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Book Review
Apr. 29th, 2025 08:17 pmDestiny of Fire
by Zoé Oldenbourg
This older historical novel takes place in southern France during the early 13th century and covers the Albigensian Crusade, which wiped out the Cathars (a heretical Christian sect). The narrative centers around the minor Cathar nobles Arsen and Ricord, and their daughter Gentian, as they navigate the persecution and destruction of their sect and community. They are all very devout, yet make different choices about how to face the Crusade against them. Ricord chooses to fight, Arsen to adopt an ascetic, mendicant mission, and Gentian to marry and and try to follow her religion as a wife and mother.
This is a tragic story with vivid characters whose plights I cared about. I especially liked Gentian, a spirited woman caught between her desire for a religious life and the need to live a more worldly life. Arsen was alternately sympathetic and a little frustrating. She had a a great capacity for loving those around her, but also was a bit overly zealous in her pursuit of a as life of stringent observation of Cathar ideals. Indeed, the one drawback of the book for me was that a lot of time and space was given over to the religious ruminations and discussions within and between the characters, and that much theological content is just not my thing. It did serve to illuminate the senselessness of the religious intolerance and perseuction of the era, though.
by Zoé Oldenbourg
This older historical novel takes place in southern France during the early 13th century and covers the Albigensian Crusade, which wiped out the Cathars (a heretical Christian sect). The narrative centers around the minor Cathar nobles Arsen and Ricord, and their daughter Gentian, as they navigate the persecution and destruction of their sect and community. They are all very devout, yet make different choices about how to face the Crusade against them. Ricord chooses to fight, Arsen to adopt an ascetic, mendicant mission, and Gentian to marry and and try to follow her religion as a wife and mother.
This is a tragic story with vivid characters whose plights I cared about. I especially liked Gentian, a spirited woman caught between her desire for a religious life and the need to live a more worldly life. Arsen was alternately sympathetic and a little frustrating. She had a a great capacity for loving those around her, but also was a bit overly zealous in her pursuit of a as life of stringent observation of Cathar ideals. Indeed, the one drawback of the book for me was that a lot of time and space was given over to the religious ruminations and discussions within and between the characters, and that much theological content is just not my thing. It did serve to illuminate the senselessness of the religious intolerance and perseuction of the era, though.
