Score: 4.5/5 Bookmarks

Thank you to Minotaur Books for gifting me a review copy of The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. This is the first in the series, and the second book The City of Tears just came out!

If you don’t know much about Carcassonne (where this book is partly set), it’s a walled city in the south of France, and one of my favorite places in the world! Scroll down for some pics from the last time I visited.

In this story, we follow 19-year-old Minou Joubert as she is suddenly thrown into a religious war between the Huguenots and the Catholics, and amidst it all is trying to solve a family mystery she is starting to uncover. On top of all of that, she’s falling for Piet Reydon, a young Huguenot radical. So basically, this book has everything I could possibly ask for in a book, romance, history, mystery and Carcassonne!

It is rich with dates, facts, characters and locations so you’ll want to take your time reading it so you can really soak it all up. I loved watching Minou come into herself and start to challenge things she had always been told, to form her own opinions and beliefs. The supporting characters were wonderful as well, in particular, her Aunt (Madame Boussay) who really came out of her shell once she was separated from her nasty husband.

This book will truly transport you to another place and time, and I can’t recommend it enough! Now to start on book number two!

Synopsis:

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.

Toulouse: As the religious divide deepens in the Midi, and old friends become enemies, Minou and Piet both find themselves trapped in Toulouse, facing new dangers as sectarian tensions ignite across the city, the battle-lines are drawn in blood and the conspiracy darkens further.

Meanwhile, as a long-hidden document threatens to resurface, the mistress of Puivert is obsessed with uncovering its secret and strengthening her power.

Carcassonne:

A couple of years ago I went on a trip to Carcassonne with my husband, sister and brother-in-law. I could have spent weeks learning about all the history, and wandering the streets of this amazing walled city. You can read more about it here, and below you’ll find just a video and a couple of photos from our trip.