Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Stolen Crown

  • It Was a Secret Marriage - One That Changed the Fate of England Forever
  • By: Susan Higginbotham
  • Narrated by: John Lee, Alison Larkin
  • Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (35 ratings)
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.
The Stolen Crown cover art

The Stolen Crown

By: Susan Higginbotham
Narrated by: John Lee, Alison Larkin
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 £21.99

Buy Now for £21.99

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...

A Marriage of Fortune cover art
Honor's Splendour cover art
Night Shift cover art
Flight of the Intruder cover art
Inspector French’s Greatest Case cover art
Dawn for a Distant Earth cover art
Patch 17 cover art
Love's Masquerade cover art
The John Carter Trilogy of Edgar Rice Burroughs cover art
Four and a Half Shades of Fantasy cover art
The High Graders cover art
The Dragon and the Scholar Saga cover art
The Lodger cover art
Doctor Who: Only Human cover art
Cocaine Blues cover art
Betrayal cover art

Summary

Katherine Woodville's sister never gave her a choice. A happy girl of modest means, Kate hardly expected to become a maker of kings. But when her sister impulsively marries King Edward IV in secret, Katherine's life is no longer hers to control.

©2010 Susan Higginbotham (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Higginbotham] hits another historical high note in her latest fictional foray into the British monarchy. . . . This fictional prelude to the Tudor era will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory's historicals." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about The Stolen Crown

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

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

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

A really interesting perspective of a convoluted family history

I loved being able to see context among the better known characters of this time. This novel did that brilliantly ! Highly recommended x

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

excellent

I really enjoyed this book. highly recommend it. don't hesitate to put this on and get lost in the story

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
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Story But-------

What did you like most about The Stolen Crown?

It introduces characters not before given much importance int the Plantagenet story/war of the roses and fills in many gaps

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harry Buckingham - I could feel for him from his lonely childhood through to his apparent manipulation by Richard, Duke of Gloucester. later King Richard

Would you be willing to try another one of John Lee and Alison Larkin ’s performances?

No, certainly not. Alison's "little girly" voice all the way through was irritating in the extreme and John Lee sounded like a pedantic but bored history professor. He hardly changed voices/accents all the way through so that I was not always sure who was speaking. They spoilt a good story

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have felt that way if not for the narrators

Any additional comments?

Susan Higginbotham brought to life some of the lesser known characters from the Plantaganet era so it is such a shame that the narration did not do any justice to the story

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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

A stunning look into unseen characters

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is beautiful written and read. We are given a glimpse of an infamous time in history by two characters that are often overlooked, despite their vantage points being quite intimate. The characters are both warm, endearing and sweet.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Harry, he can't seem to quite help himself. It's familiar to me.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The First kiss the characters share, the shyness in Harry. That is often unexplored in literature, all men are assumed to be experienced and suave, by harry worries because he is not. It was endearing to see him and his wife fall in love.

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

When Harry sees things in the cold light of day and is grieved about what he must do to, for his conscience.

Any additional comments?

Awesome

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

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

Brilliant xx

fabulously told from am unusual perspective loved it. fills in gaps from p. Gregorys accounts and is very interesting

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

Very good book

Loved the story. It is very exciting and narrated very well. I can only recommend it.

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

narrators very pleasant voice

Excellent book. loved this angle from one of the sisters of Elizabeth Woodville. The book flows very well and is in my opinion extremely good.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Bizarre approach to narration ruins it

Oh dear - what were they thinking? Where do I start? Well, the story is pretty good, once you get through the bizarre, and frankly awful, narration! I did find the portrayal of Richard too biased, but that may have been more about the way the narrator chose to read - like a Shakespearean villain!

Why two narrators? It just makes it confusing and disjointed - it's like I'm listening to two different books.

Why didn't they consider a consistent approach with the main character? Katherine has a French accent when the man is speaking and an English accent when the woman reads! And yet the man pronounces Beaulieu Abbey correctly and the woman doesn't (I'm from Beaulieu so picked up on this straight away).

At the beginning I wished I hadn't bought this - the man is odd - it's like a combination of Steven Hawking and Tony Blackburn narrating, only a very bored Tony Blackburn!! At first I found the woman annoying but I soon got over that as I got engrossed, but then when the man reads it's like a jolt out of the story. Awful, really poor choice - I'd re-record it if it were me. I'm surprised the author didn't refuse to have it released, I'm sure if I'd read the book myself I'd have loved it, but the narration ruins it.

It teaches me a lesson - always listen to the full sample before purchasing!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful