
The King's Falcon
Roundheads and Cavaliers, Book 3
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Narrated by:
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Alex Wyndham
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By:
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Stella Riley
About this listen
A tale of war and witchcraft, plots and playhouses, love and loyalty....
Following his coronation in Scotland, Charles ll leads an army south to reclaim his throne, but the dream ends in a crushing defeat at Worcester, leaving no alternative but flight.
With little more than the clothes on their backs, Ashley Peverell and Francis Langley manage to reach Paris, where Ashley, known to some as The Falcon, resumes his under-cover and unpaid work for the King.
Beautiful, stubborn, and street-wise Athenais de Galzain has risen from the slums of Paris to become the Marais Theatre's leading actress. Unfortunately, this brings her to the attention of the Marquis d'Auxerre - an influential nobleman of an unsavory reputation who is accustomed to taking what he wants.
While the Prince's Fronde flares up anew, and turns the city into a battle-ground, Francis is bullied into helping his sister, Celia, obtain a divorce from Eden Maxwell. Currently working as a cryptographer in the Commonwealth's intelligence service, Eden watches Cromwell creating a king-sized space for himself, and begins to question the cause to which he has devoted a decade of his life.
From first chance, Ashley and Athenais are drawn together with the unstoppable force of two stars colliding; a force which Ashley, lacking both money and prospects, and aware of the frequency with which he's required to risk his life, cannot deny, but resolves to conceal. He has only two priorities: His work for Charles ll, and his determination to protect Athenais from the Marquis. Both are to test him to his limits.
The King's Falcon follows the Cavalier's last crusade, and the bitter, poverty-stricken exile that followed it. There is danger, intrigue, and romance in this sequel to The Black Madonna and Garland of Straw.
©2014 Stella Riley (P)2022 Stella RileyListeners also enjoyed...
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Looking forward to the last book in the series...
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Third Book in the Series Does Not Disappoint
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Listener received this title free
If I were to focus on what is most important to me in a novel, I would definitely say that the characters need to be vivid, intricately formed, witty, often but not always wise, multi-layered people I would love to spend time with. The King’s Falcon excels at this and presents you with fascinating, complex people, who are trapped in conflict that is beyond their control, whether through war or poverty or social position. We step back to a time where ancestry, social status and wealth are everything and women are confined and often powerless. Poverty is a character flaw and women of the stage are prostitutes and valued only for their beauty, toys to be taken, played with and then tossed aside. In this novel we focus on two Cavalier soldiers, involved in the last battles of the war, weary of loss, killing and forced to flee to France to escape imprisonment and to support Charles the deposed king. They have little money, almost no occupation and are separated irreparably from the life they lived before the war. Ashley (Ash) is a second son, an out of work soldier and a sometimes spy, whose brother supported Cromwell and married the women Ashley was to wed . At first he is almost unknowable having erected a barrier that keeps people at a distance. Francis becomes a Viscount on the loss of his father, his lands have been confiscated, and is largely estranged from his remaining family. He (one of my favourites} is witty, easy going, a bit of a rake but kind hearted and who has grown to be a much deeper person because of his experiences in the war and the friendships formed with other soldiers. Both are well educated and of the nobility , but living below the poverty line, barely scraping by. Paris life for them is restless, aimless and frustrating after years of brutal battles and heartbreaking losses. As dreary as it has been, they miss the action and adventure and camaraderie of the war. Forced to change lodgings for financial reasons, they move into shared housing with a beautiful actress, Athenais and her friend and mentor Pauline. These woman are from a totally different social structure and status. Athenais is just starting her career while Pauline, once a very famous actress who withdrew from the stage after an accident that left her with a facial scar and a limp . Pauline is practical, jaded by life and keeps her emotions rigidly in check while Athenais is naive, somewhat self-centred and often on an emotional rollercoaster. There is an immediate attraction between Athenais and Ash, but only coolness and distrust from Pauline to both men. As friendship and love grow and change their worlds, a sweet, poignant story unfolds with many twists and turns, further tragedy and an intrigue that will sweep you into the narrative. I love that Stella never rushes through her books or her character development and adds a wealth of historical facts to her outstanding plots. . I have read all of her books multiple times and they are so packed with content that each time I am entranced and learn new things. When I started these series I had only the foggiest recollection of this period of English history, the events leading up to it and its aftermath, but now I almost think I could teach a class on it. Stella’s research is so detailed and accurate that you are able to soak up the sights and sounds and smells and feel a part of it. Stella’s writing style, plot lines and characters are so compelling that you become invested from the very start.
Add to this the incredible narration of Alex Wyndham who literally inhabits her people and you have a must listen, stop all other activities experience. I have found that no matter how good a book is, a mediocre narrater can ruin it. Stella and Alex are a literary match made in heaven. Alex brings such passion, nuance and yes downright sexiness to the party that you will never be disappointed and never want to leave. Do not miss out on the experience, but a warning, one book and you will be hooked.
Everything you want in a novel and so much more
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Listener received this title free
I especially enjoyed seeing beloved and honorable characters on both sides of the conflict (Ashley, Francis and their friend Nicholas among the Cavailers and Eden Maxwell on the Parliamentary side). The appearance of Cyrano de Bergerac was a welcome addition, and I enjoyed the description of the theatre life in the era.
However, I had trouble with the extreme dark violence in the story. I knew to expect it to some degree as the previous boks also contained some dark themes (revenge, betrayal, loss of pregnancy due to the actions of a villain, torture, unnecessary and cruel killing of the defeated by the victors etc.), but I think this book is not for the faint-hearted, and contains potential emotional triggers. On the whole, though, I think the strength, honour and kindness of the positive characters, their friendship, the love relationships, and the humour wins over the darkness and makes this story a satisfying experience even if an emotional rollercoaster.
The audio version is a shining testimony to the talent of Alex Wyndham, the long-time narrator of the author's historical romances. The many facets of the story - swashbuckling, war, politics, espionage, love, friendship, witch-hunt, theatre etc. - are displayed in his voice evocatively, richly illustrating character and emotions in a variety of situations. It is a treat to immerse myself in this book with this new audio edition, and I recommend it to all historical fiction and historical romance lovers.
Love and intrigue in the English Civil War era
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This book is about Francis and Ashley. Both are cavalier soldiers exiled in France trying to make a life for themselves and finding love and adventure in the process. I will not recount the story, it is not necessary in this review, however, it is full of all that those of us who love Stella Riley's books enjoy and was well worth the agonizing wait. Now we must all wait again for the Lord of Misrule, book four in this series....I will be impatiently waiting.
19 hours of bliss.
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Once the battles were over, I loved it
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Long but very well done
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Brilliant!
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Stayed up all night to finish
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Great performances on and off stage👏👏
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