The Fatal Crown
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Narrated by:
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Suzanne Toren
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By:
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Ellen Jones
About this listen
Against the seething political intrigues of 12th-century Europe, two royal heirs will surrender to passion as they vie for the most glittering, treacherous prize of all: the English throne
At nine, Maud, an English princess, was sent to Germany to become the bride of the Holy Roman Emperor - a political alliance with a man her father’s age. At 25, the widowed Maud must marry once again, this time to 14-year-old Geoffrey Plantagenet. But it is with Stephen of Blois, Maud’s fiercest rival for the British throne, that the headstrong princess discovers the true meaning of desire.
Stephen, a descendant of William the Conqueror, believes absolutely in his God-given right to rule. Torn between his illicit passion for Maud and his own towering ambition, he knows he must choose. Stephen’s decision will wrench him from the arms of the woman he loves, ignite civil war, and lead to a shattering act of betrayal that, decades later, will come full circle and change the course of English history.
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Story
Growing up behind the impenetrable walls of an English fortress, young Magdalen does not know that she is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful English prince and his murdered French mistress - or that she has been a pawn in the struggle between England and France ever since she slipped from her dying mother's womb. All she knows is that she longs for excitement. And then one day, as if in answer to her prayers, the splendid figure of Guy de Gervais, a true knight in shining armor, rides into her cloistered world and spirits her away.
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Beautiful medieval romance, loved it
- By RomReader on 08-06-19
By: Jane Feather
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A Triple Knot
- By: Emma Campion
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years' War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship. But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father's execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king's selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king's own knights, one who has become a trusted friend...
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GOOD HISTORICAL FICTION - FOR A CHANGE
- By The Louligan on 10-05-14
By: Emma Campion
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Infamous
- By: Virginia Henley
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Strong-willed and free spirited, lady-in-waiting Marjory de Warenne long ago gave her body and soul to the charming and beguiling Earl of Warwick, Guy de Beauchamp. But her family never approved of the pairing. Now, on the eve of war and an arranged marriage to another suitor, Jory yearns for the man who could make all of her dreams come true.
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Enjoyable
- By Heather Osteen on 08-15-07
By: Virginia Henley
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A Rose in the Storm
- By: Brenda Joyce
- Narrated by: Rosalind Ashford
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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With warfare blazing through Scotland, the fate of the Comyn-MacDougall legacy depends on one woman. Recently orphaned, young Margaret Comyn must secure her clan's safety through an arranged marriage. But when an enemy invasion puts her at the mercy of the notorious Wolf of Lochaber, her every loyalty - and secret want - will be challenged.
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Far Exceeded My Expectations
- By Lady M on 07-31-13
By: Brenda Joyce
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The Blue Falcon
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In love and war, some oaths are meant to be broken.… Riding into the arena under the furling blazon of the blue falcon, Sir Conan de Corbney accepts a token from the young beauty Lady Chandra, sparking a romance foretold long ago. That is, unless Conan’s mother can help it. Colluding with her son’s rival, Sir Tedric, Lady Udele secretly arranges a more lucrative marriage for her son and weds him to Edwina - Chandra’s older sister - while Sir Tedric claims the fiery Chandra for himself. Thus begins the star-crossed lovers’ quest, amidst treachery and betrayal, for the path back to each other’s arms.
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What a waste of time
- By MickeyMarie on 01-16-13
By: Robyn Carr
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When Christ and His Saints Slept
- Plantagenets, Book 1
- By: Sharon Kay Penman
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 36 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In When Christ and His Saints Slept, the first of a trilogy that will tell the story of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, master storyteller and historian Sharon Kay Penman illuminates one of the less known but fascinating periods of English history. It begins with the death of King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror and father of Maude, his only living legitimate offspring.
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Please release Pt 2!
- By BVerité on 06-08-19
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Isabella: Braveheart of France
- By: Colin Falconer
- Narrated by: Anne Johnstonbrown
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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12-year-old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England - only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair - does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death - or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself? Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight - but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage - and England apart.
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A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...
- By Sara on 01-06-15
By: Colin Falconer
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Everlasting
- By: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
- Narrated by: Xanthe Elbrick
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
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Once, Abrielle's name was on the lips of every unwed nobleman in London as a proud exceptional lady coveted for her bearing, her breeding, her wit, and her beauty. But when her stepfather, respected for his courage and valor during the Crusades, is denied his rightful title and the wealth that accompanies it, Abrielle finds herself suddenly disgraced, no longer a suitable match for any proper gentleman.
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Never buy an abridged book!
- By Rhonda F. on 03-15-15
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The Everlasting Covenant
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Anne Gifford's dowry - or lack thereof - is of no concern to Sir Dylan DeFrayne. Wrapped in each other's arms, what more could they possibly need? Yet the young lovers' passion can never be sanctioned - the DeFraynes and Giffords have been sworn enemies for decades. Lest more blood be shed, the two must keep their affair a secret…and plot their elopement. Clad in threadbare hand-me-downs, Anne never expects the powerful and aged Brennan Forbes to remember her face, let alone propose marriage.
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This is not the same Robyn Carr
- By MickeyMarie on 01-22-13
By: Robyn Carr
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Katherine
- A Novel
- By: Anya Seton
- Narrated by: Lorna Bennett
- Length: 29 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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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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Captive Queen
- A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 19 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Renowned for her highly acclaimed and bestselling British histories, Alison Weir has in recent years made a major impact on the fiction scene with her novels about Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey. In this latest offering, she imagines the world of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful twelfth-century woman who was queen of France until she abandoned her royal husband for the younger man who would become king of England.
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Why the Negativity?
- By E. Willaims on 06-28-11
By: Alison Weir
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Knight of Desire: All The King's Men Series, Book 1
- By: Margaret Mallory
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn. Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart.
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Stong Heroine.
- By 🌸DARA on 12-07-13
By: Margaret Mallory
What listeners say about The Fatal Crown
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- madameEmily
- 05-26-22
Good Story But A Bit Far-fetched
I enjoyed listening to this book immensely. However, some aspects are a little absurd, mainly Henry's paternity and Maud's overly romantic nature towards her cousin. That being said, I understand this is historical 'fiction' and it really was a greatly entertaining book.
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- Violet Yates- Author
- 12-23-21
Well written
I wish the author would not have included all the sex scenes. I didn't enjoy them. Had to skip past them. It took away from the story. Also, I thought the idea that Maud had a love affair with Stephen of Blois to be farfetched, and that Henry II was their child. Henry had the famous Plantagenet temper. But I realize this is fiction so it was entertaining.
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- Natasha
- 03-13-14
Maybe better in print?
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I could not finish it. I felt the reading was entirely too over-dramatic. Very actor-y. I was so distracted by the reader that I could not enjoy the story.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Having read about Matilda (Maud) and Stephen before, I was interested to hear another take on their story. I'm a bit skeptical about the romance plotline, but, who knows?
How could the performance have been better?
See above - WAY too emotive.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Doubtful.
Any additional comments?
Too bad. Maybe I'll try again with a print version?
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6 people found this helpful
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- Purchaser
- 12-26-16
Great!
Lots of intrigue. A great book for anyone that likes embellished historical novels. I was disappointed when it ended.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 04-11-17
Not overly romantisized
Entertaining and educational, in that order. SO based on the assumption that Henry was sired by Steven he would actually have been a Norman.
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2 people found this helpful
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- N.B. Figueroa
- 10-10-19
Excellent listen, highly recommend.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was very entertaining and engaging in how she captured the essence of each character. Being a woman, of course I was delighted by the aspect of love between Maude and Stephen. I also found it to be very educational about England's rich history of events I wouldn't have otherwise learned about.
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1 person found this helpful