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The First Queen of England
- Narrated by: Alex Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
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Publisher's summary
Before Anne Boleyn stole the heart of a king and demanded marriage, another woman strove to wed an already-married King of England. This is the story of Elfrida, who would become the first crowned Queen of England.
England is united under Edgar, but 20 years of uncertainty and a dwindling royal nursery have left the royal family vulnerable to extinction. Edgar, a king at only 15 years old, has an acknowledged daughter and wife, but the dying Ealdorman, Aethelwald, has commanded his wife to seek out the King, now in his early 20s.
True to her husband's wishes, Elfrida pursues the king, nervous of her husband's intentions, but trusting them all the same. When the king tries to make her his concubine, Elfrida refuses and withdraws from the court, only to find herself dreaming of the king, desiring his touch and his presence.
When the king seeks her out once more, she willingly follows him back to his court and finds herself plunged into a world of politics and self-interest where her future happiness rests not only on the king loving her but also on the goodwill of others with much to play for at the king's court.
Bringing alive the characters of 10th-century England: its young king, Edgar; its ealdormen, Brythnoth, Æthelwine, and Úlfhere; the great reforming religious figures of Archbishop Dunstan, Bishop Æthelwold and Oswald and the great women of the period, Lady Elfrida, Lady Æthelflaed and Lady Wulfthryn, The First Queen of England evokes 10th-century England at its most enigmatic, shining a welcome light on England's first crowned queen, a woman who would go on to accomplish much, but who must first steal the heart of an amorous king and earn her place at court, and overcome the obstacle of the outcome of not only the king's second marriage, but also his first.
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Story
In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Katherine Kurtz takes listeners back in time - before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.
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Needs a female reader
- By Shannon on 02-07-19
By: Katherine Kurtz
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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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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
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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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While Beauty Slept
- By: Elizabeth Blackwell
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told.And so begins Elise Dalriss's story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel's tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered-and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale...
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EVIL THOUGHTS TAKE STRENGTH IN THE DARK,
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-08-15
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
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Lyon's Bride
- The Chattan Curse, Book 1
- By: Cathy Maxwell
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined - and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying - and having a son - without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever. Enter beautiful Thea Martin - a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride - a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.
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Good Story - Wonderful Narrator
- By Lia on 11-19-12
By: Cathy Maxwell
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Gentle Warrior
- By: Julie Garwood
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In feudal England, Elizabeth Montwright barely escaped the massacre that destroyed her family and exiled her from her ancestral castle. Bent on revenge, she rode again through the fortress gates, disguised as a healer...to seek aid from Geoffrey Berkley, the powerful baron who had routed the murderers.
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i forgot
- By tishatim on 09-24-12
By: Julie Garwood
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The Falls of Erith
- By: Kathryn Le Veque
- Narrated by: Brian J. Gill
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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1305 A.D. Being descended from great, though disgraced family, can be a greater curse than most. As a direct descendent of Simon de Montfort, Lady Gray de Montfort Serroux has lived her life with the axe of shame hanging over her head. Because of this, her marriage matches were limited and she wed a dishonorable man who widowed her when he was murdered in a gambling game. Left with a young daughter to support, Gray and her daughter and her mother have been living in poverty.
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Overall moving story from beginning to end
- By Ellen on 10-30-14
By: Kathryn Le Veque
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Bianca
- The Silk Merchant's Daughters
- By: Bertrice Small
- Narrated by: Jill Tanner
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Giovanni Pietro D’Angelo is a highly respected silk merchant who wants nothing more than to see his seven daughters married off. For Bianca, his beautiful eldest daughter, his sights are set on Giuliano Rovere, a famous member of the lawyer’s guild. Though Giuliano has a dark history with women, the Pietro D’Angelos have too much to gain from the pairing and turn a blind eye to his past deeds. Once married, Bianca discovers the true nature of her husband, and is sent seaside to recover. There, she meets Prince Sabih al Saqr, a Turkish wool merchant who has the power to heal her wounds.
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Bertrice Small
- By Jacci on 03-05-13
By: Bertrice Small
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King Kelson's Bride
- A Novel of the Deryni
- By: Katherine Kurtz
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that King Kelson produce a long-awaited heir. Love is set aside for duty-and Kelson the king must make the choice that Kelson the man can not.
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Wraps up King Kelson's story
- By Katherine on 03-20-15
By: Katherine Kurtz
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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
What listeners say about The First Queen of England
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeff and Sabrena
- 09-21-21
Not very likely
Although some of the events described in this story may be historically accurate and the people real, the actions, thoughts and dialog attributed to them are totally unrealistic. It's a real stretch to believe things actually happened in this way. This story seems more romantic fantasy than historical fiction.
Alex Lee's performance is quite acceptable. She doesn't make a lot of distinction between character voices, but most dialog is clear enough to follow.
This story lacks character development, but that may be because not a lot is known about the personalities of these people. Still, a better feel for the times would certainly be appreciated.
Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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- anne-v
- 10-04-21
Historical.... romance
The narrator is amazing. She brought such life into this story. Her voice is just perfection. Excellent choice.
As for the story, I'm a fan of M.J. Porter. His Ninth and Tenth Centuries series are amazing. I LOVE historical novels. This character - who deserves a 360-degree personality as she was a highly intelligent, ambitious, calculating woman - has only a bit of her personality developed, and I'd love to see if the rest of the books in the series bring out more of who she is. The book opens wonderfully, it just doesn't quite carry through.
Again, I really, really love this author and I love historical dramas. I'm willing to attempt book 2 in this series, hoping that M.J. has got a meatier character waiting.
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- mike s.
- 09-20-21
Great Writing
I’m conflicted. Great writing, but the material left me cold. Maybe I’m not one for court intrigue alone. I wasn’t invested. Could just be me. Talented voice artist.
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