An Argumentation of Historians

The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 9

By: Jodi Taylor

Narrated by: Zara Ramm

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

They say you shouldn't push your luck. Max gives her own luck a massive shove every day - and it's only a matter of time until luck pushes back....

January, 1536 - the day of Henry VIII's infamous jousting accident. Historians from St Mary's are there in force, recording and documenting. And arguing - obviously. A chance meeting between Max and the Time Police leads to a plan of action. And it's one that will have very serious consequences - especially for Max.

Her private life is already more than a little rocky. But with Leon recovering and Matthew safe in the future, there will never be a better opportunity to bring down Clive Ronan once and for all. From Tudor England to the burning city of Persepolis - and from a medieval siege to a very nasty case of 19th-century incarceration - Max is determined that this time he will not escape.

Please note: this audio was updated on 11th April 2018 to add the final chapter.

©2017 Jodi Taylor (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Re-download for final chapter

Initial download omitted the last chapter, giving new meaning to “cliff hanger”. Problem has been fixed. If you don’t have 41 tracks, re-do your download.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hooray, hooray, Max is back with a vengeance! It is amazing that this series doesn’t get stale, but Jodi Taylor is a wonder and Zara Ramm is perfect as narrator.

Plot: Clive Ronan is still out there and Max has another brilliant idea about how to catch him. Suffice it to say, things go wrong. Everyone cracks wise, disasters ensue, St, Mary”s prevails. Satisfactory conclusion to the current crisis with assurance that there is more to come.

About reading or listening to the series from the beginning: I’d say yes, definitely. All the characters are motivated by events from earlier books.

Note to Audible: shame on you for not notifying buyers as soon as the problem was discovered. I only found out about the missing chapter because I was planning to write a negative review but decided to read other reviews first. A big thank you to the reviewer who said “Make sure you listen to the whole thing.”

Make sure you listen to the whole thing

I pre-ordered and downloaded immediately - if you did too be careful - you might be missing the last chapter (which is why there are so many unsatisfied reviews here)

Definitely worth the listen - LOVE Jodi Taylor

A wonderful roller coaster ride!

To quote the beginning of a review by Townsend from Texas: “Initial download omitted the last chapter, giving new meaning to “cliff hanger”. Problem has been fixed. If you don’t have 41 tracks, re-do your download. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hooray, hooray, Max is back with a vengeance! It is amazing that this series doesn’t get stale, but Jodi Taylor is a wonder and Zara Ramm is perfect as narrator.”

This installment made me laugh, experience the hardships of a different era and then fall in love with the people and their hardships while mourning the loss of Max’s modern-day reality. What follows is a well-woven story and narration that brought me to my feet, pacing the floor as we follow Max’s solo journey through the past.

I don’t want to spoil the book, but what happens next made me cry like a baby, laugh out loud, and hold on tight as Max navigates her way forward. After re-downloading the complete book, hearing all of section/chapter 41, I declare this a brilliant and successful story. I look forward to Max’s next adventure with eager anticipation.

A different type of tale

This was different type of story because instead of observing history someone at St. Mary ends up in 1399 and starts to become part of history, but then after the person returns she is disoriented and sad about what was left behind and trying to figure out what to do.
I wonder if Max will ever get rid of Clive Ronan, or any of his accomplices, because at this point I’m a little bit over this storyline.
I found the story touching, sad and frustrating from all the events that happen in this story. I felt really sad for the man that helps Max in 1399, because it sound like he really liked her and then she vanishes and leaves him behind. I actually wish Max could have stayed in 1399, but I knew she couldn’t.

My favorite in the series!

I loved it! The last three books have been wonderful, but this is definitely the best. The one before this is a close second. There was a weird alternate timeline thing and a battle for St. Mary's in past books and I just wasn't all that engaged in either of those story lines, but I stuck it out because I loved the characters and was mightily rewarded!

This book is brilliant. I LOVED the extensive deep dive into another historical period (I won't ruin anything) and you really see how hard it is to be an outsider. The characters are touching. I sobbed at points, laughed, and devoured the audiobook in less than a day.

I can't wait for the next one! MORE LIKE THIS PLEASE!!! Also why is Zara Ramm not narrating more audiobooks? She's so good!

Put the kettle on and prepare to get stuck in with this one! Best to start on a weekend when you have 2 days to just devote to listening. You won't want it to end!!!

Begin with the First Book...

Well it is not necessary to begin at the beginning, but getting to know the Historians of Saint Mary's is well worth the time spent with the first eight books.

I adore Ms. Taylor. I like her sarcasm, her wit and the earnestness that comes through her madcap heroine and the zany situations she finds herself in.

But the main reason I like her books is because she does the most difficult thing an author of light fiction has to do; she makes her characters and her plots both outrageous and still believable. Her main character's personality is drawn with depth including flaws. Yet no matter how outrageous the situation Max encounters, the reader silently nods and thinks well of course that is how Max would react. The woman is just that stubborn.

These books are not for people who want to snuggle down with Gibbon. They are fun.

I keep coming back to these books because I am anxious to join Max and her fellow Historians in their latest adventures. Which is the only reason I ever buy the next book in a series.

Can I live at St Mary's?

Once again Jodi Taylor triumphs and I grieve the ending of another great book. Zara Ramm is fantastic and brings these characters to life in a way that rarely happens.

What the heck

Loved the story up till the end. I strongly agree with the other reviewer. What the heck happened to the end. I also thought that the down load was corrupted, but no it just ends.
I don’t mind cliff hangers but this just stopped. Will have to think about getting the next installment.

Not nice ... not nice at all

I have 581 titles in my library and I regret that I have never written a single review. Apologies to my fellow Audible listeners. The fact that this book has compelled my first ever review speaks to how strongly I feel manipulated by the ending of this book. I am going to give Jodi Taylor the benefit of the doubt and lay this at the feet of a way-too-clever publisher who chalked it up as a way to sell more books. But the trick wasn’t even necessary. If one is buying the ninth part of this series, then you have already paid for the first eight and all the novellas because the dynamic duo of Jodi Taylor and Zara Ramm have been outstanding, embodying the essence of the charm of listening to audio books. So by the time we get to buy this book (and the fans all saw this the first day it was announced for pre-order) we were all already in for somewhere around $150-$200. We don’t need tricks and don’t appreciate them. Something else that leads me to believe that the publisher may have had a hand in this unfortunate episode is the fact that Ms. Ramm seems to have had a cold or something for the first few hours of the book. Her delivery, timing, and cadence were as perfect as ever but the tone of her voice was not the same as prior performances — as if she was stuffy or perhaps because there was a new producer who flubbed the recording mix. That is minor, I know, but it is simply another blemish on a series that I have followed since the first episode and have otherwise really enjoyed. I am too invested in the story line to call it quits like other reviewers have decided to do. Ms. Taylor did not write something offensive or insensitive or even “jump the shark” so to speak since one of the most charming aspects of the series is its perpetual shark jumping. So I’m still in. I just don’t appreciate being played by the way this silly edition was ended.

Unsatisfying ending

I absolutely loved the whole book until the very end. There was really no conclusion and the book just ended in the middle of a scene.

Lost for words

I didn’t think that there were any more ways to torture a historian, boy was I wrong.
I’m always apprehensive when a new StMarys book comes out because I’m terrified Max and the team will end up in a situation they won’t get out of. I think this book was the scariest yet.
Like leon I’m wishing for the good old days.
Having finished this episode in one day, because it was impossible to put down, I’m now left in suspense for the next year or so until the next in the series is written and released.
I didn’t give this the whole five stars because despite the brilliant storyline and the A’s ever incomparable narration, the ending frustrated me to no end.
Unless audible have accidentally left out a final chapter or epilogue, then Jodi Taylor is one cruel woman.;)

The Story is complete, confidence restored

Would you consider the audio edition of An Argumentation of Historians to be better than the print version?
The story is good, shame I had to download the kindle version to get the last chapter.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Argumentation of Historians?
The last chapter is missing.

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?
Zara Ramm is excellent as always.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes I want to listen from start to finish, only the last chapter was missing.

Any additional comments?
Yes THE LAST CHAPTER WAS MISSING!

Brilliant Story and even better narration!

What made the experience of listening to An Argumentation of Historians the most enjoyable?

Firstly just to put your mind at ease the earlier download problems with this title have been fixed and all chapters now download as they are supposed to.

Back to the review. Book 9 in the Chronicles of St Mary's continues the saga of Max and the St Mary's team as they create chaos up and down the time line. The story is brilliant and Zara Ramm continues to be the best narrator that Audible has to offer. She brings the characters to life brilliantly and this just adds to the already great story line. If you haven't discovered this amazing series yet please go and find book one ' Just one Damned Thing After Another'

The last chapter is there now

What did you like most about An Argumentation of Historians?

Another enthralling collection of twists and turns. There's always something new, even if it's old. I loved Max's time in old St Mary's.

What did you like best about this story?

Oh, how could he have been hiding there? He's a brilliant evil genius that Ronan.

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?

I've started buying audible books from other authors if Zara Ramm is the narrator. She is so easy to listen to, none of her accents make me wince or cringe. Her pace, phrasing..everything is just right.

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

Yes, and I did. I could have done without the unintentional cliffhanger when audible missed out the last chapter.

As per usual Jodi writes another great story!

What made the experience of listening to An Argumentation of Historians the most enjoyable?

the story never stops and Zara Ramm tells it beautifully; you know who is speaking from her voice, her tone and her commitment to the story.

What did you like best about this story?

Jodi knows her history and is committed to getting the facts right, but all within the context of telling a good tale; her characters are believable and you can want them to win through - which is why when one of dies ( Oh Jodi how can you do that to us!) you can really feel it.

Have you listened to any of Zara Ramm’s other performances? How does this one compare?

i have heard Zara read all of Jodi's book and she gets better and better - she seems to be more committed to them and their places in the books.

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

Hell Yeah!

Any additional comments?

if only Jodi could write a book a month!!!!!

One of the best

I am addicted to the Chronicles of St Mary's. For me, this has been one of the best stories so far. I have listened to this book for two days until i finished it. Mind you, I dont read the books in the right order. I have read 4 books so far and i have particularly liked this particular one. I cannot recommend tnis series enough.

Meandering story

If you could sum up An Argumentation of Historians in three words, what would they be?

Familiar, inventive, enjoyable

Would you be willing to try another book from Jodi Taylor? Why or why not?

Absolutely. I love this series although this book did get a bit bogged down in the now quite complex competing story lines.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The section of the book where Max spent several months in the Medievil St Mary's was most enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

This is a great series funny, inventive and creating believable scenarios for the characters. It is now getting a bit bogged down in competing story line however and I wonder if it's time to close the Ronan thread.

Brilliant apart from the changed accents

Brilliant as always and the story is enhanced by Zara Ramm's performance apart from a couple of tiny points.......Dieter used to be German but in the last couple of stories his accent has changed to British. Kal was always Mancunian but is now a Geordie. And wasn't Max Phillipa of Rushford when Peterson got the plague, not Joan?? Won't stop me listening and waiting for the next one though!!

Not as enjoyable as previous tales

Sorry, I love all of the previous stories but this time the writing seems disjointed and rushed. I am being honest here and say that I would much prefer to wait a couple of years for a fully fleshed out story instead of a chick lit quickie just to keep the fans happy. This one is a snapshot view rather than a continuation of the previous story.

Bloody Bollocking Brilliant ... If only Audible hadn’t lost the final chapter!

Jodi has done it again!
Another romp through time and History with all the good bits!
Henry VIII, Medieval Rushford, Blood, Chickens and very inventive swearing ... however if you want to know how it ends you’ll have to read the book as Audible appear to have lost the final chapter!!!