The Falcon's Eyes

A Novel

De: Francesca Stanfill

Narrado por: Karen Cass

“Stanfill has persuasively re-imagined the Middle Ages, surrounding the legendary Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine with indelible characters in an immersive tale of intrigue, bravery, ruthlessness, and compassion. . . . The Falcon’s Eyes is a dazzling adventure, with riveting twists and turns and a surprising yet deeply satisfying conclusion.""—Sally Bedell Smith, author of Elizabeth the Queen

Set in France and England at the end of the twelfth century, the moving story of a spirited, questing young woman, Isabelle, who defies convention to forge a remarkable life, one profoundly influenced by the fabled queen she idolizes and comes to know – Eleanor of Aquitaine

Willful and outspoken, sixteen-year-old Isabelle yearns to escape her stifling life in provincial twelfth century France. The bane of her mother’s existence, she admires the notorious queen most in her circle abhor: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Isabelle’s arranged marriage to Gerard --- a rich, charismatic lord obsessed with falcons --- seems, at first, to fulfill her longing for adventure. But as Gerard’s controlling nature, and his consuming desire for a male heir, become more apparent, Isabelle, in the spirit of her royal heroine, makes bold, often perilous, decisions which will forever affect her fate.

A suspenseful, sweeping tale about marriage, freedom, identity, and motherhood, The Falcon's Eyes brings alive not only a brilliant century and the legendary queen who dominated it, but also the vivid band of complex characters whom the heroine encounters on her journey to selfhood: noblewomen, nuns, servants, falconers, and courtiers. The various settings — Château Ravinour, Fontevraud Abbey, and Queen Eleanor’s exiled court in England — are depicted as memorably as those who inhabit them. The story pulses forward as Isabelle confronts one challenge, one danger, after another, until it hurtles to its final, enthralling, page.

With the historical understanding of Hillary Mantel and the storytelling gifts of Ken Follett, Francesca Stanfill has created an unforgettable character who, while firmly rooted in her era, is also a woman for all times.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Warning...A Cliffhanger!

I love historical fiction and for the most part this was an entertaining book; however, as the plot progressed, I fell out of love with the main character. Isabelle runs from everything and she stands up to no one. She was so empty headed, she forgot the pregnancy prevention and what was an amicable parting turned into a vendetta...made no sense but then that part of the story would have ended. There were times she could have grown as a character but she did not even speak up. I realized pretty quickly that there was a twist to the story long before her ex reappeared and she was the same weak milksop that she had been all the way through the story. I hope in the next book, she grows a back bone and yes, women during this time did have one.

Trigger warning

I had to stop. The accumulation of layers of abuse very accurately portrays how a narcissist overtakes another person’s life.
If that was the author’s goal, well done?

I liked it!

I learned a lot about the basics of Eleanor of Aquataine from reading this book. That's kind of my goal when reading historical fiction. Eleanor is not the main character, however, and I thought choosing another character as the main character was an interesting way to go about it. The narration and the author's use of language was pleasing to me. I was able to predict several plot points because of the foreshadowing. One great plus for me was that this book is nice and long. It also had really great female relationships.

Perfect for a lover of English history…

…and lots of detail. The narrator’s voice was lovely though a bit limited on the male side. I enjoyed being immersed in the life of the nobility of the 12th century. The leisurely pace of the story building up to finally meeting Queen Eleanor may not suit everyone.

S L O W

Up to Chapter 7, lovely descriptions, but no action or character conflict, no firm historical color or information. I’ve read better historical fiction. Narrator is good, but I am returning this one after 8 hours of listening.