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wherethewildreadsare's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Although I had read the first two in this series, this third one is greatly different from the first two. A person definitely wouldn’t have to read the first two in order to read this one. I have found that this series in particular, and maybe is the case for the author in general, have a lot more slower paced plots. While I was incredibly engaged a majority of the time, it was somewhere around the 80% mark where I was starting to lose my focus of it. Some of the “conflicts” seemed to swiftly wrap up throughout the novel which may have caused my focus to sway. Nevertheless, the book’s ending was worth getting to and I enjoyed this little part of history. Although I would say more liberties were taken for the pirate aspects of the story that felt less “historical”. All this to say that I still really enjoyed it but didn’t find myself feeling as compelled to dig into the history of France, Amsterdam and the catholic/protestant conflicts like the previous two
robatk's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
kimthezombie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Pirates and murders and adventure, a mysterious, twisty tale
ehs1989's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
charlib12's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
laura_keoski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dorhastings's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
How this book found its way onto my TBR: I read Mosse's story in Marple: Twelve New Mysteries and thus began my journey of The Burning Chambers/The Joubert Family Chronicles. I had thought this would be a trilogy, but having just completed the third book, I see there's room for at least one or two more books. There's some 200 years between the "current" events in this book and some teasers from the earlier books. And I thought I'd finished the series! This book came out in 2023, so I'm pretty caught up. I needed to return this book to the library ASAP, and I had the time to read the book, so I zoomed through it.
As with previous books in the series, the main focus is of course on the Reydon-Joubert family, particularly the Joubert women. We see some mention of Minou, her sister Alis, Alis's companion Cornelia, and Minou's daughter, Barnarda (who is unfortunately quite unpleasant). There is also mention of Minou's first daughter, Marta, but we learn quickly that she is no longer in the picture. This novel follows one particular character: Louise Reydon-Joubert, daughter of Marta and Louis Vidal. Louise was raised in Amsterdam by her grandparents and returned to France for her 25th birthday to receive an inheritance. We see Louise when she's 25 and then 10 years later, when she is 35. Being initially from Amsterdam, Louise has a love for boats and the sea, and she is close with Alis and Cornelia. With her inheritance, she purchases one of Cornelia's boats (the Old Moon) and, in a most unladylike fashion, actually wants to be on the ship. Louise's wealth protects her from most things, and unladylike is certainly a word she would embrace. Along the way, she meets Gilles Barenton (we never do learn Gillis's birth name, but that's by design, and who cares), who is 15 years her junior. She saves him from unpleasant circumstances, and he essentially becomes her aide.
This book takes place mostly on the high seas aboard the Old Moon. This is quite unlike the previous books, which bobbed between different characters frequently and focused greatly on religious wars in France, Holland, and Spain. There is still a flavor of that, but I appreciated a new setting and some distance from those events. It would make sense that there would be little mention of politics and the religious wars for Louise, who does not have much of a thought for religion anyway and is generally focused on her ship. The religious wars do return in the epilogue, when the perspective shifts to Suzanne Joubert, granddaughter of Florence, the daughter of Jean-Jacques Reydon-Joubert, the son of Minou and Piet Reydon-Joubert.
I'm interested to see where this goes, though I was, as other reviewers have said, thrown off by the lack of continuity of prologues. I was also disappointed to not learn more about Marta and Louis; it was hinted at, strongly, by the end, but then nothing came of it. I can't say I expect that Mosse will cross that T in the next book, because that was something that happened at the end of Book 2 and was not resolved in Book 3. I get the need to keep the suspense, but it's a lot to ask of readers who are trying to keep track of everything else. That said, this book was clearly about Louise and did not stray from her. I enjoyed the themes that involved Louise never putting aside her being a woman but choosing to dress as a man on her ship. I also appreciated how Mosse wrote Gillis with great care and attention to things like pronouns.
All of the characters seem well-rounded and independent of each other. Mosse has a really fantastic writing style, making sure to include appropriate terms but not getting so technical that she loses her readers. For as long as the book is, it's amazing that I just kept turning the pages, wanting to get into the next chapter, the next section of the book.
As with previous books in the series, the main focus is of course on the Reydon-Joubert family, particularly the Joubert women. We see some mention of Minou, her sister Alis, Alis's companion Cornelia, and Minou's daughter, Barnarda (who is unfortunately quite unpleasant). There is also mention of Minou's first daughter, Marta, but we learn quickly that she is no longer in the picture. This novel follows one particular character: Louise Reydon-Joubert, daughter of Marta and Louis Vidal. Louise was raised in Amsterdam by her grandparents and returned to France for her 25th birthday to receive an inheritance. We see Louise when she's 25 and then 10 years later, when she is 35. Being initially from Amsterdam, Louise has a love for boats and the sea, and she is close with Alis and Cornelia. With her inheritance, she purchases one of Cornelia's boats (the Old Moon) and, in a most unladylike fashion, actually wants to be on the ship. Louise's wealth protects her from most things, and unladylike is certainly a word she would embrace. Along the way, she meets Gilles Barenton (we never do learn Gillis's birth name, but that's by design, and who cares), who is 15 years her junior. She saves him from unpleasant circumstances, and he essentially becomes her aide.
This book takes place mostly on the high seas aboard the Old Moon. This is quite unlike the previous books, which bobbed between different characters frequently and focused greatly on religious wars in France, Holland, and Spain. There is still a flavor of that, but I appreciated a new setting and some distance from those events. It would make sense that there would be little mention of politics and the religious wars for Louise, who does not have much of a thought for religion anyway and is generally focused on her ship. The religious wars do return in the epilogue, when the perspective shifts to Suzanne Joubert, granddaughter of Florence, the daughter of Jean-Jacques Reydon-Joubert, the son of Minou and Piet Reydon-Joubert.
I'm interested to see where this goes, though I was, as other reviewers have said, thrown off by the lack of continuity of prologues. I was also disappointed to not learn more about Marta and Louis; it was hinted at, strongly, by the end, but then nothing came of it. I can't say I expect that Mosse will cross that T in the next book, because that was something that happened at the end of Book 2 and was not resolved in Book 3. I get the need to keep the suspense, but it's a lot to ask of readers who are trying to keep track of everything else. That said, this book was clearly about Louise and did not stray from her. I enjoyed the themes that involved Louise never putting aside her being a woman but choosing to dress as a man on her ship. I also appreciated how Mosse wrote Gillis with great care and attention to things like pronouns.
All of the characters seem well-rounded and independent of each other. Mosse has a really fantastic writing style, making sure to include appropriate terms but not getting so technical that she loses her readers. For as long as the book is, it's amazing that I just kept turning the pages, wanting to get into the next chapter, the next section of the book.
worldsbetweenpages's review against another edition
Dnf. Gave it a try for 200 pages, but it’s waaay too slow for me. Nothing exciting happened and I just couldn’t keep reading. Wasn’t really interested in the characters either …
booknerd7820's review against another edition
4.0
Although The Ghost Ship is the third book in Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers series, it can certainly stand on its own as a standalone novel. The series focuses on the war between the French Huegonots and the Catholic Church in both France and Amsterdam in the first few decades of the 17th century. The main character of the book is Louise whom, after receiving a large inheritance on her 25th birthday, purchases a trading ship called The Old Moon. After an accident that results in a death of another, Louise finds herself fleeing prosecution by sailing the high seas with her companion Gilles who has secrets of his own.
Rich with historical facts and full of life, Mosse’s The Ghost Ship is an intriguing look at life at sea and the perils of piracy. The relationship between Louise and Gilles accurately reflects the fact that the LGBTQ+ community have always had to live in the shadows and struggle for the right to love whom they love. The relationship in the story is extremely believable and also beautiful. There is also plenty of action and mystery to keep the reader
Recommended for fans of historical fiction that highlight the minority groups whose stories are often wiped from history.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Kate Mosse for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rich with historical facts and full of life, Mosse’s The Ghost Ship is an intriguing look at life at sea and the perils of piracy. The relationship between Louise and Gilles accurately reflects the fact that the LGBTQ+ community have always had to live in the shadows and struggle for the right to love whom they love. The relationship in the story is extremely believable and also beautiful. There is also plenty of action and mystery to keep the reader
Recommended for fans of historical fiction that highlight the minority groups whose stories are often wiped from history.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Kate Mosse for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
booknerd7820's review against another edition
4.0
Although The Ghost Ship is the third book in Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers series, it can certainly stand on its own as a standalone novel. The series focuses on the war between the French Huegonots and the Catholic Church in both France and Amsterdam in the first few decades of the 17th century. The main character of the book is Louise whom, after receiving a large inheritance on her 25th birthday, purchases a trading ship called The Old Moon. After an accident that results in a death of another, Louise finds herself fleeing prosecution by sailing the high seas with her companion Gilles who has secrets of his own.
Rich with historical facts and full of life, Mosse’s The Ghost Ship is an intriguing look at life at sea and the perils of piracy. The relationship between Louise and Gilles accurately reflects the fact that the LGBTQ+ community have always had to live in the shadows and struggle for the right to love whom they love. The relationship in the story is extremely believable and also beautiful. There is also plenty of action and mystery to keep the reader
Recommended for fans of historical fiction that highlight the minority groups whose stories are often wiped from history.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Kate Mosse for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rich with historical facts and full of life, Mosse’s The Ghost Ship is an intriguing look at life at sea and the perils of piracy. The relationship between Louise and Gilles accurately reflects the fact that the LGBTQ+ community have always had to live in the shadows and struggle for the right to love whom they love. The relationship in the story is extremely believable and also beautiful. There is also plenty of action and mystery to keep the reader
Recommended for fans of historical fiction that highlight the minority groups whose stories are often wiped from history.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Kate Mosse for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.