“Mounted upon his heavy steed, armored in black, the warlord Marquis de Pianessa frowned over the smoldering bones and ashes of those who had begged for mercy.” Thus begins Rora, an action-packed historical novel written by James Byron Huggins and based upon the true story of the Waldenses (aka Waldensians) and their fight against the Catholic Inquisition in 1655.
It’s one of my all-time favorite novels — one of the very few novels that I’ve read multiple times over the years. In fact, I can count those novels on one hand.
The Waldensians were an ascetic movement that broke away from the mainstream teachings of the medieval Catholic Church. By 1215, they were declared by the Church to be heretics. Modern historians regard the Waldensians as forerunners of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Indeed, in 1532, they would formally align themselves with the Calvinist Reformed tradition.
In 1545, the Waldensians were savagely attacked when King Francis I of France decreed they be punished for their religious beliefs and activities. Remember there was no institutional separation of Church and State in medieval Europe, and the Waldensians were (at this point) deemed a threat to the Catholic Church.
Drawing inspiration from the king’s decree, provincial and papal soldiers attacked the Waldensians, unleashing what historians now call “the Mérindol massacre.” Thousands were killed and many villages were destroyed.
In the years that followed, a series of edicts and treaties granted partial, temporary, and inconsistent relief from religious persecution. Life was difficult and enormous pressure was placed upon the Waldensians to conform to Catholic belief and practice.
Finally, in 1655, the Duke of Savoy’s government moved against the Waldensians with a vengeance, and this wave of brutality and persecution is the setting for Rora.
Rora is historical fiction. It is based on true events – the setting just described – but the author, James Byron Huggins, takes a lot of liberties with actual events (and people) and engages in a fair amount of artistic license.
If you’re looking for straight history, grab some textbooks on medieval European history and do a deep-dive on the Waldensians and the Piedmont Valley. But issues of historical precision aside, Rora does a splendid job of capturing the spirit, the excitement, and the crucial significance of the Waldensian resistance to religious oppression.
The main protagonist in Rora is Captain Josuè Janavel (in the novel called Joshua Gianavel). The real-life Janavel is indeed a hero worthy of our respect and esteem. In Huggins’ hands, Janavel (or Gianavel) becomes a cinematic action hero worthy of legend.
James Byron Huggins is known for thrillers and science fiction. I discovered Huggins many years ago when I checked out Leviathan from the Reston Regional Library in Fairfax County, Virginia. I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve read most of his novels. My favorites include Cain, Hunter, Nightbringer, and Leviathan – all monster thrillers.
But with Rora, he proves he’s equally adept with historical fiction. In fact, I regard Rora as his very best work.
Originally published in 2001, Rora is now available in hardcover, paperwork, and ebook formats. The hardcover version clocks in at 471 pages. It is available in some libraries and most retail and online book outlets.
