Worthington Is NOT a freaking Beefeater

I love the story, I love the performance. The only part of this book that is like nails on a chalkboard to me is the description of Worthington as a Beefeater. Worthington Wears the red uniform and bearskin of a Royal Guardsman and not that of a Yeomen Warder (Beefeater) whose ceremonial uniform is completely different as they are a completely different entity drawn from retired Warrant Officers from different branches of the British Armed Forces. An easy mistake to make if unaware of the history of the garrison, but if you're going to make such a big deal of it throughout the book it would have been wise to ensure that you had at least got the facts about the uniform and the garrison correct beforehand.

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9 people found this helpful

What ever happened to research?

I was intrigued by the premise, and impressed by the voice artist's range and ability to pull off an authentic RP English accent, but before I'd even made it to the end of chapter one it was clear the book this was based on wasn't written by anyone native to England, or even bothered to take two minutes to do a little online research for their principal characters.

The heroine's sidekick is described as 'looking like Marge Simpson' in the hat (Bareskin) he was wearing as part of his uniform when he died. She then jokes about him 'eating beef', and explains the joke, citing the 'beefeater' nickname given to his regiment.

Wrong! Wrong on so many levels!

'Beefeaters' are the ceremonial guards of the Tower of London. Their official title is ‘The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary’.

The Bearskin hats are exclusively worn by the Queen’s Guard, the Monarch’s personal bodyguard. THEY wear the furry black hats and the red uniform.

This was all found on the first website I opened from a Google search.

Lazy.

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great story not to sure about narration

something about the narration set me on edge. especially when reading off the chapter numbers.
story was very interesting and a different look at paranormal activities.

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I have questions…

In theory, an interesting concept - but, leaving aside the Beefeater mistake that others have picked up on (and there’s no excuse for that when it’s one of your main characters) I have questions:
Why is Queen Victoria the head of this Dead Court?
Firstly why her if every time a British Monarch dies they take over the position? It should be King George VI, perhaps it’s covered later in the book, I listened to a lot but couldn’t listen anymore.
Why the British Empire at all? Why not the Spanish? Byzantine? Roman? China? Why not (and this would have been awesome) the tribal leader of the people from the Rift Valley Homo sapiens originally walked out of? The British Empire has not lasted that long in comparison to others.

Why is her phantom companion, a soldier, unable to fight? Is the author unaware that the Guards are actually chosen from the army? And to have him say he doesn’t like firearms was utter nonsense! Again - he was a soldier! One chosen to protect the Queen!

Why, when history is such an important part of the story, has the author done so little research? I’m British, and I know that New York was inhabited by the Algonquians before westerners arrived - why does this US citizen author not? Or is it deliberate revisionism when she wrote that it was empty land before the Dutch and British arrived?

You see, I like history, I read a lot of non- fiction about it, and if I’m just casually catching mistakes, just how many others are there, just how lazy was she when she wrote this?

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A fun supernatural feast

This is a fun and entertaining story. Ignore the fact some argue it is not historically accurate at times and just take it as part of the story and enjoy. The story is fun and I would liken it to a summer blockbuster, switch your brain off and be entertained. the narrator is brilliant throughout and her voice for Rogue fits rhe story perfectly. Stick with it and have fun.

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1 person found this helpful

excellent

a great first book in the series. I couldn't put it down. must buy the next one.

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worthwhile

engaging story, liked the concept , good characters, narration was ok except it would have been good to have say 'Phil Thron' help out with some of the male characters... saying that her English accent was bloody good.

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Very good listen... but

I enjoyed this performance & was taken on an international journey through the lives of mortals and specters. It was good to veg out to but... I would have liked less predictable outcomes to the challenges faced by the lead characters. The was only one point I was pleasantly surprised in the plot. But... I still enjoyed it.

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I thought it a bit blah really...

...and thought about scrolling through the last few chapters, though I powered through in the end. At least we'd got past the really really irritating business of the author's mistaking Beafeater for Queen's Guard (as others have said) and 'bearskin hat" instead of just bearskin. Small things perhaps but it would have been so easy to get them right with a quick Google. Otherwise, good to have a kick arse heroine...

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well performed but a weak storyline

only continued with the story because it was very well performed story was pretty weak characters were a bit naff just a whole idea was a bit dull and lacking in anything interesting

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