By Fire, By Water
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Narrated by:
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Clinton Wade
About this listen
Recipient of the Independent Publishers Award for Historical Fiction (Gold Medal), the Foreword Book of the Year Award for Historical Fiction (Bronze Medal), and an honorable mention in the category of General Fiction for the Eric Hoffer Award.
Luis de Santngel, chancellor to the court and longtime friend of the lusty King Ferdinand, has had enough of the Spanish Inquisition. As the power of Inquisitor General Toms de Torquemada grows, so does the brutality of the Spanish church and the suspicion and paranoia it inspires. When a dear friend’s demise brings the violence close to home, Santngel is enraged and takes retribution into his own hands. But he is from a family of conversos, and his Jewish heritage makes him an easy target. As Santngel witnesses the horrific persecution of his loved ones, he begins slowly to reconnect with the Jewish faith his family left behind. Feeding his curiosity about his past is his growing love for Judith Migdal, a clever and beautiful Jewish woman navigating the mounting tensions in Granada. While he struggles to decide what his reputation is worth and what he can sacrifice, one man offers him a chance he thought he’d lost…the chance to hope for a better world. Christopher Columbus has plans to discover a route to paradise, and only Luis de Santngel can help him.
Within the dramatic story lies a subtle, insightful examination of the crisis of faith at the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. Irresolvable conflict rages within the conversos in By Fire, By Water, torn between the religion they left behind and the conversion meant to ensure their safety. In this story of love, God, faith, and torture, fifteenth-century Spain comes to dazzling, engrossing life.
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Mario Puzo first answered the question 'What is a family?' with the creation of the Corleones in his landmark best seller The Godfather. Now, 30 years later, Puzo enriches us all with his ultimate vision of the subject: the story of the greatest crime family in Italian history, the Borgias.
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Outstanding look at the Papacy
- By Gary on 11-12-08
By: Mario Puzo, and others
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Mistress of the Art of Death
- A Novel
- By: Ariana Franklin
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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In medieval England, four children have been murdered, and the townsfolk blame their Jewish neighbors. The doctor chosen to investigate is a woman, Adelia. As she examines the victims and retraces their last steps, she must conceal her true identity in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she's assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. A former Crusader knight, Rowley may be a needed friend - or the fiend for whom they are searching.
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History-Mystery of the Year & its only March
- By Irenehope on 03-02-07
By: Ariana Franklin
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The Lioness of Morocco
- By: Julia Drosten, Christiane Galvani - translator
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Independent-minded Sibylla Spencer feels trapped in 19th-century London, where her strong will and progressive views have rendered her unmarriageable. Still single at 23, she is treated like a child and feels stifled in her controlling father's house. When Benjamin Hopkins, an ambitious employee of her father's trading company, shows an interest in her, she realizes marriage is her only chance to escape.
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The Lioness o Morocco
- By MM on 06-23-17
By: Julia Drosten, and others
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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When Jesus Wept
- The Jerusalem Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene
- Narrated by: D. J. Canaday
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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Lazarus occupies a surprising position in the Gospel accounts. Widely known as the man Jesus raised from the dead, his story is actually much broader and richer than that. Living as he did at Bethany, near Jerusalem, Lazarus was uniquely placed to witness the swirl of events around Jesus. When Jesus Wept, the first novel in The Jerusalem Chronicles series by best-selling authors Bodie and Brock Thoene, unfolds the turbulent times in Judea during Jesus' ministry, centering on the friendship between Jesus and Lazarus.
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Wow! What a story.
- By Brian T on 11-13-13
By: Bodie Thoene, and others
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The Nectar of Angels
- The Arrowsmith Saga, Book 1
- By: Dane St. John
- Narrated by: R. D. Watson
- Length: 18 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In the chaos of 14th-century England and France, wine is the nectar of angels - a valuable commodity buttressing kingdoms and vaulting vast fortunes. A mysterious old archer named David Arrowsmith recounts his tale to an eager French chronicler, Jean Créton, when the latter learns that his mission to Scotland seems a failure. The burden of Arrowsmith's story rests with Créton, who suddenly finds himself writing about a seemingly cursed infant that barely escapes the grip of the Black Death in rural Wales when his family dies.
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Really? Where are the honest reviews?
- By julie on 03-26-14
By: Dane St. John
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Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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He lost his honor long ago. Captain Kellas was lauded as the king's most faithful servant until the day he failed in his duty. Dismissed from service, his elite regiment disbanded, he left the royal palace and took up another life. Now a battle brews within the palace that threatens to reveal deadly secrets and spill over into open war. The king needs a loyal soldier to protect him. Can a disgraced man ever be trusted?"
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Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
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The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
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Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
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In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
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One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
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First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
What listeners say about By Fire, By Water
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- B. Collins
- 07-04-21
My favorite kind of historical fiction!
More than just a story set in a historic period, this book delves deep into the character's lives as influenced by their clashing cultures and religion.
I enjoyed the story and a glimpse of that time in the world.
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- Annabells
- 09-15-17
Captivating story, deserved better narration
3.5 stars.
I really liked the time period of this book. There isn't much historical fiction written from the perspective of Jewish people during the Spanish Inquisition. I loved most of the characters. That said, I was disappointed when 2 of my favorites died too early in my opinion. Also, I would've liked more action involving the Pope and the major historical characters. We all know that the Inquisition wouldn't have happened or at least wouldn't have been so bloody if the Vatican opposed it. Why didn't the Pope do more? To me, that's a central question that should be at least considered by a novel based in this setting.
The narration is passable. However, if you're accustomed to John Lee, Katherine Kellgren, Simon Vance, Nadia May, George Guidall... this is not on that level.
One caveat- this isn't for the faint of heart. If you're not familiar with this period: be warned. The Spanish Inquisition was gruesome. This book contains descriptions of religious persecution and torture. Its not gratuitous, and I'm not sure how it could've been omitted. But if you're sensitive to that, then skip this story. That's what it's about.
If you like historical fiction, are interested in a book that's NOT another Tudor/ Borgia/ Medici rehash, and can tolerate descriptions of violence, give this a try. I think you'll enjoy the story and learn from it as I did.
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- Nick Fischer
- 04-15-20
Amazing story
absolutely amazing writing and amazing story
the voice actors accents are a little much at times
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Superb literary excursion to Inquisition Spain
Spain, particularly Andalusia, was a maelstrom of religious, political and sociological upheaval in the late fifteenth and early 16th century. Mitchell James Kaplan’s By Fire, By Water is a superb literary excursion into that time and place. Engagingly written, and deeply researched, Kaplan convincingly transports the reader to the sights, sounds, and smells of Spain, to the desperate conflicts of religion and politics, and to a convincing set of relationships among a wide cast of characters, both real and imagined.
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- Kelsi Gulig
- 11-02-22
Bit hard to follow
I listen to a lot of audiobooks and don't usually have much trouble. But I struggled with this one and thought there should have been more separation when they switched between narrators. It wasn't clear whose perspective we were following. Other than that, very graphic look at the Inquisition. Good prep for trip to Spain.
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- Uzumejin
- 01-14-17
Reader detracts from story
I've tried to finish this book but the reading makes it dull. The readers my is not smooth and conversational. I want a storyteller to enthrall me with a tale. Bit this reader is more like a nervous amateur reader.
I've bought the book on kindle and will read it myself.
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- Angela Patrick
- 09-11-19
great read
I loved it! it helped me understand more of the struggles during this period in time. it was a beautiful story of reality. I have a greater appreciation for the culture.
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