-
The Moon in the Palace
- The Empress of Bright Moon, Book 1
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $21.70
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Last Rose of Shanghai
- A Novel
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg, Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1940. Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out of Germany, an outsider searching for shelter in a city wary of strangers. He loses nearly all hope until he crosses paths with Aiyi. When she hires Ernest to play piano at her club, her defiance of custom causes a sensation. His instant fame makes Aiyi’s club once again the hottest spot in Shanghai. Soon they realize they share more than a passion for jazz - but their differences seem insurmountable....
-
-
Soapy but fun
- By Padders- Padmini Sankar on 12-14-21
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
Threads of Silk
- By: Amanda Roberts
- Narrated by: Leanne Yau
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in the middle of nowhere, Yaqian, a little embroidery girl from Hunan Province, finds her way to the imperial court, a place of intrigue, desire, and treachery. From the bed of an Emperor, the heart of a Prince, and the right side of an Empress, Yaqian weaves her way through the most turbulent decades of China's history and witnesses the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
-
-
Absolutely wonderful story !
- By Margaret on 09-14-17
By: Amanda Roberts
-
Night Angels
- A Novel
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Angela Lin, Jesse Vilinsky, Feodor Chin
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938. Dr. Ho Fengshan, consul general of China, is posted in Vienna with his American wife, Grace. Shy and ill at ease with the societal obligations of diplomats’ wives, Grace is an outsider in a city beginning to feel the sweep of the Nazi dragnet. When Grace forms a friendship with her Jewish tutor, Lola Schnitzler, Dr. Ho requests that Grace keep her distance. His instructions are to maintain amicable relations with the Third Reich, and he and Grace are already under their vigilant eye.
-
-
Couldn’t finish
- By Ingrid Olsen-Young on 03-17-23
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
Imperial Woman
- The Story of the Last Empress of China
- By: Pearl S. Buck
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of Tzu Hsi is the story of the last empress in China. In this audiobook, Pearl S. Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rules during a time of intense turbulence. Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of 17 to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.
-
-
The Last Empress and the Destruction of China
- By Marilyn Armstrong on 07-29-13
By: Pearl S. Buck
-
The Red Chamber
- By: Pauline A. Chen
- Narrated by: Grayce Wey
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering facades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants' quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace.
-
-
Good Story
- By Patricia B Tripoli on 07-18-14
By: Pauline A. Chen
-
The Woman in the White Kimono
- A Novel
- By: Ana Johns
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man - an American sailor, a gaijin - and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
-
-
DO NOT LISTEN! Decent story, HORRIBLE narration!!!
- By David Meier on 05-07-20
By: Ana Johns
-
The Last Rose of Shanghai
- A Novel
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg, Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1940. Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out of Germany, an outsider searching for shelter in a city wary of strangers. He loses nearly all hope until he crosses paths with Aiyi. When she hires Ernest to play piano at her club, her defiance of custom causes a sensation. His instant fame makes Aiyi’s club once again the hottest spot in Shanghai. Soon they realize they share more than a passion for jazz - but their differences seem insurmountable....
-
-
Soapy but fun
- By Padders- Padmini Sankar on 12-14-21
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
Threads of Silk
- By: Amanda Roberts
- Narrated by: Leanne Yau
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in the middle of nowhere, Yaqian, a little embroidery girl from Hunan Province, finds her way to the imperial court, a place of intrigue, desire, and treachery. From the bed of an Emperor, the heart of a Prince, and the right side of an Empress, Yaqian weaves her way through the most turbulent decades of China's history and witnesses the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
-
-
Absolutely wonderful story !
- By Margaret on 09-14-17
By: Amanda Roberts
-
Night Angels
- A Novel
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Angela Lin, Jesse Vilinsky, Feodor Chin
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938. Dr. Ho Fengshan, consul general of China, is posted in Vienna with his American wife, Grace. Shy and ill at ease with the societal obligations of diplomats’ wives, Grace is an outsider in a city beginning to feel the sweep of the Nazi dragnet. When Grace forms a friendship with her Jewish tutor, Lola Schnitzler, Dr. Ho requests that Grace keep her distance. His instructions are to maintain amicable relations with the Third Reich, and he and Grace are already under their vigilant eye.
-
-
Couldn’t finish
- By Ingrid Olsen-Young on 03-17-23
By: Weina Dai Randel
-
Imperial Woman
- The Story of the Last Empress of China
- By: Pearl S. Buck
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of Tzu Hsi is the story of the last empress in China. In this audiobook, Pearl S. Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rules during a time of intense turbulence. Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of 17 to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.
-
-
The Last Empress and the Destruction of China
- By Marilyn Armstrong on 07-29-13
By: Pearl S. Buck
-
The Red Chamber
- By: Pauline A. Chen
- Narrated by: Grayce Wey
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering facades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants' quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace.
-
-
Good Story
- By Patricia B Tripoli on 07-18-14
By: Pauline A. Chen
-
The Woman in the White Kimono
- A Novel
- By: Ana Johns
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man - an American sailor, a gaijin - and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
-
-
DO NOT LISTEN! Decent story, HORRIBLE narration!!!
- By David Meier on 05-07-20
By: Ana Johns
-
The King's Witch
- A Novel
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In March of 1603, as she helps to nurse the dying Queen Elizabeth of England, Frances Gorges dreams of her parents’ country estate, where she has learned to use flowers and herbs to become a much-loved healer. She is happy to stay at home when King James of Scotland succeeds to the throne. His court may be shockingly decadent, but his intolerant Puritanism sees witchcraft in many of the old customs - punishable by death.
-
-
I’ve read hundreds of historical fiction books....
- By K&T on 08-03-18
By: Tracy Borman
-
The Bone Witch
- The Bone Witch, Book 1
- By: Rin Chupeco
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
-
-
Great story but too quiet
- By Scatty on 07-12-17
By: Rin Chupeco
-
Daughters of the Dragon
- A Comfort Woman's Story
- By: William Andrews
- Narrated by: Valerie Gilbert
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During World War II, the Japanese forced 200,000 young Korean women to be sex slaves or "comfort women" for their soldiers. This is one woman’s riveting story of strength, courage, and promises kept. In 1943, the Japanese tear young Ja-hee and her sister from their peaceful family farm to be comfort women for the Imperial Army. Before they leave home, their mother gives them a magnificent antique comb with an ivory inlay of a two-headed dragon, saying it will protect them.
-
-
Great book! Don't like the narrator
- By Julie Krugman on 02-03-15
By: William Andrews
-
Rebel Queen
- A Novel
- By: Michelle Moran
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Riverderby on 04-29-15
By: Michelle Moran
-
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
- Rise of the Empress, Book 1
- By: Julie C. Dao
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins.
-
-
Wow...
- By KaitheShopper on 09-22-18
By: Julie C. Dao
-
The Flower Boat Girl
- A Novel Based on a True Story
- By: Larry Feign
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
South China coast, 1801. Sold as a child to a floating brothel, twenty-six-year-old Yang has finally bought her freedom, only to be kidnapped by a brutal pirate gang and forced to marry their leader. Dragged through stormy seas and lawless bandit havens, Yang must stay scrappy to survive. She embeds herself in the dark business of piracy, carving out her role against the resistance of powerful pirate leaders and Cheung Po Tsai, her husband's flamboyant male concubine.
-
-
a shame
- By Miss G on 10-05-22
By: Larry Feign
-
Tsarina
- A Novel
- By: Ellen Alpsten
- Narrated by: Anna Krippa
- Length: 18 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless, and passionate as Peter himself.
-
-
Russian History for the Win!
- By HistoryNerd on 04-01-21
By: Ellen Alpsten
-
The Ghost Bride
- A Novel
- By: Yangsze Choo
- Narrated by: Yangsze Choo
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.
-
-
Muddled
- By L on 06-01-19
By: Yangsze Choo
-
Peony
- A Novel of China
- By: Pearl S. Buck
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Peony is sold into a rich Chinese household as a bondmaid - an awkward role in which she is more a servant, but less a daughter. As she grows into a lovely, provocative young woman, Peony falls in love with the family's only son. However, tradition forbids them to wed. How she resolves her love for him and her devotion to her adoptive family unfolds in this profound tale, based on true events in China over a century ago.
-
-
Jews in China
- By Jean on 04-22-12
By: Pearl S. Buck
-
The Consorts
- Forbidden City, Book 1
- By: Melissa Addey
- Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
China, 1700s. Lady Qing has spent the past seven years languishing inside the high red walls of the Forbidden City. Classed as an honored lady, a lowly ranked concubine, Qing is neglected by the emperor, passed over for more ambitious women. But when a new concubine, Lady Ying, arrives, Qing’s world is turned upside down.
-
-
Enjoyed this book alsoC
- By Celeste Phelps on 12-27-21
By: Melissa Addey
-
The Handmaid's Tale
- By: Margaret Atwood
- Narrated by: Claire Danes
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a staged terrorist attack kills the President and most of Congress, the government is deposed and taken over by the oppressive and all-controlling Republic of Gilead. Offred is a Handmaid serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife. She can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name.
-
-
My Top Pick for 2012
- By Em on 11-30-12
By: Margaret Atwood
-
A Court of Thorns and Roses
- By: Sarah J. Maas
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When 19-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin - one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
-
-
Not Original or Interesting
- By Customer on 02-22-18
By: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher's Summary
RITA Award winner, Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance, 2017.
There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power.
A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the emperor a gift he can never forget.
Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive.
In the breakthrough first volume in the Empress of Bright Moon duology, Weina Dai Randel paints a vibrant portrait of ancient China - where love, ambition, and loyalty can spell life or death - and the woman who came to rule it all.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Moon in the Palace
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Foodiewife
- 01-28-17
One of the most annoying narrations
The narration of this book is one of THE most annoying I have ever listened to. I almost threw in the towel and gave up listening to the book, but I suffered through it. What was wrong with the narration? The narrator's version of a screaming Emperor was to GROWL and ROAR-- as were most of her male voices. It was so annoying that I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Mei... her voice came across as a whiny little whimp. Okay, granted she was only 13, but her shrieking voice was no picnic to listen to.
For that reason, I had trouble really enjoying the story. Was it historical fiction? Well, that was a stretch. I didn't learn anything that was culturally enlightening... at least not much. The emperor was insufferable with that horrible narration. I hated him, for that alone (though he was quite a jacka$$ anyway).
There's a second book in the series, but I don't think I can stomach the same narrator again. I have listened to hundreds of audio books, and this one was so over-the-top dramatized with endless shrieking...and oh, I lost count of how many times "heart bloomed" or heart was filled, or "heart almost burst".
I seem to be in the minority, as I was totally disappointed.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. Becker
- 02-02-17
Couldn't stand the narrator
Although based on fact, the story was rather melodramatic and at times quite unlikely e.g a concubine managing to have a secret affair with the Emperor's son, roaming around the walled palace day and night without escort and frankly offending the Emperor on numerous occasions but being forgiven every time. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining book that consistently held my attention. What ruined the audio version was the ridiculous narrator, who's tone veered from breathless pleading to juvenile excitement and painful ecstasy. She tried too hard to comvey emotion, and simply ended up sounded stupid.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kara-karina
- 07-04-16
A lovely book
I confess I was a bit prejudiced towards this book. I've been watching Chinese TV series The Empress of China which is about Wu Meiniang, and when I saw this book I was transfixed as I can't get enough of that formidable woman.
Of course, The Moon in The Palace and what I saw on TV did not match. I could recognize the main events but their interpretation was very different. I liked both, although the TV series felt more mature while the book felt a bit simplified for the average reader. Still, it was beautiful.
Weina Dai Randel has a lovely voice. Mei comes off as a poetic soul, brave and determined, and yet ultimately, fragile. The Emperor is a very troubled man, dangerous in his absolute power over life and death, haunted by his past and aged by his life experiences. He is not a likeable character, which is why it's easy to understand how Mei falls in love for Pheasant, his son.
Another fab thing about this book is that every character is flawed. They muddle along in the treacherous halls of the Palace, and more often than not Mei is in the dark about what's happening and that she is a pawn.
Overall, it's carefully crafted, easily read and very likeable historical fiction. For those of you, who likes books based in China and who is fascinated by this rich historical period, I say, don't hesitate to give it a try. It was a good read.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-29-18
Lots of research done in writing this book.
I was humbled on the rough treatment of lower class. And was surprised the villains thought noting o f the consequences of their actions on others lives -i enjoyed the narrator of this book
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tara
- 05-20-17
Great story bad narration
The story was very interesting and gives us a glimpse into ancient china. That being said the narration almost broke my concentration in this story.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RoamingGypsy
- 05-09-16
Glitches
Great book, but the recording glitched out on two full chapters. Nothing but clicks and static. That is the only reason for 4 stars.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KayTee
- 06-27-21
I may have liked it better had I read the physical book
Wow…I don’t think I have ever listened to an audiobook with a narrator more poorly chosen. I may have even thought more highly of the story if the narration had not been so annoying. I love to immerse myself into the culture that is being depicted in a historical novel. This was so off in terms of the narration I was relieved when the book ended. It took all the power I could muster not to give up at the loud, screeching voice that depicted the emperor. Is there no director or editor for audiobook performances? The story was pretty good, although some expressions used, I am quite sure, would not have been around in China during this time period. I would not discourage anyone who likes historical fiction from READING this book. I absolutely cannot recommend the audio version.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Suzi Jones
- 05-29-20
To dramatised
I love historical fiction. The narrator is exceptional. The narration is only as good as the writing, which is VERY lacking. I wanted more about Mei (title character) based on historical evidence. Instead, it's a melodrama that is based no where on history.
If you want fantasy set in ancient China, this is for you.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- PatRN63
- 02-18-23
Great narration!
Kept you engaged throughout with the emotions
I would listen to her again can’t wait for the next book
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patricia E Branton
- 01-06-23
Disappointed
I made the mistake of listening to several Pearl Buck novels before this one. This read like a harlequin novel. Silly phrases like “ no way !” As if that phrase would be spoken in the fourteenth century. Mispronounced words, too. I can’t recommend the Moon in the Palace to anyone with a reading level above third grade. Or who would like to get a sense of Ancient China.
Related to this topic
-
The Bone Doll's Twin
- Tamir Triad, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.
-
-
Not a bad beginning, but . . .
- By bluestategirl on 12-29-10
By: Lynn Flewelling
-
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
- Rise of the Empress, Book 1
- By: Julie C. Dao
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins.
-
-
Wow...
- By KaitheShopper on 09-22-18
By: Julie C. Dao
-
The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
-
-
I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
-
The Twentieth Wife
- By: Indu Sundaresan
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most controversial empresses, a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire.
-
-
Exquisite Exposition
- By Pamela on 05-10-07
By: Indu Sundaresan
-
The Beast Player
- By: Nahoko Uehashi, Cathy Hirano - translator
- Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahoko Uehashi's The Beast Player is an epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.
-
-
A lovely, calming world to get away in
- By Hadley on 06-14-19
By: Nahoko Uehashi, and others
-
Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He lost his honor long ago. Captain Kellas was lauded as the king's most faithful servant until the day he failed in his duty. Dismissed from service, his elite regiment disbanded, he left the royal palace and took up another life. Now a battle brews within the palace that threatens to reveal deadly secrets and spill over into open war. The king needs a loyal soldier to protect him. Can a disgraced man ever be trusted?"
-
-
Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Bone Doll's Twin
- Tamir Triad, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.
-
-
Not a bad beginning, but . . .
- By bluestategirl on 12-29-10
By: Lynn Flewelling
-
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
- Rise of the Empress, Book 1
- By: Julie C. Dao
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins.
-
-
Wow...
- By KaitheShopper on 09-22-18
By: Julie C. Dao
-
The Architect's Apprentice
- By: Elif Shafak
- Narrated by: Piter Marek
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history.
-
-
I feel like I should like it more than I do
- By nyog on 04-19-17
By: Elif Shafak
-
The Twentieth Wife
- By: Indu Sundaresan
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most controversial empresses, a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire.
-
-
Exquisite Exposition
- By Pamela on 05-10-07
By: Indu Sundaresan
-
The Beast Player
- By: Nahoko Uehashi, Cathy Hirano - translator
- Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahoko Uehashi's The Beast Player is an epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.
-
-
A lovely, calming world to get away in
- By Hadley on 06-14-19
By: Nahoko Uehashi, and others
-
Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He lost his honor long ago. Captain Kellas was lauded as the king's most faithful servant until the day he failed in his duty. Dismissed from service, his elite regiment disbanded, he left the royal palace and took up another life. Now a battle brews within the palace that threatens to reveal deadly secrets and spill over into open war. The king needs a loyal soldier to protect him. Can a disgraced man ever be trusted?"
-
-
Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Queens of Innis Lear
- By: Tessa Gratton
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 26 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gaela. Ruthless commander. I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother’s murderer bleed my island dry. Regan. Master manipulator. To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island’s forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed. No matter what or whom I must destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear. Elia. Star-blessed priest. My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger.
-
-
Once you get into it, it’s good.
- By Anonymous User on 10-23-19
By: Tessa Gratton
-
Reign of Madness
- By: Lynn Cullen
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Juana of Castile, third child of the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Fernando, grows up with no hope of inheriting her parents' crowns, but as a princess knows her duty: to further her family's ambitions through marriage. Yet stories of courtly love, and of her parents' own legendary romance, surround her. When she weds the Duke of Burgundy, a young man so beautiful that he is known as Philippe the Handsome, she dares to hope that she might have both love and crowns.
By: Lynn Cullen
-
Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc
- By: Katherine J. Chen
- Narrated by: Hannah Morrish
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1412. France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. From this chaos emerges a teenage girl who will turn the tide of battle and lead the French to victory, becoming an unlikely hero whose name will echo across the centuries. In Katherine J. Chen’s hands, the myth and legend of Joan of Arc is transformed into a flesh-and-blood young woman. This meticulously researched novel is a sweeping narrative of her life, from a childhood steeped in both joy and violence, to her meteoric rise to fame at the head of the French army
-
-
Joan’s Story is Our Story
- By Syd Young on 07-20-22
-
The Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
-
-
Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
-
Court of Fives
- Court of Fives, Book 1
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Georgia Dolenz
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors.
-
-
Another Great Book From Kate Elliott
- By Kendra on 06-21-16
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Lost Queen
- A Novel
- By: Signe Pike
- Narrated by: Toni Frutin
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a land of mountains and mist, tradition and superstition, Languoreth and her brother Lailoken are raised in the Old Way of their ancestors. But in Scotland, a new religion is rising, one that brings disruption, bloodshed, and riot. And even as her family faces the burgeoning forces of Christianity, the Anglo-Saxons, bent on colonization, are encroaching from the east. When conflict brings the hero Emrys Pendragon to her father’s door, Languoreth finds love with one of his warriors. Her deep connection to Maelgwn is forged by enchantment, but she is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of a Christian king.
-
-
Lost no more!
- By Beckersly on 09-13-18
By: Signe Pike
-
The Goose Girl
- Book One of the Books of Bayern
- By: Shannon Hale
- Narrated by: Cynthia Bishop
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Princess Anidori-Kiladra of Kildenree was born with a word on her tongue, and a secret magic. Though she is raised in luxury, she is never quite comfortable with who she is, or what she is to become. Then she is sent on a journey to marry an unknown prince. The trip is difficult, and before it is finished all her expectations are overturned. Alone, friendless, stripped of her crown and her title, Ani must learn to make her own path in the world. Along the way, she just might learn to be a princess.
-
-
Surprisingly Good!
- By Douglas on 01-08-14
By: Shannon Hale