• Swords and Shields

  • Reign of the House of de Winter
  • By: Kathryn Le Veque
  • Narrated by: Brad Wills
  • Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (211 ratings)

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Swords and Shields  By  cover art

Swords and Shields

By: Kathryn Le Veque
Narrated by: Brad Wills
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Publisher's summary

AD 1301. Following the great quest north with Cortez de Bretagne (The Questing), de Bretagne's knight, Sir Drake de Winter, returns home to the great de Winter empire in Norfolk, but it is not the safe and wonderful haven he remembers. Family unrest causes him to flee to London and into the service of the elderly King Edward I, a personal friend of Drake's father. In Edward's service, Drake finds himself in Scotland as a major player in the Siege of Caerlaverock Castle. In a moment of pure luck, he saves the king from great injury, and in thanks Edward gifts Drake with an heiress for a wife.

But it is not the happy circumstance most men would see it as. Drake, a confirmed bachelor, cannot refuse the gift of a wife and is therefore forced to wed Lady Elisaveta du Reims, daughter of the last earl of East Anglia. Beautiful and intelligent, Elisaveta is English by birth yet of Scots and French blood, making her very much an enemy of England during these turbulent times. Although Drake is polite to her, he does not trust her. He does not want her. He cannot resist the feelings she stirs within him, but his instincts tell him to beware.

His instincts are correct; Elisaveta is not as she seems. Her heart belongs to France and to Scotland, but with the introduction of a new husband, her loyalties are torn. She, too, cannot resist the feelings the powerful young knight stirs within her.

Join Drake and Elisaveta on this unforgettable and passionate adventure.

©2015 Kathryn Le Veque (P)2016 Kathryn Le Veque

What listeners say about Swords and Shields

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

Inconsistent

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. I would make it more cogent. It seems to be inconsistent throughout. For example, some expressions are modern day, inconstancy of judgments, so-called honorable knights with dishonorable conduct, etc.

Would you be willing to try another book from Kathryn Le Veque? Why or why not?

Yes. Some of her books have shown continuity in both story-line and characters. Serpent was such a book.

Which scene was your favorite?

In the beginning when the armed de Winter family were looking for Drake de Winter to honor a wedding contract made by his parents.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, if it was edited for continuity.

Any additional comments?

Brad Wills is a wonderful narrator, but sometimes one of the characters (either an overly rough male voice or shrill hag-like voice) will be hard to understand. In "Swords and Shields" it is Lady Elisaveta du Reims' grandmother.

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5 people found this helpful

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

excellent

very engaging & picturesque. funny, great character development, fresh plot. women's voices could have been more distinguishable, but overall it worked.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Not a favorite .

I might have enjoyed the story if I could have tolerated the narration. that kept me from finiishing the book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

Awesome story. I really like the way Kathryn writes. I hope she keeps them coming.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Excellent!

Just what I've come to expect from Kathryn LeVeque! She can write a great story and Brad Wills tells it wonderfully! I believed I was truly listening to several different characters speak!

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1 person found this helpful

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

KLV's brilliant story come to life w/ Brad Wills

The House of Winter is a growing family with several amazing characters. Brad Wills easily brought Kathryn Le Veque's complex characters to life.

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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

Kathryn Leveque always makes her books come alive!

Where does Swords and Shields rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love the audio by Brad Wills since he seems to be so versatile in changing the voices for the appropriate characters.

What did you like best about this story?

Well I loved the whole story, but this one played havoc on my emotions. My husband walked in and I was crying like a baby..lol. I think it was just such an unexpected twist to the story that I didn't foresee coming. Kathryn LeVeque always describes everthing in such detail. You can almost see the big, sexy men and feel what the characters are feeling. The

What about Brad Wills’s performance did you like?

His versatility and range needed to do all the different characters, and his super sexy voice/accent.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely love all of Kathryn LeVeque's books. Her covers are outstanding and I like that she has audio nooks that come out so quickly. If we've bought the ebook, sometimes she runs a special so that we can afford them more often.
Kathryn LeVeque is the embodiment of an exceptional Medieval Romance Writer!!! You won't want to put the book down.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Bravo Kathryn Le Veque and Brad Wills

Swords and Shields is one of Le Veques best books and Brad Wills performance is AWESOME! This is a stand alone novel but if you want Drake's parents story, read/listen to Lespada first. Strongly recommend.

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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

Loved, Loved it!

The combination of a powerful story and a powerful Narriator just brought this story to life. I would give it ten stars if I could. I laughed out loud, cried, and had every emotion in between. Don't miss this one. Thank you so much Kathryn Le Veque and Brad Wills for bringing me such joy in my life.

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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

Exciting, twists & bumps!

Kathryn Le Veque tells a story of life and battles in the early 1300’s. I love all of Kathryn Le Veque’s medieval romances, full of battles, rich & poor life and although she writes fiction, I know her research is excellent & factual. Brad Wills is a good narrator. I’m amazed how many voices he uses with a wide variety of emotions.

I highly recommend all Kathryn Le Veque’s stories of you like exciting suspense.

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