The Spirit of Fire by Susanne Dunlap
Publication Date: December 6, 2019
Series: Orphans of Tolosa, Book two
Genre: Historical Fiction
Listen to the Wind has been rated 10 out of 10 and was a quarterfinalist in the BookLife Prize, and won a Gold badge from the International Review of Books.
The eagerly anticipated sequel to Listen to the Wind, “A complex, absorbing, and dramatic start to a planned series.” -Kirkus Reviews
Azemar—now a knight and Baron of Montpezat—has rescued his childhood friend, Azalais, from the Castel de Belascon, where she was forced to disguise as a noblewoman and become the wife of the baron. But the captivating trobairitz Jordane de la Moux d’Aniort and her damozel Johana have escaped with them, putting them all in grave peril. Will Jordane’s conflicting goal of reuniting with the rebel Raimon de Berenger thwart Azemar and Azalais’s quest to solve the mystery of their origins, which they believe lies within the heretic fortress of Montsegur? When a cryptic note leads them to the Templar stronghold at Mas Deu, Azemar undergoes brutal trials, and discovers that his ultimate purpose could lead him to betray the very people he wants to protect. And their altered route leads Azalais into the path of her old enemy, the Dominican monk, Fraire Martin. Full of surprising twists and turns, dangerous adventures, and true love, The Spirit of Fire continues the Orphans of Tolosa Trilogy.
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Praise for Listen to the Wind
Listen to the Wind has been rated 10 out of 10 in the BookLife Prize and won a Gold badge from the International Review of Books.
“Dunlap breathes life into the distant 13th-century setting... Poetry and music are as essential to the plot as warfare, with engaging glimpses of trobairitz (female troubadours). . . . A complex, absorbing, and dramatic start to a planned series.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Listen to the Wind is in its own league. Completely imaginative, mature and playful all at once, this book doesn’t compete with any other novel for its spot on the bookshelf, as it will outshine many and sit comfortably among the classics." - The BookLife Prize
“Susanne Dunlap... is both a superb storyteller and a rich historian of the period. Its customs and language, castles, troubadours, mountains, thick forests, villages, monasteries, and vineyards come vividly to life as Azemar and Azalaïs find themselves drawn into a path that will shape history.” - Stephanie Cowell, author of Claude and Camille: a novel of Monet
“In its mix of page-turning thriller with well researched historical novel, it draws comparison to the finely crafted work of Kate Mosse and Ariana Franklin.” - Nancy Bilyeau, author of
The Blue and the Joanna Stafford trilogy
“Susanne Dunlap’s sweeping saga captivates readers’ imaginations from the first page, plunging them back into the Languedoc region of France in the 13th Century. Her impeccable research allows her three spirited protagonists to live, love, fight and breathe life into the dangerous period of rebellion and inquisition, when the Cathars struggled to hold on to their culture and old faith against the power of the Pope. A compelling read for lovers of adventure and romance.” -Anne Easter Smith, author of
A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, Royal Mistress
“The fortitude and ingenuity of her characters helps them adapt to all manner of circumstances, and the result is an engaging tale of escape, secrets, and mental toughness. For those looking for a smartly written captivating read, I highly recommend this first book in the Orphans of Tolosa trilogy.” - Amy Hawes, Book Club Babble
“This is an intriguing and complex story with lots of secrets and lies interwoven within the characters personal stories, it is charming, exciting and mesmerising.” - Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals
“I love how vibrant the world is made, how danger really struck fear into my heart, how the pain felt real…everything is beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed this.” - Clarissa Reads It All
THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
“The Spirit of Fire” by Susanne Dunlap is the Second Book of the
Orphans of Tolosa Book covering the years 1243-1244. The story covers the
thirteenth century period in a region that will not become part of France until
later in the sixteenth century, called Occitanie. Quite unique to the culture
is their women troubadours who wrote poetry, sets it to music and performs in
the courts. The Midi (Languedoc) were
similar to Spanish and Catalan culturally, and more tolerant of other religions
including the Jews. Another prevalent religion was the Cathars, a religious
sect who called themselves the true Christians. The Pope considered them as
heretics and launched the crusades against them. The Cathars went into hiding
in the Pyrenees in the castle called the Montsegur in the fortress in the
Ariege. Book II begins as the Cathars fight against the French. Fugitives
Azemar, an orphan from Tolosa who becomes heir to the Baron de Montzepat, along
with another orphan Azalais, who was in disguise married the baron de Belascon,
are trying to reach the fortress.
I loved
this book and found it to be an epic story about strong and amazing women
characters that I loved reading about. I loved that the characters though
fictional were set in real historical events in a very dark period in French
History. The violence that the Cathar people suffered as heretics, by being
murdered and burned at the stake were simply heart wrenching – ethnic cleansing
wars are very difficult to read about but must be written to ensure that their
stories are told and learn from history. We know that in many years to come,
these have been a part of many of the wars we have come to suffer from even through
the 20th century. I am looking forward to reading the third book in
the series; it will be going through the years 1229-1240 and following the two orphans
on their epic adventure and survival. What an amazing continuation that would be.
About the Author
Susanne Dunlap is the author of six works of historical fiction. Two are for adults (Emilie's Voice and Liszt's Kiss, both published by Touchstone books of Simon & Schuster). Four are for young adults (The Musician's Daughter, Anastasia's Secret, In the Shadow of the Lamp, and The Academie, published by Bloomsbury). A graduate of Smith College with a PhD in Music History from Yale University, Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn and Northampton, MA. She now lives in Northampton with her long-time partner, Charles, has two grown daughters, three granddaughters, a grandson, a stepson and a stepdaughter, four step-grandsons and one step-granddaughter—that's a total of four children and nine grandchildren!
In her spare time she cycles in the beautiful Pioneer Valley.
For more information, please visit The Orphans of Tolosa website. You can follow author Susanne Dunlap on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and BookBub.
Blog Tour Schedule
Friday, December 6
Review at Nursebookie
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads
Monday, December 9
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Review at Mama's Reading Corner
Tuesday, December 10
Feature at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, December 11
Interview at The Writing Desk
Thursday, December 12
Review at Books and Zebras
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Friday, December 13
Feature at Just One More Chapter
Sunday, December 15
Review at my.boys.mom
Monday, December 16
Interview at Jathan & Heather
Wednesday, December 18
Review at Passages to the Past
Thursday, December 19
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Friday, December 20
Review at Coffee and Ink
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a set of Listen to the Wind & The Spirit of Fire by Susanne Dunlap! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Listen to the Wind
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