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The Marriage Game

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The Marriage Game

By: Alison Weir
Narrated by: Julia Franklin
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Their affair is the scandal of Europe…
Queen Elizabeth cannot resist her dashing but married Master of Horse, Lord Robert Dudley. Many believe them to be lovers. The formidable young Queen is regarded by most as a bastard and a heretic, yet many seek her hand in marriage. Desperately insecure, Elizabeth embarks on a perilous balancing act, using sex and high-powered diplomacy to play what becomes known as 'the Marriage Game'.©2014 Alison Weir (P)2014 W.F.Howes Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Royalty
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I really enjoyed this story- having listened to many Tudor/Plantagenet historical fiction stories in my time, I always have high expectations and I this one didn't disappoint. At first I was unsure of the narration, but it did not take long to adapt to, and enjoy the voices and intonation of the narrator.
The plot is often fast moving and lively, keeping the listener engaged and I felt a great deal of empathy and emotions for some characters (Elizabeth, Robert & Cecil) which is a sign of a good writer. I definitely recommend this :)

A good, engaging story- some funny and frustrating moments!

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Well narrated, interesting story line . Loved to learn more about Elizabeth 1 , the Tudor life and intrigues .

Interesting listening

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I love Alison Weir's history writing and this is my first go a one of her novels. My main problem is Elizabeth herself. There is no sense of her being clever or subtle or of her tremendous learning. I certainly don't get any sense of her as a stateswoman. She's portrayed as shallow, vain, selfish, and generally irritating. Maybe she was those things but it's a one-dimensional portrayal that is wearying to spend 16 hours with. Alison Weir's choice of language doesn't help; Elizabeth "shrieks" and is "strident".

Robert Dudley comes out best in terms of having an actual 2 dimensional character. I believed in his love for Elizabeth despite everything.

Julia Franklin is fine but Elizabeth generally sounds shrill although that may be the way she is written.

Alison Weir is a good historian so that side of things is good. I think I'll stick to her non-fiction in future. I got through my History A Level on Jean Plaidy's which helped get the characters and events into my mind so maybe you could use this in a similar way ;)

Overall meh.

Good history; weak characterisation

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Story teller is brilliant and brings this excellent book alive. Awesome. Would definitely recommend this.

Excellent all round.

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This was an interesting insight into the mind of Elizabeth 1. Whilst much of the story is well known, it is interesting to go behind the scenes of events with the author.

A fascinating tale

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