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The King's Curse

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The King's Curse

By: Philippa Gregory
Narrated by: Bianca Amato
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About this listen

 FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FAIRMILE SERIES, PHILIPPA GREGORY, COMES THIS RIVETING NOVEL ABOUT THE TUMULTUOUS LIFE OF MARGARET POLE

'Margaret's story is shocking, deeply moving… the depiction of Henry VIII's transformation from indulged golden boy to sinister tyrant is perfect pitched' Sunday Express

They trust her to watch the House of Tudor rise… Only she knows it will fall.

Heir to the Plantagenets, Margaret Pole, is a rival claimant to the Tudor throne. Buried in marriage to a loyal Tudor supporter, she becomes guardian to Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon.

But her destiny is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws Margaret into poverty, yet the king's death restores her to a place at young Henry VIII's court, as a lady in waiting to Queen Katherine.

As the Tudor court sours, Margaret has to choose between her allegiance to the increasingly tyrannical King Henry, or to her friend, his abandoned queen. And Margaret is hiding a deadly secret… that a curse was cast on the Tudor line, and she is watching it come to pass.

Praise for Philippa Gregory:

‘Meticulously researched and deeply entertaining, this story of betrayal and divided loyalties is Gregory on top form’ Good Housekeeping

‘Gregory has popularised Tudor history perhaps more than any other living fiction writer… all of her books feature strong, complex women, doing their best to improve their lives in worlds dominated by men’ Sunday Times

‘Engrossing’ Sunday Express

‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ The Times Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Medieval Royalty Women's Fiction Romance Renaissance War

Critic reviews

'The book’s greatest strength is its first-hand, fascinating yet horrifying view of Henry VIII’s transition from handsome young prince to monstrous tyrant. . . . Gregory takes us beyond the seductive trappings of historical detail and makes us feel the terror of what living through that turbulent period might have been like' Miami Herald

'Without a doubt, Gregory has made another powerful addition to the genre (so much so that I hesitate to even call it historical fiction). This historian’s extensive knowledge of the English monarchy truly brings this famous story to life' The Sun News (Myrtle Beach)

'An excellent addition to the Tudor royalty genre, not only for its unique perspective, but also the easy flow of the narrative and the intriguing complexities of characters’ personalities' Historical Novel Society
'Infuses vitality into an oft-forgotten player in the aftermath of the War of the Roses—Margaret Poole, heiress to the defeated Plantagenet clan' Closer
'Margaret’s story is shocking, deeply moving and offers an alternative view on a much-told tale. Gregory is on form here; her depiction of Henry VIII’s transformation from indulged golden boy to sinister tyrant is perfectly pitched and seems more horrific still when we are made intimate witnesses to the devastation of Margaret’s family. . . . I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed as the story reaches its tragic denouement' The Sunday Express (UK)
'A gripping and detailed chronicle, with plenty of court intrigue and politics to spice up the action . . . . Highly recommended' Library Journal (starred review)
'Nobody does dynastic history like Gregory' Booklist
'Gregory manages to keep us in suspense as to what will befall her characters....Under her spell, we keep hoping history won't repeat itself' Kirkus Reviews
'An illuminating portrait. . . Gregory moves confidently through a tangle of intrigue, revenge, and tyranny toward a shocking betrayal' Publishers Weekly
'Loyalties are torn, paranoia festers and you can almost hear the bray of royal trumpets as the period springs to life. It’s a bloody irresistible read' People Magazine
'Bring on the blood, sex and tears! . . . You name it, it's all here' USA Today
All stars
Most relevant

Would you listen to The King's Curse again? Why?

I enjoyed the rich and warm tone of Bianca Amato's voice - but there were some jarring pronunciation errors which really interrupted the flow for me. It wouldn't have taken much to check the pronunciation of place names like "Beaulieu", which is pronounced "Bewley", or Cambridgeshire, where the first syllable is "came" and not "camm". It was distracting, too, to keep hearing "courtiers" pronounced as if it rhymed with "more tears" rather than the British pronunciation which rhymes more with "haughtier". Such a shame, as otherwise the reading was excellent.

A Fly In the Ointment

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I was dubious having read other reviews. I love the author and have read many of her books but never listened before. I did expect it to be slightly ruin by narration because of the previous reviews but was really pleasantly surprised. I thought it was good and thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Really interesting

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Ms Gregory has her mojo back after several weak Plantagenet novels this one is back to the style I had come to expect from this author after reading earlier Tudor books.
The reader has a few very irritating mispronunciation since the same few words occur often & I did find myself correcting her each time.
Overall highly enjoyable listen.

Gregory back on form!

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What did you like most about The King's Curse?

Learning about the story of Margaret Pole and seeing yet another side to Tudor rule.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Has to be the lead character, Margaret Pole, for her strength through adversity.

Which character – as performed by Bianca Amato – was your favourite?

Boring I know but yet again Margaret. She did a great job with the British accents for all the characters, and each became distinctive. But I lived the strength she gave to Margaret.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Living in the shadow of a mad Tudor monarch.

Any additional comments?

Became totally immersed in the Tudor world and thought the closing scenes were brilliant.

Philippe Gregory at her best!

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This was a great listen, a strong woman's story, interpreted with a very contemporary spin

great story wonderfully interpreted

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