Labyrinth

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Category: Historical Fiction Grade: B

Not surprisingly, there's been a string of books like Labyrinth in the last couple of years. With the success of The Da Vinci Code, lots of authors are trotting out fiction that deals with more alternative definitions of the Holy Grail - what it is, what happened to it, how it might affect today's world. Mosse has kind of written a feminist interpretation here with women playing the key rolls - both good and evil.

What makes this one interesting is that Mosse actually tells the dual story with part happening today and the other part happening in the 13th century. Fortunately, the majority of the book takes place in France in the 13th century since the book is so-so whenever it turns to the modern characters and much more interesting when it stays in the ancient world. The period of time Mosse deals with is the fairly unknown European Crusades. During this period of time, the Catholic world mounted a Crusade, not against the Muslim world of the Holy Land, but against the heretical (e.g. the emerging Protestant) world of Southern France. As with many religious wars, this Crusade was 10% about religion and 90% about land, money and power.

The primary story features Alais, the daughter of the advisor to one of the rulers of Southern France and the husband of a chevalier, essentially a knight, in the same court. What Alais learns over the course of the book is that her father is part of an ancient order designed to protect the Grail (sound familiar?). When her father dies during a siege, she picks up his responsibilities. The second story, taking place in 2005, features Alice (get it?) a woman who accidentally (or is it?) discovers the ancient cave that is the.... well, I won't give it away.

Even though the book teeters precariously on the edge of being a "bodice ripper" at times and a romance novel at other times, its still a decent read as long as Mosse is dealing with history. Whenever she jumps to the modern era, the book gets more exciting, but a little silly.

Phil -- this is probably one that Katherine would like.