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  • The Tudor Secret

  • The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1
  • By: C. W. Gortner
  • Narrated by: Steve West
  • Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (656 ratings)
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The Tudor Secret cover art

The Tudor Secret

By: C. W. Gortner
Narrated by: Steve West
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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)

What listeners say about The Tudor Secret

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Tudor Secret

I've READ Gortner's other books and enjoyed them. I'm not sure if this was good. I think it was, but the reader trashed it. He made it seem melodramatic and implausible, but the text itself was fine. If this becomes a series, please select a different reader. If it's the same one, I won't bother. If it's a different reader, I'll give it a go.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Could not finish

I'm sure it's a good story but narrator was so bad I stopped after two hours :(
Nothing else to say

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Story OK but narration poor

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I'd recommend the story for a light read, but not this audio book. Better to read it yourself.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Did not finish it because of the narration

Would you be willing to try another one of Steve West’s performances?

Absolutely not. Mispronunciation of simple words and place names was irritating and detracted from the story. The voices were awful and it would have been better if he hadn't tried.

Did The Tudor Secret inspire you to do anything?

Inspired me to write this review - I've never done one before

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I can't find anything good to say about this title. As a big fan of the C J Sansom Tudor novels, which are rich in character, brilliantly plotted and feel very authentic, I found this novel less than satisfying. If you're a Sansom fan, steer clear of this one. There are occasions when the narration rescues a mediocre title to being almost bearable but I'm afraid that isn't the case here, either. I was constantly being annoyed by odd stresses and outright mispronunciations. I was glad when it was over.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A gripping book

What can I say apart from a dam good read, gripping, exciting and with lots of twists and turns and just very enjoyable.
I hope there are many, many more to come.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very good listen

An enthralling story well written and beautifully read. a fascinating insight into tudor England.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An unexpectedly unusual storyline

When I first started listening to this audio book, I must confess to being rather irritated by the narrator as he didn't seemed to be incapable of reading in a normal voice. Everything is spoken with an ironic twist _ even when he's simply describing the scenery! However, the story is excellent and I was drawn into the plot because of it. The narrator's idiosyncrasies began to irritate me less because the story is so good and I will try another in the hope someone has taught him how to read!


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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars

Couldn't finish. Disappointed.

I tried twice to listen to this but although the actual story might have proved interesting, I just couldn't bear the slow, earnest, sing-songy delivery! It completely flattened the story and there were some very odd mispronunciations, the funniest being when the word "brazier" was read to sound like "brassière'! I don't think they generally had iron brassières on the walls in Tudor palaces! At that point I gave up.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

easy story, annoying narration.

The narrator, as others have commented, was quite annoying at times - some particular character voices were agonising to listen to, as well as mispronunciation throughout, especially regarding a couple of place names. The story however was easy to listen to, not necessarily the best of the bunch but quite enjoyable, would recommend if you enjoy stories relating to the Tudors.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very enjoyable

Great story and well read. I liked the characters good blur of fact and fiction.

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2 people found this helpful