Kate Mosse’s multimillion-selling 2005 novel Labyrinth reinvented her as a novelist, and reinvigorated the historical adventure genre by putting women’s stories firmly at its heart. The pages that head each part are adorned with photos that compliment the setting of the next section, a nice touch that firmly gives the reader a sense of time and place. Minou’s father has been keeping some dark family secret, Minou receives a vaguely threatening letter…and she is oblidged to leave her beloved Carcassonne for the “safety” of Toulouse, which turns out to not be safe at all. Overall, I was completely absorbed in this exciting and well-written story, and I recommend it to all historical fiction lovers, especially for the religious war time period.

Esta novela histórica se desarrolla en Francia en el siglo XVI, y nos muestra la lucha de poder entre católicos y protestantes (hugonotes), siendo esta intolerancia religiosa, uno de los elementos más fuertes de la novela. Here she takes us back to France's Wars of Religion and the harrowing blood letting that took place in that historical time period, bringing back echoes of my studies of these events in European History long ago when the established Catholic Church was determined that no Huguenots should remain in the country.With a moving prose, the story engages three historical places of Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Puivert, bringing the richness of those places: their history and secrets of those who know those places well. This is done exceptionally well, the feeling of threat and uncertainty faced by ordinary people on both sides more than just a backdrop for the main plot- from les oubliettes to tortured confessions and street violence, it's a precarious time when anyone could be your enemy and every word you say might be monitored for blasphemy.

it made my head spin at times, trying to figure out who was on what side and who was a spy and who was playing both sides!

In 1891, seventeen-year-old Leonie Vernier, having fled Paris for the sanctuary of her aunt's house near Carcassonne, soon stumbles across a ruined sepulchre and a mystery whose traces are written in blood.

He was engaged in a battle for the very soul of France, a battle that would define how men could live and be free. Maybe one day I will be able to, but as somebody wise said "stop reading books you don't actually enjoy" and right now that is definitely the case.

The story is highly atmospheric, which is only heightened by the wonderful detailed depictions of everyday life during a turbulent time. Against this volatile background is a mystery involving Minou’s heritage and a woman who thinks she hears the voice of God, a truly frightening woman who is pursuing Minou and will stop at nothing to achieve her end game. Te gustará si: buscas una novela histórica, si te gustan las historias ambientadas en la Francia de 1560, que se adentren en el conflicto religioso entre católicos y hugonotes o si te gusta el estilo narrativo de la autora. A perfectly combined story of love, deceit, survival and war that draws on real historical events that are authentic and rich in detail. Instead the reader is plunged into the sights and sounds of 16th century France, a time of religious strife between the Catholic Church and Protestant Huguenots.