Full disclosure: I received a free Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for possibly writing a review.

The City of Tears is the second book in the Burning Chambers series by Kate Mosse. You will want to read the first book before this one as this book builds upon that foundation. The length of the books requires a willingness to invest in the Reydon family. I read pretty fast, but they still took me several days to finish.

This book takes place ten years after the last one. All your favorite characters are here and doing well. There are even a few new additions. You know that can't last forever because the Catholics still hate the Huguenots and vice versa. A royal wedding takes the family to Paris which is where things start to go horribly wrong. There's less mystery in this book than the first. In fact, there is a lot of sadness for about two-thirds of the book. Life was not easy in the 1500s. Just when you think this book is just the story of a family trying to survive religious persecution, the tension and action really ramp up, and you are racing with them to the end of the story.

I'm not going to spoil the end, but I felt Kate Mosse set herself up for a possible third book. We'll see.

I liked this book and found the characters engaging but it took a long time for the plot to get going and I felt was too long.

This book really takes a long time to get moving, with lots of characters to introduce and lots of secrets to hint at, but not enough action or answers for me to be interested for quite a while. The oddly short chapters don't speed up the pace of the book like I assume the author hoped, but because the first part of the book is so slow, we're left with chapter after chapter where nothing happens. It doesn't start to really get interesting until about the 40% mark and it's my personal opinion that at least half, if not most, of that first 40% could have been cut. So much was just unnecessary and only served to slow down the story. However, I did like how whenever someone or something from a previous book by this author is mentioned in City of Tears, there's an asterisk that leads to a little endnote with the name of that previous book so readers can check it out if they like the subject.

The second half of the book, set mostly in Amsterdam, was a lot more entertaining than the first half. It almost felt like one book had ended and we started another book after the time jump. A lot more happened in general but it was still oddly slow at times and there were long sections that could have been cut or at least pared way down. Some parts just really dragged. I really loved the little bits that dealt with the Prince of Orange, since he's one of my favorite historical figures, but he doesn't play a large role in the novel. Too much of the book left me yawning. I think my opinion of the book would be a little higher if I'd read the first book in the series, so let that be a warning if anyone is curious whether this book can standalone. It really can't.

I love Kate Morse books. They are true to time period with a good plot. Here you will find all intrigue, romance, suspense and historical facts. The author will keep you crave for more!

An exciting family saga filled with rich history. Perfect for fans of Outlander.

August 1572: Minou Joubert and her husband Piet travel to Paris to attend a royal wedding which, after a decade of religious wars, is intended to finally bring peace between the Catholics and the Huguenots.

Also in Paris is their oldest enemy, Vidal, in pursuit of an ancient relic that will change the course of history.

Within days of the marriage, thousands will lie dead in the street, and Minou’s family will be scattered to the four winds . . .

As big as the books in these series are, they pack a lot of punch - both with historical facts, and heart-breaking moments. The intergenerational strife between two rivaling families that exists between the pages of this narrative is something that I live for. Because the plot was quite heavy and intricate, I did find myself getting tangled up in the threads, and having a hard time connecting with the characters.

However, the people that Kate crafts are exceedingly honest, complex, and well-written. This is an intriguing sequel to the first novel, the Burning Chambers, with a cliffhanger you won't see coming! I look forward to learning more about Minou's family in upcoming books.

As always, a BIG thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book!

This book continues the story of The Burning Chambers. Revenge and religious persecution persist but also love and family. Quite a story!

Everything about this book drew me in. I was first caught by the fleur-de-lis and hooked by the premise of a book set amidst France's religious wars. French history is something I'm interested in and have studied extensively, but I haven't read a lot of fiction that is set there.

Minou Joubert and her husband Piet go to Paris to attend the royal wedding of Henry of Navarre, which is intended to finally bring peace between the warring Catholics and Huguenots. Minou is herself very open-minded and tolerant of her Catholic countrymen and is confident that the majority of both religious groups feel the same. But their oldest enemy, Vidal, is in Paris as well, looking for a relic that will change history. And just days after the marriage, blood will run in the streets and Minou's family will be scattered.

Author Kate Mosse's writing is just lovely, as is her attention to historical details. The story flows at a nice pace and I found myself instantly compelled to read to the end. My only regret is that I didn't read The Burning Chambers, to which this book is a sequel, first. I'm not sure what I missed reading out of order, but I am eager to go back and complete that book too.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this advance review copy for review.

560 pages

4 stars

Minou and Piet travel to Paris in this, book two of the series, for a royal wedding. It is hoped that the wedding will heal the hurts of France.

However, there is evil afoot. Bad intentions by old foes and some surprising new ones add tension to the story. Vidal, an influential Cardinal, is also in Paris searching for an ancient relic whose loss he believes Piet knows something about.

Piet who survived a wounding is unable to fight but supports the Huguenot cause in other ways. He is very much involved with the Amsterdam Huguenots.

This is a very well written and plotted novel. I enjoyed it very much and it dovetails right into the first book in the series, “The Burning Chambers.” I liked Minou and Piet. They make a very good pair and they seem like ordinary people but are so much more.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

A long, strong historical fiction tale told with imagination and style. I'm sure this will fly off the shelves, as it has all of the elements of a good story of this kind (and since the previous book was well received). Recommended.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

“The Wars of Religion in France was a sequence of civil wars which began” in 1562 and ended in 1598.
“The Eighty Years War in the Low Countries” (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg) “was no less complicated. Beginning in 1568, it was a revolt (…) against the violent occupation of Hapsburg Spain.”
“The Story of French Protestantism and the beginning of the Dutch Republic are both part of the larger European story of the Reformation.”
The story is set against the background of those religious wars, which also led to lucrative trade in religious relics and its falsification.

Amsterdam, 1572. A French cardinal, a powerful man, requests information about certain boy and his mother from Mariken Hassels. But she fears it would warrant boy’s death. Therefore, she tries to warn him. The boy, now would be a grown man.

Languedoc, southern France. Minou and Piet Reydon live happily at the “green valley set in the foothills of the mighty Pyrenees.” They “brought their children up in the light of the Reformed Church.” They believe in respecting other religions and hope for the same from the others. Piet likes the thrill of the battlefield, but his injured hand keeps him away from it. Now, he tries to find a purpose. And he finds it in supporting Calvinist rebels in the Dutch Provinces, making him a target for a Catholic cardinal.

Quercy, southwest France. A nine year old boy, named Volusien and known as Louis is taken by a powerful cardinal into his service. The boy is sharp witted. He never received any formal schooling, but he is smart at observing and listening.

Vidal du Plessis, now Cardinal Valentin, “was a personal Confessor to the Duke of Guise himself and, for ten years, had profited from the misery of civil war. He was now wealthy, he was powerful.” And hungry for religious relics. Nothing and no one will stop him from getting them.

One person searches for another. One goes into hiding. A third person begins a hunt for the one in hiding.

Engrossingly written, keeping a reader on toes, making it hard to put the book down.

The story begins with a few characters at different places and it seems as a lot of names are being introduced and it might be hard to follow. But that’s not the case. Most of the story is concentrated on Minou and Piet. And the other involved characters are skillfully woven into their story, beautifully coming together.

The characters are interesting. Minou is a wife and a mother, and at the same time a very strong woman, standing up for what she believes in. Piet despite being deprived of what he loves the most; he still finds purpose in his life. The cardinal, religious person of questionable character, is hungry for religious relics and unstoppable in getting them.

The time period is presented through the religious conflict, bringing also the St. Bartholomew’s massacre. Soldiers breaking into houses not painted with a cross’ “the white crosses marked the Catholic houses from Huguenot.” The scene is brutal giving a true sense of how it was. There was no mercy, no exception for women, children, or pastors. This scene is short and the story overall is not brutal in its descriptions.

This book II you can read as stand alone, but I highly recommend reading book I, Burning Chambers.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. If you' ve read the Burning Chambers then you have to read this sequel! This books follow Minou and Piet on a yet another exhilarating adventure against Christiann fanatics. Although set in a completely different time, it still rings true today as religion is still a driving factor behind many of the world's problems today. This story was rich in plot and character, and is a must read for anyone who is into historical fiction from this era.

This book was hard to put down. I devoured it in two sittings. The story was so captivating it made you not want it to end. I love it!

I found it very hard to get into this novel. The characters lack development. I understand its the second book of a series, but there needs to be a bit of back story at the beginning to give the reader a greater grasp of who the characters are and Why they are in conflict.

If you like the Burning Chamber, you must read The City of Tears! Minou Joubert and her husband Piet are back in the suspenseful, heart wrenching sequel to The Burning Chamber. Minou and Piet live good lives, but when they are invited to Paris for a royal wedding, they find themselves thrust into the deceptions and violence driven by religious fanatics both Catholic and Protestant. Surviving the Saint Bartholomew's massacre, Minou and Piet realize that their daughter Marta is missing. The search a perilous Paris, and ultimately flee to Amsterdam.

Set in real times with real people, The City of Tears reminds us of the cost of not understanding and accepting differences, religious or otherwise. I could not put it down, and my only regret is that Kate Mosse's next book (there must be a sequel to this wonderful book!) is not yet ready.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was totally into the concept of this book from the start and all of the relating corresponding stories are so intriguing. There is the story of Minou and Piet and attending the royal wedding to bring an end to a holy war. Just when peace was around the corner, the evil Vidal is on the search for an ancient relic of its power to end the world as we know it. As he gets closer and closer, Minou's family is scattered and suffering piece by piece. This book did jump but however still correlated with the plot which not only made it easier to read but much easier to visualize and be part of the story. I know our community will have a lot of great words to say about this book and will enjoy it to the max.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.