The Leaves of Fate

In the Land of Whispers, Book 3

By: George Robert Minkoff

Narrated by: Nigel Gore

The Leaves of Fate is the third and final volume of the epic fictional chronicle In the Land of Whispers.

Here, we find the hero of Jamestown, Captain John Smith, forced to return to England, never to set foot again in the colony. Beyond his compelling memories of life in Jamestown, with its famine, disease, and discord, lies the sordid history of the rapacious greed of desperate colonists and wealthy London financiers who develop tobacco as a cash crop in lieu of food.

Even a reunion with Pocahontas is brief and bittersweet, but despite continuing hardship and neglect, Smith becomes the best-selling author of his time.

“The concluding volume of Minkoff’s heavyweight Jamestown trilogy (The Weight of Smoke; The Dragons of the Storm) covers 1610 to 1630 and offers a detailed history of the English colonies told in flowery Elizabethan English ('I am all that I know, a motion sensed, a current from forgetfulness'). A fitting wrap-up to an impressive trilogy, this expansive epic will surely please series fans with its authenticity, intrigue, and stylistic verve." (Publishers Weekly)

“No author that I know of has brought home [Jamestown’s] trials and tribulations more vividly than Minkoff.... It is obvious that Mr. Minkoff has done an enormous amount of research on the periods he covers. Any reader who enjoys having history come alive will benefit from acquiring and reading all three volumes of In the Land of Whispers.” (Virginia Gazette)

©2011 George Robert Minkoff (P)2019 Minkoff Audio

End of a great trilogy

George Robert Minkoff concludes his epic In the Land of Whispers trilogy of historical novels concerning the English in the New World with this beautifully written last volume. The three books form this trilogy are: The Weight of Smoke, The Dragons of the Storm, and The Leaves of Fate.

All of them have been released in audiobook format this June to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and I am really glad that I had the opportunity to listen and review two of them.


The Leaves of Fate picks up the story where The Dragons of the Storm left it, with our hero, Captain John Smith, living new adventures and remembering old ones alongside Sir Francis Drake. In his journeys, he will meet iconic figures, fight for his life and write his account of them, which will become history.

As I already said in my previous review, these books are pure literature, delivered to us by the author and the great narrator as a form of sublime art. Combining historic events with quality fiction, George Robert Minkoff has proved to us all that a trilogy of such epic scope and proportions can captivate our attention and even help us reflect on the past with more understanding.

The Leaves of Fate is brought to us as an audiobook by the fantastic Shakespearean actor Nigel Gore. He is not just reading, he is acting the entire trilogy, giving unique voices and accents to all the characters, pushing the story forward with his vivid descriptions of the surrounding world and keeping the listeners enthralled and mesmerized by this epic adventure.

Nigel Gore is the perfect narrator for all three volumes of the In the Land of Whispers, as he makes accessible this fantastic work to those who could have been daunted by the author’s elevated and, at times, very old-school writing style.

Delivering instant and complete immersion, Nigel Gore transforms this great trilogy in a masterful narrative experience!

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