The Burning Chambers Synopsis
Bringing sixteenth-century France vividly to life, Kate Mosse’s historical epic The Burning Chambers is a gripping story of love, betrayal, war and conspiracy.
Carcassonne, 1562. On the eve of the wars that will tear France apart, 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, Piet Reydon, profoundly reshapes her destiny. For Piet has a mission of his own, and he will need Minou’s help if he is to get out of La Cité alive . . .
A thrilling historical adventure and a heartbreaking boy-meets-girl love story, The Burning Chambers is the first volume in Kate Mosse’s No. 1 international bestselling Joubert Family Chronicles. Continue the story with The City of Tears.
About This Edition
Kate Mosse Press Reviews
Oh, what a glorious novel. A masterly tour of history; a rapturous romance; and - best of all - a breathless thriller, alive with treachery, with danger, with atmosphere, with beauty. This book will transport you. Kate Mosse is that rarest of writers: a storyteller who breathes fresh life into vanished worlds -- A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window A powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination - Daily Telegraph
Mosse does what good popular historical novelists do best - make the past enticingly otherworldly, while also claiming it as our own - Independent
First-rate cloak and dagger excitement-who knew the religious wars between Catholics and Huguenots in sixteenth century France could be so riveting to modern audiences? Kate Mosse captures the details of life in the Languedoc region of France, famed for its beauty, but hiding many secrets, in this masterful novel -- Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of The Confessions of Young Nero
This is historical fiction to devour. Nobody does it like Kate Mosse -- Anthony Horowitz
Mosse is a master storyteller, balancing thrilling suspense with complex characters and a thoughtful exploration of a fascinating time in history. Her heroine Minou is a pleasure to root for: clever, loving, down-to-earth and courageous! -- Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe
The Burning Chambers is a tour de force, a compelling adventure that views the past with insight, compassion and humour, and reminds us of the variety of women's voices so often forgotten in the official accounts. - Observer
Gripping, complex and intensely atmospheric - Mail on Sunday
Impressively bold and ambitious, it features betrayals, broken friendship, family secrets and the horrors of fanaticism. Fans will love it - Daily Mail
An irresistible read - Prima
Rich with historical detail, as you'd expect from Mosse, but it's Minou, the fiery heroine, who makes this a must-read -- Book of the Month - Good Housekeeping
Mosse's narrative lyricism, beautifully drawn female characters and deft journey from the past to the present day are a cut above - Scotland on Sunday
Another of Mosse's immersive dramas, which takes you to the heart of the past -- Book of the Week - Grazia
Mosse's fans will relish this tale of secrets, love and treachery - The Times
About Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse was our Guest Editor in November 2012 - click here - to see the books that inspired her writing.
Kate Mosse is a number one international bestselling novelist, playwright and non-fiction writer. The author of several novels and short-story collections – including the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy (Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel) and Gothic fiction The Winter Ghosts and The Taxidermist’s Daughter, which she is adapting for the stage – her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and published in more than forty countries. She has also written four works of non-fiction – including An Extra Pair of Hands (Wellcome Collection, 2021) - four plays, contributed essays and introductions to classic novels and collections. A champion of women's creativity, Kate is the Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and a regular interviewer for theatre and fiction events. She is the Founder of the global campaign - #WomanInHistory – launched in January 2021 to honour, celebrate and promote women’s achievements throughout history and from every corner of the world. Kate divides her time between Chichester in West Sussex and Carcassonne in south-west France. The first two novels in The Burning Chambers series, The Burning Chambers and The City of Tears, are out now.
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