To say I loved the previous two novels in The Joubert Family Chronicles by the multi-million bestselling author Kate Mosse is an understatement. These are historical feasts that completely captivated me. So when I discovered that the third book in the series, The Ghost Ship was due to be published this summer I got very excited. And then I was invited to be involved in the blog tour of this highly anticipated novel! I couldn’t believe my luck!
Exciting, thought provoking and emotive, The Ghost Ship certainly did not disappoint. I was consumed into the 17th century world of piracy, murder and a horrific abuse of power as one woman, haunted by her actions in childhood, fights for justice, for freedom, and for love in a man’s world.
If like me you have read The Burning Chambers and The City of Tears, the previous two novels in the series, then you may find the third book a slight departure from the first two. Hence in that sense The Ghost Ship could be read as a standalone book. However if you were to do that, in my opinion you would be doing yourself a disservice as a reader. To get the full dramatic impact of this powerful narrative, I personally believe that you need to have read the previous two books. Especially as this will enable you to fully grasp the subtle yet thrilling sense of unease that this latest novel ends with. Believe me, I can’t wait to read the fourth book in the series.
Inspired by real-life female pirates, Anne Bonney and Mary Read, The Ghost Ship is the powerful story of Louise Reydon-Joubert, a women who risks everything to protect those she loves. Once I finished reading the novel I googled Anne Bonney and Mary Read and it was only then that I realised how much Kate Mosse was inspired by these two defiant real-life women who refused to bow down to the hypocrisy of the patriarchal social norms.
The Ghost Ship is a sweeping novel full of adventure that transports us the readers through France, to Paris where a king is assassinated, to Carcassonne and to La Rochelle; then to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands, and then finally to Cape Town where it ends with an unsettling sense of mystery. I am desperate to discover how Louise’s story ends, a story of love and danger, a life haunted by family history and murderous acts.
Louise as a character is headstrong and defiant, yet vulnerable too. And then there is the emotive story of Gilles, a child unprotected from his abusive mother, yet through love and kindness, overcomes so much, and along with Louse bravely defies the dangerous hypocrisy of the Spanish Inquisition.
There is so much within this powerful story. Yet in an ironic way I am struggling to write this blog post as I am scared I give away spoilers. Hence I strongly urge you to read The Ghost Ship, which is available now as it was released on 6 July 2023.
A massive thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to the blog tour of this true epic rich in historical detail.
To follow the blog tour, please see below.
Thanks for the blog tour support. We would be really grateful if you could share your review on Amazon x