Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Bryony and Roses cover art

Bryony and Roses

By: T. Kingfisher
Narrated by: Justine Eyre
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £17.99

Buy Now for £17.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Thornhedge cover art
The Seventh Bride cover art
Minor Mage cover art
Clockwork Boys cover art
Paladin's Grace cover art
Book of a Thousand Days cover art
Kiss Me Deadly cover art
Ruritanian Rogues: Volumes 1-3 cover art
The Tale of Halcyon Crane cover art
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow cover art
Ironskin cover art
The Water and the Wild cover art
Evie's Ghost cover art
The Ward Witch cover art
Demon in the Wood cover art
Every Heart a Doorway cover art

Summary

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard? Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she - or the Beast - are swallowed by them.

©2015 Ursula Vernon (P)2015 Tantor

What listeners say about Bryony and Roses

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    39
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good plot, awful narration

I really liked the plot of this story.
This is a retelling of Beauty and The Beast, with Bryony, a gardener, as the protagonist. Without giving too much away, she wanders into an enchanted manor, and the beast is there too, but all is not as it appears....

A little slow at places, but the dialogue was witty, and the twist was clever. I thought the horror elements were really well done too.

The next part of my review is purely subjective. So this may not be the case for all listeners.

I regret to say that I found the narration nauseatingly terrible. I do not use these words lightly. I get carsick often, and the way Ms Eyre narrated sounded like travel sick groans. It's the glottal fry and the drawl at the end of almost every word, and every single sentence. It gives the impression that the narrator is sickened and wearied by what she is reading. The thing is, when she is saying the speech of the characters, her voice is clearer and not unpleasant. But the first time I listened to this, I started feeling light headed and nauseated too. It took a long time for me to be able to tolerate it. I fully recognise this may be a personal idiosyncrasy but I felt it would be dishonest to omit it, since it affected the entire experience.


Overall, I would definitely recommend the story to people who like fairy tales, gardening, even horror. I will be checking out more of T Kingfisher.
I cautiously recommend this audiobook to those who aren't sensitive to voice styles.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

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

Oh dear, the narrator..

It’s lucky that I’m a real fan of TJ Kingfisher because the narrator would have made me give up long ago. Her odd inflection and emphasis on certain syllables just spoiled this book for me. The story appears to be a standard Beauty and the Beast, but the characters are vivid and relatable. Once you get past that voice!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

Fun read

The book was fun! It felt a little young at points but I liked the retelling and the characters.

I found the narrator quite off putting however so it took me a while to actually get into the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Persevere for a witty story

Once you get used to the narrator this is an interesting and witty take on an old fairytale.
Perfect if you want something to break up long fantasy series but still want some fantasy. I was amused by the writing and characters and was glad I persevered with the narrator who actually seemed to suit it once you get used to her odd pronunciation.
Worth giving a go, It has introduced me to a new writer who I shall look for more books by now too!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Thoroughly enjoyable

A twist on the story of beauty and the beast, peppered with Kingfisher irony and witty remarks. I loved the narration,a perfect marriage of story and story telling. It’s a fun listen and I enjoyed every minute and laughed frequently.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

just a reworded original.

If you want a fun and witty Beauty and the Beast story that barely strays from the original, then this is the perfect book for you. The dialogue is funny, the pace is fast enough.
But if you are looking for a retelling that's a bit different, then carry on searching.
This is a fab book, but much as i love the story, it bored me to death so stopped the audiobook halfway through. It's just too exact to the original fairytale, and i saw no point in rereading that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Loved the story

Not my usual type of book but it was an interesting retelling. I really liked the characters.
The narration was a struggle.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • pm
  • 06-12-23

A delightful retelling of an old tale

I had low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. It is amazing how a simple fairy tale can be retold in such a compelling way. The characters are well fleshed out and the dialogue sparkles. An interesting twist as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

A nice story inspired by a classic fairy tale

I liked how the author used the Beauty and the Beast story but changed it so it wasn't the expected ending. If you like fairy tale fantasy, this is definitely worth listening to.
A lot of people have said the narrator ruined the story, but I've listened to her read a few other books and you quickly get used to her pronunciation of words and I think her voice suits the characters well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Retelling of Beauty & Beast but witty and fun.

I loved this retelling of an old favourite fairy tale. It was recognisable, but with wit and fun. Much deeper into Isabel's thoughts, and with new twists. The narrator was so good, she made this story fresh and new. Isabel (Belle) didn't like dresses and loved gardening and took on every task with a gardener's eye. She was sarcastic and so was Beast. Their witty banter and verbal sparing made it genuinely fresh. I thought it was so funny when Isabel was laughing at Beast and wet herself. I was laughing too. She knew her faults and didn't consider her marriable or pretty. I will most likely listen again because it was fun, and I rarely do this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!