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intereact!Kate Mosse
Retail Price (not our price): $25.95
ISBN: 0399154671
ISBN-13: 9780399154676
Publication Date: 2008-04-01
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 592
Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
1) Product Description
From the author of the New York Times– bestselling novel Labyrinth comes another haunting tale of secrets, murder, and the occult set in both nineteenth-century and twenty-first-century France. I n 1891, young Léonie Vernier and her brother Anatole arrive in the beautiful town of Rennes-les-Bains, in southwest France. They’ve come at the invitation of their widowed aunt, whose mountain estate, Domain de la Cade, is famous in the region. But it soon becomes clear that their aunt Isolde—and the Domain—are not what Léonie had imagined. The villagers claim that Isolde’s late husband died after summoning a demon from the old Visigoth sepulchre high on the mountainside. A book from the Domain’s cavernous library describes the strange tarot pack that mysteriously disappeared following the uncle’s death. But while Léonie delves deeper into the ancient mysteries of the Domain, a different evil stalks her family—one which may explain why Léonie and Anatole were invited to the sinister Domain in the first place. More than a century later, Meredith Martin, an American graduate student, arrives in France to study the life of Claude Debussy, the nineteenth century French composer. In Rennesles- Bains, Meredith checks into a grand old hotel—the Domain de la Cade. Something about the hotel feels eerily familiar, and strange dreams and visions begin to haunt Meredith’s waking hours. A chance encounter leads her to a pack of tarot cards painted by Léonie Vernier, which may hold the key to this twenty-first century American’s fate . . . just as they did to the fate of Léonie Vernier more than a century earlier.
Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5
1) All things to all readers [Rating: 4 out of 5]
I picked up Sepulchre because I was intrigued by the idea that a deck of tarot cards was in some way brought to life as an integral part of the story. And that's why I stuck with this book till the end.Unfortunately, it took too much time to get to the end! As I kept reading, I kept wondering why the editor allowed so much extraneous material to bog down the story. While the narrative was, for the most part, expertly handled, I felt that the book was an attempt to be all things to all readers--was it romance, mystery, fantasy, historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, a supernatural thriller, a modern day tale? Yes. Was it about the composer Claude Debussy or was it about southwestern France or tarot cards or 19th-century Paris or Rennes-le-Chateau (Da Vinci Code territory) or a modern-day orphan's story? Yes. In addition, there were at times jarring anachronisms--did anyone really use the phrase "it was down to her" during the 19th century (and in France)? To be fair, these were rare, but again, where was the editor?I was also a bit disappointed by the way the tarot cards were used to move the story forward. I thought they were both over-emphasized and under-explicated as a plot device. Too gimmicky.Having made those criticisms, I will say I enjoyed the story enough to keep reading. I thought the 19th century characters and setting were the heart of the tale, they engaged my sympathies and interest far more than the character and action of the modern-day segments which were supposed to derive from the events of the past. But it was frustrating that the past versus present segments kept interrupting the narrative flow. For instance, after reading several chapters and coming to a cliff-hanger in the 1891 section, the reader is presented with several chapters of modern-day action. Then by the time that section has been read, so much has taken place that details crucial to the historical segment have been forgotten. It was like reading several books at the same time, all between the same covers.In any case, an overly long read, but a satisfying one if you can stick with it. I have not read the author's previous book, Labyrinth, so can make no comparison with it.2) Sepulchre [Rating: 4 out of 5]
This book jumps back and forth from ancient times to modern times and keeps the thought process going in your mind, always. It is amazing how the author takes you into each block of time and connects the two to create this action packed story. Great read !3) A Diet Plan for Authors... [Rating: 3 out of 5]
SepulchreWell...I need to express my continual frustration with authors/editors who don't seem to understand the need to button up their stories. 'Sepulchre' is a perfect starting point!Why, oh why, do authors find it necessary to drag a story out? There was no sensible reason in the world that 'Sepulchre' ran on for 565 pages in smaller then average typeface. Talk about a book being overweight in more ways then just the number of pages. This story was not supposed to be 'War and Peace' but a suspense novel that would engage the reader and keep things moving.Ms. Mosse's previous book, 'Labyrinth', was very similar in premise--another sticking point. Unlike a series where a character is the focal point--the use of the same theme, two separate time frames, in this case over 100 years apart, having a connection to each other.This is not supposed to be a history book, but a book that will give the reader an enjoyable time and bring them back to not only the tale, but the writings of the author. I treasure the expression 'less is more'. My advice to this author, is to please write less while keeping me engrossed. Life is too busy and with so many books tantalizing the reading publics attention, I beg authors and their editors to streamline their work. Let us also take into consideration the need to conserve on paper ergo saving our trees.4) Incredible! I could not put it down [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I thought Sepulchre was very well done. I actually liked it better than Labyrinth. The characters were real to me and the plot moved along quickly in my opinion. I was sad to finish it. I particularly enjoyed the references to Labyrinth along with Audric and Shelagh O'Donnell. I felt as if I were meeting old friends.5) Great Read! [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Did not know what to expect from Kate Mosse as had read anything by her yet. What a pleasant surprise! She kept me trying to remember anything of my 3 semesters of French in the early 80's, and loving the way she meshed history and characters caught in different times. Already have her next book!Sandra Casey