I enjoyed ‘The City of Tears’ by Kate Mosse although I have read the first book of the series it wasn’t really necessary as the author does refer back to it on many occasions. In fact it is this that unfortunately I feel is a downside to the novel. The author repeats herself quite a lot, to an extent that irritated me a bit.

The sequel to The Burning Chambers does not disappoint. I had only recently read the first in the series and was delighted to be able to continue the story of Minou and Piet.
Set in turbulent times I found the plot rattled along at a great pace as well as informing me about a period of history I was not familiar with. Family, love and grief are the main themes set to the backdrop of religious conflict.
In Vidal, Kate Mosse has created a brilliant villain whose menacing presence hovers over every page of the story.
What a shame I'll have to now wait for the next instalment!

The City of Tears by Kate Mosse
This book is the sequel to The Burning Chambers and continues the story of Minou Joubert and Piet. It is set in 1572 and they are now married with an eight year old daughter who is very headstrong and opinionated and a young child, Jean Jacques. The religious wars, which have caused so much bloodshed on both sides, are continuing but there is hope that the marriage between the Catholic Crown and the Huguenot Henri of Navarre will bring the opposing sides together.
Piet and Minou journey to Paris to celebrate the wedding but before they can set off there is a tragedy to be borne as an assassin lays in wait for Minou who is the powerful Chatelaine of Puivert. We know that Vidal, Piet’s old adversary, is still a danger and what impact will the death of one of the beguines in Amsterdam have on Piet’s future.
Kate Mosse skilfully tells a complex story and through the impact of the terror of St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre upon the Joubert family we see the horror which was visited upon Europe in the name of religion.
I knew little about the religious wars of this period and reading this has stimulated an interest in delving deeper into this murky period of history. The value of reliquaries and the desperation of some to possess these for themselves is also powerfully conveyed.
This is an entertaining and informative book and I will be recommending it to all who have read The Burning Chambers or, if they have that pleasure still to come making them aware of the treasures contained within both books. I would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Reydon Family saga continues. Religion again the catalyst for deeply held animosity that brings tragedy and betrayals aplenty.

I enjoyed the story overall but is seemed laboured in places the thrust of the narrative delayed somewhat by short chapters that seem to interfere with the flow somewhat. I see the plot developing and the historical scope of what Kate Mosse hoped to explore is clear but the getting there seems weirdly stilted from an author I so admire.

I was sent a copy of The City of Tears by Kate Mosse to read and review by NetGalley. This is classic Kate Mosse! Everything you have come to expect, with great characters, a sense of place and, of course, plenty of historical facts. The book begins in 1572 in Puivert and continues the story of Minou, who we first met in The Burning Chambers. It takes us on through Paris and then to Amsterdam during the Wars of Religion. There is plenty of action and suspense and an ending which I believe lays things open for another book in the series – here’s to that!

This book really takes a long time to get moving, with lots of characters to introduce and lots of secrets to hint at, but not enough action or answers for me to be interested for quite a while. The first part of the book is very slow it doesn't start to really get interesting until about 75% of the way through, when it is very absorbing!

This is the second in the trilogy and I was left wanting to read the first, which must be a good sign. The period in history is brilliantly evoked and described, and the author captures the clamour and the chaos as history unfolds. I did come away with a feeling that the characters, their motivations and development were dealt at times rather superficially, maybe because of the demands of the huge sweep of history.
But a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy. There were some obvious typos which I'm sure will be ironed out.

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I have been waiting for the second part of the Burning Chambers trilogy so was delighted when NetGalley selected me to read "The City of Tears" by Kate Mosse. Like the first book, it's a big old beast, and one that you aren't sure you are going to enjoy. It does take a while to settle in but after the first 20% or so, you are caught up in the story line. Spanning 20 years or so, and several locations including Paris, Amsterdam and Chartres, this book is all about family, relationships and the age-old battle of religion.

Excellent read!

Quite an interesting book with a nicely convoluted story that provides a lot of information on the religious stupidity in the western half of Europe at the end of the 16th Century. The story is filled with people just trying to scrape a life whilst some of them were more interested in "getting one over" on their religious opposites, frequently with a poniard or gun or sword. This is the sort of tale that makes me wonder what sort of world we would be living in if there were no religions or perhaps no religious zealots; four Centuries later and we seem to have learned nothing!

The main question is whether the book is worth your money and the answer is an unequivocal yes. Religions aside, it is an interesting book.

This is the follow up to ‘the burning chambers’, and picks up the story of Minou and Piet.

As you would expect from Kate Mosse, the story is packed with historical references, and well researched. It’s a part of history I do not know much about but her storytelling brings it to life.

We pick up as Minou’s family are transported to Paris for a royal wedding. Whilst there, tragedy ensues and the family are forced to flee into exile, building a new life in Amsterdam. Further revelations are found about Vidal, who we met in the first book.

Yet again, I raced through this book to get to the explosive and revealing end. I adore Kate’s books and this one did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to Kate Mosse, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC of The City of Tears. This is as good as it gets. Wonderfully absorbing, faultlessly researched. An unforgettable story written with the usual aplomb. Fabulous!

I have read previous books by Kate Mosse and always enjoyed them. This book is the second in trilogy , but could easily be read as a standalone . The story is set in France & Amsterdam during the Religious wars. The history is not familiar to me, but it felt well researched. The main characters Minor and Piet are strong. Their family life is torn apart by the wars and the story covers a period of 12 years. I am looking forward to the next book to know what happens next as some of them are reunited.
I highly recommend this book . Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it .

This is the follow up to the Burning Chambers. I loved this book. The amount of detail makes you feel part of everything that is happening. I got totally caught up in the lives of the characters. The historical detail has obviously been very well researched and everything is written in an interesting and informative way.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

I read this book as part audiobook, part ebook, and loved every page. Kate Mosse is in top form within these pages, and gifts us a wonderful story with a full range of emotions. It's impossible to work out how to feel about where the story takes you, with so many twists and turns. It's a long book, and you'll be glad it is, because you won't want it to end.

My first Kate Moses novel and loved every page. Brought 1572 onwards to life for me, both in historical terms and the lives of Minou and Piet Joubert.
A drama well worth reading and enjoying. Times are dangerous and the family is torn apart and suffer loss. A very moving novel that still has hope for the future, enjoy!

We are instantly transported back into a very difficult and violent period of time.

Old disagreements, deceit, friendships and hope resurface in this turbulent second book of the trilogy. .

The people are shown at their best and most certainly at their worst. All is set against a backdrop

of religious warfare... Ms Mosse has the most wonderful talent in being able to write descriptions that bring

life to every page .

I look forward to meeting the Reydon family in the last part of this amazing saga.

This is a new author for me, not sure if I should have read book number 1 first! This is a very well executed book, Kate writes with depth and feeling and totally transports you . Stella was an amazing, strong character and I loved her evolving storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Mosse, is such a fab prolific writer, so I was super happy to read this one. Personally, I didn't think it was her best, but as always well-written with great characters and a good plot. Recommended.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for ages and I wasn’t disappointed. This book sends you right back in history to a tumultuous time of religious wars, political intrigue and power struggles. Kate Mosse brings history brilliantly to life with her immersive writing which makes the time period and all her characters feel so real. But not only is this a brilliant historical novel, set alongside the historical events is a tale of a family haunted by the past trying to stay together despite the wars and heartbreak going on around them. This is the second book in the trilogy and I can’t wait for the next one.

This is an engrossing read filled with meticulous historical detail that carries on from the first book in the series, The Burning Chamber left off. Minou Reydon, now married to her childhood love, Piet and the mother of two children, lives contentedly in the south of France as chatelaine to the estate that was surprisingly her birth right. Underneath her contentment lies a slight unease that her enemy, Vidal, now a powerful Catholic cardinal, and who had nearly succeeded in killing her and usurping her inheritance might strike again, despite her husband’s assurances. But Piet has his own fears and concerns that are wrapped up in the politics of the Huguenot religion and the conflict with the Catholics that are momentarily at a simmer after years of war. A peace of sort has been negotiated in the form of a marriage between the Navarre prince and the royal princess. And as a prominent member of the Huguenots Piet feels he must go. The wedding and the Reydon family attendance sets off a series of events and catastrophes that last for years and forever change the course of one family’s history and that of a nation.

Kate Mosse’s storytelling excellence comes into play yet again in this riveting tale of politics, religion and revenge. She weaves in so much fact and detail with a wonderful tale you know you are in the hands of someone who understands how to keep a reader engaged. If you loved the Burning Chamber you’ll love this sequel.