Alisa
- 15
- reviews
- 27
- helpful votes
- 47
- ratings
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The Anarchy
- The History and Legacy of the Civil War in England and Normandy During the 12th Century
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story3 out of 5 stars 3
Today, "the Anarchy" is used to describe the period in English history from the death of Henry I in 1135 to the Treaty of Winchester signed by King Stephen and his successor Henry II in 1153. Despite the name, it was an episode of civil war rather than of lawlessness and is interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it was the first time in English history that a woman claimed the throne of England in her own right.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Dry chronological listing without central claim or argument
- By Alisa on 12-30-24
- The Anarchy
- The History and Legacy of the Civil War in England and Normandy During the 12th Century
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
Dry chronological listing without central claim or argument
Reviewed: 12-30-24
A fairly dry and bare-bones military history of the Norman conquest of England through the Anarchy.
While sources for the Anarchy are not robust, this book only exceedingly rarely refers to anything related to its primary source research or secondary source material, leaving the reader to assume that the author’s dry narration is somehow the voice of history itself, a bad practice in historical writing.
Overall, this book does what it says on the tin. if what you’re interested in is a dry chronological recitation of battles and great men with absolutely no attention paid to the effects on anyone other than knights and kings, you’ll be perfectly happy. If you think history is supposed to ask and answer questions about the past and engage meaningfully with its sources, you’ll be disappointed.
The audiobook narration does the book no favors, being slightly mechanical and not particularly engaging.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
- By: Jules Verne
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,704
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,673
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,624
A Signature Performance: Tim Curry, the source of our inspiration, returns – this time, he captures the quirky enthusiasm of this goofily visionary adventure.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Feels like Jules Verne
- By Ramon on 03-10-11
Exceptional performance of a slightly outdated classic
Reviewed: 03-15-21
Tim Curry shines; Jules Verne slightly less so, given the implicitly racist assumptions embedded in the text. Enjoyable if you can put aside your dislike of 19th century scientific norms and theories.
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Sabriel
- By: Garth Nix
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,373
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,110
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,103
Ever since she was a tiny child, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enraptured
- By T. HICKS on 06-20-09
Spectacular narration for a favorite book
Reviewed: 03-03-21
A compelling book that is only made better by Tim Curry’s absolutely barn-burning narration skills.
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The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
- And Other Tales
- By: Zen Cho
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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Story4 out of 5 stars 48
A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there. Guet Imm, a young votary of the Order of the Pure Moon, joins up with an eclectic group of thieves (whether they like it or not) in order to protect a sacred object, and finds herself in a far more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Too short for a world it describes
- By Amazon Customer on 06-27-20
- The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
- And Other Tales
- By: Zen Cho
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
Delightful romp
Reviewed: 08-02-20
Wonderful narration for a novella that sucked me in and surprised me with its twists and turns. Adored it.
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Prince's Gambit
- By: C. S. Pacat
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 979
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 854
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Story5 out of 5 stars 858
With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his new master, Prince Laurent, must exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them the crowning death blow.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Stunning and tender
- By Johanna on 08-07-18
- Prince's Gambit
- By: C. S. Pacat
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
Delicious intrigue
Reviewed: 03-06-20
Delightful enough that even though I read it years ago I’ve been on the edge of my seat through the whole book all over again
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A Fashionable Indulgence
- Society of Gentlemen, Book 1
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 898
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 831
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 828
In the first novel of an explosive new series from K. J. Charles, a young gentleman and his elegant mentor fight for love in a world of wealth, power, and manipulation. When he learns that he could be the heir to an unexpected fortune, Harry Vane rejects his past as a radical fighting for government reform and sets about wooing his lovely cousin. But his heart is captured instead by the most beautiful, chic man he’s ever met: the dandy tasked with instructing him in the manners and style of the ton.
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3 out of 5 stars
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No sensuality with sex
- By Kd on 03-03-17
- A Fashionable Indulgence
- Society of Gentlemen, Book 1
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
Charming
Reviewed: 03-01-20
This book made me yell at the page in the best possible way and made a terrible week much much better
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A Seditious Affair
- Society of Gentlemen, Book 2
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 758
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 697
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 693
Silas Mason has no illusions about himself. He's not lovable or even likable. He's an overbearing idealist, a radical bookseller and pamphleteer who lives for revolution...and for Wednesday nights. Every week he meets anonymously with the same man, in whom Silas has discovered the ideal meld of intellectual companionship and absolute obedience to his sexual commands. But, unbeknownst to Silas, his closest friend is also his greatest enemy, with the power to see him hanged - or spare his life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Adults falling in love!
- By Hank C. on 01-06-16
- A Seditious Affair
- Society of Gentlemen, Book 2
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
Delightfully complicated
Reviewed: 03-01-20
Sedition, politics, literature, and appropriate use of safe words. What’s not to love about this book???
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1 person found this helpful
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Think of England
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Tom Carter
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 466
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 425
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 424
England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless, and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage. Curtis's search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Lie back and enjoy!
- By Annika on 07-10-18
- Think of England
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Tom Carter
Excellent period romance with a mystery subplot
Reviewed: 09-15-19
Charming POV character, appealing love interest, dashingly horrible villains and ladies who do more than lunch.
Be aware of period appropriate language regarding male queer behavior and identity but I’m impressed at how well the author handles it. A+ will listen again, will be binge reading all KJ Charles’ other books ASAP
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Night and Silence
- October Daye, Book 12
- By: Seanan McGuire
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 975
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 875
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 871
In the aftermath of Amandine's latest betrayal, October "Toby" Daye's fragile self-made family is on the verge of coming apart at the seams. Jazz can't sleep, Sylvester doesn't want to see her, and worst of all, Tybalt has withdrawn from her entirely, retreating into the Court of Cats as he tries to recover from his abduction. Toby is floundering, unable to help the people she loves most heal. She needs a distraction. She needs a quest. What she doesn't need is the abduction of her estranged human daughter, Gillian.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great...but missing the novella!😥
- By Amazon Customer on 09-23-18
- Night and Silence
- October Daye, Book 12
- By: Seanan McGuire
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
Stellar narration of a gripping story
Reviewed: 09-13-19
The October Daye books remain some of my go to paranormal detective novels because of the overarching plot and because of Mary Robinette Kowal’s excellent acting. Well worth checking out as a series, this installment does not disappoint.
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1 person found this helpful
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The Furthest Station
- A PC Peter Grant Novella
- By: Ben Aaronovitch
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,244
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,144
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,140
There's something going bump on the Metropolitan line, and Sergeant Jaget Kumar knows exactly whom to call. It's PC Peter Grant's specialty.... Only it's more than going 'bump'. Traumatised travellers have been reporting strange encounters on their morning commute, with strangely dressed people trying to deliver an urgent message. Stranger still, despite calling the police themselves, within a few minutes the commuters have already forgotten the encounter - making the follow-up interviews rather difficult.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Delightful writing and narration
- By Diana on 09-30-17
- The Furthest Station
- A PC Peter Grant Novella
- By: Ben Aaronovitch
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Fabulous vignette narrated incredibly well
Reviewed: 12-26-18
A gripping world expansion story that is, as always, narrated with precision and emotional weight (and wonderful accent work) by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Love the stories by Ben Aaronovitch in print; love them even more in audio with this narrator.
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