The Abbot's Tale
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Narrated by:
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John Curless
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By:
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Conn Iggulden
About this listen
From New York Times best-selling Conn Iggulden comes a new novel set in the red-blooded days of Anglo-Saxon England. This is the original game for the English throne.
In the year 937, the new king of England, a grandson of Alfred the Great, readies himself to go to war in the north. His dream of a united kingdom of all England will stand or fall on one field - on the passage of a single day.
At his side is the priest Dunstan of Glastonbury, full of ambition and wit (perhaps enough to damn his soul). His talents will take him from the villages of Wessex to the royal court, to the hills of Rome - from exile to exaltation. Through Dunstan's vision, by his guiding hand, England will either come together as one great country or fall back into anarchy and misrule....
From one of our finest historical writers, The Abbot's Tale is an intimate portrait of a priest and performer, a visionary, a traitor, and confessor to kings - the man who could change the fate of England.
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In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
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I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
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Kushiel's Dart
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
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The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
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The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Son of Avonar
- Bridge of D'Arnath, Book 1
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
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Magic is forbidden throughout the Four Realms. For decades, sorcerers and those associating with them were hunted to near extinction.But Seri, a Leiran noblewoman living in exile, is no stranger to defying the unjust laws of her land. She is sheltering a wanted fugitive who possesses unusual abilities-a fugitive with the fate of the realms in his hands...
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Great Series!
- By Bob-o on 08-30-16
By: Carol Berg
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Katherine
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Set in the vibrant fourteenth century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black Prince, and Richard II—who rule despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance, John of Gaunt, the king’s son, falls passionately in love with the already-married Katherine. Their affair persists through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption.
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my favorite novel brought to life
- By Heather on 10-04-23
By: Anya Seton
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Black Wolves
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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
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Fire from Heaven
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- By: Mary Renault
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Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations.
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Renewed Pleasure
- By James on 01-28-15
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I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire
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Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for 300 years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.
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Love it...just one complaint....
- By Ryan Conrad on 03-15-14
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By Right of Arms
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
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The Black Prince of England hungers to capture the lands of France, and Sir Hyatt Laidley is just the knight for the task. In exchange for years of faithful service, Hyatt will receive both land - and lady - of De La Noye in Acquitane. When Hyatt and his men attack, both lord and castle fall, but the young and newly widowed Aurelie is not so easily conquered. Impassioned by the subjugation of her people, Aurelie pledges to forever honor her late husband. She may be condemned to marry the English bastard, but her heart will never yield!
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Don't be fooled
- By MickeyMarie on 01-22-13
By: Robyn Carr
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The Briar King
- The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Book 1
- By: Greg Keyes
- Narrated by: Patrick Michael
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Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The kings woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber.
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Good stuff
- By Jake on 06-10-10
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The Book of Kells
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A contemporary man, John Thornburn (a meek, non-violent and unpredictable artist) and woman, Derval (his tough, confrontational, strong and warrior-like lover) time travel to ancient Ireland to avenge a Viking attack. Packed with fascinating details of historical time and place in Irish history and delicately balanced on the border between realism and fantasy, the story centers around one of the most famous and beautiful illuminated manuscripts in history, the legendary but entirely real Book of Kells.
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The Book of Irish Fantasy
- By S. Wells on 12-10-12
By: R. A. MacAvoy
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1660 England. General Edward Whalley and his son-in law Colonel William Goffe board a ship bound for the New World. They are on the run, wanted for the murder of King Charles I—a brazen execution that marked the culmination of the English Civil War, in which parliamentarians successfully battled royalists for control.
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Please release Pt 2!
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This lush novel, set in 1766 England and America, evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution, from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the Western frontier - if they're brave enough to take it.
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Expected better than a historical romance
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What listeners say about The Abbot's Tale
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- paul goldberg
- 02-14-19
Worth the listen
Insights about main character, his flaws and strengths all set in the historical tale about the real Dunston make the a rewarding listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Ronald
- 03-02-20
An outstanding account of early English history!
I chose to listen to this book based on the intriguing prospect of the title. I was extremely surprised at the extent to which I enjoyed the novel. Conn Iggulden blends fiction with historical accuracy that drives the book through the life of Dunstan. The character is rich in personality and John Curless's narration feels like the words of Dunstan himself. The lives of the monks, common folk and the Royal Court of early England is very informative. The novel sheds light on an almost unknown part of history. For that alone, it is well worth the listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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- katharine potter
- 04-02-22
Excellent history, unscrupulous protagonist
I was drawn into the history, and repelled by Dunstan. His treatment of his brother, insisting a life debt that was called in for Dunstan's personal revenge, was unpardonable. Some of the character portraits; Edmund, Edward, Wulfric, are well delineated. Others, albeit lesser characters, are less. Landscape and sunset/sunrise description is lyrical.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Austin G.
- 01-31-21
Not at all what I had expected
This story was quite interesting. I expected more violence, based on the other books I have seen from this author, but this one had tidbits here and there. The value in this book is that it details a fascinating and strange story, pretty near to the actual history, with the author filling some gaps that history has left open. I enjoyed it more the longer I listened.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Bud R
- 05-28-19
Great story - beautifully narrated
John Curless performed masterfully and bright this wonderful tale to life. I was transported to medieval England and live Dunstan’s life with him.
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- John F. Wellbrock
- 03-15-22
A history of England!
I personally didn’t care for the narrator. The story is well written and explained fairly well although at some points it felt a little disjointed. The historical aspect of the book is really remarkable and the authors ability to weave a tail is very good!
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- Ballika
- 08-10-18
This One's a Gem
I just finished the Conn Iggulden Wars of the Roses trilogy and was hungry for more. The Abbot's Tale is an exceptional story that really added to my understanding of the age. It is told in the first person and is both atmospheric and intimate. I highly recommend it as a great read.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Matt
- 02-02-19
This Is A Masterpiece.
This is one of the greatest books I have ever read or listened to. Conn Iggulden is right up there with Tolkien and le Carre. The narrator is outstanding. I was truly sorry when this was over. What a wonderful experience.
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1 person found this helpful
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- JC
- 11-20-19
Superb
I wasn't keen on it for the first few minutes, but it lured me in and had me after the beginning.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Sevenarchers
- 11-29-23
Great historical fiction
This is my first experience with this author and was very pleased. once I started listening I didn't want to stop, I almost listened straight through from beginning to end. The reader gave an excellent performance. If you like historical fiction then I would highly recommend this work.
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