The King at the Edge of the World
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Euan Morton
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By:
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Arthur Phillips
About this listen
Queen Elizabeth’s spymasters recruit an unlikely agent - the only Muslim in England - for an impossible mission in a mesmerizing novel from "one of the best writers in America" (The Washington Post).
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review and the Washington Post
The year is 1601. Queen Elizabeth I is dying, childless. Her nervous kingdom has no heir. It is a capital crime even to think that Elizabeth will ever die. Potential successors secretly maneuver to be in position when the inevitable occurs. The leading candidate is King James VI of Scotland, but there is a problem.
The queen’s spymasters - hardened veterans of a long war on terror and religious extremism - fear that James is not what he appears. He has every reason to claim to be a Protestant, but if he secretly shares his family’s Catholicism, then 40 years of religious war will have been for nothing, and a bloodbath will ensue. With time running out, London confronts a seemingly impossible question: What does James truly believe?
It falls to Geoffrey Belloc, a secret warrior from the hottest days of England’s religious battles, to devise a test to discover the true nature of King James' soul. Belloc enlists Mahmoud Ezzedine, a Muslim physician left behind by the last diplomatic visit from the Ottoman Empire, as his undercover agent. The perfect man for the job, Ezzedine is the ultimate outsider, stranded on this cold, wet, and primitive island. He will do almost anything to return home to his wife and son.
Arthur Phillips returns with a unique and thrilling novel that will leave listeners questioning the nature of truth at every turn.
©2020 Arthur Phillips (P)2020 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Another Masterpiece from Mr. Kay
- By Craig Cassar on 06-01-19
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
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The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
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Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
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The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Keith Moore, Toby Leonard Moore, Colin McPhillamy, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
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WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
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In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
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One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
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The Iron King
- The Accursed Kings, Book 1
- By: Maurice Druon
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work. France became a great nation under Philip the Fair - but it was a greatness achieved at the expense of her people, for his was a reign characterised by violence, the scandalous adulteries of his daughters-in-law, and the triumph of royal authority.
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Historical Goodie
- By Syd Young on 08-03-13
By: Maurice Druon
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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The Nectar of Angels
- The Arrowsmith Saga, Book 1
- By: Dane St. John
- Narrated by: R. D. Watson
- Length: 18 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In the chaos of 14th-century England and France, wine is the nectar of angels - a valuable commodity buttressing kingdoms and vaulting vast fortunes. A mysterious old archer named David Arrowsmith recounts his tale to an eager French chronicler, Jean Créton, when the latter learns that his mission to Scotland seems a failure. The burden of Arrowsmith's story rests with Créton, who suddenly finds himself writing about a seemingly cursed infant that barely escapes the grip of the Black Death in rural Wales when his family dies.
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Really? Where are the honest reviews?
- By julie on 03-26-14
By: Dane St. John
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The Bard's Blade
- The Sorcerer's Song, Book 1
- By: Brian D. Anderson
- Narrated by: Andrew Kingston, Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Mariyah enjoys a simple life in Vylari, a land magically sealed off from the outside world, where fear and hatred are all but unknown. There, she's a renowned wine maker, and her betrothed, Lem, is a musician of rare talent. Their destiny has never been in question. Whatever life brings, they will face it together. Then, a stranger crosses the wards into Vylari for the first time in centuries, bringing a dark prophecy that forces Lem and Mariyah down separate paths. How far will they have to go to stop a rising darkness and save their home?
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Something new
- By Blaise Ancona on 02-20-20
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Ines of My Soul
- A Novel
- By: Isabel Allende
- Narrated by: Isabel Allende, Alma Cuervo
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Though she was born into poverty, Inés Suárez, a seamstress in 16th-century Spain, embodies the same restless hope and opportunism that fuels her nation’s conquest of the Americas. Learning that her shiftless husband has vanished, Inés uses his disappearance to embark on her own adventure. It is a journey will lead her to Pedro de Valdivia - a conquistador who becomes the first royal governor of Chile - and to a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.
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Disappointed
- By Elva Pulido on 04-01-21
By: Isabel Allende
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Ascension
- The Trysmoon Saga, Book 1
- By: Brian K. Fuller
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Gen was a bard's apprentice, his nimble hands meant for the lute and his voice for a song. Then the half-mad and completely bored Shadan Khairn invaded Gen's village to winter there and start a war. He shoved a sword in Gen's hands and tormented his body, shaping a bard into a warrior to be killed for sport. As the days of torture pile up like the snow, Gen searches for death. But the day is at hand when the shattered shards of the world will knit together again, and the world's slain god will be reborn.
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Fantastic Epic Fantasy
- By Andrew Stone on 05-14-15
By: Brian K. Fuller
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Don Quixote
- Translated by Edith Grossman
- By: Edith Grossman - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 39 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Sixteenth-century Spanish gentleman Don Quixote, fed by his own delusional fantasies, takes to the road in search of chivalrous adventures. But his quest leads to more trouble than triumph. At once humorous, romantic, and sad, Don Quixote is a literary landmark. This fresh edition, by award-winning translator Edith Grossman, brings the tale to life as never before.
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My Fourth Try at an Audible Quixote
- By James on 12-24-12
By: Edith Grossman - translator, and others
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Suldrun’s Garden
- Lyonesse: Book 1
- By: Jack Vance
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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The Elder Isles, located in what is now the Bay of Biscay off the coast of Old Gaul, are made up of 10 contending kingdoms, all vying with each other for control. At the centre of much of the intrigue is Casmir, the ruthless and ambitious king of Lyonnesse. His beautiful but otherworldly daughter, Suldrun, is part of his plans. He intends to cement an alliance or two by marrying her well. But Suldrun is as determined as he and defies him.
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Not my cup of tea
- By Ann on 01-10-11
By: Jack Vance
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Children of Earth and Sky
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 19 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request - and possibly to do more - and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman posing as a doctor's wife but sent by Seressa as a spy.
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Deep Echoes of the Sarantine Mosaic
- By Sarah on 05-13-16
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
What listeners say about The King at the Edge of the World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mina Tory
- 11-23-20
Exceptional narration and a unique story
This was the listen I'm always hoping for, but don't often get - the sort of magical, transporting tale for a rainy day. The narrator was perfect - voicing each character so clearly you could tell them apart without the written indicators of who was speaking, and really capturing the emotion and connection between them. His voice was also utterly pleasant AND engaging for the entirety of the book - no small feat.
The story was also compelling, told from multiple perspectives, each with a depth and clarity that really resonates. Particularly refreshing was the main character - beautifully written without a hint of the false exoticism and inherent otherness that so often gets baked into characters from non- European backgrounds, and quite effectively challenging saviorist and Eurocentrist historical narratives. It really captured what it feels like to be on the other side of such views, and firmly asserts the oft- overlooked perspective of what an outsider might think of one of the great European empires at home.
The ending was a bit of a let down for me, but I won't spoil it with discussion. Overall, I loved this book. Will definitely be reading/listening to more by this author, others by this narrator, and enjoying re-listens for years to come.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Autodidact
- 08-12-22
Really smart...
... and fun. The subject of the possible Catholic beliefs of the soon to ascend Protestant England's throne, James the 6 thand 1st told from an utterly fresh perspective.
I am a devotee of both non fiction and historical fiction beginning with Henry Tudor through James 1st reign.
This book draws on facts and creates excellent fiction. Well
done, Mr. Phillips!
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- BK
- 04-03-20
What a trip!
A wonderful story of plots and counter-plots, questions of the highest stakes, uncertain loyalties, and a good man thrown into the middle of it all. It's smart, playful, and lots of fun. It's also one of the best narrative performances I've ever heard.
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14 people found this helpful
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- Francis X. Luca
- 09-23-21
An excellent historical spy thriller
The characters were all flesh and blood people. no cardboard or shallow personages all bound together in an enthralling plot.
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- DFK
- 07-25-23
Decent historical fiction, but …
This was an entertaining story, imaginative, though the only developed character was the main character, the physician Mahmoud Ezzedine. And there is something not quite credible about him, either (as another reviewer pointed out): he is quite aghast about the Catholic-Protestant butchery, but how could he not be aware of the sectarian conflict in Islam that began pretty much right after Mohammed’s death? Or were Muslims under Murad III (it was a Sunni empire) shielded from knowledge of their own history (and the existence of other Muslim sects)? Some explanation of this matter needed to be worked in. Perhaps the author was “tongue-in-cheek” when Ezzedine suggested that no such conflict exists where he comes from. Though, perhaps there was none under the Ottomans (who knows what would have happened if someone did not conform to Sunni Islam).
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1 person found this helpful
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- jli
- 08-27-21
fascinating story
fascinating story well told and narrated, gave 4 stars only because I didn't quite understand the ending
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1 person found this helpful
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- Susan
- 08-04-20
Good, but Problematic
Overall, this is a well-told story, with an excellent narrator. The big issue I had involved the handling of religion. The protagonist, a Muslim from the Ottoman Empire, is understandably perplexed regarding the divisions between Protestants and Catholics in England/Scotland during the time period. He conveys the sense that his own faith tradition is somehow free from such divisions-- which is simply not true (then or now). Is the author unaware of the differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims?
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11 people found this helpful
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- Gail N.
- 12-28-20
Great novel until the end
I enjoyed most of this story. The narration was superb. The main characters are well developed and the minor characters are interesting. The story is complex and the scenes are vivid. However, the author seems to have a strange notion of how to finish a novel of this length. What he needs is a good editor to explain that appending three or more what-if endings does not make for a satisfactory story. It leaves the reader feeling rather adrift and somewhat cheated. The ending need not necessarily be happy or sad, just definite. After finishing this book, I read some additional reviews and found this is a common theme. Arthur Phillips' work has very positive reviews among the pros but his work seems to be less appreciated among the reading/listening public. This is unfortunate since with a little effort, he could have had a five star review from me.
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6 people found this helpful