The Tudor Secret

The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

By: C. W. Gortner

Narrated by: Steve West

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

©2011 C. W. Gortner (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." ( Booklist)

Riveting time in History

I was not very well-versed in this time period of England and enjoyed learning about King Henry VIII and his offspring. The treachery at court and the jockeying for power left you not knowing who to believe. I enjoyed the main character and the mystery surrounding him. I do have a few words of caution. This time frame doesn't seem to be filled with the highest moral character. There is one sex scene. It is not overly described and is thankfully very brief. If Brendan ever sends his friend, the stable boy, out of the room when he is reunited with his lady friend, you could skip several minutes and miss the whole thing. There was one f bomb in the whole book. I don't think that word appropriate to the time period. Really, a little over 100 years ago if you said something like "Devil Take It!" or "Blast it!" They were considered swear words. I just thought that was entirely out of place. The story is interesting; the time period, fascinating. The narration was good as far as I could tell. I was really sucked in quickly and finished it fairly quickly. I knock off stars for the above two things, but overall I enjoyed the story.

The beginning of my favorite Tudor series

Read in 2011 and 2013

4.5 Stars!

Updated Review 7/30/13:
Not only did I enjoy this just as much as the first time, but I had forgotten half of what happens in the story. I re-listened to it to prepare myself for the second book in this series, The Tudor Conspiracy.

Original Review from 2011:
(audiobook) Another must-read for lovers of the Tudor era---this takes place after the death of Henry VIII and before the rise of Jane Grey, when Henry's son Edward was on the throne. Full of romance and intrigue.

a unique point of view

I loved this story. The unique point of view made in enjoyable 😀. I highly recommend it.

Captivating historical novel

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. kept me captivated 100 percent if the time. Historical facts were well integrated with fiction. High recommended.

Love how fast paced it is and to the point

It’s rare I leave reviews but I enjoyed this book and listened within a couple days. Which is quick for me contending with my 5 little children that need attention all waking and some non waking hours 😉 I find myself listening late into night and early in the morning. Hope the next book is just as enjoyable! At this point I’m beginning to think Brandon is immortal he’s takes quite a few vicious kickins and whickens but none the less, keeps on ticking! 😄 and his little girlfriend well wow 😮 she is quite the forward one huh lol I was really taken a back by how she was portrayed to jump to gun so quickly given how women from these time pieces are often portrayed unless of course their being portrayed as a prostitute. Which she is not lol but hey one need not look further than modern works on this time on tv series and movies to second guess that assumption lol but yes 👏 it’s a good book if you enjoy historical books mixed with a little or a lot of imaginary fiction weaved in! Happy reading….

I love the intrigue

The author gave great details to the readers to slowly reveal the truth about the main character. If you pay attention you can come up with a conclusion form the clues your presented with, there could've have been more to the romance or none at all. There are several points of comedic flare that I like, I'm gonna start reading the next book.

Great Storytelling, excellent performance

Truly engaging story, lots of intrigue. Hoping for more books to continue the story. I will definitely be searching for more writings by this author. The narrator was spot on. I will be looking for more of his work as well. Very pleasing to listen to his character portrayals.

Great Book! But Where's The Second Book Audible?

Where does The Tudor Secret rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Solid story that ranks in the top 40% of the 100's of books I have listened to.

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

I have not listened to Steve West before but he did a great job.

Who was the most memorable character of The Tudor Secret and why?

Peregrine of course was the best character.

Any additional comments?

For the folks at Audible, if you offer a great price for "the first book of a series" make sure you have the rest of the books.

Amazing!

Love love loved this story. Kept my workdays entertaining and loved the narrator. I will be seeking out this author.

Was Unsure But Hey...

I really enjoyed this book very much. To me the given details made this story line made me question how much I'd like it. If not written well it could be really bad; have you been there too? It took a chapter or two before it had me intrigued.