The Plague Tales
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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By:
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Ann Benson
About this listen
Fourteenth-century physician Alejandro Guzman, caught performing an autopsy in Spain, flees across Europe at the time of the Black Death to escape execution for his heretical deed. When he arrives in the Papal city of Avignon, he is conscripted against his will to serve as a Plague Doctor in the court of England's Edward III.
Unfolding in a dramatic counterpoint is the story of American medical archaeologist Janie Crowe, in England at the turn of the 21st century to recover from the tragic loss of her family. She digs up a medieval artifact as part of her research and unwittingly releases a deadly plague bacterium on an unprepared world.
These two unwilling heroes from two different centuries are linked by history and defined by circumstance. Here are their stories - the plague tales.
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Critic reviews
“Part historical novel, part futuristic adventure...chock full of curious lore and considerable suspense.” (Entertainment Weekly)
“Benson reveals a formidable talent as she blends historical fiction with a near-future bio-thriller.” (Publishers Weekly [starred review])
“Harrowing... Will give readers both nightmares and thrills... A carefully woven page-turner from which...Robin Cook and Michael Crichton could learn.” (Library Journal)
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A really good read...
- By Sheila Medlam on 03-25-16
By: Barb Hendee
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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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The Highlander's Bride
- By: Amanda Forester
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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All Highland warrior Gavin Patrick wants is to get back to his native Scotland. Before Gavin leaves the battlefield, he's given a final mission - escort Lady Marie Colette to her fiancé. Under no circumstances is he to lay hands on the beautiful heiress...no matter how desperate the temptation. Forced to pose as a married couple to escape from France, Gavin and Marie Colette find themselves thrown into peril...and each other's arms. As the danger mounts, so does forbidden passion.
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The Best Romance and Adventure
- By Astraea on 03-04-17
By: Amanda Forester
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The Voice
- An Ephemera Novella
- By: Anne Bishop
- Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
- Length: 1 hr and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In a small village outside the city of Vision, the people know no sorrow or grief. But this seemingly idyllic community is hiding a terrible secret. As a young child, Nalah did not know why she was told to bring a cake to the mute girl known as the Voice whenever she was upset, only that doing so made her feel better. Now grown, Nalah understands the dark truth, and yearns to escape from the oppressive village that has been her life-long home.
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Doesn't hold up
- By Linda on 05-22-13
By: Anne Bishop
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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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The Fire Rose
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Kate Black-Regan
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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Accepting employment as a governess after hard times hit her family, medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins is surprised when she learns that her mysterious employer has no children and only wants her to read to him through a speaking tube.
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Great story, poorly presented
- By Che on 02-26-10
By: Mercedes Lackey
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The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
- Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius
- By: John Joseph Adams - editor
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Mary Robinette Kowal, Justine Eyre
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Mad scientists have never had it so tough. In super-hero comics, graphic novels, films, TV series, video games, and even works of what may be fiction, they are besieged by those who stand against them, devoid of sympathy for their irrational, megalomaniacal impulses to rule, destroy, or otherwise dominate the world as we know it. It’s just not fair. So those of us who are so twisted and sick that we love mad scientists have created this guide.
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HAND DANCING
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 05-30-15
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The Bride of Black Douglas
- By: Elaine Coffman
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Abridged
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Lady Meleri Weatherby is desperate to escape the unthinkable: marriage to a man she does not love, a man she knows to be unspeakably cruel. In a bold move, she breaks off her betrothal to Lord Philip and flees her home in Northumberland, vowing to marry the first man she meets, never considering the consequences of such a show of independence.
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good but too short
- By GatorBait! on 11-19-17
By: Elaine Coffman
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Keepers of the Sword
- By: Guy Morgan Galli
- Narrated by: Jason Tatom
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Since the days of Isaiah, two families have been charged with safeguarding the brass plates containing the history of God's works among his people - one to preserve them and the other to protect them at all costs. But these are dark times. Having spent the last decade apprenticing in the closely guarded secrets of steel making, Zoram anxiously returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny and take his place as the new Keeper of the Sword.
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not Biblically accurate
- By Julie on 05-27-19
By: Guy Morgan Galli
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Grass
- By: Sheri S. Tepper
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 18 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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What could be more commonplace than grass or a world covered over all its surface with a wind-whipped ocean of grass? But the planet Grass conceals horrifying secrets within its endless pastures. And as an incurable plague attacks all inhabited planets but this one, the prairie-like Grass begins to reveal these secrets - and nothing will ever be the same again.
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Speculative & Creative, Yet well Paced and Unique
- By Zach Wilson on 04-17-17
By: Sheri S. Tepper
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The Widow's Kiss
- By: Jane Feather
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Lady Guinevere Mallory has been married four times in 12 years, and each of her husbands has died mysteriously. Adept in the laws of property, she has secured the land of each of her late spouses, vastly increasing her personal wealth. After the death of her fourth husband, this trend raises some eyebrows at the royal court, and Hugh of Beaucaire is sent to investigate these puzzling events.
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Not bad, but veeerryyy ssslllooowwww narration.
- By I like to shop on 08-31-18
By: Jane Feather
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Lamp Black, Wolf Grey
- A Novel
- By: Paula Brackston
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Artist Laura Matthews finds her new home in the Welsh mountains to be a place so charged with tales and legends that she is able to reach through the gossamer-fine veil that separates her own world from that of myth and fable. She and her husband, Dan, have given up their city life and moved to Blaencwm, an ancient longhouse high in the hills. Here, she hopes that the wild beauty will inspire her to produce her best art and will give her the baby they have longed for.
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Just plain silly
- By Jennifer S Lewis on 08-10-18
By: Paula Brackston
What listeners say about The Plague Tales
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Marianne Allen Dayton
- 10-05-20
Very cool story
Loved the dual time periods and how they tied together. Great concept, and especially interesting in these times.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-27-23
excellent story!
One of my favorite books! The audiobook isn't as great as just reading it yourself but it's alright if you don't have time to actually sit down and read a physical book. wonderful story.
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- Krowraven
- 11-27-17
Intriguing
I have read the paper book 3 times and the story is fascinating. I was disappointed that the audio version was abridged as many of the interesting story lines were cut short in this version.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kera
- 11-01-23
LOVE the UNabridged version!
Why shorten this book?!?
I’ve read it many times and love the stories. I feel a little ripped off by having it cut up.
Narration was good.
I really wish we had the whole story, because it’s fantastic.
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Overall
- Matt
- 01-07-04
Great tales
The two tales are excellent and the narration is top notch. My only complaint with this audio book was the abridgement. Certain, seemingly significant, plot lines were briefly mentioned in places but never explained. I'm tempted to look at a print edition just to see what I missed. Even with this annoyance it was time well spent.
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Overall
- Branden
- 11-26-05
Narration saves it...
In spite of drawbacks, like a couple of deus ex machina moments and some protocol-breaching yahoos as central characters--who make you wonder how the story's modern world could have survived so long without some devastating scourge overrunning it--I don't regret purchasing this book. The most rewarding aspect of the production is Juliet Stevenson's enthralling narration. Even when I was thinking, "oh, pleease" about the plot I was compelled to continue. I did feel as though something were missing from the plot. I'm not sure if it was because of the abridgement or not. All in all, if you can generously suspend disbelief, this book will kill a few hours for you.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Karen
- 12-12-04
Definitely Good for a Rainy Sunday
I'd love to take a look at a copy of this book to confirm my theory, but I'm pretty sure that it's a better listen than it is a read. Benson's simple narrative style is enriched immeasurably by Juliet Stevenson's diverse and intelligent reading. The author takes us to some interesting periods in history, nimbly jumping from century to century as the tale weaves dexterously in an out. An enjoyable listen for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
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- Cae
- 03-24-19
My Favorite!
Read the book in high school and once I started listening I realized how much I had forgotten. Still my favorite!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- David
- 07-05-03
The Plague Tales
A terrific read.......A blend of the historical & the 21st century, very well written & spell binding. I listened all in one day as I found I had to know what happened next.
The narrator is one of the best so far at Audible! This book is exceptionally well read by a narrator of many voices further enhancing the enjoyment of the story!
Don't miss this one!
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15 people found this helpful
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- Bindy Wuertenberg
- 03-10-16
Love love love this story
I absolutely love this book!! I've always had a fascination with history during the Black Plague breakout. And I have always had been in love with the idea that somewhere along the line of our lives, we accomplish something that will be useful to someone years down the road. To bring these two things together in such a great story telling of near future and distant past..., I was in heaven!
The story was entertaining, interesting, and fascinating. The storytelling was well done and wonderful to listen too. Highly recommended!! PLEASE BRING MORE ANN BENSON BOOKS TO AUDIBLE!!
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1 person found this helpful