The Crown

By: Nancy Bilyeau

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

In this debut historical thriller, an aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father’s life and preserve all she holds dear.

When novitiate nun Joanna Stafford learns her rebel cousin is condemned by King Henry VIII to be burned at the stake, she makes the decision to break the sacred rule of enclosure and flee her Dominican order in Dartford to stand at her cousin’s side.

Arrested for interfering with king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, Sir Richard Stafford, is sent to the Tower of London. Joanna’s father is brutally tortured by Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, who leads the Catholic faction bent on saving England’s monasteries from destruction. In order to save her father, Joanna must submit to Gardiner’s will and become a pawn in the struggle between religious extremes. Gardiner forces Joanna to return to Dartford Priory with a mission: find the long-hidden crown worn by Saxon King Athelstan in AD 937 during the historic battle that first united Britain. Gardiner believes the crown itself to possess a mystical power that will halt the Reformation.

Uncovering only dark betrayals and murder at Dartford, Joanna flees with Brother Edmund, a troubled young friar, and with time running out, their hunt for the crown leads them through royal castles, to Stonehenge, and finally to the tomb of the mysterious King Athelstan under Malmesbury Abbey. There Joanna learns the true secret of the crown - a secret tracing all the way back to Golgotha and the relics of the Passion - and must finally determine who to trust and how far she is willing to go to protect a way of life that she passionately loves.

©2012 Nancy Bilyeau (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Nancy Bilyeau’s polished, inventive debut has all the ingredients of the best historical fiction: a broad cast of characters, well-imagined settings, and vivid storytelling…In Joanna Stafford, Bilyeau has given us a memorable character who is prepared to risk her life to save what she most values, while Stafford’s desperate search for a lost religious relic will satisfy even the most ardent mystery fans.” (Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches)

Fantastic

If this is just a first effort, then Nancy Bilyeau has a bright future indeed. I usually take 2-3 weeks to finish listening to a book, but I went through this in just 4 days. It is the audible version fo a book that you just can't put down and at 1AM you say to yourself "just one more chapter".

The characters are vivid and complex; wonderfully realized in great detail. The era in which the story takes place is rendered with accuracy and charm. It is one of those absorbing experiences that are memorable for a long time.

Nicola Barber's narration is flawless.

Is There a Sequel in the Works?

What made the experience of listening to The Crown the most enjoyable?

The narrator did an excellent job. The story started out a bit slow for me, but once it got rolling, it held my interest. Generally I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I enjoyed this novel. It has a strong sense of time and place and interesting and likeable characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Brother Edmund's complex and secretive nature.

What does Nicola Barber bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

She's a first rate narrator. She really helped pull me into the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were so many places where I thought the author was going to go down a predictable path and I was happy to be proven wrong. There are a lot of fun and surprising twists.

Any additional comments?

While I wouldn't say the story had a cliff-hanger ending, it didn't feel complete. I'm guessing there is a sequel in the works. I tend to avoid series unless I know they are already completed. I AM looking forward to the next novel, but I don't know when and if it will be released.

Historical fiction at its best!

The Crown is a masterfully written first novel in a histical trilogy by Nancy Bilyeau. It revolves around a young novice in a Dominican priory during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII. There is intrigue, mystery, murder, love and hatred laced throughout the book. The characters, as well as the period of time in history, are richly portrayed.

A real page turner!

What did you love best about The Crown?

I loved the spunky heroine and also the numerous twists in the plot. The narrator was excellent -- she had a perfect British accent with lots of expression.

What other book might you compare The Crown to and why?

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. Both books are about the time period of King Henry VIII and both have strong women as the lead characters.

Which character ??? as performed by Nicola Barber ??? was your favorite?

JoAnna Stafford.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I was interested in the role of he nuns and friars in the time of Cromwell,

Worth listening to if purchased while on offer.

What made the experience of listening to The Crown the most enjoyable?

The story was fast paced and I liked the characters as well as the historical backdrop.

What other book might you compare The Crown to and why?

It seemed to me a bit like Philippa Gregory meets Dan Brown though not as well written as Gregory or as exciting as Brown.

Did Nicola Barber do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

At first I found Barber annoying and she made Joanna annoying plus all her men sounded exactly the same, but I got used to her in the end and just enjoyed the story.

If you could take any character from The Crown out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I'm not sure dinner would be my choice of date.

Any additional comments?

This book is fun, entertaining light hearted fun. Nothing too deep, clever or original, but if you want some light entertainment and you enjoy a bit of historical fiction and a mystery this is worth a go.

Good one

Great mystery and history lesson. If you're a frustrated historian, you'll enjoy the mixture of fact and fiction.

Well written Well read

I enjoyed this very much. It was well written and easy to listen to. Very worthwhile. Lots of history.

Torture

Can't get past the first hour and a half to see if this is a good story or not. I was impressed with all the reviews, and eager to listen, as I love good historical fiction. But there was a bit too much of the burnings and the tower ttorture in the first part for me. I know they existed, and I know there were sadists, but a little demonstration goes a long way. If I ever pick this book up again in the distant future, I will skip to halfway into the story to see if it gets any less grisly. As it is, I wasted a credit.

romance novel masquerading as historical fic

What disappointed you about The Crown?

expecting some history and intelligence... instead I got a long drawn out hunt -- by one spunky novice (completely modern in her thoughts, comments and actions --despite her protests) and two friars -- for a relic of unsurpassed powers -- exactly how or why not convincing.

What could Nancy Bilyeau have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

stop with the telling me how everyone feels, and the over dramatization. Needs more authentic history.

Would you be willing to try another one of Nicola Barber’s performances?

sure -- the breathless writing wasn't her fault.

A Work Of Art

This book is wonderful! It brings to life reall carichtors which most authors don't deall with (including lady Margaret Bulmer.) No thread is unexplained at the end. I was impressed by the ending, because Joanna actually learned how to be independed, how to be there for someone. So much so that she was willing to go to the unknown. This is a very open ending. But I have a guess as to the last chapter. I learned manyy new things from this book. I must admit that it includs many well-known carichtors (much more than it should, I suppose) but that made the book all the more interesting for me. Almost every well known carichtor is briliantly portrayed. So, if you love to read about the Tudors and are willing for a change, go for this one!