Play Audiobook Sample
The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(5.00) - 1 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
In this compelling novel of Tudor drama and suspense, acclaimed author Alison Weir brings to life one of England's most scandalous royal love affairs: the romance between the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I and her courtier Lord Robert Dudley. Only twenty-five and newly crowned, Elizabeth vows to rule the country as both queen and king. But her counselors continually press her to form an advantageous marriage and produce an heir. Though none of the suitors have yet worked their way to her throne, the dashing-though married-Lord Robert lays claim to Elizabeth's heart. Their flagrant flirting, their unescorted outings, and the appointment of Lord Robert to Master of Horse inspire whispers through the court, and even rumors that Elizabeth has secretly given birth to Lord Robert's child. Events take a dark turn when Robert's wife is found dead. Universal shock is followed by accusations of murder. Despite the scandal, Elizabeth and Robert manage to navigate the choppy political, economic, and religious waters around them. But the greatest obstacle to marriage between the Queen and her true love may come not from outside forces, but from within. With intricate period detail and captivating prose, Alison Weir explores one of history's most provocative "Did they or didn't they?" debates. The Marriage Game maneuvers through the alliances, duplicities, intrigue, and emotions of a woman intent on sovereignty-over her country and herself.
Download and start listening now!
“Narrator Julia Franklin dramatically portrays the manipulative, capricious, and awkwardly vulnerable Elizabeth, reflecting Weir’s vision of her vanity, lusts, superstitions, and fear of pregnancy. We hear loud tirades, the soft tones of lovers, regal proclamations, and, most often, the sorrowful voice of a lonely woman. Weir’s view of the woman who may have been England’s greatest monarch is made all the more credible by Franklin’s impassioned reading.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
-
“Politics, historical detail, and unfulfilled love in Weir’s endlessly fascinating account of Elizabeth I’s attempt to reconcile her personal passions with public life…The sheer weight of Weir’s scholarship underpins the narrative, making it endlessly fascinating.”
— Daily Express (London) -
“Weir’s credible characters and blend of the personal and political will sweep up readers of this engrossing behind-the-scenes psychological portrait of Elizabeth.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Depict[s] the political and personal considerations that went into Elizabeth’s attempts to be loved but remain outside any man’s husbandly influence.”
— Library Journal -
“Weir’s impeccable reputation as both a historian and a master storyteller guarantees a huge audience for another intriguing Tudor-themed tale.”
— Booklist -
“Weir is careful and thorough with her research, so the details she offers about Elizabeth’s constant play on Dudley’s love and desire for power are probably accurate…but Elizabeth emerges as capricious, vain, and not particularly admirable.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Based on historical events, letters and conjecture, Weir paints a fascinating picture of Elizabeth’s years as queen…There is enough drama here for a PBS series.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
The Marriage Game Listener Reviews
-
—
Maxwell Holder, 3/4/2017
About Alison Weir
Alison Weir is many works of nonfiction and historical fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Innocent Traitor and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. She has also written historical biographies that include Queens of the Conquest, Queens of the Crusades, and Queens of the Age of Chivalry.
About Julia Franklin
Julia Franklin has a passion for audiobooks and has been narrating them for over twenty years. Her credits include Faith by Lesley Pearse, Love and Louis XIV by Antonia Fraser, and The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes. Franklin combines her work as a narrator with radio broadcasting and scriptwriting.