Wow. I found this book fascinating.
I don't tend to read historical books, as I like plenty of action and can find the necessary background to be a bit dull, but this author always has the knack of giving the background information without detracting from the story. And the background in obviously incredibly well researched, and quite compelling.
I had read the previous book, but don't think it would be too difficult to read this without having read the previous book, as sufficient information is given to enable you to carry on with the story.
But action I do like, and there was plenty of it in this book to keep me captivated throughout.

This is the second in a trilogy by this author. Set in 1572 in Amsterdam and Paris. This was during the Wars of religion. Minor Joubert and her family have been living in peace but then an invite to the royal wedding arrives. There begins the family fight to stay together when enemies seek to destroy them.
I loved this novel and the characters who I first met in book one. Can’t wait for the final book.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after having read others by Kate Mosse. Unfortunately I just could not get into it and found it a struggle. If I had read the first instalment it may have made a difference.

‘The City of Tears’ is the sequel to ‘The Burning Chambers’, one of my favourite reads of the last couple of years. I was unsure if I’d be just as in love with this series the second time around, the first book seemed to wrap everything up quite neatly, but I needn’t have worried!

This book picks up not long after the first left of and once again follows Minou and Piet, who now have their own family. Despite a royal marriage between The Catholic Princess of France and Huguenot Henry of Navarre, religious tensions continue with Minou and her family once again being dragged right into the heart of it.

All the characters in this book are really well written, with depth and emotions. In the first book I was really drawn to Minou and the love she has for her family, in particular her sister. Minou’s conection with her family remains a key feature of the character, this time her relationship with her daughter is front and centre, and there are some really heart wrenching moments.

‘The City of Tears’ is very similar to ‘The Burning Chambers’ in other ways, Cardinal Vidal du Plessis is once again the main antagonist and there is another twist in terms of parentage, this time for Piet rather than Minou. It seems a little far fetched at times but Moss provides plenty of set-up in her previous book and at the start of this one that none of the twists and revelations seem out of place.

This series is set during a tumultuous time in history and while the book is clearly fiction It does a good job at portraying these complex events in a way that remains readable and engaging. The setting is more than a backdrop, it is a key element of the plot and well deployed. I’ve certainly come away wanting to find out more about this part of French history.

The City of Tears has left me with more questions than I had at the end of The Burning Chambers, I’m very excited to find out what direction Moss decides to take the rest of this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't read the previous book and this didn't matter (although now I'd really like to to understand the history behind the characters). A gripping read about France and Amsterdam in the Middles Ages and the importance of religion and religious inclinations. It crosses generations of the same family and really gets the reader to believe in the main characters. A must read for those who like historical fiction and family sagas.

As a huge fan of Kate Mosse's novels I was really excited to read the next instalment of the life of Piet and Minou. Mosse is skilled writer who is able to take the reader back through history, setting the scene of life in the 1500s through the experiences of relatable characters. Using the backdrop of key historical events her novel's are able to educate the reader about European history through fully developed and relatable characters. Having been inspired by Mosse's previous books to visit the region around Carcassonne I was able to vividly imagine the characters moving through the region and I really enjoyed relating my experiences of modern day Amsterdam to those of her characters.

Loved this! after it took me ages to get into the first book in the series (though eventually managing it) I was abit apprehensive about this second. I need not have worried. The story picks up some time after the end of book 1, but the intervening time is deftly sketched in and the plot carries me along at pace, through historic events, to Paris, Amsterdam and beyond. The loss of a central character (no names, no spoiler!) was a shock, the "loss" of another was much more clearly signalled, and the book reaches a fairly satisfying conclusuion. Only fairly? Well, the stage is set for the next installment, as so often happen in the middle of a trilogy, and I can't wait to read the final part.

Kate Mosse is a (deservedly) popular author, and this is a good story, but I found it very slow-going and difficult to get into. Perhaps it was just me?

I made the decision to read The City of Tears rather hesitantly as I sometimes find that novels steeped in history aren't my cup of tea. I chose to read its prequel The Burning Chambers first and found both extremely absorbing, exciting and compelling.

The City of Tears is based on France's holy wars in the sixteenth century. I must confess to knowing virtually nothing about this era but the author made both the history and the storyline enjoyable. Set in 1572, it spans a period of twelve years, beginning with Minou Joubert and her husband Piet who travel to Paris for a royal wedding, an alliance between the Catholic Crown and the Huguenot King of Navarre.

I loved the character portrayal by the author especially of Minou, Piet, and Cardinal Valentin. Minou is a wife and a mother, a strong woman who stands up for her beliefs. Piet is central to a transition of power from Catholic to Protestant in Amsterdam. The cardinal, a religious person of dubious character, is hungry for religious relics and relentless in his pursuit for them.

It's exquisitely written and the backstories of the characters are given more depth throughout the narrative. Kate Mosse brings to life the terrors and perils of the times with trauma and tragedy present at every turn. Brimming with drama, danger, thrills, emotion, action and much more, I cannot recommend The City of Tears highly enough.

I read The City of Tears in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Pan Macmillan/Mantle, Kate Mosse, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Kate Mosse does historical fiction really well, she sets her novels in an interesting period, the religious wars in France and the earlier Albigensian Crusade, and populates them with engaging characters and page turning plots.

The city of Tears is the second in the Burning Chambers trilogy based around the religious wars of the 16th century Reformation. The plot switches between France and Amsterdam, the City of Tears from 1572 until 1594 and spans the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the overthrow of Catholic leadership in Amsterdam and the coronation of Henri 4th.

This is great history, we all need to understand more about how the Reformation shaped Europe as it is today and a compelling story of family intrigue, religious fanaticism and the enduring power of relationships. Read it after you have read the Burning Chambers.

City of Tears takes place during an uneasy truce during the Wars of Religion in sixteenth century France. We follow Minou Joubert and her family as they journey from The Langedoc up to Paris for a Royal wedding and then on to exile in Amsterdam. City of Tears is the second book in a five part series, if you haven’t read the first don’t worry it works better than most stand alone novels.

The City of Tears is the follow up to The Burning Chambers and is apparently the second in a five part series depicting the lives of the Huguenots in Europe.

It starts in Paris where Minou and Piet are attending the royal wedding. One day their 7 year old daughter Marta goes missing. Later that night the St Bartholomew's massacre takes place and they have to flee the city without her. The book goes on to Amsterdam where they have to reconcile themselves to life without their beloved daughter.

I have mixed feelings about this book. At one point I thought I would be unable to finish it as it's so slow moving. I was about a third of the way into it before I really started to invest in it. It is well written (not sure that comparison to Dan Brown is warranted, Mosse is a much better writer) but I didn't find the subject matter as interesting as that set out in her earlier books set in the Languedoc. It could be that my reading of this suffered from not having read the first in the series. Having said that, the book ends with a nice hook for the next in the series and I would read that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC,

The much anticipated follow-up to The Burning Chambers. It is now 1572, time has moved on with Minou and family becoming caught up in the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris with disastrous consequences. As expected from the author, a masterpiece in research and story-telling. Utterly brilliant.

Minou Reydon-Joubert lives with her husband, Piet, and their two children in late 16th century France, during the time of the Wars of Religion. They travel to Paris for the wedding of Henri of Navarre and, whilst there, are caught up in the massacre of Huguenots on St Bartholomew's Day. They manage to escape but are separated from their daughter, Marta, whose impulsive nature has led her into danger.

Years later, now living in Amsterdam, Piet and Minou receive news that Marta may still be alive, and Piet's nemesis, the vengeful Cardinal Vidal - who disappeared around the time of the massacre - is his blood cousin. They return to France to learn the truth, a journey that will change both past and present.

I found this a compelling read. Kate Mosse captures the history of the time well and there is a palpable sense of fear around Vidal, whose obsession with holy relics intensifies as events unfold. Vidal's son, Louis, becomes part of his father's plan to collect as many of these as he can, bringing them to an island reliquary on the estate he lives at under an assumed name.

All the characters are well-drawn and I particularly liked Minou, who came over as strong, resourceful, and loyal, and Cornelia, the daughter of a Dutch merchant who becomes friends with Minou. Women are prominent throughout the book and not merely submissive and subservient.

Not having read the first book in the series, I will now seek it out although this story stands perfectly well on its own.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Pan Macmillan, in return for an honest appraisal.

I love Mosse and this covered a fascinating period in time, but I found the book a little slow-going.

The City of Tears by Kate Mosse. So excited to grab this book and start reading, I’ve read all of her others and thoroughly enjoyed them. This one however I found a bit of trudge. I found I was drifting off and not concentrating. All in all a good read but one I had to work at.

I am a great fan of Kate Mosse, and this book doesn't disappoint. There is tension, intrigue intertwined with history.
If you love her books you won't be disappointed!

Thank you #netgalley for the advance copy of this book and I am SO HOPING that the beginning of the book, set some 300 years in the future to when this book is set means we have more to come.
Love, passion, war and good old family rivalries play out so well against the backdrop of France and Amsterdam. History and storytelling woven so beautifully, yes, I get confused with the history sometimes, but no,it does not distract me from the beautiful narrative that runs through the story.
What a delight yet again, Kate Mosse. I think I have been reading your books my entire adult life and boy, do I look forward to the next one.

Having recently read the first novel in this series - epic bestseller "The Burning Chambers" - I feel very at home with protagonist Minou's extended family. "The City of Tears" expands their story beautifully. Kate Mosse's diverse cast of characters are incredibly well-drawn. I particularly love the fact that Mosse places generations of strong female characters front and centre. Much of the plot concerns the Wars of Religion in 16th century France. I had no prior knowledge of the subject, despite being raised Roman Catholic. I found the detail shocking, as surely war defies the very tenets of religion? Though I suppose that's a tale as old as time itself. Kate Mosse is clearly very knowledgeable about the subject and you could easily spend hours supplementing reading her work by diving down rabbit holes on Google to learn more. It's all so interesting and has really fuelled my thirst for knowledge. Mosse brings each of her settings to life in vivid colour. In this sequel, she takes us to Franschoek, Puivert, Amsterdam, Paris and Chartres. Her descriptions draw the reader deep into the narrative and I've loved learning about each location. The final chapters left me breathless. It's books (and series') like this for which 5 star ratings were invented. Superb!

This is the second book in The Burning Chambers series and it was just as exciting and powerful as the first book. There is drama, persecution, mystery, murder and revenge.

The first part of the story begins at a slow pace as the scene is set and you revisit some events that happened in the previous book. You could read this as a stand alone but I would highly recommend you read the first book so you have more of a depth of knowledge of each character and previous events.

This book is all about grief and resilience. How these people in 16th century France and Amsterdam managed to carry on living and persevering through the awful wars and unrest I really just cannot imagine. The strength in character of Minou in particular is so admirable. I felt her pain of losing loved ones was so palpable and the desperation to keep her family together.

For fans of historical fiction, this series really isn’t one to miss out on. Kate Mosse truly is one of the best authors around and is at her best in this book.