The Huguenot Chronicles, Books 1 - 3

Merchants of Virtue, Voyage of Malice, Land of Hope

By: Paul C.R. Monk

Narrated by: David Pickering

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

A family torn apart. A king with an iron fist. Will their faith be strong enough to survive persecution and reunite?

Three books full of harrowing, historical adventure!

Jeanne is the wife of a wealthy merchant, but now she risks losing everything. Louis XIV's soldiers will stop at nothing to forcibly convert the country's Protestants to the "true" faith. The men ransack Jeanne's belongings and threaten her children.

If Jeanne and Jacob can't find a way to evade the soldiers' clutches, their family will face a fate far worse than poverty and imprisonment. They may never see each other again....

The Huguenot Chronicles is a gripping historical drama that spans continents, from King Louis’ France to the Caribbean, and from London to colonial New York. If you like fast-paced adventure, vivid depictions of the past, and heartfelt tales of love and loyalty, then you'll love Paul C.R. Monk's emotional epic.

Buy The Huguenot Chronicles trilogy to start a compelling, cross-continental journey through the 17th century today!

©2018 Paul C.R. Monk (P)2019 Paul C.R. Monk

Interesting, what struggles

This is the first to third books I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another.
These books had some interesting, historical points in them. I now have a clearer understanding of the persecution of the Huguenots. This is a story of persecution, struggles, personal growth and perseverance.
Book 1: Deciding to stay in their home rather than leave like some of their acquaintances, the family comes under persecution. They’re forced to leave their home and become separated.
Jeanne comes into her own, showing resilience and fortitude.
Book 2 continues as the father is indentured on a plantation in the Caribbean. Jeanne is in Geneva, having established herself as a weaver. Her son now with her, her heart is lighter, but their trials are not over.
Book 3 Jacob and Jeanne continue to deal with their circumstances all the while trying to make their way to London to reconnect. As war erupts again, their journeys become that much more difficult.

This is the first to third books I’ve listened to by this narrator ( David Pickering) and I would listen to another. He did well with the character voices- kids, women and men alike. He has a comfortable cadence and pleasant tone.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

The Huguenot Chronicles

I loved this Trilogy It left me wanting more. i listened to these books on Audible and the reader was very good . I dont think i would have pronounced all of the French words correctly Learning a little bit of French history along with a great story!

Recommend to all

Lovely trio of books! Compelling story, well written and read, historically and culturally rich, broad scope.
If the premise of THC intrigues you even a tiny bit, dive in..... you won’t regret it

Perils of a French Family

Was hoping for a history but got a plot for a Saturday matinee cliff hanger. Could anything else happen to this family?

Like the storyline

The narrator wasn't that interesting to listen to. I felt many characters, especially the males had the same tonal qualities in their voice.

Enjoyable historical fiction

At first I didn't know if I would enjoy the books. But as I got to know the characters and the story progressed, I enjoyed it. I judge everything against the outlander series so it is difficult for me to say this was excellent. However it does deserve 5 stars.

How one ruler’s selfish desires upset the lives of so many and turned neighbor against neighbor.

I remember as a youth the first time I saw a genealogy of my father’s family. It was headed by Henri Girard, Bordeaux, France - a Huguenot. That is when my quest to know more about the Huguenots began. Although this story is fiction, it has allowed me to picture what easily could have been my own ancestors dilemma when faced with the most difficult decisions. I see the same strength of character, faith, and sense of citizenship in my ancestors as are depicted in the Depeche family. We’ll written story.

Not the French Pillars of the Earth

If you enjoy historical fiction this trilogy is engaging, but not to the extent of a Ken Follett novel. There just isn’t anywhere near the depth of detail. However, I did find the story interesting, learned some historical details that I hadn’t understood previously .while this is a story about religious convictions and what standing up for your beliefs can cost a person, it doesn’t shove those beliefs down the reader’s throat. The narration moved along with nice pacing, decent accents and the story line did hold my interest. I would recommend this series to others who love history.

One of the best books ever

The research of the author is profound. The narrator is fantastic. By the third book I was growing a tiny bit weary of the bad things happening to these people without a break. I would have appreciated an occasional moment of relief from their struggles. Just enough to give my emotions a break. Kind of like a laugh (or relief) line when an orator is delivering a speech. The ending is perfect because it doesn’t really end. Because this is true history.
I would listen to this book again and I’m very appreciative that I have been educated about this era

God be with us!

Throughout this entire tale, I could not but help compare the state of past world affairs to the present state. There is little difference, bar one; that it is human nature to wield power over others has not changed, however sadly, the will to combat it has. Where is the present day resolve to fight for freedom of choice and dignify the belief in Almighty God? These remain biblical times, let us not refute that. God's will be done.