The Firebird

By: Susanna Kearsley

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

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.

The Firebird

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

An interesting premise & while pleasant, also dull & completely forgettable.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Katherine Kellgren?

Yes.

Was The Firebird worth the listening time?

Kind of, if you want mindless entertainment.

Mesmerizing!

I have so many books/Audible books to read, but I'm already planning to re-read this one. Katherine Kellgren's narration is absolutely superb. I never would have "heard" all the different accents properly if I was just reading the text. The novel itself has everything I love: historical fiction, supernatural elements (without going over the top), a mystery to solve, and a touch of romance without getting sappy. This is the second book in the "Slain Castle" series, and I loved it even more than the first (which I also loved). This is well worth your listening time.

Good story and history, strident narrator

I loved learning about the early history of St. Petersberg, briefly the lives of the Czar and his wife, and the role St. Petersberg played in the Jacobite era of English history. The modern day romance was predictable, but the Jacobite era story was a satisfying continuation of the first book. The narrator was very loud and strident and didn't match the personality of the modern day heroine at all. Her accents were good, though, and I give her lots of credit for pulling off English, Scottish and Russian accents quite well. It is very hard to not compare this series to Diana Gabaldon's work. It pales next to that, but if you have finished all of Gabaldon and long for more, this is a reasonable replacement. Also, if you are interested in telepathic communication, you may find this interesting.

Gorgeous — Everything I Could Have Hoped For

If you could sum up The Firebird in three words, what would they be?

Gorgeous, Fulfilling, Interesting

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best was the that The Firebird was a continuation, of sorts of The Winter Sea.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to this narrator before. I really enjoyed her work. Her Irish accent was great, but her Scottish accent was perfection.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was happily shocked at the surprised ending. Cried happy tears.

Any additional comments?

The Firebird was lovely lovely lovely. Anna "Jamison" was the most delightful character, and although hers is the story within the story, she is exactly what made this book as gorgeous as it was. As did her long-awaited, much-needed HEA. I wasn't as keen on the contemporaries portion of the book —Nicola and Rob's story. This is par for the course with me and all of Kearsley's books. I never love the present timeline. It was nice and all, and I liked how it ended, but it didn't have the emotional pull that Anna's held. Also, I never *got* their supernatural ability. WHY were they able to read the history of an object; HOW were they able to focus on a particular person and skip through that person's timeline? I listened to Nicola's English accent. She was great with Irish.

I really enjoyed this

It took a second time of starting this one, but am I ever glad I did i will look for more by this author

A beautiful Book that will steal your heart!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Firebird to be better than the print version?

YES! I would love to read this book, but fear I would lose on the accents necessary to truly get lost in this work. The transition from England English to Scottish to Irish and finally to Russian make this audible version better then print.

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

There isn't anything I have read before that can compare to the beauty of this book. The one bad comment of this audible reading (after having heard it) is truly from a person either to young to appreciate the novel, or from one who is unimaginative at best. Further it sounds like they read it vs. listened to the work and that they gave up upon the different versions of language accents.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was sad at first that I was listening to an England version of english. And then I began to appreciate the accent. Further, she gives a true voice to each character and background. I have listened to a number of my favorite books, and never been so thankful for someone else's take on the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book takes you on a journey, and by the end I think that anyone would be incapable of holding back the tears that are sure to come. This is one of the finest piece's of literature that I have ever been so lucky as to come across. Please, just give it a chance and I promise you won't be disappointed. It is truly beautiful!

Loved it!

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Her accents are amazing! I almost forgot it was all the same voice. She really brought the characters to life!

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. I'm only sad that there aren't more by this author. If you haven't listened to the Rose Garden and the Winter Sea, go get them right away!

Delightful

Great story, I enjoyed it even more than The Winter Sea, story wise. Narrator was good, occasionally grating, but not once you get into the plot. Really neat to find out what happens to Anna!

iIt all comes together

I loved how several of the previous books intertwined with this one. Shadowy Horses and the Winter Sea....especially giving The Winter Sea an additional happy ending.

Such a great listen

I have listened and read this book three times. I never get tired of the twists and turns of the characters.