3.5* ( )

The Burning Chambers is set against the wars of religion in France during the sixteenth century. We follow two main characters Minou, a young Catholic woman with a secret she doesn't even know, and Piet a protestant former soldier.

If you've read Labaryth then the general plot line will be familiar, our heroine and her family are dogged by a secret and an obsessive dark enemy. Along the journey she meets Piet, who has his own secret and his own enemy.

It's not a bad book, but it did feel rather contrived and forced in places. This is the first of a trilogy, but there was nothing which engaged me to want to read the next two books. ( )

Kate Mosse gets an A for historical setting and research. The divide between the Catholics and the Huguenot in France is well told, and filled with important historical characters. Mosse captures the Languedoc and makes me want to visit Carcassonne. But her attempt to interweave a romance between Catholic Minou and Huguenot Piet detracts from the rest of the book and weakens her history of the Wars of Religion. ( )

In 1562, religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants are increasing, and the situation is volatile. Against this background, a secret about Minou's origins start to surface, although she doesn't understand what's happening at first, as there are disturbances in Carcassone, and her father sends her and her brother to Toulouse to live with her aunt. Toulouse is boiling with religious tensions, and although she has no desire to get involved, her prominent Catholic relatives and her tentative friendship with Piet Reydon, entangled with the Huguenot resistance, makes it impossible for her not to stay aside completely. Then the two of them escape the city, looking for the objects they had rescued from their hiding places in a church and sent out with Minou's brother.

There are twists and turns in the story, and it kept me curious to the end. ( )

I listened to this book on audiobooks what a good choice! The narrator is a talented actress that delineated the characters well with her voice and kept the tension and pace building. This would have been a great read no matter the format!
In 16th century France tensions between Catholics and Huguenots are rising. Everyday ills are blamed on the other side. Huguenots are labeled heretics by the church hierarchy who in turn are labeled corrupt. The inquisition though not as extreme as in Spain does exist in France and is a real threat to the Huguenots. The book centers around our protagonists, Minue a 19 year old Catholic girl and her love interest Piet a Huguenot who is helping to support their cause. As tensions rise between the two groups and Piets life is put in danger the attraction and love between the pair grows.
Mosse does a great job drawing her character into fully fleshed out people. She builds the tension slowly at first then advances it to a fevered pitch.
Though at times predictable, it was still a very enjoyable read.. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys learning about.History with a bit of romance on the side. ( )