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The Summer Queen
- Eleanor of Aquitaine Trilogy, Book 1
- Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
- Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
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Publisher's summary
Eleanor of Aquitaine.
A loving mother. A betrayed wife. A queen beyond compare.
Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is legendary. She is an icon who has fascinated readers for over 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive - until now. Based on the most up-to-date research, best-selling novelist Elizabeth Chadwick brings Eleanor's magnificent story to life, as never before.
Young, vibrant, privileged, Eleanor's future is golden as the heiress to wealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies suddenly in the summer of 1137, her childhood ends abruptly. Forced to marry the young prince Louis of France, Eleanor is still struggling to adjust to her new role when Louis' father dies and they become King and Queen of France. Leaving everything behind, the vivacious Eleanor must face the complex and faction-riddled French court. She is only 13.
Overflowing with scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies, The Summer Queen is the first novel in a stunning trilogy from award-winning and much-loved author Elizabeth Chadwick
Critic reviews
"An author who makes history come gloriously alive." (The Times)
"Meticulous research and strong storytelling." (Woman & Home)
"A sumptuous ride." (Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph)
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Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
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By: Joanna Hickson
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
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- 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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Infamous
- By: Virginia Henley
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Strong-willed and free spirited, lady-in-waiting Marjory de Warenne long ago gave her body and soul to the charming and beguiling Earl of Warwick, Guy de Beauchamp. But her family never approved of the pairing. Now, on the eve of war and an arranged marriage to another suitor, Jory yearns for the man who could make all of her dreams come true.
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Enjoyable
- By Heather Osteen on 08-15-07
By: Virginia Henley
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Shadow on the Crown
- A Novel
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- Narrated by: Katie Firth
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In 1002, 15-year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her, and a bewitching rival who covets her crown, Emma must defend herself against her enemies and secure her status as queen by bearing a son.
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Trying to return.
- By Polish Princess on 08-26-15
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Kushiel's Dart
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The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
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The Kushiel series in order
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By: Jacqueline Carey
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Notorious
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Virginia Henley's historical romances have won praise for their ability to "illuminate and entertain" ( Publishers Weekly). It is 1322, and the Marcher lords are rebelling against King Edward II. Lady Brianna de Beauchamp, daughter of a powerful Marcher, knows she should not involve herself in the battle. But when she meets dangerously handsome Wolf Mortimer, who has the gift of second sight, she cannot deny her passions.
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Very sweet...
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By: Virginia Henley
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In the King's Service
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In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Katherine Kurtz takes listeners back in time - before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.
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Needs a female reader
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The Sekhmet Bed
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The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
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Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
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Empress
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In a family torn apart by poverty and violence, Hekat is no more than an unwanted mouth to feed, worth only a few coins from a passing slave trader. But Hekat was not born to be a slave. For her, a different path has been chosen. It is a path that will take her from stinking back alleys to the house of her God, from blood-drenched battlefields to the glittering palaces of Mijak. This is the story of Hekat, slave to no man.
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depressing and left me feeling empty
- By Bonnie on 09-16-09
By: Karen Miller
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Grave Mercy
- His Fair Assassin, Book 1
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Escaping an arranged marriage, 17-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary in the St. Mortain convent, where the sisters worship the gods of old. There, Ismae learns that the God of Death has special plans for her—a destiny that will one day compel her to betray the man she loves.
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Slow Start but Finished Strong
- By The Mankers on 10-12-12
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Isabella: Braveheart of France
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12-year-old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England - only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair - does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death - or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself? Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight - but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage - and England apart.
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A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...
- By Sara on 01-06-15
By: Colin Falconer
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She was the mother of Henry VIII and wife of Henry VII, but who was Elizabeth of York? Raised as the precious eldest child of Edward IV, Elizabeth had every reason to expect a bright future until Edward died, and her life fell apart. When Elizabeth's uncle became Richard III, she was forced to choose sides. Should she trust her father's brother and most loyal supporter or honor the betrothal that her mother has made for her to her family's enemy, Henry Tudor? The choice was made for her on the field at Bosworth.
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took all I had to finish
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What listeners say about The Summer Queen
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sara
- 10-04-14
The Romance Runs Strong in This One
I found this title in the coming soon to Audible area of the web site. It sounded terrific when I researched the series. Plus there was the added perk of many glowing reviews on Audible UK. Overall it seemed like a perfect fit for me. I have read numerous books about Eleanor of Aquitaine and her life and this sounded like a wonderful series to look forward to.
The trouble started with a minor irritation in that the author and narrator decided to use the historic pronunciation of Eleanor's name. I soon got use to the odd pronunciation but in a way it sounded overly prissy and unnecessary. To me the narration came across as very young and childish. I suggest a careful listen to the sample before buying the book.
The focus points the author chose to examine and stress in the story moved this book squarely into the Romance Genre for me -- without question. For example--when the old King of France died-- two lines are spent on this in the story explaining he had died, the travel to Paris AND that a rebellion was squelched on the way. Then paragraphs and even chapters are spent describing intimate details of the wedding night and other encounters of this kind.
Further, I just finished watching the cable program The White Queen and so much of the court life depicted here in this book could be lifted from that story. The nastiness, the disapproving hateful mother-in-law and the daily traumas and manipulations. More than all of this I found the book slow. Very slow. I could have used more fact, more history and a great deal less conjecture and imaginings. Can not recommend-- unless you love a good romance.
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55 people found this helpful
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- carie donnelson
- 08-22-16
Slightly Embarrassing
I rarely review audiobooks, only when I love them or hate them. I didn't love this book, and I didn't hate this book. I just found it, well, embarrassing.
On the one hand, I couldn't stop listening. The subject matter and the writer's easy prose worked well together. So well, I even listened to the second book. That's the embarrassing part.
On the other, the author clearly cannot handle (or imagine) the intricate politics of the time. Eleanor (Alienor), thus becomes a kind of Victorian heroine--flat, romantic, slightly boring. Her only flaws seem to be loving and feeling too much, which results in extricating her love/emotions in order to protect herself. Eleanor rarely behaves badly, and she comes across as a relatively normal, intelligent, person stuck in a world gone insane. There is NO WAY Eleanor was anything like that...she wouldn't have survived one night with someone like Henry for one night, much less more than 80 years.
Anyway, the resulting characterization is made all the more flat by the reader, who has a lovely voice but manages to make even the battles seem like dreamy walks in the park.
One review of this book called it a romance, and I think that's right. It's a glossy, idealized take on a historical figure. And not a particularly good one.
But it is HIGHLY listenable, and got me interested in the time period. So there's that.
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30 people found this helpful
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- Kelly
- 12-10-16
Heavy on the Fiction, Light on the History.
I have two major complaints on this book:
1. The parts of history that are so rich and could be mined for so much documented history are skimmed past with barely any attention. One of the reasons I love historical fiction is for the history I can learn, but this book offered no education.
2. Eleanor of Aquitaine had to be one of the strongest women to have lived. And, yet, in this book she is weak, whiny and seems to only care about romance and sex. It is far too much a "bodice ripper" romance book.
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- The Louligan
- 11-07-14
WRONG NARRATOR - GREAT SUBJECTS MATTER WASTED!
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The narrator sounds like a 12 year-old child - young and naive by current standards but of marriageable age during the era portrayed here. The story begins with The early life of Eleanor of Acquitane and the vocalization works for her.. However, the "Teen Queen" depictstion in the actual third- party accounts dust don't work,
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
I regret to say that I didn't get more than an hour into the book and eventually threw in the towel, the whole experience was more like listening to a fairy tale told by a neighborhood reader who has yet to learn the skill and nuances required by audiobooks.
Would you be willing to try another one of Katie Scarfe’s performances?
I'm always open to give authors and narrators a second ride around the park. My criticism is not about Katie Scarfe's life repertoire - just that this a mismatched pairing.
Was The Summer Queen worth the listening time?
I'm a great fan of Eleanor of Aquitaine, having read or listened to dozens. But this book did not have enough "oomph" to engage me more than an hour. Beyond that, I found myself "zoning out" during major passages.
Any additional comments?
This is yet another example to the problemd that I have with audiobook producers and directors- no quality control, questionable production and directorial shills. The audio format of books are terribly expensive so it is of paramount importance that the production, casting, recording, continuity and, of course, the performance be of the first quality and running on ALL cylinders! This book is a case-book example of an "opportunity wasted". I am wayyyy past buying books, only to find them substandard, then keeping them in my Library. There are those who will like this book - I, for one, am not one of these people! REFUND!
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16 people found this helpful
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- Nanette Dean
- 07-19-15
More novel than fact
I enjoyed the story but there was a little too much emphasis on sex and bodily functions for my taste.
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13 people found this helpful
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- D.S. Daniel
- 03-18-20
I very much wanted to love it ...
... however I found both the story as told by the author and the writing style predictable which quickly devolved to vapid.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Kathi
- 10-22-14
Is it history or romance?
I have always loved Eleanor (Alienor) of Aquitaine--she has sort of been one of my favorite historical characters, and I read everything I find about her. So when I saw Elizabeth Chadwick's book featuring her story, I eagerly got it.
So--for me--and this is just my opinion--it's kind of a wavy-hand thing.(had good points and less good ones). It is a well-written and very interesting book. I don't typically read romance novels, and I realized that's what this would be when I got it, but I think in future I'll look for either historical biography or (maybe) a romance novel. I actually found it fun to listen to--even my husband liked it. But I felt that it might have been a little much to turn this exciting woman of history into a romantic/sexy sort of heroine.
So how can I explain this? I really liked the book. I really love reading about the historical Alienor of Aquitaine. I guess I would prefer, at the end of the day, to have read a more strictly biographical account of her. But that's just my taste--I can really say that the book is good. If I just wasn't trying to square it with the Alienor I've held in my imagination for 50 years, I would have liked it better. As a romance novel--I suspect it is superb (I don't read many--but I think so). As a historical one, just missed my personal taste by a little. But I do recommend it--the book is a good story and a good listen, well-narrated.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Robin
- 04-16-16
Intro to Chadwick
The storyline kept me wanting more, the narrator's voice was enough to siphon the characters. I was able to complete house chores and stay caught up with the story at the same time. Now to Winter Queen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- M. Ward
- 02-24-16
What a woman!
This is the 1st installment in the trilogy on Eleanor of Aquitaine's life. Ms. Chadwick is a great storyteller and picked a fantastic subject in Eleanor. I've thoroughly enjoyed both books that are currently out, and am looking forward to the third. If you are a lover of Philippa Gregory's books, you'll find Elizabeth Chadwick is just as good, if not better. Katie Scarfe does a good job on the women's voices, but a bit harsh and monotone on the men's voices. It doesn't take away from the story itself, but I can't give 5 stars to the performance.
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3 people found this helpful
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- serine
- 02-03-16
great escape if you like queens and kings
I downloaded this to listen to while I used the elliptical. I find it takes a really imaginative book to help me get through each workout. Some books are interesting enough, but it still takes too much effort to make it through an hour. This book allowed me to get completely lost in the 1100s, in the worlds of kings and queens. Before I knew it, whole chunks of time would pass by. Without question I will download her next book and take it to the gym with me.
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3 people found this helpful