The Lion of St. Mark

This was a very good book to listen to - I did not want to turn it off!!! The Adventure with the history made it all the more interesting - although I did need to find a map of Venice to help me picture the different locations.

This historical fiction is captivating and the narration is extremely well done. The narrator successfully gives each character of the story (of which there are many both male and female) a distinct, recognizable, and nuanced voice. The history of Venice at the end of the 14th century comes to life herein.

I have read 4 Henty books myself and wanted an Audible book to listen to while running. I enjoyed this story a lot. It is not as gripping as "The Carthagian," but it is well told and the story trips a long at a pace that makes listening enjoyable and easy to follow. The geography is pretty simple, the characters are vivid and have easy to remember names. The narrator never gets in the way, but puts forth the story. An invisible reader is what you want when you listen to a book. You'll enjoy it if you like G. A. Henty, "The boys historian!"

I could not turn this one off Great historical fiction!!!!! If you have been to Vencie its a must read.

Reg

We love G.A. Henty novels and were so excited to get this story. We find it very very very hard to listen to because of the narration. I should have listened to the sample first :(

This book was originally published in 1880 and its age shows. The story is a cross between Horatio Alger and the Perils of Pauline. It strains credulity far past the breaking point. The characters are completely one-dimensional. The narrator's style does little to increase interest. It is ironic that at the end he refers to the book as "The Lion of St. Mary" rather than St. Mark. One positive aspect is that he does different voices, especially female, without the strain or falsetto which plague other readers.

I couldn't recommend this unless one likes period pieces.