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drjoannehill's review
inspiring
tense
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? No
3.75
I was a bit disappointed with this ... The blurb on the back is about such a small part of the book and the build up is so long, the ending abrupt and surprising. It was extremely tense throughout and I was sure everything was going to end badly. But, we get Mosse's trademark criticisms of the Catholic Church, excellent research on the 17th century, and some cool characters including the main character Louise Reydon-Joubert the capitana of a merchant/pirate ship.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Outing, Murder, Torture, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Colonisation
calireisreading's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Misogyny
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: Death of parent, Confinement, Murder, Death, Misogyny, and Violence
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