Michelle Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 As it seems to be the book of the moment, we may as well turn it into a reading circle. Kell and I have read it, so we'll jump straight in once the discussion starts... So.. and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Read the first 100 pages and it promises to be good. What is spooky, I found, is that like Alice sometimes you get a 'connection' with something or place and feel that you know it. Even if you've never, ever been there or heard of it. Weird! This promises to be a cracker of a book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 I really liked the way the two different times were handled - both had their own, distinct styles, so I felt "anchored" in whichever time that particular part of the story was set in, rather than flapping about & forgetting where I was up to in the other era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 I finished it, and I have to say what a GREAT book! The plot was thought out well and the 2 stories were enthralling. I had to keep reading it as I wanted to know what happened! Once the story began to unfold I had an idea that the 2 bodies were Alais and ( I thought ) Sajhe.......well I got one right, lol. I could also see the similarities between Oriane and Marie Cecile too. I did have an inkling that Audric was Sajhe, again the similarities were there, but done in a well thought out, subtle way. Fantastic book, with quite a few different characters, Kate Mosse managed to bring them all together exceptionally well, I'll be looking out for her name in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 You're right - it was all done very subtley - almost subliminally. Everything was very carefully put together to lead you in the right direction, despite the red herrings (Michelle got rather upset that I didn't warn her about the fire scene, but I couldn't tell her the outcome without ruining the suspense for her - LOL!), so that it all felt very natural ending where & how it did - an almost organic feel to it, if you get my meaning. I don't think it could have ended any other way & felt as satisfying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 25, 2006 Author Share Posted February 25, 2006 It seemed to me that as it approached the end, there was less and less before changing to each time period - that helped the build up to the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 I'm now half way through and I am thoroughly enjoying it The 2 eras do change really well and blend seamlessly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 27, 2006 Author Share Posted February 27, 2006 I agree - I normally dislike books that go from one time to a next, or one person to the next, as I don't like leaving one storyline or character behind. But this worked really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Finished the book tonight. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt that the 2 eras were dealt with very well and that they moved seamlessly between each other and were intertwined together in a relevant way. The ending was logical and gave a most satisfactory end. Like Tracey, I thought that Orianne and Marie Cecile were similar and for I while I thought that these may have been linked. This one will definately be reread again! I also found to my shame :oops: : how lacking my history is regarding medieval France - I certainly learnt a great deal from this book as well as it is obvious that the historical background has been well researched I would give this a well deserved 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 7, 2006 Author Share Posted March 7, 2006 As I asked Kell in another thread, which time period did you prefer? For me, although I enjoyed both, I was really hooked by the historical side of it. Favourite characters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I liked both, but I think the historical side of things seemed slightly more lyrical & I adored that. Saying that, though, I liked the progression towards the end where the timelines were becomnig increasingly blurred... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Esclarmonde was one of my fave characters, she came across to me as a real *wise woman* and I liked that a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Esclarmonde was one of my fave characters, she came across to me as a real *wise woman* and I liked that a lot. Yes, she was very "earthy" & full of common sense - I liked her a lot too. She seemed to be the mother character to Alais & I think that if she'd been absent a lot of the heart of the story would have been lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahrob Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 I thought this book was alright, but it's not one I would bother rereading. I think I preferred the historical story rather than the modern one, but mostly because I preferred Alais to Alice. I did feel let down by the ending, and had to read the last bit again to make sure I hadn't missed a big chunk of it. Everyone I know who has read this book absolutely loves it. It passed a rainy weekend quite nicely, but for me it didn't live up to the hype. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 I think hype can really ruin a good book for people, as we come to expect something very specific & then feel let down if it's not how we imagined. I've been let down like that in the past, so I can sympathise. Im' sorry you didn't enjoy Labyrinth more. I'm now waiting to see how Mosse's NEXT novel will turn out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I was thoroughly disappointed by this. The plot was so predicatable that even a non bright person like me guessed what was coming. The so called revelations fell flat because we knew they were coming right from the beginning. The historical glimpse into Carcassonne was nice, and Mosse isn't a bad writer. But she is a little bit dull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I liked the historical aspect of it most, I'll admit. Like you, I saw a lot of the outcome coming, but I felt there was no other way it could really have ended that "felt right". It was long in places, but this was one occasion where I didn't actually mind, which is unusual for me, as I often find myself glossing over long descriptive passages in other books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Kell I liked the historical aspect of it most, I'll admit. Yes, that was the only thing that kept me reading. I hadn't come across any other book that was set in Carcassonne, so it had some value. The plot just drove me mad though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda321 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 I'm afraid I found it boring. I didn't connect with any of the characters, well maybe a little bit with Alice. I don't think I like historical novels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 This one does seem to be a "love or hate" novel as I've seen very mixed reviews of it, but they all seem to be extreme one way or the other. It's certainly one that encourages discussion though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Just to say I read this earlier this year and i quite enjoyed it. I loved the historical side as i found it really interesting. I would gladly pick up another Kate Mosse book in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I listened to an unabridged version of this rather than read it & really enjoyed it.. as much for the history as anything. My wife's reading it at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 I have this book! I was hoping to find a discussion about a book I've recently read, but this is good... I'll get back to this discussion once I've read it, as I've been meaning to for ages now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolategal Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 I Think That It Is An Adult Book, That Brings Back The Magic Fantasy World Of A Chlid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratna Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I read this book last year. I thought it was really good after the 'Da Vinci Code' hype. I would read another Kate Mosse book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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