Bladesong: 1151 in the Holy Land
Then Troubadours, Book 2
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Bladesong: 1151 in the Holy Land
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Narrated by:
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Jake Urry
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By:
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Jean Gill
About this listen
Book two of the multi-award-winning medieval historical fiction series The Troubadours Quartet.
1151: The Holy Land, where one book is worth more than a man's life.
Imprisoned in Damascus, Dragonetz suffers the mind games inflicted by his anonymous enemies as he is forced to remember the traumatic events of the crusade two years earlier. His military prowess is as valuable and dangerous to the balance of power as the priceless Torah he has to deliver to Jerusalem, and the key players want Dragonetz riding with them—or dead.
Instead of remaining safely at home, Estela is desperate to rescue Dragonetz at all costs. She sets out for the Holy Land, never realizing that the person she thinks will be her knight's savior might actually be his doom. Can Estela get him out alive, despite Nur-ad-Din, the Muslim Atabeg; Mélisende, the Queen of Jerusalem; and an avenger from the past? Will she still want to, when she knows what they've done to him?
Once more, "the master of historical intrigue" whirls the listener off into medieval mayhem. Jean Gill's details of crusading strategy and riding a camel are as convincing as the pangs of medieval childbirth. She brought medieval France to life in Song at Dawn; now she adds 12th-century Damascus and Jerusalem with equal aplomb.
©2014 Jean Gill (P)2022 The 13th SignListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice
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Discovered Diamond Award
"I like my historical romance heavy on the history, light on the romance, with a strong cupful of action and adventure thrown in. When an author can get all of the elements in exactly the right proportions, we are probably talking bestseller. In Bladesong we have a bestseller." (Ray Simmons, Readers' Favorite)
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-
Story4 out of 5 stars 46
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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2 out of 5 stars
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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Kushiel's Dart
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,705
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,010
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,028
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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5 out of 5 stars
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The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Gwenhwyfar
- The White Spirit (A Novel of King Arthur)
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 118
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 86
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Story4 out of 5 stars 86
Gwenhwyfar moves in a world where gods walk among their pagan worshipers, where nebulous visions warn of future perils, and where there are two paths for a woman: the path of the Blessing or the rarer path of the Warrior. Gwenhwyfar chooses the latter, giving up the power that she is born into. Yet the daughter of a king is never truly free to follow her own calling.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good Book, Distracting Narrator
- By P. Stover on 12-14-09
By: Mercedes Lackey
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The Lions of Al-Rassan
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,271
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152
The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan - poet, diplomat, soldier - until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Lots of drama
- By KH on 10-12-12
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 94
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
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Story4 out of 5 stars 87
He lost his honor long ago. Captain Kellas was lauded as the king's most faithful servant until the day he failed in his duty. Dismissed from service, his elite regiment disbanded, he left the royal palace and took up another life. Now a battle brews within the palace that threatens to reveal deadly secrets and spill over into open war. The king needs a loyal soldier to protect him. Can a disgraced man ever be trusted?"
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
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In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 358
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 328
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Story4 out of 5 stars 326
It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
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4 out of 5 stars
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One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
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Hero of Rome
- By: Douglas Jackson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 143
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 144
The Roman grip on Britain is weakening. Emperor Nero has turned his face away from this far-flung outpost. The Druids are on the rise, spreading seeds of rebellion among the British tribes. Roman cruelty and exploitation has angered their British subjects. The warrior queen Boudicca will lead the tribes to war. Standing against the rising tide of Boudicca's rebellion is Roman Tribune, Gaius Valerius Verrens, Commander of the veteran legions at Colonia.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good story, well told and well read
- By Mike Varley on 10-01-14
By: Douglas Jackson
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Fire from Heaven
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 190
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 163
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 163
Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Renewed Pleasure
- By James on 01-28-15
By: Mary Renault
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The Dark Mirror
- Bridei Trilogy #1
- By: Juliet Marillier
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 24 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 843
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 711
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 717
One bitter Midwinter's Eve, everything changes when Bridei finds a child on their doorstep - a child abandoned by the Fair Folk. It is the height of ill fortune to have truck with the Fair Folk, and all in the area counsel the babe's death. But Bridei sees an old and precious magic at work and, heedless of the danger, fights to save the child. Broichan is wary but relents, for Bridei must grow to be his own man and make his own decisions.
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2 out of 5 stars
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disappointing
- By Binia on 11-18-08
By: Juliet Marillier
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Emperor of the Eight Islands
- By: Lian Hearn
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 121
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 108
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Story4 out of 5 stars 108
As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Fun story. Bland story telling
- By Jonathan Price on 08-09-17
By: Lian Hearn
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Grave Mercy
- His Fair Assassin, Book 1
- By: Robin LaFevers
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,167
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,047
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,064
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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4 out of 5 stars
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Slow Start but Finished Strong
- By The Mankers on 10-12-12
By: Robin LaFevers
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Medalon
- Demon Child, Book 1
- By: Jennifer Fallon
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 80
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
The small country of Medalon lies between the vast nation of Karien in the north and the nations of Fardohnya and Hythria in the south. For centuries the Medalonians co-existed peacefully with the Harshini, a magical race that abhors killing. But now they are gone and in their place the Sisters of the Blade rule Medalon from the Citadel. An elite army of Defenders enforces the Sisterhood's oppressive rule. The Harshini and their demons are believed to be extinct and Medalon has an uneasy peace with its northern and southern neighbours.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantasy, politics and religion
- By Chris on 05-18-14
By: Jennifer Fallon
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The Bone Doll's Twin
- Tamir Triad, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 827
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 514
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 521
As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not a bad beginning, but . . .
- By bluestatereader on 12-29-10
By: Lynn Flewelling
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I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire
- Ravenloft: Strahd, Book 1
- By: P. N. Elrod
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,308
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,057
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,059
Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for 300 years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Love it...just one complaint....
- By Ryan Conrad on 03-15-14
By: P. N. Elrod
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Funeral Games
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 106
Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an empire that stretched from Greece and Egypt to India.After Alexander's death in 323 B.C. his only direct heirs were two unborn sons and a simpleton half-brother. Every long-simmering faction exploded into the vacuum of power. Wives, distant relatives and generals all vied for the loyalty of the increasingly undisciplined Macedonian army. Most failed and were killed in the attempt.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Postmortem of an Empire and the Dream that United
- By James on 02-26-15
By: Mary Renault
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 348
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 304
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 303
When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson