Listen to the Wind

The Orphans of Tolosa

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Pub Date 22 Apr 2019 | Archive Date 03 Aug 2019

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Description

Two orphans flee for their lives during the last crusade of the French against the Cathar heretics in the Midi.

With no knowledge of their past, they are drawn onward to an uncertain future where they face unimaginable peril. Will they discover the secret of their origins and fulfill their destiny?

Two orphans flee for their lives during the last crusade of the French against the Cathar heretics in the Midi.

With no knowledge of their past, they are drawn onward to an uncertain future where...


Advance Praise

Poetry and music are as essential to the plot as warfare, with engaging glimpses of trobairitz (female troubadours). . . . A complex, absorbing, and dramatic start to a planned series -Kirkus Reviews

Poetry and music are as essential to the plot as warfare, with engaging glimpses of trobairitz (female troubadours). . . . A complex, absorbing, and dramatic start to a planned series -Kirkus Reviews


Available Editions

ISBN 9781942209584
PRICE $8.99 (USD)

Average rating from 28 members


Featured Reviews

I’m a history major whose jam is the 20th century, but the author’s first in an intended trilogy made 13th century France come alive for me as no history book has done. It’s the story of two orphans, Azalais and Azemar, who get separated through heartbreaking circumstances and their arduous journey back to each other. Dunlap weaves a hypnotic tale that fully immerses you in the period and happily keeps you lost, unwilling to leave their world at the end. So looking forward to the next book in the series! 5/5

Pub Date 22 Apr 2019.

Thanks to Susanne Dunlap, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#ListenToTheWind #NetGalley

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An interested and detailed historical novel. I appreciate the time and research Susanne Dunlap invested in this work.

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The author detailed very eloquently the era in which the story took place. Most intriguing was how some of the monks were divided on the opinion of the heretics, as well as the French. Although historical fiction, the story line did depict accuracy in the struggles of the people during this time. The story line kept the attention of the reader as it mixed passion with politics and religion. Susan Dunlop wove the detail of life amongst the upper class and those not so elevated and kept the interest with exciting detail that did not leave one wanting. At times I felt as though I was in France and could see the beautiful landscape along the sea and vineyards.

I will enjoy reading more from this author as it helps to bridge the knowledge of where we all came from and how the pieces fit together. Brilliant storyteller! Highly recommend this book if you are in search of Historical fiction.

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Azalais did not know the direction that her life would take when she was picked up by the young noblewoman on the side of the road. Now, she carries a dreadful secret, one that could spell death for her if she and the others are found out.
As she searches for her friend, she is thrust into a role that she was never meant to play, one that could ruin more than one family if the deception is uncovered.

This was a great book! I absolutely loved it!

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Wow, what a story! I could have read this book in one sitting, but I had grandchildren for a few days and I had to sneak my reading time, as my granddaughter demands all of me!
This book starts out fantastic and just gets better and better! Well developed characters that the author makes you care about, adventures all the way through, very hard to it put down! This book will keep you up all night!
There's definitely a cliffhanger. I will have to wait patiently for the next book!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you so much, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

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The pace of the story is very fast for a novel first of a series, it does not feel like Susanne Dunlap is short of ideas for the characters. Placed in a remoted country in a past that everybody wants to forget, when the French monarchy was fighting to extend its realm to Langue D'Oc, at any costs, including massacres. the novel, step by step, explains how the "heretics" who survived Simon de Montfort attacks, were obliged to stay in the hiding and fight for their survival. A lot of novels already detailed that theme, but most of the time with an esoteric perk about he "cathares". The true original angle here is to keep the perspective of ficitional characters, women, and women of the Arts of music. The note at the end of the book in fact is so informative that I would recommend to start the story by reading it.
Also, a quick check of facts about Simon de Montfort's doing is necessary, as the cultural clashes between the North and the Occitanie. It must be considered that the times concerned are very violent, on both sides, the plot seems to forget about this reality for the first instalment.
Anyway, the book is hard to put down, as it is difficult to scheme out what will happen next. The suspens is cleverly slowed down by interesting and varied descriptions which do not seem like catalogues. This is a good book, but it is necessary to know about the historical context before reading it, nonetheless I will recommend it and cannot wait for the rest of series.
My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a preview copy in exchange for a fair review.

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This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I'm so glad I requested this - this book has been lovingly researched and you can tell

Loved this !!

If historical fiction is your thing, you must read this

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I am not normally a reader of Historical Fiction, but this title was recommended to me by a friend who is a huge fan of historical fiction. The historical accuracy of this book was astounding. It was evident that the author did a lot of research and made it a priority to paint a picture for readers that truly transports them back in time. In the beginning I found it a little difficult to keep up with some of the French terminology, but I quickly got used to it, and was able to understand everything through context clues.
Coming from someone who reads a lot of fantasy, I was initially skeptical that the plot would be interesting enough for me, but I was quickly drawn into the story, and the political intrigue kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were easy to get emotionally invested in, and I enjoyed the way they each grew and changed over the story. My only complaint was how quickly the ending was wrapped up, but it was clearly being set up for a sequel.

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#ListenToTheWind #NetGalley I received this ARC for a review, and found it enjoyable. It was a bit reminiscent of Roland at Roncevaux., although a different era..

"Two orphans flee for their lives during the last crusade of the French against the Cathar heretics in the Midi. With no knowledge of their past, they are drawn onward to an uncertain future where they face unimaginable peril. Will they discover the secret of their origins and fulfill their destiny?"

Azalais and Azemar, together through some mysterious circumstance as children, and separated by warfare they did not understood, reunite as adults. This is the first of a trilogy and there is sample of part 2 for us to think about. Will the Cathar mystery and that of their own parentage find solutions?
Will they reunite with Johana and Jordane, and what does the future hold for all of them?

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This wonderful story is set in France when the Huguenots are under siege by the Catholics and there is no place to hide. Two young children, Azemar and Azalaïs, are suddenly sent to live with a group of other children in the forest, watched over by adults they do not know. Then one day their lives, precarious as they already are, are overturned when they must flee a group of knights. The two agree to meet up but years pass. Azemar is taken in by a merchant family and Azalais lives as a boy with a blind hermit, until another monk becomes suspicious and she is forced to flee.

Listen to the Wind is the first in a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. The sense of authenticity is enhanced by the use of Occitan, the langue d'oc, for people and place names. It's a wonderful book, and I can't wait for the next in the series to come out!

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Orphaned brother and sister Azalais and Azemar live in the woods with a gang of adult criminals, learning about life the hard way. As a raid scatters the gang, the brother and sister go their separate ways, vowing to meet up some day in a far away city.

Azalais, disguised as a boy, finds her way to the relative safety of a blind hermit and herbalist who teaches her everything he knows, including how to read and write. The nearby abbey he is attached to, however, is well known for hunting out heretics, i.e. Cathars.

Azemar’s education begins at the home of a former knight whose lands have recently been returned to him, as he fought in the last invasion against the northern knights. Azemar learns how to tend the vineyard, to read and write, and eventually is sent out to learn how to be a knight.

As the brother and sister come of age, the storm cloud of war is on the horizon, and they are both entrusted with secrets but find themselves on opposite sides.


I’m not normally a fan of Historical Fiction but this book grabbed me and held on. The characters are well developed and had me not wanting to put this down.

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While I love to read historical fiction, I have to admit that 13th century France is not one of the areas where I have much knowledge. Author Susanne Dunlop’s well-written knowledge helped greatly with my initial foray into the area, effortlessly blending the history into a compelling story of the fates of two orphans.

Azalais and Alemar are the two orphans, and the author wastes no time uprooting them from their current lives into new paths that are fraught with danger. Ms. Dunlop mixes the history with an interesting storyline, bouncing back and forth between the main characters and always managing to serve up unexpected twists that kept me turning pages until late at night. The other characters in the book are given enough weight to bring them to life, and the interactions help us to understand a world that existed centuries ago.

I liked the way the author created an uncertain world for Azalais and Alemar while always allowing us plenty of opportunities to witness their reactions to the events that surround each of them. The writing is excellent, and the background is enough for us to believe these fictional characters lived back in that turbulent time. This book is the first in a series, and though I worried about the chance of a cliffhanger ending, the author managed to tie enough strings together to satisfy my need while still letting me know that there are still adventures ahead. I, for one, will be there to experience them when the next book becomes available. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Books Go Social for a complimentary copy of this book.

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Susanne Dunlap brings to life 13th Century France masterfully in this tale. Although I do not know much about the era, this book brought back memories as reading Kate Mosse's Labyrinth - a book I completely adore. I have much the same feelings for Listen to the Wind.

Our two central characters, Azemar and Azalaïs, are separated as children after they are hunted through the forest they live in together. We follow their stories as they wend their way through life, struggling to find each other, with the promise of meeting again in Béziers.

It appears France is a treacherous place to be in the 13th Century - heretics are being sought out and burned, and there is much fighting around Tolosa (Toulouse) where this story is set. This culminates into tension for the narrative, and the feeling of imminent peril around every corner for our hero and heroine.

The ending leaves us with a bit of a cliff-hanger, and a swath of unanswered questions. To say I am eagerly awaiting the next book, The Spirit of Fire. A strong start to the series, and I highly recommend!

Thank you to Susanne Dunlap, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the free copy to review.
#ListenToTheWind #NetGalley

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I received a free ARC of Listen To The Wind by Susanne Dunlap from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Why wasn't history taught like this in school? Susanne Dunlap's story from the French crusades made me go check out the actual history of the crusades. I must say that Susanne did her research well. I loved the storyline, and also learned many things I didn't know. I appreciate the reality of life and situations that are told and yet the story feels so real. You are drawn in and awaiting the final coming together of the story at the end. Great job Susanne Dunlap. I look forward to the next book.

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This was a beautifully written story set in the past and I loved it! I loved how the story wove through the two characters. The story made me leave the world behind and I could not put this one down. The author did a wonderful job with putting us into this world she has created. You could tell that the author did a lot of extensive research on this time period. And I can not wait for the next one.

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Listen to the Wind, the first book from The Orphans of Tolosa series, was a pretty good read. I look forward to reading the next installment of the series.
Four stars.

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Listen to the Wind, the first book of The Orphans of Tolosa series, it was a pretty good story. It was well written and the characters were interesting. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

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This book was very well written and enjoyable. This book follows two characters and it balanced that very well. Both characters were given the opportunity to grow separate from each other and gave the reader time to invest themselves int the character, and then later the character's goals in relation to the other character. They weren't all-consumed by one thing, but still had a drive and motivation that lead the story forward.

I really enjoyed the writing style and found it very engaging. I was very immersed in the book and barely noticed myself progressing through it or time passing as I read. I didn't find each perspective's character specifically diverse, but I had little to no difficulty figuring out the point of view due to how well the author set up the location making it possible for me to orient myself in the story.

Overall I found this to be a very strong read and would recommend.

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I would like to thank Bellastoria Press and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.

This book is the first book of the series: "The Oprhan of Tolosa".

We find Azemar and Azalais who, when they were very young, had to split up to flee a gang of outlaws. They will by all means try to find each other again and look for what links them with their mysterious past. Who are they? Do they have a link with the legendary Cathar treasure?

I immediately hooked on the story so captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. Can't wait to read the book two.

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I liked it very much.
the historical accurancy of the time period was spot on and it was an entertaining read

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I love young adult historical fiction, and all the better if it is set in the middle ages! This book filled all those check boxes, and was extremely fulfilling due to wonderful characters, great writing, and a plethora of music and poetry. Highly recommended

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