Tapestry

By: Nancy Bilyeau

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation, novice Joanna Stafford is summoned back to London to face King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell... who have made it their mission to expurge the Catholic faith from England.

©2015 Original Material by Nancy Bilyeau. Touchstone, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

A great series, and a fine narrator.

Even if you've been Tudored to death this is a good series. There are so few books about the Tudors that I will read, having hit saturation point years ago. But this series caught and has held my attention. Ms. Bilyeau is a fine writer and knows her time period. The only problem and this is a bit nit picky, is the use of Henry VIII, every time anyone speaks of the king, They don't say "the King, or Henry", it is HENRY VIII, it started to really bother me. But the story and characters are so well written I could over look it.

As for Nicola Barber's performance she does a great job and made it a pleasure to listen to.

3 people found this helpful

Disappointing Novel...

Of intrigue at the court of Henry VIII. Seriously? More well known history than well conceived mystery. Had trouble listening until the yawn ending.

1 person found this helpful

Could not put down!

Such a compelling close to this trilogy that I couldn't put this down. Stayed up all night to finish! And I got the ending I wanted!

2 people found this helpful

Meet Henry VIII - Up Close & Personal

A brilliantly imaginative take on the court of King Henry VIII before and during his marriage to his 5th wife, Catherine Howard, told from a tapestry maker he commissioned to create a tapestry featuring her image. Not merely a history lesson, but a suspenseful and intricately plotted adventure.

Fabulous story that is narrated expertly.

This is a wonderful historical conclusion to the Johanna Stafford trilogy. Nancy Bilyeau gives us the full flavor of the pathos and intrigues in the court of Henry XIII. She doesn't stint on the frustrations and chaos in the mind of the faithful Catholic heroine either! I highly recommend THE TAPESTRY, along with the first 2 novels of this trilogy, to anyone interested in period novels.

The narrator did an excellent job with character voices. I heartily recommend this Audible rendition of a fabulous story!

Likable story of the times

What did you love best about Tapestry?

The main character is sweet and believable.

What about Nicola Barber’s performance did you like?

I like Ms. Barber as a narrator. Her voice for books of this time period and female main characters seems appropriate--of course, we've never heard how they actually spoke. She has a great accent that can transport you to the time and place. Her voice as the King was interesting and showed a different side of his personality. What I mean is that Ms. Barber's voice for the King gave him a "new look" so to speak.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I have to agree with one of the other reviewers that the constant reference of "King Henry, the Eighth" was annoying and unnecessary.

Any additional comments?

Not one of my very favorite books of the period, though it was quite enjoyable. I'm glad I purchased it and will probably purchase the other two by the author. I'm particularly fascinated with tapestries; so, that is a plus. Quite a bit of fiction here, not as much historical, but enjoyable nevertheless. More detail and complexity would have made for a better story, but then I like very long, complex books.

Extraordinary

Written for me. Historical fiction with true and imagined romance. Strong characters without predictable actions. Yummy read. Must read for all historical fiction fans. Especially those enjoying the current Henry VIII tide.