
The Siege Winter
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Kate Reading
A powerful historical novel by the late Ariana Franklin and her daughter Samantha Norman, The Siege Winter is a tour de force mystery and murder, adventure and intrigue, a battle for a crown, told by two courageous young women whose fates are intertwined in 12th century England's devastating civil war.
1141. England is engulfed in war as King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, vie for the crown. In this dangerous world, not even Emma, an 11-year-old peasant, is safe. A depraved monk obsessed with redheads kidnaps the ginger-haired girl from her village and leaves her for dead. When an archer for hire named Gwyl finds her, she has no memory of her previous life. Unable to abandon her, Gwyl takes the girl with him, dressing her as a boy, giving her a new name - Penda - and teaching her to use a bow. But Gwyn knows that the man who hurt Penda roams free, and that a scrap of evidence she possesses could be very valuable.
Gwyl and Penda make their way to Kenilworth, a small but strategically important fortress that belongs to 15-year-old Maud. Newly wedded to a boorish and much older husband after her father's death, the fierce and determined young chatelaine tempts fate and Stephen's murderous wrath when she gives shelter to the empress.
Aided by a garrison of mercenaries, including Gwyl and his odd red-headed apprentice, Maud will stave off Stephen's siege for a long, brutal winter that will bring a host of visitors to Kenilworth - kings, soldiers... and a sinister monk with deadly business to finish.
©2015 Samantha Norman (P)2015 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















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I enjoyed learning more about the ole of cross bows and archers.I also enjoyed the inside look at a feudal castle and a siege. Very enjoyable. I wish it were a series.
A Personal Sory
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Pleasant Listen, Above Average Writing
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Great Period Piece
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True Ariana Franklin
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All in all a good story. Will listen again.
good start...lacking ending
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Worth a read, story stayed with me
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This is a very absorbing story and well written.
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Good But Different
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If you could sum up The Siege Winter in three words, what would they be?
Literate, medieval, feminist.Have you listened to any of Kate Reading’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Narrator was good.Any additional comments?
Wow, you can really tell where Ariana Franklin left off (due to her death) and where her daughter took over the writing. Book became rather stilted at the end. The fight scenes were particularly badly done. I wish, in general with Ariana Franklin's (aka Diana Norman's) books that she didn't have quite such a grisly imagination. She seemed to really enjoy writing about perverted child molesters. Everything else is wonderful. The settings, the mystery, the pacing, the other (non-murderous) characters.I (nearly) love everything from Ariana Franklin
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Narration was good overall-found the tone of narrator's voice grating at times.
Better than expected historical fiction
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