The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months, its captain - Louise Reydon-Joubert - and her courageous crew has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved during the course of their merciless raids.
But now the Ghost Ship is under attack – its hull splintered, its sails tattered and burnt, and the crew at risk of capture. But the bravest among them are not who they seem. Louise is fleeing a miscarriage of justice; her lover, Gilles Barenton, is at risk of being exposed - she is forced to masquerade as her brother. 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 queer 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. Most of all, it is a tale of defiant women in a man's world.
What did I think?
I have been adding Kate Mosse novels to my book collection for a number of years but shockingly, The Ghost Ship is the first of her novels that I have read. The Ghost Ship is the third book in The Joubert Family Chronicles and it can totally be read as a standalone as I absolutely loved it and didn't feel at all disadvantaged that I hadn't read the earlier books in the series.
I love historical fiction and particularly enjoy seeing a cast of characters and maps in a book. The Ghost Ship has both...and more; there's not just one map, there are three and that's without counting the maps on the beautiful endpapers. The maps add an extra dimension to the fully immersive experience already created by Kate Mosse's vivid and evocative writing.
Set in the early 17th century, Louise Reydon-Joubert is breaking down the barriers that hold women in their place. Louise doesn't just own a ship, she's the captain of it and she is respected and loved by her crew. Of course, there are some that would see Louise put back in her place and there's some delightful skulduggery afoot.
I was completely riveted by the whole story and the blossoming romance between Louise and Gilles is beautifully portrayed. I am even more eager to read the earlier books in the series now and I will be returning to The Ghost Ship when I read the whole series.
Filled with adventure, passion and danger, The Ghost Ship is an outstanding historical fiction novel with a feminist slant. It's an instant classic and very highly recommended.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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