Stigmata

by Colin Falconer

IS SHE A WITCH – OR SENT BY GOD?

"Loved, loved, loved this novel. Riveting!"
- Historical Novel Review

1206: When Fabricia Berenger is struck by lightning in the main square of Toulouse, her troubles are only just beginning. Soon she develops mysterious wounds on her hands and feet - and the other villagers say she can perform miracles. To keep her safe, her family flee into the mountains of the Languedoc and hide her in a Convent. But still the crowds follow her there in search of healing.

Even Philip of Vercy comes from far away in France. He has lost his beloved wife, now his four-year-old son is dying. He sets off to find Fabricia and bring her back to help his boy.

But he reaches Toulouse just as the Pope orders a crusade against the Cathars in the south. Soon Philip is not the only one looking for Fabricia; the Inquisition are searching for her as well. As the Languedoc convulses into flame and revolt, Philip is drawn into a vortex of passion, vengeance and mystery. One more step, and he knows he can never, ever, go back.

“The story moves along at a cracking pace, the narrative fraught with action and tension at every turn. Stigmata is a powerful tale of religious heresy, crusades, loss and love.” - Historical Novel Society

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, France, Medieval, Adventure

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Colin Falconer writes fast-paced historical adventures that sweep readers across centuries and continents, from the battlefields of Rome to the intrigues of forgotten empires. His novels blend action, danger, and unforgettable characters in richly imagined worlds.

Born in London, Colin now lives in Australia with his wife and their cocker spaniels. Click FOLLOW for updates on new releases, or join his mailing list for exclusive offers.

Reviews

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel, Colin Falconer renders a vivid portrait of Languedoc way of life at the time of the Cathars and the events that occurred in 1209-1210. The Albigensian Crusade was called by Pope Innocent III in 1208 against the Count of Toulouse in response to the murder of the papal legate Pierre des Castelnau. The Pope’s aim was to force the Count and other nobles in Languedoc to take action against the Cathar heretics in their lands. This led to a series of massacres (including mass burning) of the local population (both Cathars and Catholics) by the summoned crusaders (mainly from the northern regions) but in the end, the defeat of Catharism in the south of France was achieved through the establishment of the Inquisition and the extension of French royal authority to the area.

The protagonist of the story is Philip, baron of Vercy, in 1205 he returned disillusioned from the crusade in Holy Land, where he witnessed a number of atrocities against Muslims. At home, Philip discovers that his beloved wife had died in childbirth leaving him a son. He remarries out of duty but, few years later, the boy falls to a consuming disease and Philip embarks on a quest to find him a cure. There are rumors that, in Languadoc, Fabricia Berenger, the stonemason daughter is displaying signs of divine favor (stigmata) and possesses miraculous healing abilities. Philip relationship with Fabricia (her mother is a heretic and the village they lived has been destroyed) brings him to embrace the Cathars’ cause and fight the crusaders.

The Cathars beliefs and their practices (e.g. the Consolamentum) are present in the novel and so are a number of actual historical figures and events the Montaillet siege incidents (e.g. mutilations of the Trencavell’s soldiers before their return within the walls, a sortie to burn of the trebuchet, the burning of the Cathars at the stake etc) mirror what occurred at Minerve , both the massacre at Béziers and the fall of Carcassone are mentioned several times. I would have liked the characters in this novel to have more depth; nonetheless, it is a fast-paced and action-full story and a good introduction to this fascinating period of European medieval history. 3 ½ stars.

By the way, Simon of Montfort, the famous leader of the crusaders, is not a prominent figure in the book, the author preferred to paint a Gilles de Soissons, a minor knight and Montfort follower, as the main villain. If you are interested in Simon de Monfort (although painted in a much positive light), you can pick Falls the Shadow which is another great historical novel.
For a great nonfiction book about the Cathars beliefs and the story of the Albigensian Crusade I‘d suggest The Cathars: The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle Ages.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 2 out of 5]

Това, което не понасям в исторически книги е морализаторстването на автора колко неприемливи са били голяма част от човешките отношения, практики и мислене на тогавашните хора от гледна точка на днешния светоглед. Да, браво, имаш стотици години морална и нравствена еволюция на своя страна, за да можеш да гледаш отвисоко на хората преди теб, които не са познавали друг живот, получаваш шестица, седни си.

Но ако има нещо, което направо ненавиждам в исторически книги, това е главен герой, който сякаш не е продукт на историческия период, в който живее и на обществото, от което е заобиколен и сред което е израсъл, а сякаш е спуснат с парашут от днешния ден.

Така норманският барон през 13 в., в който очевидно авторът припознава себе си и иска да получи чрез него шестицата за висок морал, има светоглед на съвременен (от 21 век) човек и цялата интрига и действие в книгата се завъртат около сблъсъка на неговите изключително прогресивни възгледи с консервативното, закостеняло и жестоко общество на френското средновековие.

Фактът, че хората не растат в епруветка и мисленето им е продукт на времето и обществото в което живеят явно убягва на Колин Фалконър, поради което протагонистите му са плоски като хартия и фалшиви като фотошопната снимка.

[Stanley Goldyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1205 Medieval France, Colin Falconer's historical novel presents a time of Cathar activity in a predominantly Catholic country.
A crusader knight, Philip de Vercy, travels south to Toulouse, in the coastal Pays d'Oc region near the border with Spain, to seek out a young woman with a reputation for miracles. Philip's young son is gravely ill and dying, and the nobleman pegs his final hope on the woman's fame.
Fabricia Berenger, the daughter of a master mason, is marked with Christ's stigmata, and reportedly has performed miraculous healing of fellow townsfolk.
This is essentially a love story, one that contains the usual hurdles - religious war, heresy, siege, brutality, unscrupulous priests, etc. Falconer unfolds his tale slowly, using believable characters. His simple plot unfurls at an interesting pace, divided nicely into neat, short chapters.
Although readable, the text would do well with a glossary.
I liked it. Easily 4 star.

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the turn of the 13th century Pope Innocent III launched a crusade against the Cathar heresy in the south of France which is the backdrop of Stigmata. Yes, it is historical fiction, but, as I read along, I wondered what separated this from fantasy. There was a spiritual quest with a compelling story, necessary world building, rich characterizations, a bit of spiritual magic and a theme. I couldn't ask for more.

Many fantasies borrow from the medieval but use a modified rule, add a big dose of convenient magic and a "cool" gang surrounding the protagonist. And no thought as to what it all means. (Substitute Tom Brown's Schooldays for the medieval and you have Harry Potter.) Fantasy, I have found to my eternal dismay, is a vast wasteland. Perhaps I should be reading historical fiction to get quality fantasy.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In God's name there was a lot of violence going on in Europe in the thirteenth century. Mr. Falconer put me, the reader, in the middle of the conflict in France between (or among) heretics and real Christians and Catholic Christians. The Pope was on the throne. What I learned from the book is this: wherever two or more people are gathered, they will have differences; they may shout, scream, imprison, kill or do whatever to change the other person's mind; all they get is more shouting, screaming, imprisoning, killing or whatever because the other's mind will not change; the love of money and power are the roots of evil, shouting, screaming, imprisoning, killing or whatever.

This book was full of weird punctuation. It was too long. Phillip, the hero, never took good advice. I thought the book would never reach a climax and resolution whether it be good or bad. I thought the book was good reading from the beginning to end because I love Colin Falconer, the extraordinary writer.

Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for another good read.

[Tiffany Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical, Religion and Love

This was my second Falconer novel, and he is a fantastic writer. He captivates his settings and time periods perfectly. The reader can’t help but fall in love with the characters and the story. I kept thinking it was going to go one way, but then it took a turn and went in another direction. The story of the girl, Fabricia was very powerful and moving. She was tragically struck by lightning as a child and developed a gift of healing shortly after.

This gift quickly turned into a curse and became a serious hindrance to her. People all over France would flock to her town and seek to be healed. Her parents end up sending her to a monastery. Meanwhile, a crusader named Philip, hears about Fabricia and seeks her out to help cure his sick son. He leaves his wife and home and goes on a quest to find her, and along the way ends up getting tangled up with some really bad Christians.

This novel is thick with Religion, so if you aren’t interested in the whole clash between Christians and Heretics, then this isn’t a story for you. It helps if you are familiar with history and Christianity, but it’s not necessary. Falconer is a great author and has a way with words. Great story!

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

An "usual" Colin Falconer book - lots of energy, turning pages until the end, but ultimately not quite as excellent as it could have been, mostly because the action gets too over the top in general; this one is better than others though, as the characters and action feel more natural and less forced throughout the book, and while stuff still gets somewhat over dramatic and dancing on the edge of breaking the suspension of disbelief, it doesn;t quite get there

[A. L.]

DNF. Maybe I need to space out my Falconer book reading, because reading this one right on the heels of “The Silk Road” made me realize I’m just not in the mood to read more about tormented priests who want to be good but can’t stop them from raping women.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A winner

Colin Falconer has done it again. Kept me up all night with one of his tales. Philip is the perfect hero and Gilles is the epitome of a villain! Some of the best characters I've been introduced to in a long while. A bit gory at times but this is the 13th Century.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun adventure and epic!

[Susan Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stigmata

Wonderful research work. Great plot with the Cathar history behind it. Pleasure to read with a smooth flow between the chapter switches

[Lynette E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story telling

The second instalment by Colin Falconer in his Epic Adventure series. A wonderful adventure thriller of medieval France ! Historical story about Cathars and the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

In STIGMATA, Colin Falconer brings to life the world of 11th Century Languedoc in southern France during the early stages of The Albigensian Crusade. What was to develop into a 20-year military campaign was declared by Pope Innocent III in 1208 against the Count of Toulouse in response to the murder of the papal legate Pierre des Castelnau. The Pope’s objective was to force the Count and other nobles in Languedoc to eradicate the Cathar heretics in their lands. The Crusaders (mainly Frenchmen from the northern regions) undertook this mission by looting regional cities and towns, besieging Cathar hill-forts, and massacring survivors (both Cathar and Catholic) usually by setting them ablaze en masse.

One of the pope's troop commanders ordered, "We’ll kill them all and let God sort out his own.”

Fabricia Berenger is a prime candidate for execution if taken by the crusaders. Struck by lightning in the main square of Toulouse, she develops mysterious wounds on her hands and feet - and the other villagers say she can cure the incurable and even resurrect the dead. To keep her safe, her family flee into the mountains of the Languedoc and hide her in a Convent. But still the crowds follow her there in search of healing.

The protagonist, Philip of Vercy, is a disillusioned veteran who has survived 12 months of bloody warfare in the Holy Land and wants nothing more to do with any crusading, especially after returning to his home in Burgundy to find his wife dead and son severely ill.

Philip rides south in search of a healer to save his child but as the Cathar crusaders tighten their grip on the Languedoc, his journey takes a dark and dangerous turn.

This is a story of honor and love, faith and vengeance. Both hero and heroine must contend against brutality, unscrupulous priests, false friends, and sociopathic killers.

The arduous journey of the determined and honorable Philip, who comes to love the tormented Fabricia, makes for an exciting and suspenseful story that comes to a good end. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and action-packed novel.

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the year 1205, Sir Philip of Vercy returns home to France after a grueling year as a knight fighting in the Holy Land only to learn that his beloved wife is dead in childbirth and his newborn son is frail and sickly, on the verge of death. Consumed by grief, he travels to Languedoc in search of a miraculous healer named Fabricia Berenger, a nun, to save his son’s life. But once in Languedoc, he finds himself thrust into the dangers of battle against the Papal military who are waging war to eliminate the Cathar heretics. Fabricia Bérenger receives visions from the Virgin Mary. Her devotion to her faith is strong and along with her prophetic visions, she receives the Stigmata, open wounds to her hands and feet that bleed like Christ’s wounds did on the cross. Philip is plagued by his conscience and his future. Nothing is the same, death of his wife, and all the killing in battle deeply affecting him. Fabricia’s presence in his life affects him deeply as he is more and more drawn to love her.

Stigmata by international bestselling author, Colin Falconer, is an intricate story with rich characters and an intense plot that proved to be an enthralling read. A touch of Catholic mystery, a broken hero who is trying to rebuild his shattered life, and a heroine blessed/cursed with the ability to heal that keeps her in constant turmoil. It was a turbulent time of heresy, crusades, and the struggles to overcome devastation. Beautifully written in typical Falconer style with plenty of snap and sharpness, and wonderfully researched, I enjoyed every page of this book. Fast paced, sprinkled with unique and unusual details, and with plenty of emotion, makes this a must read for those who love the medieval period or books about the unexplained mysteries of life. Loved, loved, loved this novel. Rivting!

[pamela boseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stigmata

This was the best book! Can't wait to read more.The characters awesome,storyline exciting.I could not put this book down,a must read!

[Kaye Tuttle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner

Once again I am transported to a very vivid time! A young woman transformed in to a holy woman! A real p was he turner!

[Liza Perrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1205 and the knight, Philip of Vercy has survived a year of savage warfare in the Holy Land. He sails back to his castle in France expecting peace, and his beloved wife waiting, but is devastated to find his wife has died in childbirth and his young son is seriously ill.

When he hears of the existence of a healer in the Languedoc, Philip sets off from Burgundy on a desperate voyage to save his son.

But he rides straight into a war where his countrymen are being brutally persecuted by the Pope’s savage mercenaries sent to wipe out the heretics of the south – the Cathars. As the crusaders tighten their grip on the country, Philip’s journey becomes more and more perilous.
He locates Fabricia Bérenger – a young woman who sees visions and is marked with Christ’s Stigmata, perhaps giving her healing powers. Sickened by the senseless slaughter, Philip questions everything he once held as true, and asks himself if he can give it all up and fight for justice, and for a woman everyone regards as godless.
The intricate detail in Stigmata reflects the author’s solid research, and took me right to the core of this historical period. The sense of time and place, the dialogue and writing style, completely immersed me in 13th century southern France. The story moves along at a cracking pace, the narrative fraught with action and tension at every turn. I found Philip and Fabricia sympathetic and believable characters, and I would highly recommend Stigmata as a powerful tale of religious heresy, crusades, loss and love.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

STIGMATA is a well-told historical novel about honor and love, faith and vengeance, set in the early 13th century when the bloody struggles of the Crusades found a match in the Catholic Church’s crackdown on heresy in the south of France. In both cases, men willing to dedicate themselves to holy war were promised the remission of sin and a shortcut to heaven.

One of these men is crusader knight Philip de Vercy, who returns to his castle in Burgundy to find his beloved wife dead and his young son dying. In desperate hope of saving the boy, he heads south to Languedoc, seeking a girl reputed to have a healing touch: Fabricia, a stonemason’s daughter. Bewildered by her gift and the painful stigmata that accompany it, Fabricia is feared as a witch and lusted after by a lecherous priest. Her flight from her home in Toulouse leads her into the thick of a Catholic army trying to root the “heretical” Cathars out of the fortified hill-towns where they have taken refuge. Into this maelstrom rides Philip, still trying to find her amid horrible atrocities committed in the name of God. (One of the jihadists, as we might as well call them, speaks the infamous words, “We’ll kill them all and let God sort out his own.”)

The arduous journey of this honorable man, who comes to love the tormented Fabricia, makes for an exciting and suspenseful novel with a deeply satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

[Your Excellency · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't normally assign a rating to books I did not finish, but this needs attention. The book itself was interesting, informative and somewhat compelling, but it was destroyed by abysmal editing. I could provide pages of lists of grammar and spelling mistakes, and they were further compounded by what looked to me like a bad OCR job converting from a printed file to the Kindle format.
It's really too bad, as I wanted to stay with it, but just could not.

I'll try to provide some examples if I can find a way to copy them easily.

[Lectus · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started very good, but around 24% I got bored. Without warning, Fabricia became too smart for a girl of that time. It would have been okay if from the beginning I had seen that she was different... Anyway, what put me off was the disgusting ways men of the church use women while serving God. I know it used to be like that and the the story is just reflecting a reality of that time. I just don’t like readings about it.

The story started to build slowly, but then things started to happen fast and I lost interest. I so wish that Father Simon payed for what he did.

[Chris Hinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most persuasive books I've read for a very long time: the question of religion, which applies as much to Christians as to any other religion. "Forget about God and try to be kind to everyone. " The Middle Ages may not be every person's cup of tea, but the blind belief that the common population had in the "after life", and the brutality with which it was used to frighten people into their beliefs - is portrayed so convincingly in this story by Colin Falconer.
I almost never give 5 stars, but this book deserves them - in my humble opinion.

[Sam Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

heretics, crusaders, and the inquisition

I really wanted to like this book. The Cathar heresy is a fascinating episode in church history. I believe strongly that modern man would struggle with many principles of the medieval period. Faith, heresy, chivalry, and social hierarchy all played a huge role in the day to day life of Medieval man. I just did not see what I thought would be a good portrayal of those lives in this book. I give it three stars because the author has a great premise and I love the time period.

[Steven Nowak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page of this book!

I was invested in each character. Falconer writes with the perfect amount of detail.. not too much to be boring, but not too little either. He gives each character depth and layers. This isnt just another story about a knight on a heroes quest. This is a story about a man on a journey for his soul. This is a story about loss, love, honour, hardship, faith and redemption. A must for anyone that wants something a little more than the typical "Knight on a quest" story. This is a Knight's tale for adults .

[Peter Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant, loved every page, totally enthralling, a generous dose of French history and the little known crusader wars against the Cathars, laced with adventure and true medieval knights, and even including a nice sprinkling of romance, this book has it all. Strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction

[Susan]

A difficult read, but ultimately rewarding.

[Robert M. Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Historical Novel

Wonderful book, great story! Easy to read. Couldn't put it down. Read it non-stop! Can't wait to read his other books.

[kathleen r. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually planned to give this 5 stars but the site wouldn't allow me. IDKW it deserves tattoo full range of brilliance. Unlike so mane medieval period novels this one had guts and strstegy. There weren't any simmering damsels in distress or pointless descriptions about food, gowns, resplendent men in feathers, velvet and pearls. These were " manly men" knights in armor, loaded with blades, bows, axes, morning stars, lances, all instruments of death and destruction, if you happened to be on the other side.
But the other side, that was more horrific than a wound up marginal with a three hundred pound boulder ready to be launched in your direction!
This might surprise some but each side was comprised of those who swore they worshipped god. Claimed to be God's loyal army, marching, fighting, killing and destroying everything and everyone in their path, all because of differing politics and power grabs. This Id religion at its most despicable, when one side claims purity and defense of the holy conquest and one side claims the righteousness of free belief and free will, free choice. One comes a little closer to the truth, but the other is nothing more than religious fervor, ignorance and the false be!here of what fo!!owing Christ really means.
I found one side horrific but the other was steeped in.such fear they had lost the power of reason and blindly stumbled around their tiny towns monasteries, churches and mean streets scrapping for a living and to feed themselves and their families the best they could.
The pope's crusaders were truly savage in their zeal to defend their quest of putting down the heretics, assuming they were the cause of all the sin in the world. From today's perspective these are the Christians who hate and the ones who don't. They are the racists, the groups who make money from fear mongering and preaching a gospel Jesus would never
known or tried to spread. These are the proud bkys, the brothers of liberty, these are the ignorant and the small minded, the stupid and the illiterate. But that's modern times
In that former period everyone and everything was suspect. If you didn't swear fealty, you were hanged, mutilated or burned as a witch. Followed by your entire fami!y.
life was short, and hard. We can't even begin to imagine it, today.
I honestly doubt many of us today would age past childhood.
In this book, with all the hate being represented as the will of god, two people do find each other. One is a Knight, A ferocious fighter and of OF the better persons. The other is a young woman with strange stigmata upon her hand and feet, seemingly much like those put upon Jesus during his supposed crucifixion. If you believe that story fine. It isn't physically possible to restore life to the dead, but most people enjoy a good fairy tale.
So Fabricia bears stigmata and Phillip bears the hope that if he can find her and return with her to his home she will be able to heal his ill son.
In between there is battle to be fought, seiges to survive, hunger, disease, filth, slaughter, betrayal and torture. Some live. An unlikely few. Many perish on both sides. Refugees must leave what little they have and flee for their lives.
It's an epic read, with an open ending. The pair may survive and succeed but we don't know. We can only hope, they tell each other as we tell ourselves.
For all its violence, hypocrisy, religious idiocy and warring hatred, II loved this book. I stayed up till i2AM to finish.
Mindbending e!chance from a long dead civilization.

[Мартин Колев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Стигмата - Колин Фалконър

Този автор просто няма слаба книга ! Не е само "Харем",около която повечето се въртим но и останалите му творби просто те държат в напрежение до самия край и не те разочароват.

А всичко в тази книга започва и завършва със съдбата на двама герои - Фабрисия Бернаже (дъщеря на зидар от Тулуза,ударена от гръм ,започваща да вижда странни неща и да лекува хора само с докосване,като по ръцете ѝ се образува т.нар.стигма ) и Филип дьо Верси (благородник, рицар,връщаш се от служба в Светите земи , изтощителна година ,която е с цел да си уреди място в Рая,но вместо това го обърква за мястото му в битката между Доброто и Злото,и кое е правилно и кое,и кои всъщност са грешниците).

Всичките тези събития се случват в разгара на Албигойския кръстоносен поход,когато християни се изправят срещу християни с цел да унищожат една ерес,но със скрита цел да се плячкосат едни имоти. Тогава синът на Филип е на смъртен одър и той предпочита да се довери на знахарка ,а след това на вещица,отколкото на Бог и религията,а Фабрисия бива насилена от свещеник. Вярата им е разклатена, защото....как така Бог изпраща подобни събития пред тях. Следва една тригодишна драма,която завършва както е и започнала - с битка,в която не е ясно кое е Доброто и кое е Злото,защото след всяка битка съвестта не заспива.

[KHELLIAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Enjoyable Medieval Thriller

This is the first book I’ve read by Colin Falconer, but won’t be the last. Firstly, well drawn characters and a fast moving story, but then much more than just that. The detail and historical research was very well done which added depth to the history of the Albigensian Crusade in the early 13th century between the Catholic Church and the Cathars. The sheer brutality and duplicity of the way war was waged by a religion, against those whose only wish was to be left in peace, is staggering. When Catholic soldiers asked how they would know who were Catholics and who were Cathars, the answer give by the Pope and his priests was “ kill them all and God will know his own”. By the end of the novel you’re left asking yourself so many of the fundamental questions of good and evil and pondering how such a thing as a Holy War could possibly exist when in reality, it always just come back down to money and power thinly disguised with a massive dose of hypocrisy.

[Cody Engdahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far better than I even imagined.

Honestly, I was constantly surprised at how much I was enjoying this book. Colin Falconer masterfully captures the time and place of early thirteenth century France with rich textured details and well-rounded characters.

Stigmata follows a young woman blessed and cursed by strange abilities, a knight returned from the Middle East who’s lost everything, and a priest haunted by his sins and desire to do right. Their stories converge as the Cathar Crusade comes crashing through southwestern France, burning heretics and laying waste to cities and villages.

Ultimately, this is a love story full heroic moments and plenty of surprises all the way to the end. It includes historic characters like Abbot Arnaud Amalric and real events like the Massacre at Béziers.

Stigmata has short chapters making it an easy read that’s hard to put down. It’s one of the fifteen stand-alone novels that makes up Falconer’s Epic Adventure Series which span from ancient world to post World War II Saigon. I’ve read two so far and if the rest are this good, I look forward to exploring more of Falconer’s Epic Adventures.