Citadel

Like all great things, sometimes the U.S. is the last to receive them. This is very true of the latest novel from author Kate Mosse, Citadel. Released in the U.K. before it's debut here in the states, Citadel takes historical novels to a completely different level. This book isn't slated for it's U.S. release March of 2014. This is a definite must read for fans of historical fiction that involve strong female lead characters. Not the kind to sit back and wait for a historic rescue, the women you find in Citadel are the ones taking charge and moving forward in the Resistance movement in World War II, which was different from previous historical novels I have had the opportunity to read and review.

This was one that was definitely on my must read list and was not disappointed even though the size of the novel was larger than I had anticipated, it was worth every single page. For once, it didn't end too early for me and instead kept me engaged with the characters. Having not read the previous novels that background Citadel, there is a brief prologue to catch the reader up to speed to the present day. The first novels Labyrinth and Sepulchre take the reader back into more of a late historical past to arrive at where we find our current characters today.

This novel takes readers back to 1940's during the Nazi occupation of France and where a group of women work as Resistance Fighters code named Citadel. These are the women who find courage and fortitude to what they can to take back their country and go completely against the stereo type female characters of literature. These are the women who are armed and ready for action standing alongside men to fight back against the Germans who wanted to occupy France during the World War. It shows the character of these women who were willing to fight for what they believed in and that allowed them in places that no man could ever go. I mean if you really consider it from a writers stand point, imagine the ability of a woman to infiltrate places men would already be deemed as suspicious? It already gives credibility to just what you will find lurking beneath the covers of this book.

It gave life to something I had never considered before when you think about the role of some women during the wars. They simply didn't cower inside their homes waiting for their men to take on the war. These were women who fought just as bravely as their men counterparts and thus a major reason for me wanting to pick this one up. The writer gives a breath of reality in this novel as well as she illustrates beautifully just what these women were up against and it wasn't simply an easy way to aid in the war efforts. Even these women in Citadel often died the very same way men did, through being captured and executed by the enemy. They were not shown any favoritism simply because they were women. That was one of the things I enjoyed most about this novel.

I received Citadel by Kate Mosse compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Being a huge fan of anything having to do with WWII historical fiction, I LOVED this one because it gave a different spin on what I was used to reading and not only that opened my eyes up to a different role women played in the war efforts as Resistance Fighters. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This book will be available to order in the United State in March of 2014 but for now you can find copies on the internet through third party book sellers. Trust me if you love historical fiction as much as I do, you'll definitely want to carve out some time to read this one.

For more information about Citadel, Kate Mosse or where you can preorder up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Citadel by Kate Mosse

You can find Kate Mosse on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Citadel, please visit William Morrow's website.