The Drowning Guard
A Novel of the Ottoman Empire
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Suzanne Cypress
-
By:
-
Linda Lafferty
About this listen
Each morning in the hour before dawn, a silent boat launches on the Bosphorous, moving swiftly into the deepest part of the waters halfway between Europe and Asia, where a man will die....
In a gender reversal of Scheherazade in The Arabian Nights: Tales from a 1,001 Nights, Ottoman princess Esma Sultan seduces a different Christian lover each night, only to have him drowned in the morning. The Sultaness's true passion burns only for the Christian-born soldier charged with carrying out her brutal nightly death sentence: her drowning guard, Ivan Postivich.
The Drowning Guard explores the riddle of Esma - who is at once a murderer and a champion and liberator of women - and the man who loves her in spite of her horrifying crimes. This textured historical novel, set in the opulence and squalor of Istanbul in 1826, is woven with the complexity and consequences of love.
©2013 Linda Lafferty (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Shepherdess of Siena
- A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany
- By: Linda Lafferty
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised by her aunt and uncle amidst the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, young orphan Virginia Tacci has always harbored a deep love for horses - though she knows she may never have the chance to ride. As a shepherdess in sixteenth-century Italy, Virginia's possibilities are doubly limited by her peasant class and her gender.
-
-
Stolid narrative; mystifying narration choices
- By Kimberlyn M. on 07-03-15
By: Linda Lafferty
-
The Girl Who Fought Napoleon
- A Novel of the Russian Empire
- By: Linda Lafferty
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1803, and an adolescent Nadya is determined not to follow in her overbearing Ukrainian mother's footsteps. She's a horsewoman, not a housewife. When Tsar Paul is assassinated in St. Petersburg and a reluctant and naive Alexander is crowned emperor, Nadya runs away from home and joins the Russian cavalry in the war against Napoleon. Disguised as a boy and riding her spirited stallion, Alcides, Nadya rises in the ranks, even as her father begs the tsar to find his daughter and send her home.
-
-
Brilliant! I think this is a 10!
- By lisa stevens on 06-20-17
By: Linda Lafferty
-
The Witch of Tin Mountain
- By: Paulette Kennedy
- Narrated by: Amy Bentley, Courtney Patterson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blood and power bind three generations of women in the Ozark Mountains. So does an evil that’s followed them across the decades. 1931. Gracelynn Doherty lives peacefully on Tin Mountain, helping her adoptive granny work her cures. Despite whispers that the women are witches, the superstitious locals still seek them out, whether to remedy arthritis or a broken heart. But when evangelist Josiah Bellflower comes to town promising miracle healing, full bellies, and prosperity, his revivals soon hold Tin Mountain in thrall—and Granny in abject fear. Granny recognizes Josiah.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Vanessa on 02-10-23
By: Paulette Kennedy
-
The Light on Farallon Island
- A Novel
- By: Jen Wheeler
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco lie the Farallon Islands, known to sailors as the Devil’s Teeth. Despite their fearsome reputation, their remote nature appeals to young Lucy Riley, who in 1859 seeks a new start as a teacher to the lighthouse keepers’ children. But Lucy brings treacherous secrets with her, including a name that isn’t hers and a past she can’t escape. On the island, she meets Will Sisson, a mysterious man who seems to recognize her name—but not her face. Wary of Will at first, Lucy slowly starts to trust him.
-
-
A must read!
- By jael on 07-14-23
By: Jen Wheeler
-
The Last of the Moon Girls
- By: Barbara Davis
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.
-
-
outstanding book
- By Alyssa Amori on 08-03-20
By: Barbara Davis
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Shepherdess of Siena
- A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany
- By: Linda Lafferty
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised by her aunt and uncle amidst the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, young orphan Virginia Tacci has always harbored a deep love for horses - though she knows she may never have the chance to ride. As a shepherdess in sixteenth-century Italy, Virginia's possibilities are doubly limited by her peasant class and her gender.
-
-
Stolid narrative; mystifying narration choices
- By Kimberlyn M. on 07-03-15
By: Linda Lafferty
-
The Girl Who Fought Napoleon
- A Novel of the Russian Empire
- By: Linda Lafferty
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1803, and an adolescent Nadya is determined not to follow in her overbearing Ukrainian mother's footsteps. She's a horsewoman, not a housewife. When Tsar Paul is assassinated in St. Petersburg and a reluctant and naive Alexander is crowned emperor, Nadya runs away from home and joins the Russian cavalry in the war against Napoleon. Disguised as a boy and riding her spirited stallion, Alcides, Nadya rises in the ranks, even as her father begs the tsar to find his daughter and send her home.
-
-
Brilliant! I think this is a 10!
- By lisa stevens on 06-20-17
By: Linda Lafferty
-
The Witch of Tin Mountain
- By: Paulette Kennedy
- Narrated by: Amy Bentley, Courtney Patterson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blood and power bind three generations of women in the Ozark Mountains. So does an evil that’s followed them across the decades. 1931. Gracelynn Doherty lives peacefully on Tin Mountain, helping her adoptive granny work her cures. Despite whispers that the women are witches, the superstitious locals still seek them out, whether to remedy arthritis or a broken heart. But when evangelist Josiah Bellflower comes to town promising miracle healing, full bellies, and prosperity, his revivals soon hold Tin Mountain in thrall—and Granny in abject fear. Granny recognizes Josiah.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Vanessa on 02-10-23
By: Paulette Kennedy
-
The Light on Farallon Island
- A Novel
- By: Jen Wheeler
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco lie the Farallon Islands, known to sailors as the Devil’s Teeth. Despite their fearsome reputation, their remote nature appeals to young Lucy Riley, who in 1859 seeks a new start as a teacher to the lighthouse keepers’ children. But Lucy brings treacherous secrets with her, including a name that isn’t hers and a past she can’t escape. On the island, she meets Will Sisson, a mysterious man who seems to recognize her name—but not her face. Wary of Will at first, Lucy slowly starts to trust him.
-
-
A must read!
- By jael on 07-14-23
By: Jen Wheeler
-
The Last of the Moon Girls
- By: Barbara Davis
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.
-
-
outstanding book
- By Alyssa Amori on 08-03-20
By: Barbara Davis
-
Two Wars and a Wedding
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously.
-
-
Spanish American War
- By Tracy on 06-23-23
By: Lauren Willig
-
A Woman of Endurance
- A Novel
- By: Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
- Narrated by: Tracey Leigh
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Woman of Endurance, set in nineteenth-century Puerto Rican plantation society, follows Pola, a deeply spiritual African woman who is captured and later sold for the purpose of breeding future slaves. The resulting babies are taken from her as soon as they are born. Pola loses the faith that has guided her and becomes embittered and defensive. The dehumanizing violence of her life almost destroys her. But this is not a novel of defeat but rather one of survival, regeneration, and reclamation of common humanity.
-
-
The difference in this book.
- By all our stories on 06-08-22
-
She Who Became the Sun
- By: Shelley Parker-Chan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
-
-
Almost great.
- By stacey on 09-13-21
-
The Blood of Flowers
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. When her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.
-
-
Top 5 on my lifelong list
- By Cheryl on 09-14-07
-
All Systems Red
- By: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All Systems Red is the tense first science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans.
-
-
I just wish all four stories were one book...
- By Garrett Stone on 11-05-18
By: Martha Wells
-
Wings of Fury
- Wings of Fury, Book 1
- By: Emily R. King
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Emily R. King, author of the Hundredth Queen series, comes an epic novel of ancient Greece, Titans and treachery, and the women who dare to rise up against the tyranny of the Golden Age.
-
-
struggled with it
- By LiburConi on 04-04-22
By: Emily R. King
-
Eight Perfect Murders
- A Novel
- By: Peter Swanson
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack - which he titled "Eight Perfect Murders". But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller.
-
-
It was ok...
- By shelley on 03-04-20
By: Peter Swanson
-
The Last Queen
- A Novel of Courage and Resistance
- By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sharp-eyed, stubborn, and passionate, Jindan was known for her beauty. When she caught the eye of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, she was elevated to royalty, becoming his youngest and last queen—and his favorite. And when her son, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne, Jindan assumed the regency. She transformed herself from pampered wife to warrior ruler, determined to protect her people and her son’s birthright from the encroaching British Empire.
-
-
One of the best books on Rani Jinda
- By Kamal Singh on 12-08-22
-
The Girl from Widow Hills
- By: Megan Miranda
- Narrated by: Rebekkah Ross
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and help vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed.
-
-
Not One Of Her Best
- By Bitten and Seven Forever on 06-27-20
By: Megan Miranda
-
Tell Me Lies
- By: J. P. Pomare
- Narrated by: Aimee Horne
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That’s when she slams into his back and he falls in front of the train. Margot’s clients all lie to her, but one lie cost her family and freedom.
-
-
Utterly Compulsive! That Ending OMG
- By Tracy on 03-05-20
By: J. P. Pomare
-
We Are All the Same in the Dark
- A Novel
- By: Julia Heaberlin
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Catherine Taber, MacLeod Andrews, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls of the town’s Baptist church, the police station, and in the high school. They all promise the same thing: We will find you. Meanwhile, Tru's brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah in the desolation of the old family house, cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and in a new documentary about the crime.
-
-
On the edge of my ladder
- By Deirdre Hoinoski on 08-27-20
By: Julia Heaberlin
-
The Butler
- By: Danielle Steel
- Narrated by: James Babson
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, inseparable from his identical twin. When Joachim moves to Paris with his mother in his late teens, his twin stays behind and enters a dark world. Meanwhile, Joachim begins training to be a butler, fascinated by the precision and intense demands, and goes on to work in some of the grandest homes in England. Olivia White has given 10 years of her life to her magazine. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris to reinvent herself. It is then that her path and Joachim's cross.
-
-
Equivalent to a meeting that should have been an email.
- By Dee Mitch on 10-11-21
By: Danielle Steel
-
The Appeal
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hallett
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott, Aysha Kala, Rachel Adedeji, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.
-
-
A good book, just not made to be an audiobook
- By Snipy on 04-07-22
By: Janice Hallett
Related to this topic
-
Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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?"
-
-
Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
-
Kushiel's Dart
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
-
The Moon in the Palace
- The Empress of Bright Moon, Book 1
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power. A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the emperor a gift he can never forget.
-
-
One of the most annoying narrations
- By Foodiewife on 01-28-17
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
The Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
-
-
Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
-
Battle of Kings
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the town of Segontium a wild storm washes a fugitive ashore. He brutally rapes the granddaughter of the ruler of the Deceangli tribe, leaving her to bear his son, Myrddion Merlinus (Merlin). Spurned as a demon seed, the child is raised by his grandmother and, as soon as he turns nine, he is apprenticed to a skilled alchemist who hones the boy’s remarkable gift of prophecy. Meanwhile, the High King of the Britons, Vortigern, is rebuilding the ancient fortress at Dinas Emrys.
-
-
Underrated book author and narrator!
- By Zachary on 04-15-22
By: M. K. Hume
-
Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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?"
-
-
Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
-
Kushiel's Dart
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
-
The Moon in the Palace
- The Empress of Bright Moon, Book 1
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power. A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the emperor a gift he can never forget.
-
-
One of the most annoying narrations
- By Foodiewife on 01-28-17
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
The Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
-
-
Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
-
Battle of Kings
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the town of Segontium a wild storm washes a fugitive ashore. He brutally rapes the granddaughter of the ruler of the Deceangli tribe, leaving her to bear his son, Myrddion Merlinus (Merlin). Spurned as a demon seed, the child is raised by his grandmother and, as soon as he turns nine, he is apprenticed to a skilled alchemist who hones the boy’s remarkable gift of prophecy. Meanwhile, the High King of the Britons, Vortigern, is rebuilding the ancient fortress at Dinas Emrys.
-
-
Underrated book author and narrator!
- By Zachary on 04-15-22
By: M. K. Hume
-
Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The future of Britain is at stake. In the turbulent times of the Dark Ages, the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, and his kingdom is being torn apart by the squabbling of minor kings. But only one man can bring the Celts together as a nation and restore peace - King Arthur. Artorex (Arthur) doesn't yet seem like the great man he will grow into. We meet him as a shy, subservient twelve-year-old living in the foster home of Lord Ector, who took in Artorex as a babe to protect him from murderous kin.
-
-
A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
-
Cleopatra's Moon
- By: Vicky A. Shecter
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Princess of Egypt.... Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Marcus Antonius of Rome. She’s grown up with jewels on her arms, servants at her feet, and all the pleasures of a palace at her command, and she wants only to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a great and powerful queen. Prisoner of Rome.... Then the Roman ruler Octavianus, who has always wanted Egypt’s wealth, launches a war that destroys all Selene has ever known.
-
-
Great Book
- By Linda on 08-07-11
By: Vicky A. Shecter
-
The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
-
-
Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
-
Equal of the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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....
-
-
A Woman in a Man's World
- By JGrace on 06-26-13
-
Transformation
- Rai-Kirah, Book 1
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for 16 years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in the present moment and to avoid the pain of hope or caring about anyone.
-
-
Seriously Excellent
- By Sharon on 09-25-13
By: Carol Berg
-
Silk Road
- By: Colin Falconer
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Holy Land, 1260. Josseran Sarrazini is chosen to escort the Pope's emissary on an embassy to the all-conquering Mongol horde in an effort to save all Christendom from destruction. But although he serves as a Templar warrior, Josseran is not all that he appears to be. Now they have to spend nine months in each other's company on the most dangerous and most inhospitable journey on the earth - across the legendary deserts of Persia, through the horrific black hurricanes of the Taklimakan, along the entire spider's web of the Silk Road to Khubilai Khan's legendary capital at Xanadu.
-
-
Could be better
- By Gary on 02-11-20
By: Colin Falconer
-
Empress
- Godspeaker, Book 1
- By: Karen Miller
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 20 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a family torn apart by poverty and violence, Hekat is no more than an unwanted mouth to feed, worth only a few coins from a passing slave trader. But Hekat was not born to be a slave. For her, a different path has been chosen. It is a path that will take her from stinking back alleys to the house of her God, from blood-drenched battlefields to the glittering palaces of Mijak. This is the story of Hekat, slave to no man.
-
-
depressing and left me feeling empty
- By Bonnie on 09-16-09
By: Karen Miller
-
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
-
Son of Avonar
- Bridge of D'Arnath, Book 1
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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...
-
-
Great Series!
- By Bob-o on 08-30-16
By: Carol Berg
-
The Crown
- By: Nancy Bilyeau
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this debut historical thriller, an aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father’s life and preserve all she holds dear. When novitiate nun Joanna Stafford learns her rebel cousin is condemned by King Henry VIII to be burned at the stake, she makes the decision to break the sacred rule of enclosure and flee her Dominican order in Dartford to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, Sir Richard Stafford, is sent to the Tower of London.
-
-
Torture
- By S. Wells on 03-24-13
By: Nancy Bilyeau
-
The Tiger's Daughter
- By: K Arsenault Rivera
- Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hokkaran Empire has conquered every land within their bold reach - but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.
-
-
Writing format that didn't work for this book
- By kara-karina on 02-24-18
-
Reign of Madness
- By: Lynn Cullen
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Juana of Castile, third child of the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Fernando, grows up with no hope of inheriting her parents' crowns, but as a princess knows her duty: to further her family's ambitions through marriage. Yet stories of courtly love, and of her parents' own legendary romance, surround her. When she weds the Duke of Burgundy, a young man so beautiful that he is known as Philippe the Handsome, she dares to hope that she might have both love and crowns.
By: Lynn Cullen
What listeners say about The Drowning Guard
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Charlie
- 03-30-16
Culture Enlightment
Easy on the senses. Feel good novel. Great narrator. Hard to find negatives for an exotic love story from another time & place.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Susan 🎧Audible-a-holic🎧 Crowe
- 01-30-21
Wonderful book!!!
I read this book when it first came out but have now decided to review all of my books on Audible.
This book was magnificent!!
I absolutely LOVE this author and have read and / or listened to every single book she has published!
While this is my second favorite of hers, The Bloodletter's Daughter will always be my favorite. I have listened to that one more times than i'd care to admit!
I highly recommend this book and all others by this author. You won't be sorry!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JaNea
- 01-18-18
It Got Better
I’ve been looking for works on the Ottoman Empire and this was my first piece of fiction. When I started this audio book however, it took longer to adjust to than normal. I would say perhaps like with a normal read, I needed that cushion of 40-50 pages to truly start to care about this place and these characters. There were definitely certain things I felt were left unresolved for no apparent reason, but did enjoy the back drop. My only major issue were there were several constant repeated words that become annoying to hear. The repetition was unneeded after a certain point in the book and seemed as though the author had no other way to describe nouns. However, I will conceded that part of my issue may lie with the narrator. Overall, enjoyed the story and the ending notes kept my interest piqued for more Ottoman knowledge.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cam
- 09-21-14
Quite a surprise
I purchased this book on sale and have had it in my library for a while until a few days ago when I finally decided to listen to it. I found the story fascinating. I'm not sure why the two reviews on Audible were poor but the Amazon reviewers seemed to really enjoy the book. Historically accurate to it's time and well developed characters were two strong points about this book. The love story also was very believable and I absolutely loved the giant hero's good and evil sides. He was far from perfect but that is what made him so real especially for his time. The only weak point to the story was, in my opinion, it's ending. Without giving it away, I was hoping for an even better ending. The entire story got built to the end and then I felt a bit let down. I guess I wanted more. More of the happily ever after and not a short two minute clean up session. Other than that I truly enjoyed this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 09-28-15
loved it!
I felt I was right there with the characters. it makes me want to check into more of the works by this author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thomas Le Min
- 12-14-22
Historic Storytelling At Its Best!
The authoress has woven an intricate and lush tapestry of fully fledged competing characters that maintains the reader/listener’s attention from the first line to the last.
The audiobook is so well performed that I can’t imagine “merely” reading it. Likewise I can’t imagine anyone performing it better. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys historic fiction or simply a ripping good yarn.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- treehunter
- 07-14-16
enjoyed listening
narrator was easy to hear and listen to. entertaining story. love and violence what more could you ask for.
#exciting, #romance, #violence, #tagsgiving, #sweepstakes
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kisa
- 11-05-15
Good story
Hated the narrator, I will never listen to anything from her again! The story was good, with a lot of potential, but other then the harem stories it was hard to get into and I was not emotionally invested in any of the characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alison
- 11-09-14
Terrible
I forced myself to finish this book all the way to the very end, in the sad hope that at some point the plot/characters would be explained and everything would make sense and come together. It didn't. Even given the low low expectations that I set for 'romance' books this one was bad. I'd say that the plot was lacking, but that implies there was something resembling a plot. It seemed early on that the book was going to be about how Ivan falls in love with Esma as she tells him how she came to murder all her lovers. Nope. Not to spoil things, but nothing is every explained. Why does the sultan murder all Esma's lovers? Why, if she feels as bad as she seems to, does she continue to take lovers knowing they are going to be murdered? The whole premise makes no sense. There is zero chemistry between the two main characters, mostly because they aren't realistic characters in any way shape or form.
Rather than filling up the ten hours with plot, the author has fallen into the historical fiction writing trap of describing irrelevant things that may or may not be interesting but have nothing really to do with the plot that she learned while doing research. Pointless descriptions and odd tangents fill up most of the time in this book.
The only good thing about this book was the narrator, who did as good a job as she could with the material she was given.
Bottom line: don't waste your money, not even if its on sale.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- laura
- 07-11-14
Not for me
I know, it is a poor review, but it is my opinion. I cannot continue listening. I wouldn't waste my money on this one. The narrator is good, though. She has a pleasant voice. I just got carried away by the sale, but now I know why it was on sale. It is hard to follow and does not hold my attention.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful