King in Waiting

Lord Edward's Archer Series, Book 2

By: Griff Hosker

Narrated by: Owen Frost

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

"A rollicking historical adventure which flies like an arrow from a bow." (Giles Kristian)

"One of the best Griff Hosker books I have ever read." (Paul J. Bennett)

The sequel to runaway best seller Lord Edward’s Archer.

The year is 1264. Simon de Montfort defeats and captures King Henry III of England at the Battle of Lewes to become de facto ruler of the country.

Step forward Gerald War Bow, a man of humble birth but noble intentions, a superb archer and leader of men, and a committed servant of Lord Edward – the real heir to King Henry’s throne.

So ensues a series of bloodthirsty battles, acts of bravery, and rescue missions, all in the name of toppling the treasonous de Montfort. Finally, Gerald and his archers find themselves at the edge of battle at Evesham.

As the royalists face de Montfort’s army, which still holds King Henry among its number, Gerald War Bow knows that the future of his country – and his own life – lie in the balance.

As Gerald pulls back his bow, will he hit – or miss?

"Well researched and packed with accurate historical detail the King in Waiting brings an important period in English history to rousing life." (David Penny)

"In Gerald War-Bow, Hosker has crafted a heroic, humble archer with the heart of a prince." (Brook Allen)

©2019 Griff Hosker (P)2020 Griff Hosker

Good listen

Exciting flows well and is believable. This period of English history is of great interest. The English archer was a tough, skilled and formidable.u

Not as Good as the First

The narrator was not good. His continuous mispronunciations were distracting, especially the word "heard". He pronounced it "here" + "d".

Narrator is not great

It would be great to move away from this narrator, he does the book a disservice.

Narrator sucks!!

I really enjoy Griff Hosker’s books and am in the 2nd book of my second series with this author. Owen Frost, the narrator, ruined the experience on book 2. Just like developing a like for an author, listeners prefer narrators that add to the pleasure of the book. Owen Frost brings nothing but displeasure.

Mighty Archer Gerald War Bow

Second in the series of a continuing story of the strength of England and their precision archers. Griff Hosker's ability to write interesting and memorable characters is amazing. I took right away to Gerald War Bow in the first book and welcomed the second in the series and wasn't disappointed. Another great historical fiction by the author. The narration was well done.

Good book poor narration.

First book on this series was much better. Narration killed the story. Would recommending reading this one yourself.

The performer was not as good

The voice talent was no where near as good as Marston York. He did not do regional accents and would kean away from the microphone as if it were a different speaker. It just wasn't as good.

Good Story; Simple Writing; Poor Narration

I'm a junky for the genre, so I finished it, but the writing was overly simple at times, which was really highlighted by a narrator who was more of a reader than a performer. He didn't get the subtlety of accentuation.

Narrator was perfectly okay; Story was great

First of all, I will admit that the negative narration ratings from several other reviewers had me concerned. However, I was very interested in continuing with the Lord Edward's Archer series, and the 5 minute narration sample sounded okay to me. So, I forked over a credit, figuring that I could get it back if I didn't like the book.

I'm happy to say that I really liked the book! The narrator was quite good, in my opinion. Contrary to what other reviewers claim, he uses a number of distinct voices to differentiate characters. No way does he use the same voice for everyone. I could easily tell who was speaking. I mean, contrast the child like voice of young Peter with the gruff and snooty voice of Lord Edward - they're nothing alike.

Equally important, I found Owen Frost's reading voice to be crystal clear and very soothing to the ear - simple and unaffected, just as I would expect from an English commoner. Yes, the narrator did regularly use an unusual pronunciation of the word 'heard' (he rhymed it with 'beard'), but I figured he was just trying to bring more realism to the speech habits of Gerald Warbow, the central character who relays the story. So, honestly, I really don't get all the criticism of Owen Frost's narration. I think he did a superb job.

As for the story itself, I found it very interesting and entertaining. I love listening to a fictional tale taking place in that particular period of English history, which I've always found fascinating. Griff Hosker has created a fun and fast-paced adventure story which keeps me wondering what's going to happen next. To find out, I've already purchased "An Archer's Crusade", Book 3 in the series. And the fact that it's narrated by Owen Frost is a definite plus for me.

Good history needs more.

I like the plot. It has good characters that need more depth. Main character lacks the banter and knowledge of those he calls brother needed to get 4 stars. First book was the same.