The Essence
A Pledge Novel
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Narrated by:
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Casey Holloway
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By:
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Kimberly Derting
About this listen
At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.
Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen - and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.
As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms - an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset - she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.
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Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers.
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Good story, marred by fractured French
- By Elaine Bennett on 07-26-22
By: Lillie Lainoff
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Curse of Shadows and Thorns
- The Broken Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: LJ Andrews
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs. When her uncle holds the life of her deathly ill father over her head, reluctantly, Elise puts her fate into the hands of Legion Grey, the handsome and mysterious dowry negotiator. He may be arrogant and infuriating, but soon Legion incites a blistering, forbidden passion she can’t ignore.
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Great concept, poor execution on the writing side
- By Kel on 11-24-22
By: LJ Andrews
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The Queen of the Tearling
- A Novel
- By: Erika Johansen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Magic, adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother’s throne, learn to be a ruler - and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her. On her 19th birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa.
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Volume changed a lot
- By Nik on 12-20-14
By: Erika Johansen
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Onyx & Ivory
- By: Mindee Arnett
- Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime. Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes - deadly flightless dragons - come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.
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Fantastic.
- By Alex Tollefson on 06-04-18
By: Mindee Arnett
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Lichgates
- Book One of the Grimoire Saga
- By: S.M. Boyce
- Narrated by: Kara Kovacich Stewart
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kara Magari uncovers a secret door in the middle of the forest, she discovers (and trips through) a portal to a hidden world full of terrifying things: Ourea. She just wants to go home, but the natives have other plans for her. She clashes with immortal shapeshifters, is carried off by a dragon, nearly dies on several occasions, and somehow becomes the master of an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire. Every time she thinks she's safe, her new "friends" show their true colors.
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A twisting tale
- By James on 11-19-15
By: S.M. Boyce
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Unremembered
- By: Jessica Brody
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the 16-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage - alive - is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn't on the passenger manifest.
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Invested In the Tale
- By UnreliableHeart on 09-17-15
By: Jessica Brody
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The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories
- By: Rae Carson
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda, Luis Moreno
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In The King's Guard, watch him prove himself - and uncover a secret that he must keep forever. In The Shadow Cats, discover how Elisa's rivalry with her older sister looks from Alodia's point of view, and why Alodia agrees to marry her sister off to King Alejandro. And in The Shattered Mountain, learn how Mara survived her village's destruction before she became Elisa's best friend and handmaiden.
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Very intense
- By Bruce on 03-22-18
By: Rae Carson
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Pawn
- By: Aimée Carter
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
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Not as strong as others in this ilk
- By Howard on 12-03-13
By: Aimée Carter
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Princess of Thorns
- By: Stacey Jay
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy, yet she is cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and to free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne 10 years ago. Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late?
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Great story, great chemistry, great fun!
- By Katy on 01-28-15
By: Stacey Jay
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The Forgotten Locket
- By: Lisa Mangum
- Narrated by: Lisa Mangum
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The only way to rescue the future is to alter the past. When Abby stepped through the hourglass door, leaving her beloved Dante blind and bleeding on the other side, it was in full faith that she could find a way to repair the damage to the river of time and restore him - as well as her family. It was a desperate chance that seemed worth taking. But Zo had other plans. Now Abby is trapped in a full-fledged battle for her own mind and life and heart.
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Good story, stale reading
- By Alicia Johnson on 06-08-22
By: Lisa Mangum
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Dragon's Heart
- The Dragon Fey Saga, Book 1
- By: Michelle Rabe
- Narrated by: Karen-Eileen Gordon
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Serena Harlowe always knew her place. A foundling placed with the tutor of Illedrian royalty, she grew to be a talented fighter. After rising to the rank of lieutenant in the royal army, she proves her worth and thwarts the attempted assassination of the man she loves. The selfless act will change her life forever and start a chain of events that will unlock her hidden past.
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Different and fun
- By erobbins33 on 08-26-16
By: Michelle Rabe
What listeners say about The Essence
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ben
- 05-15-19
I really enjoyed it.
The first thing I noticed was the narrators voice was so different from the 1st book. Knowing they were they same people I was a bit surprised, by the end it didn't bother me anymore. I liked this story and I'm moving on to the third book. I felt it keep me entertained and I didn't find it boring. I do like the narrator and she does a pretty good job of distinguishing between voicing the different people in the book.
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