I found this book very taxing. The characters did not seem real to me. They came across as being one dimensional, probably because the author focused on their collective responsibility towards the resistance. It is almost as if they had no lives beyond the war and while war does tend to do that most books that I have read with world war 2 backgrounds usually provide characters with more holistic lives. I failed to be moved by the love story because to me it seemed to have been put together in ha...

Think I was slightly disappointed. Found the previous two books real page turners; this one was a slightly more laborious read and I'm not sure why.Excellent subject matter-the courage of the resistance fighters and the cruelty of their captors was vividly described.I did not find the characters strong enough although the love story was very tender and I did find myself welling up in the end!Somehow the parallel narrative did not work as well.Aurelius' journey was not particularly exciting and t...

I absolutely love Kate Mosse! I wish she'd write more often, but I suppose her books are SO good because she does such GREAT research into her subject.I read the first two books of the trilogy and really wasn't sure where she'd go next. I only knew there would be a lot of Languedoc stuff in it. Really, I have no desire to see France, but I'd love to visit the Languedoc region!This book had ancient secrets, the supernatural, love, death, and -- Nazis! It had a great pace and kept my attention. I

I had not read any other of Kate Mosse's work prior to reading Citadel so I was unsure of what I was getting into. After reading this novel, which I ended up enjoying at the very end, I do not think I will continue to read her novels.For the first 30-something chapters, it felt like work to read. Every time I put it down, I did not want to pick it back up. I found it to be quite slow-moving and I felt no connection with the characters. That started to change around chapter 37, when the major lov...

I enjoyed Labyrinth and Sepulchre enormously and was overjoyed when I heard Kate had written the final book in the Languedoc trilogy (after the disappointment of the dreadful Winter Ghosts) and was expecting this to be more on the lines of the previous two books, namely the supernatural elements, but this is nothing like the other two at all. Yes Audric Baillard features quite heavily throughout, but it really took me until 300 pages to start to thoroughly enjoy the book.It starts off very slowl...

Loved it. I've really enjoyed all Kate Mosse's books. They are true stories to get lost in.Wish I had another of her's on hand to read.

This is the end of the fantastic trilogy Languedoc. As in the previous books it's told in 2 time lines the 4th century and 1942-1944 when the Germans occupied the Midi (France) It was a super emotive book, not only due to what was happening, the Nazi occupation, the deportations to the camps, the isolation, but also the unity and loyalty of people, their bravery to fight not only the Nazi but their own government accepting Hitler's regime and also the way that the author linked these characters

3.5 stars to Citadel, the third book in the Languedoc trilogy, written by Kate Mosse in 2011. I read the first two books in the series many years ago and loved them both. I hadn't been aware of this one until three years ago when I found a copy at a discount sale. I quickly bought it but it sat on my shelf for over a year until I finally read it this month. I struggled at first to get into the story, but the intrigue got better as the book progressed. Unfortunately, it was probably 200 pages too...

I really loved both ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Sepulchre’, which brought together elements of my favourite genres – history, suspense, romance, with a twist of the supernatural. So I was very excited to get Kate Mosse’s new book, ‘Citadel’, which is a lovely, big, thick thwack of a book. You wouldn’t want to drop it on your toe, or have to carry it around in your handbag.Even though it is very heavy and hard to hold while reading in bed, ‘Citadel’ was a swift and pleasurable read. Most nights I stayed up

Congratulations! Well done! Fantastic! Amazing! ME!! Why? For making it through this terrible tomb of tremendous drivel. I have read over a hundred books in the past eighteenth months or so and this is by far the worst! The very fact I made it through all 900 pages plus of such utter codswallop is a minor miracle. Why did I bother I hear you ask? Well, I had read 'Labyrinth' which I really enjoyed and 'Sepulcher,' which was also relatively enjoyable as far as light holiday reads go. So as 'Citad...

Wow, Im an emotional wreck after that!! Absolutely brilliant. I love how Kate Mosse can transport you back in time and really emmerse you in the French landacape. Loved Labyrinth and Sepulchre, and Citadel blew me away, combining some familiar and loved characters and introducing new generations too. I love how Mosse draws us in and weaves these exciting tales through French history. Struggled to put it down and am picking up Labyrinth again to reread right now!!

I loved how she wove recent history with the distant past in this story about the French resistance in the Languedoc. She tells a tale well, without flinching from the painful parts. I want to reread all her books on this area.

Really this was a little below 4 - only because some of the characterisation got a little "box-ticking" towards the very end. This relates to the heroine's sister really and was entirely unnecessary.Other than that, it was a great book. Good story, based more in the present than her previous books but still with links to the history of the Languedoc. As always with her books, it has strengthened my wish to visit the area and soak up some of the history for myself.

Finally finished. The culminating 'supernatural' aspect could have been so much 'more' - it all happened in a few pages of the final 60 pages and was over as soon as it began, which was a bit of a let-down after the drip-feeding of all 4 books, hence 4 not 5 stars. Brilliant set of books, Mosse doesn't 'cop out' when it comes to the fate of her major characters,and the sense of history is so real & brought to life as she 'writes' her story against the backdrop of true life events.I am glad the s...

I had reservations about starting this book. Mainly because I loved Labyrinth but wasn't too keen on Sepulchre. But once again I was drawn quickly into the tale and the location, which Mosse paints so beautifully with her words. Drawing the characters from the first two books in the trilogy together. The over riding message for me was one of love and fighting for what you believe in, the truth.A delight to read, evoking a mix of emotions.