Labyrinth—Kate Mosse

I read this book once before, about five years ago. I actually found it in an Oxfam in London for .99 and thought to myself, "That's a lot of book for not a lot of money." I zoomed through it in two days (while I was in London, I might add) as it was so well-written, fast-paced, and intriguing.

In preparation for her new(er) book, Sepulchre, I thought I'd read it again to prepare myself. (Having started Sepulchre, I realized I'd actually read that one before as well.) Sepulchre is not particularly a sequel to Labyrinth, which I should have realized had I actually remembered the ending of this one. It doesn't really leave room for a sequel. In fact, one of the main points of the book is the resolution of a story almost eight hundred years in the making.

Regardless, I'm glad that I read it again, because it was still a quick read (even at 700 pages) and I noticed a few nuances that I had somehow skipped over in my last reading.

The book, as the tagline on the cover says, explores the stories of "Three secrets. Two women. One Grail." The story alternates between more or less present day (2005) Alice Tanner (who begins assisting on an archeological dig and feels an inexplicable draw to the location and artifacts that she finds) and Alais du Mas, who lives in the late 12th, early 13th century in the same location. When Alice loses consciousness while searching for artifacts, she begins to dream of Alais's life. A grand conspiracy and lives connected across centuries.

Kate Mosse is an astonishing storyteller. Although the story does skip back and forth, it's not confusing or disorienting. She seamlessly ties together these two distinct stories, in a completely compelling and fantastical way.

Great read. I highly suggest it.