• The Glittering Court: The Glittering Court, Book 1

  • By: Richelle Mead
  • Narrated by: Kristen Sieh
  • Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,439 ratings)

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The Glittering Court: The Glittering Court, Book 1

By: Richelle Mead
Narrated by: Kristen Sieh
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Publisher's summary

A dazzling, romantic new fantasy series set in a mix of Elizabethan and frontier worlds from Richelle Mead, number-one internationally best-selling author of Vampire Academy.

Big and sweeping, spanning the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide's deception. Complications soon arise - first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and later when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands....

©2016 Richelle Mead (P)2016 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Southern charm meets My Fair Lady...romantics will love this book." (School Library Connection, starred review)

"With a full cast of bold and original characters, Mead does a superb job of building a world that teens will be excited to enter into and disappointed to leave. The plot is intricately woven, and the ending promises future installments from other characters’ points of view. Brilliant and original, Mead’s new series starts off with a bang and will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end." (School Library Journal)

"The emphasis on romance, dresses, and intrigue will appeal to fans of Kiera Cass." (Voice of Youth Advocates)

What listeners say about The Glittering Court: The Glittering Court, Book 1

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Narrator with a wonderful new story.

Any additional comments?

The narrator for this book is just wonderful. Her voices for the Characters are rich and she makes the story come alive. I look forward to listening to more of her narrated books.

Richelle Mead is one of my favorite authors. She took a different approach with this book. It is less of a fantasy book and more of a loose take on history. This story seems to combine elements of the Roman Occupation of Britain, the colonization of the United States with a dash of Salem Witch Trials just to keep it interesting. It is definitely not like her other books but that makes it a vert refreshing read. I will definitely listen to this one again. Definitely worth the credit and I look forward to the next book in the series!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I love this story!

First, let me say that I loved Kristen Sieh's performance and voice so much, I will listen to anything else she narrates for the rest of my life.

As for Richelle Mead's story- simply pure escapism! I love our heroine, I love everyone she comes in contact with and the villian, pretty much love to hate!

I don't typically enjoy fantasy, but the fact that these are countries that don't exist and religions she's created didn't matter one bit. The were completely real to me and I loved the adventures.

I hope there's a follow up book, I'd adore another adventure with these characters.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • MH
  • 05-29-16

Okay plot, but a lot of loose ends and barely likable characters

When I first began this book I thought I would grow to love it. I did grow to be okay with it, but I was never truly that fond of listening to it. I think the reason was because I did not like the main character, and I just simply couldn't feel that bad for her. She was not endearing or inspiring and I am sad to say that I only grew to dislike her. None of her traits as a main character won me over, nor allowed me to sympathize with her plight to get out of a marriage... Mostly because she didn't have that rough of a time and she came off as kind of snobby the entire book. I love mead's other works and am a huge fan, but this just was not as good as I had hoped.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

narrator is excellent

I very much enjoyed the narrator. Each character had a discernable voice or characteristic. very well read.

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11 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Did Richelle really write this?

I had high expectations for this book. This book had potential but did not develop for me. To bad, I have really enjoyed her other books. Maybe this genre is not for you Richelle.

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11 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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So Not Worth It

I am a big fan of the Vampire Academy and Golden Lily books, so I was super excited for a new Richelle Mead series. Unfortunately, The Glittering Court is terrible. The plot makes zero sense. I am a fan of YA books, so I'm not measuring Glittering Court against Jane Austen. The narration is not compelling, and does little to breathe life into this corpse of a book. This is a dud. Don't waste your credit, money, or time.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Read

I LOVED this book!! There were so many twists and turns, it was awesome! I would highly recommend this book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Didn't think I would but I did love it.

Strong female leads and fantastic character development. High adventure reminiscent of Jane Austin meets Larry McMurtry.
You'll wanna keep listening.

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5 people found this helpful

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

Exceeded my expectations

What made the experience of listening to The Glittering Court: The Glittering Court, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

What did you like best about this story?

I went into this book just wanting an entertaining, fluffy YA novel to listen to on my commute. I chose The Glittering Court because the plot sounded interesting enough and it has good reviews. I ended up loving it! The description of the book really doesn't do it justice. The story has so much more depth than I was expecting and engages with so many different issues. I'm invested in this story now and can't wait for the next book in the series!

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

Kristen Sieh is a wonderful narrator. Before I downloaded the book, I read some reviews saying they didn't like her narration very much. I completely disagree. I could listen to her forever. She really brought the characters to life, especially the protagonist.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

Couldn't get enough! kept me interested the entire time! Had a fun new appeal to it.

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4 people found this helpful