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The King's Mistress: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 896 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
History has not been kind to Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of King Edward III. Scholars and contemporaries alike have deemed her a manipulative woman who used her great beauty and sensuality to take advantage of an aging and increasingly senile king. But who was the woman behind the scandal? A cold-hearted opportunist or someone fighting for her very survival? Like most girls of her era Alice is taught obedience in all things. At the age of fourteen she marries the man her father chooses for her, dutifully accepting the cost of being torn from the family she holds so dear and losing the love of her mother forever. Despite these heartbreaks Alice finds that merchant Janyn Perrers is a good and loving husband and the two settle into a happy life together. Their bliss is short-lived, however, unraveled the dark day a messenger appears at Alice's door and notifies her of Janyn's sudden disappearance. In the wake of this tragedy, Alice learns that her husband kept many dangerous secrets--secrets that result in a price on her own head and that of her beloved daughter. Her only chance to survive lies in the protection of King Edward and Queen Philippa, but she therefore must live at court as a virtual prisoner. When she is singled out by the king for more than just royal patronage, the stakes are raised. Disobeying Edward is not an option, not when her family is at risk, but the court is full of ambitious men and women, many of whom will stop at nothing to see her fall fron grace. The whispers and gossip abound, isolating Alice, who finds unexpected solace in her love for the king. Emma Campion paints a colorful and thrilling portrait of the court of Edward III--with all of its extravagance, scandalous love affairs, political machinations, and murder--and the devastating results of being singled out by the royal family. At the center of the storm is Alice, surviving by her wits in this dangerous world where the choices are not always of her own making. Emma Campion's dazzling novel shows that there is always another side to the story.
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"This book was beautiful. In some parts it took a while for it to get going which can always be a bit annoying. Once it hit where she was Edward's Mistress however the book flew. Going into the book I knew nothing of Alice, which kinda had me laughing at the fact that the book summary called her 'the notorious mistress of King Edward III'. But I enjoyed Alice as a character, granted that's probably because it was told from her point of view, it does help to sway someone by doing that. However, I have encountered first person narratives where I hated the speaker (Twilight.) This book reminds me of all of the Elizabeth Chadwick novels I have read which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. The focus was much more on the conflicts going on with the character rather than everything around her. My only problem is that in the beginning Alice seems to devoted to prayer and religion that it's suddenly dropped and only picks up again once her daughter Bella enters the convent. Plus it was hard to keep track of the child's ages. One minute they would be like two then the next talking in full sentences and running around."
— Meagan (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Campion’s fascination with a forgotten woman led her to write a medieval lover’s dream novel, centering on Alice Perrers. The story unfolds through the voice of a remarkable woman portrayed by historians of her time as manipulative and power hungry. Campion paints a different picture that modern readers can easily identify with. The vibrant backdrop and depth of historical details place Campion in the same league as Sharon Kay Penman and Alison Weir.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
The King's Mistress Listener Reviews
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" A very different perspective in the much maligned mistress of Edward III. Was she the scapegoat for the disaster that was the last years of beloved Edward's reign? I enjoyed this book very much but would have liked a little more perspective on the major political players at the time. The Black Prince was the golden boy and John of Gaunt was in the thick of things but their characters were barely there in this novel. "
— Rosemary, 12/20/2013 -
" Dull and plodding. I was unable to finish this because I was so uninterested in Alice's character. "
— Nora, 12/19/2013 -
" Good historical book with information on England during the time of Chaucer's life. I liked the story and writing just fine, but it did sometimes feel as if it was just a historical dialogue. Reminds me a bit of Forever Amber or Katherine, books that were big during my mom's day in the 60s (which I naturally read, having found them in her bookshelf). "
— Sydney, 11/30/2013 -
" Really wanted to like this book. Was mostly bored by the writing style. *sigh* "
— Yael, 11/29/2013 -
" Before reading The King's Mistress by Emma Campion I had no knowledge of Alice Perrers, the very influential mistress of England's King Edward III. Contemporaries painted her as a controling presence in the king's life, but Emma Campion opened my eyes to the fact that young girls had no opportunities to decide their futures and fates. Alice's fate was controlled by others - her mother, her father, her husband, the king, the queen, and those in the court. She did what was necessary to survive and to protect her children and family all the while supporting King Edward III as he grew old on the throne of England. "
— Sarah, 11/22/2013 -
" Won at Read It Forward. "
— Elissa, 10/31/2013 -
" Good story with some interesting plot twists. Can't wait to read the newest version of Alice's story by Anne O'Brien and see how they compare. "
— Kiki, 10/21/2013 -
" I love her Candace Robb/Owen Archer mysteries. This was a bit slow, took so long for Alice Perrers to become Edward's Mistress, when of course we knew, if only from the title, that that was to happen. "
— Deb, 9/9/2013 -
" It took me me forever to finish this. It was an epic tale, but well told with appropriate historical details. "
— Allison, 3/18/2013 -
" King's Mistress was a good book, but some of it historically was not to my liking. I don't really think that Alice could have been that much of an angel. She was still a greedy, manuplitaive woman as well as an angel. That being said, it was a good book. "
— Taylor, 4/22/2012 -
" I tried, I really tried to finish this book but just couldn't do it. I give 2 stars to the author for being the "world's foremost scholar on Perrers. Too bad she couldn't make the material interesting. "
— Liz, 6/13/2011 -
" Not sure if I'll finish it. It couldn't keep my attention. It's not that its too long, it just seems predictable with no real story line to it anymore. Maybe I'll get back to it. Doubt it. "
— Sara, 5/11/2011 -
" Dull and plodding. I was unable to finish this because I was so uninterested in Alice's character. "
— Nora, 4/15/2011 -
" King's Mistress was a good book, but some of it historically was not to my liking. I don't really think that Alice could have been that much of an angel. She was still a greedy, manuplitaive woman as well as an angel. That being said, it was a good book. "
— Taylor, 4/6/2011 -
" Very much like Phillippa Gregory's books. "
— Lorraine, 2/9/2011 -
" i adore historical court fiction. especially the clothes descriptions:) i also adore tales of the 'bad girls'. this book humanizes alice perrer in a way that is believable and a little heart wrenching. the story got bogged down a little in the middle but was still a very good read over all. "
— Terryann, 11/17/2010
About Emma Campion
Emma Campion completed her graduate work in medieval literature and history and has continued to study the period. She first worked as an editor of scientific publications and now works as a freelance writer. She was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, grew up in Cincinnati, and has lived most of her adult life in Seattle, which she and her husband love for its combination of natural beauty and culture. She enjoys walking, hiking, and gardening and practices yoga and vipassana meditation. She travels frequently to Great Britain.
About the Narrators
Wanda McCaddon (a.k.a. Nadia May or Donada Peters) has narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, has earned numerous Earphones Awards, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.