The Falcon's Eyes

A Novel

By: Francesca Stanfill

Narrated by: Karen Cass

“Stanfill has persuasively re-imagined the Middle Ages, surrounding the legendary Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine with indelible characters in an immersive tale of intrigue, bravery, ruthlessness, and compassion. . . . The Falcon’s Eyes is a dazzling adventure, with riveting twists and turns and a surprising yet deeply satisfying conclusion."—Sally Bedell Smith, author of Elizabeth the Queen

Set in France and England at the end of the twelfth century, the moving story of a spirited, questing young woman, Isabelle, who defies convention to forge a remarkable life, one profoundly influenced by the fabled queen she idolizes and comes to know – Eleanor of Aquitaine

Willful and outspoken, sixteen-year-old Isabelle yearns to escape her stifling life in provincial twelfth century France. The bane of her mother’s existence, she admires the notorious queen most in her circle abhor: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Isabelle’s arranged marriage to Gerard --- a rich, charismatic lord obsessed with falcons --- seems, at first, to fulfill her longing for adventure. But as Gerard’s controlling nature, and his consuming desire for a male heir, become more apparent, Isabelle, in the spirit of her royal heroine, makes bold, often perilous, decisions which will forever affect her fate.

A suspenseful, sweeping tale about marriage, freedom, identity, and motherhood, The Falcon's Eyes brings alive not only a brilliant century and the legendary queen who dominated it, but also the vivid band of complex characters whom the heroine encounters on her journey to selfhood: noblewomen, nuns, servants, falconers, and courtiers. The various settings — Château Ravinour, Fontevraud Abbey, and Queen Eleanor’s exiled court in England — are depicted as memorably as those who inhabit them. The story pulses forward as Isabelle confronts one challenge, one danger, after another, until it hurtles to its final, enthralling, page.

With the historical understanding of Hillary Mantel and the storytelling gifts of Ken Follett, Francesca Stanfill has created an unforgettable character who, while firmly rooted in her era, is also a woman for all times.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Francesca Stanfill (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Warning...A Cliffhanger!

I love historical fiction and for the most part this was an entertaining book; however, as the plot progressed, I fell out of love with the main character. Isabelle runs from everything and she stands up to no one. She was so empty headed, she forgot the pregnancy prevention and what was an amicable parting turned into a vendetta...made no sense but then that part of the story would have ended. There were times she could have grown as a character but she did not even speak up. I realized pretty quickly that there was a twist to the story long before her ex reappeared and she was the same weak milksop that she had been all the way through the story. I hope in the next book, she grows a back bone and yes, women during this time did have one.

Trigger warning

I had to stop. The accumulation of layers of abuse very accurately portrays how a narcissist overtakes another person’s life.
If that was the author’s goal, well done?

I liked it!

I learned a lot about the basics of Eleanor of Aquataine from reading this book. That's kind of my goal when reading historical fiction. Eleanor is not the main character, however, and I thought choosing another character as the main character was an interesting way to go about it. The narration and the author's use of language was pleasing to me. I was able to predict several plot points because of the foreshadowing. One great plus for me was that this book is nice and long. It also had really great female relationships.

Perfect for a lover of English history…

…and lots of detail. The narrator’s voice was lovely though a bit limited on the male side. I enjoyed being immersed in the life of the nobility of the 12th century. The leisurely pace of the story building up to finally meeting Queen Eleanor may not suit everyone.

Almost to Part V!

This a lovely Historical-Ficton slow-burn of my absolute Fav time period to get lost in. Also LOVE that Isabela’s fortunes inserted themselves into the beginning of the Plantagenet (although they weren’t called “Plantagenet” for a few hundred years, at least I think Dan Snow said that in a Podcast. And I think he is a Rock Star when it comes to the Angevins/Aquatinean(that’s not a word I don’t think, but you get it) Willy the Psychopathic Conqueror/Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking Britain! Oblique main characters who lives rise and fall on the side Royalty and other Nobility Fates as they choose sides like maneuvered chess pieces.
And for Isabel to come to her realizations at the feet of an older and wiser Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Lady Gaga of her age)
I sooooooooo hope we get a prequel about EOA!!
W/not really a huge description of surroundings, I think the strength of the characters, and their dialogue makes up for it.
This is definitely the BEST editing job I’ve heard in a really long time.
Also a super duper narration of a talented Voice Actor!
I’d love for to this author to tell the tale of EOA.
I’m running low on EOA historical fiction!
I’ll put final words after I finish!

S L O W

Up to Chapter 7, lovely descriptions, but no action or character conflict, no firm historical color or information. I’ve read better historical fiction. Narrator is good, but I am returning this one after 8 hours of listening.

cannot finish

I was looking forward to this book about Queen Eleanor. About three or four hours into the book I could not continue. (and Audible will not allow me return the book -though I’ve been a member for ten years buying 1 to 3 books monthly…and no, I do not return many) The character Isabelle is too juvenile, I thought, in the first hour and a half I was reading, maybe this is a book written for young audience. But apparently this is not the author’s intent. When I read HF, I enjoy learning. There was not enough history. Kind of a romance of a teenage girl,
spoiled and pining for the old days when she was 8 years old. Not very interesting. book isn’t about Eleanor. Choice of narrator’s voice for Isabelle, is not my favorite, male character voices were good.

A novel look inside 12th Century life, religion and the royal family especially iconic Queen Eleanor and Richard the Lionheart

This absorbing personal story set in 12th and early 13th century France and England centers on a liberated woman caught in an un-liberated era. She is known here mostly as Lady Isabel. It begins with her growing up and follows to her marriage to a self absorbed knight who is tied to the dominant royal family of his times, led by King Henry, his wife Eleanor and sons, three of whom would eventually reign as Kings of England and large parts of France. Isabel is a teen bride who at first tries to be a good wife to her older domineering husband. After she fails to produce the male heir he demands, he dumps her. She at first returns to her coarse unloving family, but thanks to a friend leaves to live in one of Frances great Abby’s as a lay woman in residence. Eventually fate leads her to be sent to England to be a companion to Queen Eleanor who is a prisoner in a castle put there by her enraged husband after she sides with her sons in an attempt to take him off his throne. Much has been written about Eleanor over the centuries. She welcomed art and music after the horrors of the dark age. She adopted Isabel as a surrogate daughter who helped her survive her bitter isolation with a shared love of books, art and family. For all that has been shared about Eleanor this perceptive storytelling shows another side of her. While most focus has been on her earlier life and marriages to first the king of France and then Henry this is the story detailing her final years as an important fugue in politics and much more. This is mostly historically accurate but also takes liberties to create a highly readable tale of liberated women in a very un-liberated era. It is a long book and Eleanor does not arrive until we’ll into the second half but it is good story telling and a tale worth the effort. It captures the period but is easily absorbed be a contemporary reader. It has women's issues, a love story, aspects of horror , insights into war and the power struggles that shaped that era. This was the time of Robin Hood but there is no Robin Hood here. Just ancient people, a different time and Middle Age politics all brought vividly to life.

Interesting but slow

The story and historical references were interesting but the story seemed to drag on without much embellishment or intrigue. The end made the whole book more interesting but quickly concluded.