the Catholic church against the Huguenot’s. Within this turmoil, Minou Joubert, a booksellers daughter, receives a mysterious letter and meets Piet Reydon. It all escalated from here, but it’s a slow burn.

The pacing of the book is slow. Like the quality of a peaceful 1562 day in La Cité. You take away a strong sense of the time frame and what it was like during these events. It was pretty clear what the burning secret was even before we discovered all the details. This didn’t detract from my desire to continue to read. The characters were just as engaging as the timeframe and I cared about what happened to them. This book reignited my love for historical fiction and I’m pleased to have read it.