Beauty's Kingdom

A Novel

By: A. N. Roquelaure, Anne Rice

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell, Sophie Eastlake, Dominic Hoffman, John Lee

Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

The erotic Sleeping Beauty trilogy now continues with a fourth novel by master storyteller and best-selling author of Prince Lestat, Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure.

Mega-best-selling author Annie Rice returns to where she left off in Beauty’s Release with the disappearance of Queen Eleanor in Bellavalten. Now, 20 years after they were forced to leave the kingdom to return to their homeland, Beauty and her husband Laurent agree to travel back as its king and queen, to uphold the ways of complete sensual surrender, with a twist: They now insist on voluntary servitude in Bellavalten.

Countless eager princes, princesses, lords, ladies, and common folk journey to Beauty’s new kingdom where she and her husband awaken their domain, ushering in a new era of desire, longing, and sexual ecstasy. Provocative and stirring, Rice’s imaginative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth will be hailed by her longtime fans and new listeners of erotica just discovering the novels. This audiobook is intended for mature audiences.

Read by Paul Boehmer, Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell, Sophie Eastlake, Dominic Hoffman and John Lee.

©2015 A. N. Roquelaure and Anne Rice (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Voluptuous imagery and graphic scenes...Roquelaure pulls no punches (or holds back no spankings). The fairy-tale setting provides an apt stage, and the magical world clearly marks the erotic action as fantasy." (Kirkus)

"[A] thumbs-up.... Beauty's Kingdom is a delightful, immersive read, all at once playful, campy, explicit, erotic, and provocative." (Publisher’s Weekly)  

"Rice’s lush prose is elegant and enchanting, reminiscent of classic historical fiction in its lyrical structure and elaborate description." (Library Journal)  

Meh

For anyone who has not read the first three books, do not start with this one, and because it's not able to stand on its own, it loses one star. The second star is lost because there is barely a story. The three stars are given for the fact that this shit is still better than fifty shades.

If you listened to the first three.....

Would you listen to Beauty's Kingdom again? Why?

If you listened to the first three in this series, you should listen to this. Remember this book takes place 20 years after the ending of the trilogy. Many things and people have changed. Even though Beauty is only 35, or 36 years old and still exquisite, there are many characters being brought back and some new ones to learn about.

What did you like best about this story?

The changes that are brought about in "Beauties Kingdom", It brings back a time of glory and a better hand of safety for those who CHOOSE to be SLAVES. In order to understand this book, you really have had to listen to the first three. (not abridged).

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to several of the narrators and they all did a fine job in this book.

Any additional comments?

This book is not like the first three, it has a different slant, and it is changing the way the country is being run. Beauty sees a way to revive the land and bring people back. It works, and she also finds out that she can get what she wants as well and still be Queen.

Not as good as the original

It wasn't bad but it truly wasn't as good as the original trilogy. It's nice to hear what happened with the characters but it was very tame comparably.

love the series, but this one... not so much

I really liked the narrator of this one. I very much loved the original series. However this book was a REAL struggle to keep listening to it. I now wish, I had not wasted an Audible credit on it.

I suppose what made it a struggle to listen to was the disappointing characters. Where was the sensuality and sexiness of the characters in the original trilogy?!? They were certainly missing this Title. I love erotica. Not this one though, it does not pull the listener in. It leaves you wanting to stop after every page and starting something better.

it was okay

it started off strong but then started to fall apart towards the end oh well

I want more!

I thought the ending... About an hour to go was odd, but why not. Give me more! Please write more!!!!!

Past its time...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have published it 15 years ago.

Did Beauty's Kingdom inspire you to do anything?

Not really. It seemed pretty tame and hard to follow.

Any additional comments?

Not really. My partner, a dyed in the wool Anne Rice fan, hasn't finished it yet.

Not as hot as the original trilogy

Although it was nice to revisit the characters, this book lacks the page after page sizzle of the original trilogy. Multiple narrators tend to pull me out of the story. Better to have one great narrator that does multiple voices. Sophie Eastlake was woefully underutilized.

Could not stay interested

I loved the female narrator, but the male put me to sleep. He has an accent that just doesn't sound right reading this type of material. Just listening to him annoyed me the entire time.

Wonderful and completely decadent.

I liked this book much more than the trilogy. . It is a fabulous continuum of Beauty's story. Of course there are many new and old character's to love or hate. Watching the trilogy character's personalities change and grow is sublime in only the way Anne Rice can make it so.