Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great, easy to listen to , narration from Neil Oliver himself. The writing was so descriptive I was drawn into the story - wonderful.

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A stunning, sweeping epic

I absolutely loved this book. It's a sweeping epic of a story spanning a continent and several lives. It is woven together by a beautifully crafted narrative and made all the more appealing by Neil Oliver's performance.

This is the best book I've listened to in a long time.

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5 people found this helpful

A captivating story.

A well written story beautifully told, a fascinating glimpse of a moment in history. My only grumble is that the very end seemed a little rushed, it took me by surprise.

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1 person found this helpful

Loved it thank you!! Great narrating Neil. Perfect

The beginning was beautifully crafted.
I had a great time listening to it shame it ended.

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genius

I really like Neil's work anyway..to find this is a very happy surprise..terrific!
Great. thanks

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Not all authors of good stories are narrators....

This was an hugely enjoyable book which I found having been introduced to the character of John Grant (John Le Grant) by the glorious Dorothy Dunnett in her magnificent House of Niccolo series. It is a satisfying story, well paced, fleshed out and, subsequently much recommended. However, much like Stuart MacBride when he narrated two of his Logan Macrae books, Mr Oliver should have been taken aside by his publisher and either trained by a speech therapist with influence from euch as RNIB or guided to allow someone with the talent and experience to narrate. This book would have shone so much more brightly with narration by David Rintoul for example - listen to King Hereafter and compare.

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Fantastic Story and Wonderful Narration

This story is chock full of fascinating historical insights and intriguing characters. The plot flows smoothly, rich in details but never excessively drawn out.
The narration is excellent, Neil Oliver’s smooth talking manner and clear Scottish accent allow one to really sink into the story without the distraction of character voices or faked emotions.
Very highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and unexpected plot twists.

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1 person found this helpful

fantastic tale.

I enjoyed this story immensely. Well written and with a good few surprises along the way.

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Enthralling

I loved this novel which reminded me a little of Dorothy Dunnett's wonderful books. However I did struggle with it in audio form and feel, with its jumping in time, it would be easier to follow in book form. I enjoyed Neil Oliver's use of language and really liked his voice but there was no pause between chapters and slight pauses, especially when a new chapter takes you to a different time or place in the story, do help when listening rather than reading what is a fairly complex narrative. Personally I love the blend of history and the supernatural and the author's version of Jeanne d'Arc's life. His writing let me "see" all the action (though some of the bloodiest scenes made my stomach clench!) and I think this would make a great film. I would certainly be keen to listen to another book by Mr Oliver.

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6 people found this helpful

A tremendous book

Beautifully written. Full of exquisite historical detail as you would expect from Neil Oliver. I read it wanting to know more about the Byzantine age but came away with so much more.

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1 person found this helpful