If you're searching for sweeping historical fiction that rivals Ken Follett or Philippa Gregory, look no further than Kate Mosse's Joubert Family Chronicles. This multi-generational saga spans three centuries of European history, following one remarkable family through religious wars, royal intrigue, high-seas adventure, and colonial expansion. Perfect for readers who love immersive family sagas, the French Wars of Religion, or epic tales of love and betrayal.
From the cobbled streets of sixteenth-century Carcassonne to the windswept shores of South Africa, this internationally bestselling series delivers everything historical fiction fans crave: strong female protagonists, meticulously researched settings, and page-turning plots filled with danger and romance.
What is The Joubert Family Chronicles About?
The Joubert Family Chronicles is a four-book historical saga that follows the Joubert and Reydon families across three hundred years of history. Beginning during the French Wars of Religion in 1562 and concluding in nineteenth-century South Africa, the series explores themes of religious persecution, family loyalty, forbidden love, and the courage of women fighting against the constraints of their times.
Kate Mosse, the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Languedoc Trilogy (Labyrinth, Sepulchre, Citadel), brings her signature blend of historical accuracy and compelling storytelling to this ambitious quartet. The series has been translated into thirty-eight languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.
The Books in Order: Spoiler-Free Overviews
Book 1: The Burning Chambers (2018)
Setting: Carcassonne and Toulouse, France – 1562
The series opens in the walled city of Carcassonne during a fragile peace between Catholics and Huguenots. Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert works in her father's bookshop when she receives a mysterious letter bearing a family crest and just five haunting words: She knows that you live.
Before Minou can unravel this cryptic message, a chance encounter with Piet Reydon, a young Huguenot soldier, changes everything. Despite standing on opposite sides of the religious divide, Minou and Piet find themselves drawn together as violence erupts across the Languedoc region. Ancient secrets, a disputed inheritance, and dangerous enemies threaten to tear them apart.
The Burning Chambers is a masterful introduction to the series, combining a forbidden romance with the brutal realities of religious conflict. Mosse's evocative descriptions of sixteenth-century France transport readers directly into this turbulent period, whilst Minou emerges as a courageous and resourceful heroine readers will instantly root for.
Book 2: The City of Tears (2020)
Setting: Paris, Chartres, and Amsterdam – 1572
A decade has passed since the events of The Burning Chambers. Minou and Piet have built a life together at Château de Puivert with their two young children, Marta and Jean-Jacques. When an invitation arrives for a royal wedding in Paris; a union intended to heal the religious divisions tearing France apart; the family travels to the capital, unaware that their deadliest enemy is also present.
The marriage of Catholic Marguerite de Valois to Protestant Henri of Navarre promises peace, but beneath the celebrations lurks betrayal. In the catastrophic days that follow, during one of history's most infamous massacres, the Joubert family is scattered. One child disappears without trace, and the survivors must flee to Amsterdam to escape with their lives.
The City of Tears is a harrowing and emotionally devastating instalment that explores what it means to be a refugee, to lose everything, and to somehow carry on. Mosse handles the historical events with both accuracy and sensitivity, never shying away from the horror whilst keeping her characters' humanity at the forefront.
Book 3: The Ghost Ship (2023)
Setting: France, Amsterdam, and the Canary Islands – 1610-1621
The third book shifts focus to a new generation and an entirely different kind of adventure. Louise Reydon-Joubert, a bold and independent young woman, dreams of captaining her own ship; an ambition considered impossible for women in seventeenth-century society.
When circumstances align, Louise finds herself at the helm of a mysterious vessel known only as the Ghost Ship, hunting Barbary pirates who prey upon coastal communities and enslave their victims. Alongside her sails Gilles Barenton, a young Huguenot harbouring dangerous secrets of their own. Together, they face treacherous seas, powerful enemies, and the constant threat of exposure.
The Ghost Ship delivers swashbuckling maritime adventure, complete with piracy, romance, and revenge. It's a thrilling departure from the earlier books whilst maintaining the series' core themes of courage, loyalty, and women defying the limitations placed upon them. Fans of historical adventure fiction will find this an absolute page-turner.
Book 4: The Map of Bones (2024)
Setting: Southern Africa – 1688 and 1862
The epic conclusion to the Joubert Family Chronicles takes readers to the Cape of Good Hope in two distinct timelines. In 1688, Suzanne Joubert, a Huguenot refugee fleeing persecution in France, arrives in search of her infamous cousin Louise Reydon-Joubert, who vanished decades earlier and whose fate has become the stuff of legend.
Nearly two centuries later, journalist and travel writer Isabelle Lepard journeys to the frontier town once known as Olifantshoek, determined to uncover the truth about her remarkable ancestors and restore the women of her lineage to history. But she quickly discovers that the evils of the past are far from buried; and her own life may be in danger.
The Map of Bones is a triumphant and moving conclusion that ties together three hundred years of family history. Mosse explores the early colonisation of South Africa with unflinching honesty whilst celebrating the extraordinary women whose stories were forgotten by official history. It's a fitting finale to an unforgettable saga.
Why You Should Read The Joubert Family Chronicles
Strong female protagonists throughout – From Minou to Louise to Isabelle, every book centres courageous women who refuse to accept the limitations society places upon them. These are complex, fully-realised heroines who drive the action rather than simply reacting to events around them.
Impeccable historical research – Kate Mosse is renowned for her meticulous attention to historical detail. Whether describing the French Wars of Religion, the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, seventeenth-century seafaring, or Dutch colonial South Africa, every setting feels utterly authentic and immersive.
Epic scope spanning three centuries – Few historical fiction series offer such an ambitious canvas. Watching one family's story unfold across three hundred years, with each generation building upon the previous, creates a deeply satisfying reading experience.
Perfect for fans of epic family sagas – If you loved The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, or Philippa Gregory's Tudor novels, this series will be right up your street.
Beautifully evocative settings – From the medieval streets of Carcassonne to the canals of Amsterdam, from the Canary Islands to the South African wilderness, Mosse's descriptive prose transports you completely into each world.
Gripping plots balancing action and emotion – Each book combines larger historical events with intimate personal stakes. There's romance, betrayal, murder, adventure, and family drama woven throughout, ensuring the pages turn themselves.
Explores lesser-known historical periods – The Huguenot persecution, whilst hugely significant, rarely features in historical fiction. Mosse shines a light on this often-overlooked chapter of European history, making the series both entertaining and educational.
Standalone books within a connected saga – Whilst reading in order provides the richest experience, each book tells a complete story with its own protagonist and satisfying resolution.
Who Would Enjoy This Series?
The Joubert Family Chronicles is ideal for readers who love:
Multi-generational historical fiction and family sagas
Strong female characters in historical settings
The French Wars of Religion and Reformation history
Sweeping epics set across multiple countries and time periods
Historical romance with adventure elements
Stories exploring religious persecution and resilience
Pirate and maritime historical fiction (The Ghost Ship)
Colonial-era South African history (The Map of Bones)
If you've read and enjoyed Kate Mosse's Languedoc Trilogy or her gothic novels like The Taxidermist's Daughter, you'll find much to love here. Equally, fans of Conn Iggulden, Edward Rutherfurd, or Hilary Mantel will appreciate the historical depth and narrative drive.
Final Verdict
The Joubert Family Chronicles represents Kate Mosse at the height of her storytelling powers. This is historical fiction on a grand scale; emotionally resonant, historically rich, and utterly absorbing. Whether you're new to Kate Mosse or a long-time fan, this four-book saga deserves a place on your reading list.
Start with The Burning Chambers and prepare to be swept away across three centuries of history, adventure, and the indomitable spirit of one extraordinary family.
Series Reading Order:
The Burning Chambers (2018)
The City of Tears (2020)
The Ghost Ship (2023)
The Map of Bones (2024)
Books Featured in This Article
The Burning Chambers
by Kate Mosse
New York Times bestseller Kate Mosse brings sixteenth-century Languedoc vividly to life in The Burning Chambers, a gripping story of love, betrayal, war, adventure, conspiracies, and divided loyalties. France 1562: As the Wars of Religion begin to take hold, a courageous Catholic woman and a passionate Huguenot believer find themselves united in a quest to uncover a long-buried secret. Carcassonne 1562. Nineteen-year-old Minou Joubert receives an anonymous letter at her father's bookshop. Sealed with a distinctive family crest, it contains just five words: She knows that you live. Before Minou can decipher the mysterious message, a chance encounter with a young Huguenot convert, Piet Reydon, changes her destiny forever. Piet has a dangerous mission of his own, and he will need Minou's help if he is to get out of La Cité alive. A thrilling adventure and a heartbreaking love story, The Burning Chambers is a historical novel of excitement, conspiracy, and danger like no other.
The City of Tears
by Kate Mosse
Following #1 Sunday Times bestseller The Burning Chambers, New York Times bestseller Kate Mosse returns with The City of Tears, a sweeping historical epic about love in a time of war."Mosse is a master storyteller."—Madeline Miller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CirceAlliances and RomanceAugust 1572: Minou Joubert and her husband Piet travel to Paris to attend a royal wedding which, after a decade of religious wars, is intended to finally bring peace between the Catholics and the Huguenots. Loyalty and DeceptionAlso in Paris is their oldest enemy, Vidal, in pursuit of an ancient relic that will change the course of history. Revenge and PersecutionWithin days of the marriage, thousands will lie dead in the street, and Minou’s family will be scattered to the four winds . . .
The Ghost Ship
by Kate Mosse
Next in the #1 Sunday Times bestselling series, New York Times bestselling author Kate Mosse returns with The Ghost Ship, a sweeping historical epic of adventure on the high seas.The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved by corsairs, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.But the bravest men on board are not who they seem. And the stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the high seas.
The Map of Bones
by Kate Mosse
"Vivid historical detail, headlong pace, and gratifyingly feminist finale... this sends out Mosse’s saga on a high note." Publishers Weekly"The detailed, woman-centric series showcases her talents as a storyteller and is both well-considered and well-written." Library JournalA sweeping story of love, adventure and adversity, The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse is an epic tale of courageous women battling to survive in a hostile land.Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from the south-east, they say the voices of the unquiet dead can be heard whispering through the deserted valley. Suzanne Joubert, a Huguenot refugee from war-torn France, arrives in search of her cousin — the notorious she-captain and pirate commander Louise Reydon-Joubert — who landed at the Cape of Good Hope more than sixty years before, then disappeared without a trace . . .Franschhoek, Southern Africa, 1862. Nearly one hundred and eighty years after Suzanne’s perilous journey, another intrepid and courageous woman of the Joubert family — Isabelle Lepard — has journeyed to the small frontier town once known as Oliftantshoek in search of her long-lost relations. Intent on putting the women of her family back into the history books, she quickly discovers that the crimes and tragedies still shadow the present. And now, Isabelle faces a race against time if she is to discover the truth, and escape with her life . . .Painstakingly researched and beautifully told, The Map of Bones is the fourth – and final – novel of The Joubert Family Chronicles, following the bestselling The Burning Chambers, The City of Tears and The Ghost Ship.'Mosse gives us both the satisfying intricacy of historical fact and a fictional narrative that carries us along at a rollicking pace. The long, rich, tragic history of the Huguenots deserved a series of novels as brilliant and well researched as [The Joubert Family Chronicles], in which the past is felt deep in the reader’s bones' – The Observer'This is adventure-stuffed historical fiction in the grand tradition' – The Telegraph'A fittingly terrific conclusion [to The Joubert Family Chronicles]' – i newspaper