susan

Not one of her best

Reviewed: 01-11-25

I absolutely love the William Marshall books and have listened to them and the ones about his family multiple times and I have all of them in my library. When I started seeing new titles I assumed Elizabeth Chadwick was writing more books. After the third book disappointed me I did some research. The Marshall series are some of her later works and she is at the top of her game. These newer books are older and just not as appealing to me. They are still better than average, but after reading the others first I expect more history and less sex scenes.

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Misleading!

Reviewed: 01-11-25

I classify this is a historical romance rather than historical fiction. I assumed the author was a man but after googling the name, I learned it was a woman-not that there is anything wrong with that. Kate Quinn and Diana Gabaldon are two of my favorite authors. It just seemed to me that by not using her full name was am attempt to appeal to a wider audience, but I could be wrong. I prefer books that are heavier on the history and light on fiction. I am also a fan of a good ole romance-I’m not looking down on that genre at all. The descriptions of the characters, their internal thoughts and their reactions to things they experience are all romance novelish- some of those experiences do not belong in this genre-kidnapping and multiple rapes, a child being physically abused….by pirates……are not things people ‘recover’ from quickly and without lasting scars and deserve more respect than being used for plot development The sample gave me the impression of a Ken Follett or Bernard Cornwell vibe (these authors can be violent and graphic (which I tend to skip over) but they aren’t gratuitous and are not romanticized) unfortunately this isn’t one of those novels. I think the use of multiple narrators is distracting and makes it come across as vaudevillian as some are better than others- Nicolas Bolton is one of the best narrators out there and comparing him with other narrators within the same book just isn’t fair to the others. The sound effects remind me of old radio shows-not creative and unique but campy and over produced.

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That Voice....uugggggg

Reviewed: 05-25-20

When doing characters, the narrator is flawless. I could barely stand to listen to her narrate the other parts-ssoooooo nasally and whiney. Sweet story, would have been better with Nicholas Boulton.

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2 people found this helpful

The story of Job....you need his patience...

Reviewed: 04-04-20

I have read this book before and surprisingly, I liked it better than the audio. Job went through a lot. When reading you can skim over some of it but when listening, it gets overwhelming and sooooo slow. Maybe that was the author’s intent to help readers have something in common with Job, maybe it would have been better with a different narrator-I don’t think she had a wide range and she didn’t do male voices very well. I like historic fiction when it makes me curious to learn more but this book isn’t like that. It is too sanitized, too westernized and too fictional. I like how the author wove together storylines from the Old Testament and was creative in her ‘what if’s’ but overall, I like my stories a little more realistic and my narrators better than not annoying, but almost.

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Silly, not one of her best

Reviewed: 03-19-20

I stayed with it just to see how it ended. I’m one of the six people in the planet who finds Rosalyn Landor annoying. Sometimes I can really appreciate her. She has varied and distinct voices for many characters and it is easy to know who is doing/saying something especially when a lot is going on but most the time I can’t forget it is Rosalyn Landor speaking and her voice gets on my nerves.
I found the dialogue quite silly and annoying-it wasn’t clever or witty, just silly and it didn’t move the plot along. I did like that there were a few characters who were different but I found her younger sister precocious and spoiled. I have enjoyed Courtney Milan’s other books as brain candy when I want to escape, but this book doesn’t make me want to read any other books in the series.

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Misses the mark

Reviewed: 09-03-19

Author attempts a new plot format and it just doesn’t work. It’s disjointed, rushed, confusing and has very little character development. The author didn’t spend much time letting the reader get to know these new characters and I found it difficult remembering who was who. I didn’t particularly like any of the new characters-they weren’t very nice people and I missed the ones I have grown to care about. Like always, Penelope Freeman does a nice job and there doesn’t seem to be as many nasty, nasally sounding hateful characters in this book as they are in the others. I’m hoping for at least one more book to time up loose ends from the last book.

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Mediocre romance

Reviewed: 05-28-19

I bought this because all of the reviews that went on about how historically accurate this book was. Well, it is set in the 18th century and it is about the Jacobite rebellion and that is about it. I was surprised no one had mentioned the gratuitous incestuous rape scene in the beginning of the book-it was violent and explicit and the victim was really, really mad and offended but never suffered from and realistic trauma-it served no purpose to forward the plot.
This is a historical romance-the mentioned scene is the only sex/violent scene but it checks all the boxes for a romance. If you are interested because you enjoy reading historical fiction, this will probably come up short. It is nothing like Stella Riley or Laura Kinsale-
The only thing that tempted me to continue listening was the narration. Roslyn Landor is either exceptionally good or exceptionally annoying to me. She is good in this one and having a male narrate the male characters works really well. I’m not particularly looking forward to the next book-the cliff hanger is only a short drop.

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10 people found this helpful

Childhood favorite

Reviewed: 04-06-19

This was a unique experience for me because this was the first novel I have grown up reading that I didn’t love as much when I listened to it. I was at first turned off by the narrator. He seemed to me to be robotic but because I loved the book so, I kept going and I’m so glad I did. When it comes to the character’s’ voices, he is one of the best narrators I’ve listened to-when he is just reading the narrative he goes back to being robotic. It wasn’t difficult getting used to. He did an exceptional job.
I hadn’t realized this book was over 60 yeas old. When she describes Jesus and Mary it is quite outdated-they are both fair complected with blonde hair and blue eyes. Mary is young and virginal even in middle age-that’s not how I imagined her to be. I see her as being more human, less saintly. But that is just my rendition of her.
I realized that when reading, you can glance over parts you find uninteresting. I suspect that is what I always did when I got to the last quarter of the story. It slows down considerably towards the end-I think she was showing many of the experiences that Luke had in writing his gospel and becomes more preachy. Having said that, it is still worth your time and a credit. Because of the subject I would think Christians might appreciate how the author wove Luke’s story into his gospel. Still one of my favorites, just not in my top 10 audiobooks.

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7 people found this helpful

NOT Jane Austen

Reviewed: 03-02-19

I’m always looking for good books along the lines of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and was encouraged by the positive reviews-this isn’t one of them. The biggest critique I have is having so many chapters given to Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her point of view. I believe Austen knew what a strong character she was and knew a little went a long way. We know what she is-hearing her go on and on does not move the story forward. She is an overbearing bully, we get that, why not develop the other characters? The point of view of the other female characters would have been interesting and creative and I feel they are overlooked because of so much time given to Lady C. The narrator does an excellent job-but so much time is spent on Lady C., it begins to grate on one’s’ nerves. Another hallmark of Jane Austen’s style is the witty dialogue-you won’t find any here (I can’t get “If he were blind, then I was blinder”) out of my head.... As for plot-in Pride and Prejudice we know who is going to end up together in the end-everyone is happy, but the scenery along the way was delightful. In this story, the ‘big secret’ isn’t one, and a minor character’s death...ehhhh. It is all predictable and not very interesting. If you are looking for a good story, I suggest sticking with the original.

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5 people found this helpful

AMAZING!

Reviewed: 02-14-19

I have over 270 books in my library and this is the first book I immediately listened to again after finishing it. The beauty in the way the author tells his story, the well crafted characters and the perfect narrator has made this one of my top 5 books ever. The first time I listened, I was drawn to the Count and how he accepted his new life with so much grace and dignity. Life changed so much during this time in Russia-huge upheavals. It reminded me of our own time today. Growing up pre-technology, I am resistant to the rapid changes in our culture and I long for ‘the good old days.’ It really hit home for me the way the Count accepted the changes and adapted. I haven’t lost anything near the life he lost, I wish I could be more like him in that way. The second time I listened I appreciated the way the story was told-facts we learn of but explained as the story unfolds. Just wonderful!
I would characterize this as historic fiction-not modern historic fiction with heaving bosoms and angst ridden Dukes and Viscounts, but rather a history lesson with a spoon full of sugar. I’ll probably listen to it again in a few weeks!

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