Our now dubbed ‘Historical Fiction’ reading group has embarked on another challenge and we’re making our way through The Joubert Chronicles, starting with Book One, The Burning Chambers. For me it’s my first of Kate Mosse’s novel and I instantly loved her writing style.
The book’s greatest strength, second to the research and historical accuracy, is its immersive world-building. Kate Mosse excels at historical detail without ever overwhelming the reader. From the narrow streets of Carcassonne to the fortified walls of Toulouse, every setting felt alive. The plot is layered with secrets, betrayals, and shifting loyalties, while the romantic thread adds emotional warmth without detracting from the central mystery.
For those expecting a fast-paced book, in the early chapters it’s a slow start as the narrative sets up its many characters and storylines, but the payoff is worth it. Once the plot tightens, it becomes a gripping page-turner.
Overall, The Burning Chambers is a richly imagined and engaging historical adventure, ideal for fans of well-researched fiction, intricate plots, and immersive storytelling. It promises an epic series to come, and by the final pages, it’s hard not to want the next installment immediately.
About the Book
Bringing sixteenth-century France vividly to life, Kate Mosse’s No. 1 bestselling novel The Burning Chambers is a gripping story of love, betrayal, war and conspiracy.
Carcassonne, 1562. Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father’s bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: SHE KNOWS THAT YOU LIVE.
But before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, a chance encounter with a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon, changes her destiny forever. For Piet has a dangerous mission of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to get out of La Cité alive . . .
About The Author
Kate Mosse CBE FRSL is an award-winning novelist, playwright, performer, campaigner, interviewer and non-fiction writer. The author of ten novels and short-story collections, her books have been translated into thirty-eight languages and published in more than forty countries. Fiction includes the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy (Labyrinth, Sepulchre, Citadel), The Joubert Family Chronicles (The Burning Chambers, The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship, The Map of Bones) and No 1 bestselling Gothic fiction including The Taxidermist’s Daughter and The Winter Ghosts. Her highly-acclaimed non-fiction includes An Extra Pair of Hands: A Story of Caring & Everyday Acts of Love and Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Built the World, which inspired her one-woman theatre touring show.
Purchase the Book
This book can be purchased in our store either on its own or in a cosy Book Box.
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