The Burning Chambers (The Joubert Family Chronicles)

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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. These brutal religious wars were just so terrible, and Mosse does an incredible job of bringing this dark history to life. The corruption threaded through society was rife, and each individual had to keep their wits about them at all times. You literally had no idea who you could trust. And yet, within this environment, neighbours would band together to protect their own against the forces that sought to crush them. Community was still rich and evident, albeit, a little more cautious though. Taking place in France during the 1500s, our main character is Minou Joubert, a nineteen-year-old woman. Minou is working at her father’s bookshop (a bookshop!) when she receives a cryptic letter stating “She knows that you live.” Mosse keeps her focus firmly on the love stories and the mysteries surrounding Minou and Piet, a touching affair of the heart which keeps the entire novel grounded. Because make no mistake, the plot of The Burning Chambers is enormously complex and ambitious; the sheer number of characters is mind-blowing.

Cathar belief and Protestant doctrine have little in common in terms of doctrine and theology. On the other hand, it is fair to suggest that the freedom of spirit and thought that led to Catharism taking so strong a hold in Languedoc in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries, before being all but wiped out in the fourteenth century, was reflected in Huguenot communities during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.” This is a hard balance to strike in any work of historical fiction, but when done right, it is a wonder to behold. The result is a novel that re-creates a moment and place in time--in this case, 1562 in the southwest of France--while also speaking to the universal experience of humans in times of great strife and upheaval. What is right and what is wrong in such a time? How does one press forward without knowing what the next day holds? And what of love, and family, and belonging amidst an ever-changing landscape rife with violence, torture and betrayals? What does it mean to be faithful, and what does it mean to act in the name of that faith? In light of thousands dying, how do we remember to value the life of each individual on his or her own merits? Kate Mosse’s multimillion-selling 2005 novel Labyrinth reinvented her as a novelist, and reinvigorated the historical adventure genre by putting women’s stories firmly at its heart. After the two subsequent novels, Sepulchre and Citadel, that completed her Languedoc trilogy, and a brief diversion into gothic fiction, Mosse has returned to the geographical and historical terrain of Labyrinth and the epic form that suits her storytelling so well. The Burning Chambers by Kate Moss is a story of set in the 16th Century during the religious wars. It's about family, secrets and lies. I found this book slow to start with but I liked the characters. Very atmospheric and informative of the times. Another of Mosse’s immersive dramas, which takes you to the heart of the past - Grazia on The Burning Chambers

This as it says is only book one but don't worry as the next book is set in another time zone about different people . As for the wierd title that does make sense but I not tell you'll have read the book won't you. Impressively bold and ambitious, [ The Burning Chambers] features betrayals, broken friendship, family secrets, and the horrors of fanaticism. Fans will love it." - Daily Mail (UK) 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. The mystery itself and the romance work quite well, but the strength of this book is Mosse’s extensive knowledge and evocative description of the beautiful region in which it is set and the intricacies of the religious problem. Within this she has created a wide cast of believable and fully drawn characters.

Kate Mosse's "Languedoc Trilogy": Labyrinth, Sepulchre, and Citadel are three of my favorite historical fiction novels, so I was oh so thrilled when I heard she was writing a new series set again in the Languedoc province of France and even more excited to get my hands on a review copy of The Burning Chambers (let me just say that there's some serious cover love going on between me and this book! Gorgeous!).Rich with historical detail, as you’d expect from Mosse, but it’s Minou, the fiery heroine, who makes this a must-read - Good Housekeeping Book of the Month Some people have called this a Romantic Historical but I personally don't like to label a book with word ROMANTIC specialy when it real isn't ,it as romantic under tons but only loosely but the word Romance can put people off. I was told that Forever Amber was sloppy Romance so for years I never tried it but when I did I made it book of the year. It's like ghastly term 'a woman's book' no such thing. Book should not be labeled like that. A lo largo de una lectura llena de secretos familiares, lealtades y traiciones, la autora construye una impactante historia a través de personajes fuertes y muy bien desarrollados, que al igual que Los pilares de la tierra I de Ken Follett, encontraremos héroes, villanos, y las víctimas de todo enfrentamiento. May 1572: for ten violent years the Wars of Religion have raged across France. Neighbours have become enemies, countless lives have been lost, and the country has been torn apart over matters of religion, citizenship and sovereignty. But now a precarious peace is in the balance and a royal wedding has been negotiated. It is a marriage that could see France reunited at last.