The Ghost Ship, by Kate Mosse - A Review and Private Event Insight from Jenny (@budgetbooklover)
The Ghost Ship is the third book in the Joubert Family Chronicles. On the Barbary Coast in 1621, a mysterious vessel known only as the Ghost Ship hunts pirates to liberate those enslaved by corsairs. But the two bravest men on board are not what they seem and, if they are arrested, will be hanged for their alleged crimes. Ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, this is being touted as a swashbuckling story of piracy and revenge.
Let's start with what I liked. Kate Mosse writes excellent historical fiction that is incredibly well researched. I love that the main character was a strong female lead, defying the societal norms of the time. There is also a strong theme of found family running throughout the book which is a favourite trope of mine.
However I was really disappointed that most of the book was actually not set on the high seas as I expected. The chapters that were set on the water were definitely my favourite. The "land" chapters were by no means bad but I wanted to be on the ship with the crew more than we were.
If you like historical fiction about a time period not often written about, with a strong female lead and a good story, then you would definitely enjoy this. Despite the fact that Mosse wrote this to be a standalone novel, I would recommend reading the first two books in this series as there are a lot of details about the Joubert family that would definitely help you understand the character dynamics in this instalment.
Firmdale Book Salon: In Conversation with Kate Mosse
It is always interesting to hear a novelist talk about their latest book and Mosse is no exception. The evening was led by writer Kate Maxwell and held at the Charlotte Street Hotel, London. Here's what I learned from the evening.
There will be four books in the Joubert Family Chronicles. As you can tell from the books so far, Mosse does an incredible amount of research. In each of her books, the story happens around a major turning point in French history (in The Ghost Ship, it is the assasination of King Charles of France).
Whilst she does all the research, Mosse also feels that research doesn't belong on the pages of her books. She is a storyteller, and though she wants people to be interested in the history once they have finished, her goal is for the reader to think "Wow, this is exciting. What's going to happen next!?" while they are actually reading the book.
Landscapes and the sea are at the heart of Mosse's books. For her, a sense of place is where a novel starts. The biggest challenge when writing The Ghost Ship was making sure to do the sea justice. During her research, Mosse turned to a friend who is a retired rear admiral. His advice? "Kate - you have to listen to the song of the ship. It's never silent."
We got no hints as to when we can expect the fourth book but she did reveal that it will be set at least in part in South Africa and will cover the biggest stretch of history so far.
Jenny - @budgetbooklover on Instagram
