The Widow Queen

The Bold, Book 1

De: Elzbieta Cherezinska

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

Elzbieta Cherezinska's The Widow Queen is the epic story of a Polish queen whose life and name were all but forgotten until now.

The bold one, they call her- too bold for most.

To her father, the great duke of Poland, Swietoslawa and her two sisters represent three chances for an alliance. Three marriages on which to build his empire.

But Swietoslawa refuses to be simply a pawn in her father's schemes; she seeks a throne of her own, with no husband by her side.

The gods may grant her wish, but crowns sit heavy, and power is a sword that cuts both ways.

A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books

©2021 Elzbieta Cherezinska (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The Widow Queen is the story of a woman standing strong in a world run by men, and of the sacrifices we must make for power and love. Elzbieta Cherezinska brings epic history to life with her own unique and recognizable voice. Her stories have emotion, drama, and make even the most well-known historical events feel exciting and fresh." (Tomek Baginski, executive producer, The Witcher, Netflix)

"The Widow Queen is a genuine gift for historical fiction enthusiasts: a deeply-detailed story of power, politics, and love - and the impossibility of keeping all three. In Swietoslawa, Elzbieta Cherezinska reveals to us a complex woman who was ignored by historians, rightfully elevating her to an equal standing with her more-famous allies and enemies. This carefully-crafted novel lives up to its protagonist’s title: the Bold One." (Nathan Makaryk, author of Nottingham)

“Look no further for your next great adventure. The Widow Queen unspools the true history of two courageous siblings, Boleslaw - the first and future King of Poland, and his daring sister Swietoslawa, fated to a royal destiny in a great Norse kingdom. Ranging across Baltic shores to the northern reaches of Scandinavia, and far West to King Ethelred's England, Cherezinska propels us through a tale of great personal and social transformation, from pagan to Christian, and private to political. This hidden history of a forgotten yet vitally important heroine brings Swietoslawa into the limelight she so richly deserves.” (Octavia Randolph, author of the Circle of Ceridwen Saga)

Second time's a charm

So many characters and story lines! The first time I listened to it most of my concentration was spent trying to remember characters and the sub-story of each. Upon finishing the book, I immediately listened to it again. Very good story! Can't wait for the sequel!

Magical.

Loved this. Narrator was incredible. Beautifully written. Story never slowed. Grateful for audio translation.

Stilted reading. Narrator has difficulty with accents and masculine voices.

There are a lot of male warrior voices. The narrator is unconvincing and blurs the various accents into something that sounds unintentionally Russian. The women all sound giddy and immature. A shame. I think a more confident narrator would have been able to convey the strength of the story.

Wonderful

Thoroughly enjoyable! Wonderful writing style. Good story. I learned a great deal about the time period, lands and peoples.

Why

Why did it have to go “south” so quick?
Totally disgusted with the sex.
Turned it off and deleting it from my device.

You don’t get an ending!

I got through all of this book, Moderately invested in the characters and there is no ending!! The author’s note tells you the story will continue in the NEXT BOOK! No thanks. It was long enough. One credit wasted.