A review by tessa_talks_books
The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

 
What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse is a historical fiction story about Louise Reydon-Joubert, a modern woman in 1600s France. This is technically the third book in a series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel, which is how I read it.
Bullet Point Review:
  • I love, love, loved this story about a woman boat captain at a time when to have a woman on a ship was considered bad luck. Modern women in historical books are my favorite characters, so following Louise on her adventures made me a happy reader.
  • I loved the amount of suspense in the novel. Even though I usually avoid historical fiction because it tends to be a slower, drier read, The Ghost Ship was nothing of the sort. It went from adventure to adventure, with lives often at stake and boundaries broken.
  • I've only read Mosse's fantasy series before this. Still, I loved that she brings the same immersion and engagement to a wholly historical fiction story. It pulled me in from page one and didn't let me go even after there were no more pages to read. And boy, did I want more pages to read!
  • Also, the historical elements of the story – even the ones that were a bit of a fictional stretch – felt authentic and genuine to the time.
  • My only issue was that I wanted more time with Louise and Gilles on the boat. I would have loved to have less of the buildup and more ship time, especially their trip to South Africa.
  • I love a modern woman in a historical world, and Louise is just that. She is fiercely independent and confident in that independence. She is rebellious with a keen sense of adventure that allows her to experience much more than the typical woman of that period.
  • The narration is in the third person limited. It is mainly limited to Louise, but a few chapters focus on Gilles. This works well to give it a more personal touch, enhancing the story's emotional aspects.
  • The pace never slowed, and I loved that. It's mostly a medium pace but speeds up during highly tense situations. It was a page-turner from start to finish.
  • The story is set in the early 1600s – mainly in France, with some time in Amsterdam and the Canary Islands. This was a contentious time in France with Catholics versus the protestants (Huguenots) and the beginning rumblings that fueled the French Revolution almost 200 years later.
  • Read if you're in the mood for:
    • A historical fiction novel that is adventurous, emotional, mysterious, and tense
    • A largely character-driven tale set in the early 1600s.
    • A story about a woman ahead of her time and not afraid to be that.