The Serpent and the Pearl Audiobook By Kate Quinn cover art

The Serpent and the Pearl

Borgias, Book 1

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The Serpent and the Pearl

By: Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Leila Birch, Maria Elena Infantino, Ronan Vibert
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Rome, 1492: The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous - or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web....

Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham, and she is to be given as a concubine to the ruthless, charismatic Cardinal Borgia: Spaniard, sensualist, candidate for Pope - and passionately in love with her.

Two trusted companions will follow her into the Pope's shadowy harem: Leonello, a cynical bodyguard bent on bloody revenge against a mysterious killer, and Carmelina, a fiery cook with a past full of secrets. But as corruption thickens in the Vatican and the enemies begin to circle, Giulia and her friends will need all their wits to survive in the world of the Borgias.

©2013 Kate Quinn (P)2013 Penguin Audio Historical Medieval Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

“Epic, sexy.” (Publishers Weekly starred review)

“Deeply passionate.” (Kate Furnivall, New York Times best-selling author)

“A riveting plunge into an ancient world.” (C. W. Gortner, author of The Vatican Princess)
Engaging Historical Fiction • Rich Character Development • Vivid Period Descriptions • Intriguing Multiple Perspectives
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I dont understand the great reviews of this book. it was pleasant enough and the narration from three different narrators and description of the food kept me listening but actually nothing much happens in this book til the end and then they leave you hanging. It wasnt awful as I did finish but not great. Certainly not a best seller. Read The Alice Network by this author a far superior book. couldn't put that one down. As some other reviews have stated the narration of Julia ( not spelled that way) was not a problem for me.

Nothing Happened til the end

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What made the experience of listening to The Serpent and the Pearl the most enjoyable?

I loved the change in narrators and enjoyed the pace of the story

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's a tie between Carmalena and Lionello...theyre both wonderfully complex and I loved the way they played off of each other.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I thought the performers who were Carmalena and Lionello had great emotion and were easy to listen to. Guilia was a little harder to follow as she spoke very slow, but I still enjoyed it.

Who was the most memorable character of The Serpent and the Pearl and why?

Probably Lionello, as his character was really fun to follow

Great story!

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I found all three narrators jarring to listen to, but not so bad that I didn't get wrapped up in the plot. simply turning the speed to 1.3x helped with the slow narrators, and the strange pauses didn't bother me--it added to the idea that English isn't the primary language. wonderful story, cliff hanger!!!

great story - not so great narration

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Interesting take on the Borgia's. have lists ed to it more than ten times and will listen to it even more times!

Great Story

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Did not like the narration of Gulia, but the narration.of the other characters was excellent.

Entertaining. Did not like the ending.

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The narration is well balanced leading to more character development. Well done. Quiet is more powerful than loud demands, more powerful than politics. La Bella, young at heart and old of soul desired by all and only truly possessed by a few. Great story of Roman and Catholic politics, inside and outside of the Vatican. Very easy to listen to.

A fast read and a slow pace, intriguing.

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Any additional comments?

I am currently listening to this audiobook and am really enjoying it. I've been a big fan of the Studio Canal & Showtime productions of the Borgias and am enjoying the alternate POVs from non-Borgia characters.
I was disappointed that there weren't any more Kate Quinn books available on Audible yet. I hope they plan to release more of her novels in Audible format.

Good Story & Performance

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I lo Ed the story line and the extraordinary escapades of members of the Papal court. the debauchery, mistresses and exotic bahaviours. however the female voices were not very good , and ruined the flow of the story

extraordinary glimpse into Papal court life 1400's

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved the story and the way Kate Quinn took you inside the Borgia life. She didn't do as most and immediately go for the incest story. As a matter a fact, it was briefly mentioned.

What did you like best about this story?

The three narrators made the story interesting and kept it from being another male narrator trying to pull off a female voice.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Loved them all!

If you could take any character from The Serpent and the Pearl out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Carmelina. I don't know why. :)

Any additional comments?

I wish Kate Quinn's other books were in audio too.

Great Story

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Serpent and the Pearl to be better than the print version?

The audio was brilliant, this story was brought to life by the actors portrayal of the characters images lit up in my head.

What other book might you compare The Serpent and the Pearl to and why?

Wuthering Heights it is classic drama at it's best

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Each character activated my imagination. The performance was wonderful!

If you could rename The Serpent and the Pearl, what would you call it?

I had to charge you a fee for that service ;)

Great Borgia Story delivered from 3 differing POVs

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