Rashomon Gate
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Narrated by:
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Roy Vongtama
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By:
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I. J. Parker
About this listen
A riveting historical mystery set amid the exquisite ritual and refined treachery of 11th century Japan.
Sugawara Akitada is the son of impoverished nobility toiling at a low-level job in the Ministry of Justice. When an old friend, Professor Hirata, asks him to investigate a colleague’s blackmail, Akitada takes leave of his stultifying job for a temporary post at the Imperial University. There he finds gossip and rivalry abounding.
A young girl is murdered. An old man mysteriously vanishes, and the Emperor declares it a miracle.
Plunging into a labyrinth of conspiracy among the court’s most esteemed nobles, Akitada must step carefully while gathering clues to the puzzle before him.
"A fascinating investigative procedural...goes down as smooth as a cup of sake with an appropriately powerful kick in the end.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
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Story
Magdalene la Batarde is the madam of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark. She and her women are expected to engage in a number of sinful activities, but bloody murder isn't one of them until Baldassare, the messenger, dies. Though Baldassare isn't a regular client of the Old Priory Guesthouse, Magdalene and her women refuse to allow his death to go unavenged. Of course, their efforts aren't completely altruistic.
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Delightful
- By Jim on 08-25-05
By: Roberta Gellis
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The Course of Honour
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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He has no money, no reputation and no famous ancestors.' The love story of the Emperor Vespasian, who brought peace to Rome after years of strife, and his mistress, the freed slave woman Caenis, this book recreates Ancient Rome's most turbulent period - the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero and Vespasian's rise to power. As their forbidden romance blossoms, Caenis is embroiled in political intrigue, while Vespasian embarks on a glorious career.
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Great love story
- By Julie on 05-04-20
By: Lindsey Davis
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The Reluctant Swordsman
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true?
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An enjoyable listen
- By Joe on 10-21-12
By: Dave Duncan
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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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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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Lion of Senet
- Second Sons, Book 1
- By: Jennifer Fallon
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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On the world Ranadon there is no night as both suns shine brightly. The intervention of Belagren, High Priestess of the Shadowdancers, and the sacrifice of a child of royal blood, has banished the Age of Shadows from the skies. Belagren's position is unquestioned...until circumstances begin to tip political rivalries into a deadlier game altogether.
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Really enjoyed it
- By Amazon Customer on 09-15-17
By: Jennifer Fallon
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A Shadow in Summer
- Long Price Quartet, Book 1
- By: Daniel Abraham
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The powerful city-state of Saraykeht is a bastion of peace and culture, a major center of commerce and trade. Its economy depends on the power of the captive spirit Seedless, an and at bound to the poet-sorcerer Heshai for life. Enter the Galts, an empire committed to laying waste to all lands with their ferocious army. Saraykeht has always been too strong for the Galts to attack, but now they see an opportunity.
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REALLY Hard to Rate!
- By Trip Williams on 04-27-15
By: Daniel Abraham
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Equal of the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and closest adviser, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry....
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A Woman in a Man's World
- By JGrace on 06-26-13
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The Will of the Empress
- By: Tamora Pierce
- Narrated by: Tamora Pierce
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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For years, the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has avoided the invitation for as long as it was possible. Now, Sandry has agreed to pay that overdue visit. Sandry's uncle promises guards to accompany her. But they're hardly a group of warriors! They're her old friends from Winding Circle: Daja, Tris, and Briar. Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart.
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from a writer's perspective
- By daniel orzechowski on 05-24-08
By: Tamora Pierce
What listeners say about Rashomon Gate
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Andrew Migliore
- 02-17-19
Great idea poorly executed
I was looking forward to getting into another historical detective/mystery series after enjoying Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunter novels and this series was recommended. If you are looking to be immersed into 11th century feudal Japan you will probably be disappointed. The use of language feels dumbed down for Americans and the narrators characterization and use of accents for each of the Japanese characters leaves a lot to be desired. Mixed bag.
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- Casandra
- 10-10-14
Decent narration, great story.
Would you listen to Rashomon Gate again? Why?
I thought the story was very enjoyable and it didn't have many dull points that left me wondering when the story would pick up again. The amount of twists and turns that storyline took was very entertaining. I would recommend this book to others and am now interested in listening to the other books in the Sugiwara Akitada series.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Rashomon Gate?
No spoilers from me ;) So, I can't comment on a specific moment, but I will say that certain revelations that the characters experience surprised me and pulled me deeper into the story.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The performance was a little difficult to get used to. I didn't like the narrators use of accents for each of the characters. It sounded like someone doing a racist impression of a Japanese person. It took me little while to get over that little hiccup, but once I did I was able to enjoy the story and even enjoy the different voices the narrator gave to each of the characters.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Great Tutu Kona
- 06-25-12
Well, okay, so...!
A riveting historical mystery set amid the exquisite ritual and refined treachery of 11th-century Japan...NOT! It seems to me that the timeline works best in the late 19th century after the samurai era ended. Taken in that context, it feels better. I can certainly then wrap myself around such phrases "make book on the results", “football”, and some guy named “Spike”.
The author did an exceptionally poor job of placing the reader in the ancient Japanese setting. I felt that more could have been done, such as calling a kimono a kimono instead of a "robe", referring to roads as roads rather than "avenues". Proper cultural terminology is essential to keeping the listener imbedded in the time period.
As for the narrator, Seibei talks like Jar Jar Binks after one or two speech therapy sessions. It is also surprising that some of the characters spoke with a pseudo Japanese accent, while the main character spoke like Mickey Spillane. Bad pronounciation of Japanese names was off-putting. My daughter, hearing my constant mutterings as I audibly corrected the narrator, kept telling me to "shut up", she was so annoyed.
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Since I bought the book, I was determined to listen as though it were just a regular old mystery novel. Having done so, I am not compelled to purchase another of I.J. Parker's books of Japan.
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5 people found this helpful