The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse -Book review

I ordered this book from the library ahead of reading the second book in the series but as part of the beat the backlog challenge I found I had already downloaded The Burning Chamber by Kate Mosse ages ago and had completely forgotten to read it!

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: The Burning Chambers

Source: My own

Challenge beat the backlog and historical fiction

Old secrets cast long shadows…

Review

The Burning Chambers is epic in its scope and story with many threads. It has a romance between two star crossed lovers- a Huguenot and a Catholic, religious war, an underlying mystery and some evil villains. The book is set against the background of the War of Religion in France 1562 where Huguenots are being persecuted by the Catholics and religious intolerance is more pronounced. Kate Mosse writing ramps up the tension of religious strife slowly through the pages until the inevitable riot. The world-building is vivid and descriptive.

There are several points of view of characters but Minou is my favourite. A young nineteen-year-old girl who finds herself in the centre of an old conspiracy and remains free from prejudice to help all people. Her budding romance with Piet, a Huguenot, is a little too insta love to start off with but then settles into a sweet and realistic romance.

Piet’s complicated relationship with his old friend Vidal and the disappearance of an ancient relic is another important plotline.

Vidal and Blanche are two people who will do anything to achieve their ambitions and I mean anything. I did enjoy reading Blanche’s point of view chapters, she is one of the most unbalanced villains I have read about.

Can I mention Madame Boussay? Her arc and development from abused wife to knife-wielding aunt was the more satisfying and I hope we see more of her in the next book.

The main plotline of the underlying secret Minou’s father has spent two decades hiding but has now come to light was not what I thought it was going to be and was a refreshing take on an old trope.

There are no cliff-hangers, and all plot lines are resolved

Content warning

Torture, Descriptions of child abuse, domestic abuse

Perfect for fans

Who enjoys historical fiction on an epic scale eg The Lymond Chronicles or House of Niccolo by Dorothy Dunnett

Summary

I loved this book and can’t believe I forgot to read this. I have jumped into The City of Tears the next book in the series.