• The Virgin in the Ice

  • The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
  • By: Ellis Peters
  • Narrated by: Patrick Tull
  • Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (427 ratings)

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The Virgin in the Ice  By  cover art

The Virgin in the Ice

By: Ellis Peters
Narrated by: Patrick Tull
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Publisher's summary

Civil war continues to blaze in the autumn of 1139. Amid the uncertainty and peril of the moment two noble children make their escape, headed for Shrewsbury. But for reasons no one knows, the young fugitives never reach their destination.
©1982 Ellis Peters (P)1992 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"A splendid combination of romance, mystery, medieval swashbuckling." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Virgin in the Ice

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Story, Great Narrator

Patrick Tull, may he rest in peace, gave seamless performances, and this is one of them. The story is classic Ellis Peters - a well-crafted mystery set in a slower time. Cadfael's forensics were as scientific as the times allowed, but just as much about heart and his understanding of human nature. These are characters I care about, who interest me. I'll keep listening.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Many strands of mystery resolved with grace

An excellent story with valiant and loving characters!
Precise language, vivid characters, rich historical details.
Perfect narrator for a mesmerizing and complex tale that is full of faith and grace.

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4 people found this helpful

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

I prefer Sir Derek!

What did you love best about The Virgin in the Ice?

This is my 2nd favorite Cadfael novel. The book introduces Cadfael's son, one of my favorite characters in the entire series. BTW First favorite is Brother Cadfael's Penance in which also includes Cadfael's son.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Olivier, Cadfael's son who manages to get into what amounted to enemy territory and get back out without getting caught and still do what he was sent there for.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Tull's voice fits the book and it's characters but he has a tendency to get a bit carried away. I have listened to Derek Jacobi's versions of the Cadfael books. He played Cadfael in the British TV series based on the books. He does a better job IMHO by keeping the needed interest without going off the deep end the way Tull has a habit of doing, more so in this book than he did in the other Cadfael book I have of his, "One Corpse Too Many"

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

I have done so twice now and have also listened to it in parts during my working hours.

Any additional comments?

I like Tull's performance but I would like to see the unabridged versions by Derek Jacobi available as well. If they were available, I'd buy the lot!

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4 people found this helpful

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

Tull's Triumph

I'm six books in to the series. Tull's best yet. His narration matches each improving story! His pacing and eloquence remarkably turn a mere reading into telling the story as if it was his own. Thoroughly enjoyed it. A magic carpet to Middle England!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Story, Superb Narrator

The Brother Cadfael books are among some of my most favorite. This particular book is among my most favorite of the Cadfael books. And this narrator does a simply masterful job in bringing this story to life. An audiobook I will listen to again and again.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Made Me Tear Up

Outstanding way of putting together 5 books. Best book yet of series. Love this series.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Over-acted

The story is wonderful-- Peters' prose mesmerizes. But Tull over-acts. It's hard to get lost in the story with his overly dramatic delivery at the wrong places. And he differentiates the characters insufficiently. I miss Stephen Thorne; he was pitch-perfect.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Excellent narration; plot is a bit annoying

This is another great reading by Patrick Tull, but honestly I want to shake the boy Yves and particularly his sister until their brains kick in, and they sit down and stay in one place. So I guess it amounts to deducting a star (from 4) for the tedious part of the plot.

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1 person found this helpful

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

one of the best

I have enjoyed all the Brother Cadfael books, but so far, this is my favorite. Reading them in order builds upon the story and enriches the characters. The narrator is excellent and I can't imagine another voice better for dear Brother Cadfael.

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

What a story teller!

Ellis Peters draws it out a bit with this one and maybe too much description, she is an amazing storyteller.

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