Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The King's Hounds  By  cover art

The King's Hounds

By: Martin Jensen,Tara F. Chace - translator
Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.00

Buy for $25.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The year is 1018 and the war with England is finally over, but the unified kingdom ruled by Cnut of Denmark is far from peaceful. Halfdan has lost everything to the war but his sense of humor. Once a proud nobleman, now he wanders the country aimlessly powered only by his considerable charm and some petty theft. When he finds an unlikely ally in Winston, a bookish former monk, the two set out together for Oxford, the seat of the new king. The pair's arrival in court coincides with news of a murder, and Cnut has an idea only a king could get away with: Why not enlist Halfdan and Winston - the Danish womanizer and the upright Saxon intellectual - to defuse a politically explosive situation? They're given just two days to solve the murder and they set off to uncover the truth, on the order of the king and with the reluctant assistance of the agitated townspeople.

©2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.; 2013 Martin Jensen

What listeners say about The King's Hounds

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    99
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    13
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    105
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    74
  • 4 Stars
    80
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting mystery and promising new series

I bought this story on the cheap as a whispersync set, hoping for something good, and I was not disappointed. This is the first book in a series from Danish author Martin Jensen, his first translated into English. It promises to be an excellent mystery series with great, enjoyable characters. The story takes place during 11th Century England in which the country has not enjoyed much recent stability in leadership. The new king Cnut, a Dane, is trying to unify the various sects of the English population in order to provide a lasting peace across the land. Unfortunately, during a large gathering of his most important Saxon and Danish subjects, a murder takes place that implicates him, as well as threatens to bring complications to his plans for his country. Our two protagonists, Winston (a smart, sensible illustrator of books) and Halfdan (a sly, womanizing opportunist) are placed on the case by the king, and our mystery story takes off from there. There is a fun Sherlock/Watson rapport between the two very different personalities of Winston and Halfdan, and the reader is quickly drawn into the story, with a good appreciation for the historical setting. Not knowing much about this time period in England, I found this aspect fascinating. The narrator Napoleon Ryan has one of those mellifluous English voices that you could listen to all day. His pacing was a bit pokey for my taste, but an adjustment to 1.25 speed helped to alleviate that problem. All in all, it was an excellent listen, and I look forward to the release of the second title in this series in spring of 2014!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Early English Espionage

Interesting and delightful listen! Early kings and kingdoms, jealousy and double crosses . . . and an ex-monk turned private investigator . . . the narration is first rate . . . and the twists and turns keep you on the trail trying to figure out whodunit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

adequate mystery, so-so narration, meh translation

This historical mystery novel had a lot of good things going for it. It was definitely well researched. It's not a time period where there are a lot of other comparable books, so it doesn't seem cliche. The characters are sufficiently interesting. Winston's deductive skills are nicely offset by Halfdan's brutish lack of subtlety. I'm not sure I enjoyed it enough to spend a credit on the next book in the series, but if it were to go on sale, I'd definitely pick it up.

As many others have pointed out, the narrator is a bit annoying. He's not the worst I've ever heard and he doesn't stumble over the old Saxon or Danish names, so that's a plus. What I was far more annoyed by was the iffy translation. For a book into which the author had obviously poured quite a lot of research, the translation frequently disrupted the sense of period, at least for me. They ought to have someone with some background in history at least edit the translation before it was given the go-ahead. For example, words like "backpack" do not ring true to the early medieval time period. When I hear that, it makes me stop thinking about the story. If they had simply used "satchel" then there would not have been that jarring sense of anachronism to break the flow. "Gold-digger" and "boyfriend" are the others which spring immediately to mind as examples of the translation failing to capture the essence of the period.

Long review short: could have been translated better, but overall enjoyable story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Suspense. Mystery. Humor. History.

What is not to like? It is an interesting and entertaining view of the time period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great EARLY English history

With these unfamiliar names, it was easier to follow the well crafted story by listening to a talented narrator. I look forward to the subsequent stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is absolutely fantastic narrated.

Would you listen to The King's Hounds again? Why?

Yes. In fact I am. Great voice, great story both read, and especially narrated.

What other book might you compare The King's Hounds to and why?

The Hobbit. Great characters--humour--and the middle ages might as well be science fiction.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the interactions with the donkey.

If you could rename The King's Hounds, what would you call it?

It has a perfect name.

Any additional comments?

Read everything you can get your hands on by this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Insomnia listening

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, i thoroughly enjoyed the book and its setting. It was cunningly read, the voice changes were credible at all times.

If you’ve listened to books by Martin Jensen before, how does this one compare?

N/A

Have you listened to any of Napoleon Ryan and Napoleon Ryan ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Do you think The King's Hounds needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I am hoping there will be a follow up or at the least more in this vein...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The two Hounds are an interesting pair.

The story keeps your interest from the first line. The narrator's pace can be a bit challenging but the story over comes the readers impatience with the slower pace. This reader will go on to read the book and more than likely again listen to it again. Enjoy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Excellent narration and history, slow storyline

I agree with another reviewer who suggested changing the narration speed to 1.25. Mr. Ryan embodies his characters well, but needs a bit of caffeine.
I enjoyed the history and the setting. Mr. Jensen captures the 5 senses as he describes the food, the people, and the smells of the time period. I felt transported to another place in history. The story itself started well, but began to lag about halfway through and never picked back up again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating, I was enslaved by this.

I don't know why, but I couldn't stop listening. Good thing I'm retired and quarantined.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!