The Tudor Secret

The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

By: C. W. Gortner

Narrated by: Steve West

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

©2011 C. W. Gortner (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." ( Booklist)

English History

I've always been fascinated by Henry the 8th and the period after his death. The enmity between the church of England and the Catholics has been the subject of much writing and I've read some. If you are ignorant, this might not be the book for you. If, as I am, you're a history buff, go for it.
While reading, I learned quite a bit about this period since much of the book is based on fact, all but the main character. It's a wonderful story, if a bit confusing with all the Lords, Dutchesses etc. If you read it, I would use some reference material (I confess I used Wikipedia) to keep the folks straight.
Plots and counter plots abound and make for a really enjoyable narrative.

Not a big fan of fiction

I sure wish Audible would label each audiobook as fiction or nonfiction along with the author’s name, publication date, etc.

Though this book is well written very well performed, I’m just not that into fiction. But I did complete the book for comment’s sake.

Delightful

Great characters and dialogue. I enjoyed the narration and the twists this story took. Looking forward to the second book!

good story & well read.

the reader was excellent & the story mostly believable which is always a challenge with historical fiction. listening to 2nd in series immediately after finishing 1st!

Absolutely enjoyed!!

Having read books by other writers of this era, I started this knowing the factual events(because I read historical fiction without diving into the actual history) and the fictional representation by others, but also keeping an open mind for another version. I absolutely love that the author used a "lowborn" male perspective over the woman's. I am thoroughly excited to continue the series!

Great Audible Plus Find

This is a great listen! I love Tudor historical fiction, and this was a really interesting story with good writing and a perfect narrator. I loved the last chapter which was an author’s note explaining what was fiction what was creative license to support the story and what was believed to be accurate. All historical fiction should end with such a note.

One of the best novels I've listened to

What did you love best about The Tudor Secret?

Grabs you from the beginning with the characters and plot and won't let go until you finish it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tudor Secret?

The impact of the story and performance on the very first page. I had to change my schedule to make sure I could maximize my listening ... from morning to just before I dozed.

What about Steve West’s performance did you like?

Beautiful English accent and all the characters came were individuals and came to life. You weren't "listening" you were in the story. Great pacing and performance.

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

The introduction to the future Queen Elizabeth and her complex character.

Any additional comments?

Don't have any more time to waste ... got to start on the second in the series ...now ... bye

The incredible amount of research!

This book is amazing and engaging. It kept me interested from beginning to end. And though there is a romance, it really takes a back seat to the self discovery of the main character reminding us that often the key to who we are doesn’t lay in who we sleep with... not always. The author convincingly writes about the subtle differences between love and attraction to honor and specifically to finding a purpose or cause -a duty -to be of value in one’s life, aside from love of family and self. The author also convincingly writes about the mechanizations of society -particularly court life. This shows us that the board room antics of the corporate present are not so far removed from the Tudor court of long ago. I find this book highly entertaining AND informative. Driving home how important it is that we know our past not through rose colored glasses but through the eyes of people that are like people today- in a journey of self discovery.

I particularly like the Author’s dedication at the end of this book- who was thanked and why they were thanked gives great insight to this reader of the solitary humility it takes to be deemed “a writer.” I would like to thank the writer for being one of my story tellers. It’s not often one gets to stumble upon a story so good and so well written as to be admirable in every way. In truth it shows that someone well rounded in the deeper philosophical insights of life has written this book. I will be looking for this author’s books in the future.

The reader (voice actor) is very convincing and does not lapse into characters’ voices that are overly simplistic, but manages to maintain that subtle balance of differentiating dialogue convincingly with slight alterations of voice. The deep resonance and inflection of the first person narration reminds me very much of the voice of Julian Sands -an actor I admire very much with a voice I find very engaging. Bravo!

Loved the storyline!

Loved the storyline! Great idea that there may have been another Tudor heir. Very believable.

Slow start, good story

It took 2 h to get into the main plot line. Compelling once they get into the Story. Believable characters, interesting fictional supposition
The reader does a great job.