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A Crowning Mercy: Crowning Mercy, Book 1 (Unabridged)
By Bernard Cornwell and Susannah Kells
Narrated By Anna Bentick

Regular Price: £21.19
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Length: Length: 20 hours
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Audiobook Summary:

Castlibrary UK is proud to present A Crowning Mercy: Crowning Mercy, Book 1 (Unabridged). This audiobook is available for download for our UK based customers.

A young girl fell in love with a passing stranger. Her parents called her Dorcas, but he called her Campion, and that's what she longed to be, then and forever. So when an unbearable suitor is forced on her, she flees to seek her lover, taking with her the one gift left to her by her unknown father: a pendant of gold. There are four of these jewels, each the key to a secret, each owned by a stranger. When one person has them all, the holder will have great wealth and power. Click here to see all the titles in our Bernard Cornwell collection. ©2003 Bernard Cornwell; (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks Ltd. Published: 05/12/2005, BBC WW Customers who bought this also bought… £19.99 £7.99 £18.79 £7.99 £10.69 £7.99 £24.99 £7.99 Customer Reviews 41 Visitors' Rating: A crowning glory would be just as apt a title. Excellently written, Excellently narrated, with all the action and detail of the Sharpe series but with greater depth - possibly the best work Corwnell has published. I will eagerly await the sequel. Andrew, darlington, United Kingdom 31/03/2006 16/16 registered users found this helpful | Register All I want to say about this book is, that despite the rather stereotyped characterisation, the pot-boiler style and the somewhat underwhelming personality of the leading lady, this is a great listen! The story belts along at a fair old pace, the tension is coiled up so well that you don't want to switch off your player and the plot has you eagerly guessing all the way through. It also has the advantage of credibility that any historical novel has which has been thoroughly researched: in this case the era of the English Civil War. But most of all, I just loved Anna Bentick's narration. Her skill in bringing this tale to life is second to none. Such a pity this is the only Audible book she appears to have undertaken. tedmac99, Cumbernauld, United Kingdom 13/01/2007 8/8 registered users found this helpful | Register When I first settled down to hear this story I was so taken up with the development of this terrific tale that, at first, I did not pay enough attention to the narration by Anna Bentick. However, by the end I was mesmerised and charmed by her phrasing and characterisation, which was absolutely first class. The story could not have been better told. I promptly started to listen once more. What pleasure!! Patricia, Clacton on Sea,, United Kingdom 01/09/2006 6/6 registered users found this helpful | Register Read more customer reviews I have been listening to this on my way to and from work. I have never wished so hard for the lights to turn to red. So not only has it entertained me it has also made me drive at the speed limit and sit patiently in the correct lane rather than trying to shave a few seconds off my journey by queue hopping. I wonder if the author realised the effect they would have on road safety! By the end of the first hour of listening I was begining to doubt my choice, but things very quickly pick up after this and the story then romps along at a very pleasing pace. The narrator is very good considering that she had so many male voices to charaterise. I would happily reccomend this book to any lover of historical fiction. Especially if you are like me and have little knowledge of the English Civil war. Some of the characters are so good that by the end of the book you want to know more about where they have come from and what was their motivation,I only hope that the authors have got this in mind. Stuart, Leicester, United Kingdom 22/11/2008 1/1 registered users found this helpful | Register I saw that one reviewer listened to this story while travelling long distances in the car. I think that would be a good way to fill some long tedious hours with nothing else to do. If however if you do have something else to do, and fitting in this novel is something you have to give up precious time for, then you may well be very dissapointed! The historical aspect is pretty good although it feels a little sanitised compared to what Bernard Cornwall would probably produce with out Susannah Kells (who I believe is actually Patricia Cornwell). What runied it for me was that "Campion" the heroine, and I use that term extremely loosley, was so wet! She was so pathetic and colourless and so prone to dissolving into tears at every moment that I started to long for her to suffer some of the terrible fates that her enemies were trying to inflict upon her! Maybe I am just used to more fiesty heroines in my favoured literature. It did occur to me that it maybe it was the narrator who gave her character the helpless and hopeless slant, because she did change her voice to a very unendearing simper everytime Campion was obliged to attempt some dialogue instead of just cry! On the whole I think that sticking with 'Sharpe' may be a better bet - even for us girlies! Bett, United Kingdom 30/01/2009 1/1 registered users found this helpful | Register The story grabbed my attention right from the start. In several places I thought it was about to end then it took a dramatic twist and continued along a different line. I couldn't put this one down. The characters are very strong and brought to life brilliantly by the reader's voice. Amanda, Dereham, United Kingdom 15/05/2008 1/1 registered users found this helpful | Register I was disappointed in this story and would not seek out another featuring tiresome Dorcas/Campion and her family. The characterizations were very black and white. Almost all the baddies had some form of disability or weight problem whereas all the goodies were examples of physical perfection. The story was unconvincing, in the "with one bound, our hero was free" mode. Stephanie, Co. Wicklow, Ireland 25/06/2009 1/1 registered users found this helpful | Register I was a bit skeptical when I got this book. I like Bernard Cornwell's books, but this looked a bit 'girly' so I was concerned it wouldn't be up to the standard of his other books. How wrong I was, this is a gripping book! Anna Bentinck is an excellent narrator as well. I suppose it is a bit more 'girly' than Bernard Cornwell's other books, but not that much, so it's definitely not a book just for the women! It's occasionally a bit graphic, so be careful if you're listening to it with children around. I've already purchased the sequel 'Fallen Angels' and hope that's as good. Paul, Meltham, United Kingdom 13/03/2008 1/1 registered users found this helpful | Register The book is extremely well read. Susannah Kells has the ability to use different accents very effectively which makes it more like a dramatised version. The story holds ones attention and the historical material is interesting. I really enjoyed this audible book and would recommend it. Arlene, United Kingdom 29/12/2008 The characters may have been somewhat stereotyped (all puritans bad, all cavaliers good), but this was a highly entertaining story. The background descriptions, for example of the effect of ice on the river, were vivid. The narration was particularly good and I was disappointed to see there are no more books narrated by her. Catriona, Lincoln, United Kingdom 28/02/2009 I just loved this story from start to finish. I recommend it thoroughly. The twists and turns of fortune made my car journeys enjoyable, and much looked forward to. A new instalment on every trip! corniche7, HEATHFIELD, United Kingdom 26/09/2009 This was a brilliant story, well told and read. The tension was maintained throughout and the characterisation felt true to the period Robin, Aylesford, United Kingdom 11/02/2009 Excellent book Excellent narration You never know whats coming next but come it does. hard to put down a realy good listen Raymond, maidstone, United Kingdom 11/10/2008 This story is long but you still do not want it to end. It covers a time in our history that sounds to be an unpleasant time, but I found that I learned a lot about that time. The characters are well described, the heroes/heroines are believable and the villains are horrid but also believable. Sylvia, Faringdon, United Kingdom 25/01/2009 Anna Bentine is quite brilliant telling a story that in itself is just amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in romance and history. Indeed the book is so good that I am very surprised that no film director has recognised the potential of the book. If the Dutchess is good, a film that I enjoyed, A Crowning Mercy made by the same team would surely win any number of oscars. Peter, United Kingdom 21/04/2009 The length, fascinating historical background, narrator and author pedigree all indicated to me that this should be a satisfying, rewarding and engaging listen. However the lack of depth of characterization, the unhappily predictable plot twists and one sided attitude to rights and wrongs the politics of the time provoked disappointment. A potentially great listen was thus turned into something pleasurable, acceptable and diverting but in no way challenging. A pity the authors missed this opportunity to further our appreciation of this intriguing period of British history. keithdud, Modbury, United Kingdom 30/12/2008 This is the first book of Bernard Cornwell that I have listened to, apart from seeing the Sharpe Series on the TV. It kept me in suspense right until the end and was an excellent story. The plot twists and turns, but never in the same direction twice. Very well narrated and easy on the ear. If you want something to keep you listening and you like historical this is one to try there is a light touch of romance and mystery and murder. It has everything! Julia, FIVE OAK GREEN, United Kingdom 23/11/2008

Audiobook Keywords: Action, Adventure, Historical Adventures

Tags: Action Adventure Historical Adventures