Scan barcode
Reviews
The Ghost Ship: an epic historical novel from the number one bestselling author by Kate Mosse
bookmaddie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
3.75
The third installment in Mosse’s The Burning Chambers series, THE GHOST SHIP is billed as an adventure on the high seas. But there wasn’t nearly enough seafaring for me 🫣
Each book in the series follows a generation of the Joubert family, Huguenots living in France, where they were often persecuted. I enjoyed dipping back into their story and learning about a new family member, Louise. Louise is headstrong, independent and inquisitive, pushing against the boundaries of the time. I loved her personality and strength of character!
Louise has always loved the sea, and so has Giles, her love interest. Their love of exploration and freedom draws them together, and their love story was so tender and sweet. And queer! Love some queer representation in historical fiction. It was beautiful to see Giles living as he desired, with Louise and her family’s support.
However, I do think this book could’ve been a tad shorter. There is a lot of set-up and background that takes up a majority of the book, so only a quarter of it is really spent on the high seas. It was a delight to see a woman captain her own ship, and I loved all the pirate bits. I just wanted more!
I’m curious if Mosse will continue with the series. There was a bit of a hint towards another book at the end, but we shall see. In the meantime, I’d love to dip into her backlist. Her writing is so lush and comforting to me, and I’d love to explore another time with her as my guide. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
vivacious_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
savidgereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emily_bg's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sschloo24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
azebrareads's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
husbutch's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Louise Reydon-Joubert has come into her inheritance and is a wealthy woman. Now all she wants to do is to go to sea. Whilst in La Rochelle she meets Gilles Barenton and is immediately attracted to this young man, however Gilles hides a secret. Louise sails in her ship, The Old Moon, to Las Palmas but along the way the captain meets an unfortunate end, this is the opportunity Louise has craved.
I have stuck with this book series from Mosse and I'm glad I have done as this is easily the best of them so far. Mosse is clear that she has been influenced by the tales of the pirates Bonny and Read and this is evident in the tale of Gilles but it just adds colour to the narrative. What I do love is the way this novel is set in the time where the Dutch Netherlands were becoming independent from Spain and the VOC were becoming successful, however it also tackles the thornier subject of slavery and the often overlooked enslavement of Europeans by the Barbary corsairs. I lot of background and an exciting tale.
I have stuck with this book series from Mosse and I'm glad I have done as this is easily the best of them so far. Mosse is clear that she has been influenced by the tales of the pirates Bonny and Read and this is evident in the tale of Gilles but it just adds colour to the narrative. What I do love is the way this novel is set in the time where the Dutch Netherlands were becoming independent from Spain and the VOC were becoming successful, however it also tackles the thornier subject of slavery and the often overlooked enslavement of Europeans by the Barbary corsairs. I lot of background and an exciting tale.