Set in France in the early 13th century, Daughters of the Grail (previously published as Children of Destiny) features the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heresy. Bridget, while not a Cathar, is a healer who is wanted for heresy nonetheless. Her story is intertwined with that of Raoul de Montvallant, a Cathar sympathizer. The story continues in the next generation with Magda and Dominic.

I’d studied the Cathars in school, but it’s been a while, so I was glad for the opportunity to have my memory refreshed. While I didn’t enjoy Daughters of the Grail as much as I've enjoyed some of Chadwick’s other novels (her earlier books are heavier on the romance than the history), I did enjoy the story, especially in the second half of the book, when Magda and Dominic’s stories took over. There is, however, great character development, and this novel is well-researched, as Chadwick’s books always are. I wasn’t too keen on all the “visions” that the characters kept having, and had a hard time keeping track of that was real and what wasn’t. On the other hand, Chadwick’s descriptions are excellent, and the scenes at the end are so horrifyingly real that you feel as though you’re actually there watching it all happen. For more on the Cathar heresy, read the first two pages of the author’s note at the end before reading this book. ( )

Set in the south of France, 13th century, when the Catholic Church set out to destroy the Cathars. This was known as the Albigensian Crusade, led by Simon de Monfort (father of the Simon who led the Baron's revolt in England against Henry III in SKP's Falls the Shadow). The historical background was new territory for me - I'd never heard of this crusade, and had only a passing introduction to the Cathars. There is a comparison to the premise put forth in the DaVinci Code - that of direct descent from Mary Magdalene. Good story, great characters, (2 generations) -- Elizabeth Chadwick in the forum referred to this novel as historical fiction with a bit of fantasy. The two female lead characters (mother Bridget and daughter Magda) have the power to heal and see into the future. ( )

This is really one of the best books I have ever read. It's not Gone With the Wind or the Far Pavilions, but it's pretty darn close. So much of the historical fiction I read is centered in England, Scotland and Wales, and I enjoyed reading about this period in history in southern France and about a religion I knew nothing about (having not yet read The DaVinci Code).

This was an exciting tale of Cathars, Knights Templar, evil evil priests, Bridget and her daughter Magda - descended from Mary Magdelene, all battling the Roman Catholic Church that is bent on destroying them, and finishes with a heart-stopping page turning, can't put it down until it's done finish. It always astounds me the evil that men will do in the name of "god", and that it continues to this day.

I had found this book used in the US last year, and the first time I read it I knew nothing about Simon DeMontfort (the second) and what he tried to accomplish for England before his tragic end. Although I know the part he plays in this novel, with his bastard half brother Dominic, is just a story, it was nice to see some glimpses of him in a minor role as a young boy and then a young man. To learn more about this incredible man, please read Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh Trilogy, Here be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning.

I am always amazed at how this author so effortlessly sucks you into another century with her descriptions of the sights, sounds, food, clothes and battles of another time. ( )