Sepulchre (The Languedoc Trilogy)

For those that have an interest in Tarot, history, the Church and the Cathars, this is a marvelous read. There is a dual storyline - following a sister and brother in the 1890's, and a young American graduate student in current times. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional, believable, and true to their times. So true, that there were some very scary moments in this book -scary because of the action, and scary because of the mindset of the people involved. I was impressed with the use of Tarot as a device to act as a cohesive element between the two timelines. The story begins with a Tarot reading, and the gift of a deck. It becomes magnified with strange books found in a family library, and the painting of a Tarot deck based on material in one of those books. Part of what kept me glued to this book was that it was based in France for both timelines. The French terms were not familiar, but they flowed so well that it didn't matter. In fact, the one character that I could not seem to connect with was the American graduate student. Her character was well rounded, but just did not ring true for me. I loved the Tarot and esoteric content that was brought into this work, and highly recommend it. I am certain that I will read this book many times more - it takes me into a world that, while not all peace, is a fine place to be.

Many years after reading the first in this series, I finally caught up with this sequel (and then the third in the Languedoc series), and really enjoyed all of them. I give this book a big recommendation for fans of historical fiction, fans of books that have parallel stories in different eras, and fans of books with slightly supernatural overtones. The book begins in Paris in 1891, with 17 year old Leonie Vernier attempting to meet her brother Anatole at the premiere of Wagner's "Lohengrin," when French nationalists storm in with violent intent, and Leonie and Anatole barely escape with their lives; circumstances force them to run south to Rennes-les-Bains in the Languedoc region to stay (or hide) with their aunt Isolde in the mysterious estate known as Domaine de la Cade. The parallel story is set in 2007, with Meredith Martin traveling to Paris to gather information for her biography of Claude Debussy, when a clue sends her, also, to Rennes-les-Bains and Domaine de la Cade, since Leonie's time converted into a hotel resort, but with some strange connections to Meredith's own family. Both young women are caught up in discovering the existence of a mysterious Tarot set, realizing the cards' dangerous powers, and protecting the set from mysterious and nefarious antagonists. The plot was thoroughly enjoyable, showing the uncertainties, strengths, and bravery of young women, complete with impulsive choices followed by determined regret and learning from prior mistakes, and plot points were reached with regularity, so the book was engrossing as well as literary. Mosse has a real talent for detailed, literary descriptions of surroundings in all scenes, but especially of the geography, architecture, and feel of the Languedoc area of France. While I'm a fan of full fantasy novels, I know that some readers of historical fiction can be put off by including supernatural elements in otherwise mystery/thriller books, and while there were certain parts of this book that took on heavy supernatural overtones, readers should not be put off by that, as it mostly reads as a dual-timeline search for treasure and fight against criminal opponents. There were some plot points that I thought were overused (the "secrets = plot" trope, wherein main characters keep plot-generating secrets from each other for no good reason other than it creates plot) or out of place (Leonie forgetting her family's predicament and falling into puppy love upon one single meeting with the antagonist of that timeline, the otherwise well-constructed sociopath, Constant). But overall, the writing and the plot were a joy to read, and despite the length of the book, I made short work of it because it truly caught my attention. As a whole, the mechanics of the writing were exceptional, with a few errors that were glaring precisely because the rest of the writing was so good: some minor comma issues and split infinitives; the overuse and inconsistent use of either "couple/couple of" and "awhile/a while;" one particularly egregious use of "if the worst came to the worst." As a whole, though, Mosse's writing is top-notch, both in plot and in grammarian edits. I really liked this book, as well as its precursor and the third in the series. Big recommendation for fans of historical fiction with slightly supernatural elements.

From 1891 to 2007, these two characters come alive as your heart goes out to both. A well written story of family drama, great character descriptions, and lots of intrigue . I enjoyed this author's way of describing characters without the usual waste, and page fillers some authors do. I lost a lot of sleep staying up with this book, and a happy ending is always my favorite.

This book is similar in vein to 'The Da Vinci Code' but, fortunately, less melodramatic and better-written. (I hated TDVC with a fiery passion for its ridiculously overwrought prose and one-dimensional characters). The intertwining of Meredith's and Léonie's stories, across a distance of more than 100 years, gives the book a depth that makes it a more satisfying read. The hunt for treasure, stories of love and loss, evil and redemption are all there. Through one character and a link or two to Carcassonne, there is a tie in to Kate Mosse's first book in this trilogy, 'The Labyrinth', but really these books stand alone.

I read the first book, Labyrinth, and looked forward to this one. This follows a similar manner of following two story lines at two points in history, and includes familial ties to both timelines. This one has a few sections where the story line jumps off track and seems to try and tie into the earlier book, but seems forced. I read her first one several years ago, so perhaps a more recent read would have made those points more clear to me, but having been so long ago, or even to a reader who had not read Labyrinth, these few parts seem to come out of left field with no tie in to the current read. The story quickly takes a predictable course, but is engaging enough to make the time spent interesting.

The story started slow, in fact I had a paper copy which I started to read numerous times never passing the second chapter before getting the kindle version and pursuing it further. The beginning sets up a scene for rest of the story. I love the linking with the past and the present, the research into history and the imagination involved to mould the remaining chapters is fantastic. I started thinking I knew what to expect next then met a turn in the story. Once the story started to take form it was hard to put down. I have given the paper back to my daughter who will enjoy it also.

Me leí el primer libro de la trilogia sin recomendación alguna y me enganchó desde el principio, busqué los otros dos libros en amazon y los compré. Los tres me han gustado mucho y me han motivado a ir a conocer la zona donde se desarrollan.

Sehr spannend, eine sehr bildhafte Sprache - man kann sich die Handlungen, die Personen und auch die Landschaft gut vorstellen, auch in OF gut verständlich :)

I read this book by Kate Mosse many years ago, but recently purchased it for my kindle so I can read it again while travelling. Love this author!

Wonderful book. Very beautiful storyline and descriptions of the characters and scene. Book holds you binded till the end. Past and present told in proper time line. Looking at the number of pages, I finished the book quiet fast as its a very captive book

This second book of a trilogy is fascinating. While it takes place mostly in the same area as the first book, Labyrinth, the story line is so different and yet as compellingly complex as the first that you are actually surprised when you realize that one of the characters is from the first book. While the first history is about religious strife and has an archaeology theme, the second is about political strife and has an engaging music theme. This time, the two main female characters, Léonie and Meredith, are related and Meredith (a young historian from the 21st century) has only a photo and a page of handwritten music to help her track down her family connections in the few days she has set aside from her research on Claude Debussy. Léonie, on the other hand, leads a seemingly idyllic life in Paris in the apartment above Claude Debussy. She is suddenly thrust into a world of violence and evil in Domaine de la Cade, outside Carcassonne. Brought up by a suicidal mother and an engaging but eccentric grandmother until adopted by a nurturing family, Meredith feels their support but is an ocean away as she faces mystery and danger at the spa, Domaine de la Cade. She meets a number of people who give her mixed emotions on top of her already confused state of mind. She must take a chance and trust someone. Does she make the right choice? Will dark forces interfere with her quest to find her heritage? Will the violent past of the Domain keep her from resolving her own issues? As always, Ms. Mosse adds a tour of the setting at the back of the book which helps you visualize the setting and makes you want to see it for yourself and walk where her characters lived. You won't be able to put this book down!