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The Firebird  By  cover art

The Firebird

By: Susanna Kearsley
Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
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Publisher's summary

Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object’s history and knows that it was named after the Firebird - the mythical creature from an old Russian fable.

Compelled to know more, Nicola follows a young girl named Anna who leads her into the past on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts, unearthing a tale of love, courage, and redemption.

©2013 Susanna Kearsley (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about The Firebird

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    2,467
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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A Good Surprise

A clever, original storyline with romance, mystery, and fanciful under currents that will please young adults and adults alike.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent time travel novel

Very well-written alternation between present time and solving a mystery in a previous time. And it was a pleasure hearing it aloud with all the accents- Irish Scottish Russian.

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Excellent

Wonderful book, one of her best… I would recommend it to anyone. I enjoyed the male lead… He was fantastic.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful story.

Very well written and captivating. I love Anna. It was one of the better stories I've read in a while.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved the history, search, personalities1

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

It was a different objective; to benefit individual personage, not for political gain.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Firebird?

If I share my thoughts, it might give up the ending!

Which scene was your favorite?

Touching the wall, viewing the past through another's eyes.

Any additional comments?

I am planning on listening to this again soon.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Would you listen to The Firebird again? Why?

I am listening to it a second time. I didn't see the twist coming and I wanted to listen again to see if I missed the obvious.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the parallel plot device that Kearsley used in this novel and the first novel The Winter Sea (prequel to this novel). It allowed one to read a historical novel without getting bogged down in explaining the details of everyday life.
I also was shocked and thrilled with the plot twists. I did not see them coming, which made them even more exciting, and pulled each story line to a satisfactory conclusion.

What three words best describe Katherine Kellgren’s performance?

Powerful, emotive, loud - but appropritate to the story line. I enjoyed her ability to equally portray men and women of all ages and nationalities, it made the experience more like hearing a story than the potential monotony of being read a story.

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

Yes. I wanted to find out what happened. Usually I listen to books only during my commute, but with this book I had to keep listening after I got home.

Any additional comments?

The Firebird follows the story of characters from The Winter Sea. Even though the novel could stand on its own, I think The Firebird is more compelling after having read The Winter Sea.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Voice really grated on my nerves.

The story was interesting but the jumping back-and-forth was not clear all of the time. So it was hard to figure out who was talking in what the situation was. But the worst part of it was the lady who was doing the reading. She was really good with accents, but her voice was very harsh and she spoke very harshly. I even tried slowing down her voice to make it less grading.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Lovely

Always enjoy Susanna Kearsley books. Loved how many times this one made me laugh out loud. Katherine Kellgren is a fantastic narrator. Highly recommend!

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Great 2nd book!

I read some not so good reviews of this second book, but I loved it. The author is so clever in how she presents the story and unwinds the mystery of it. I love the style if writing as I enjoyed the book immensely!

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Pretty amazing

Ok, first and foremost this is a great book. I have listened to the book SHADOWY HORSES many times before (an incredibly calming book) then I heard of this book that also had Robbie in it. So of course I wanted to hear it. I can see why there was a complaint about THE SHADOWY HORSES because as good of a book it is, it is different. This book gave such a vivid picture and such a rich narration, it is really great. Only problem, Robbie as an 8 and 3/4 year old vs Rob as a hot adult.

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