The Spirit of Fire

I have read all of Susanne Dunlap's books and I will say that she improves with each one. This was a very interesting read, covering a little explored area of medieval history. Perfect for any one wanting a historical fiction that delivers action, romance, and education (I learned things! Hooray!).

"The Spirit of Fire' picks up where Listen to the Wind left off. Azalais has escaped her home with Azemar leaving behind the evil mother in law and the husband that she wed in place of Jordane. Their intended destination? Montsegur, where the remaining Cathars will make their final stand against the Catholic church, which views them as heretics. Unfortunately, Azalais has not also left Jordane behind; Jordane and her companion have escaped with them, making things much more complicated and risky. Jordane is obsessed with finding Raimon, who seems to change sides as often as he changes clothes. And the French army is on it's way to Montsegur, which unlike its name (Safe Mountain) is anything but safe. Azemar has a quest of his own, which could derail his plans to aid the Cathars against the French in their final stand.

The Spirit of Fire is a fascinating story, and well worth reading. If you know anything about the Cathars, you know how it ends, but the book puts a very human face on those involved, especially the Cathars. Its world of intolerance is very reminiscent of things that are going on today, reminding us that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I finished the book in just a few days, and am eagerly looking forward to the conclusion of the trilogy!

Susanne Dunlap wrote a true "chef -d'oeuvre" (master piece). This historic novel, The Spirit of Fire is the second in a trilogy. We follow the characters as they age and get mixed in a horrible, dark period of the French history, when the countries became a nation, at a very high price. The quality of story telling corresponds to what make us tick today, still, it echoes the spirit of adventure and romance of the "troubadoures". The descriptions of the landcapes are so real you truly feel there, and the characters dilemnas are so logic you hardly believe this is fiction. A great "tour de force", I will offer this book as a gift and recommend it anytime I can. This is my best read in years.

I recceived an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Following on from Listen to the Wind, we resume our story in 13th Century France as our protagonists flee towards their goal of Montsegur before the French forces take the stronghold from the Cathars. I found the first half of the book a little slow to be honest, which surprised me with it being the second in the series, but the tale does pick up again and has a strong finish. I've read the Languedoc Trilogy by another author several years ago with similar themes, and although these books are shorter, they still show the struggle of the people deemed heretics and the atrocities committed against them. It is truly horrifying, and doubly so when you look into the history books and see that this event, along with others, did take place.

You probably could finish here if you wanted, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing where this story ends.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the copy to review

I have read and enjoyed Susanne Dunlap's books in the past. The Spirit of Fire does not disappoint. It was a great read. I loved it.
Five stars.

this was a great second book in the series, it had what I liked about the first book and improved on it. The characters were great and I really liked getting to know them.