The Summer Queen cover art

The Summer Queen

Eleanor of Aquitaine Trilogy, Book 1

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The Summer Queen

By: Elizabeth Chadwick
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
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About this listen

Eleanor of Aquitaine.

A loving mother. A betrayed wife. A queen beyond compare.

Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is legendary. She is an icon who has fascinated readers for over 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive - until now. Based on the most up-to-date research, best-selling novelist Elizabeth Chadwick brings Eleanor's magnificent story to life, as never before.

Young, vibrant, privileged, Eleanor's future is golden as the heiress to wealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies suddenly in the summer of 1137, her childhood ends abruptly. Forced to marry the young prince Louis of France, Eleanor is still struggling to adjust to her new role when Louis' father dies and they become King and Queen of France. Leaving everything behind, the vivacious Eleanor must face the complex and faction-riddled French court. She is only 13.

Overflowing with scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies, The Summer Queen is the first novel in a stunning trilogy from award-winning and much-loved author Elizabeth Chadwick

©2013 Elizabeth Chadwick (P)2013 Hachette Audio Fiction Historical Fiction Royalty Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

"An author who makes history come gloriously alive." (The Times)

"Meticulous research and strong storytelling." (Woman & Home)

"A sumptuous ride." (Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph)

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I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the author’s portrayal and understanding of Alienor.
Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.
I had to knock one star off for performance, as I also found the narrator just a touch irritating in respect of poor and improper french pronunciation of place names etc. I hold audible and the author responsible for this as it is a team effort. I wouldn’t let it put me off listening but it did spoil the experience somewhat.
There is also bad editing of the very end regarding authors note. Poor show on that.
But all in the narrator does a good job of bringing the story to life. It’s still well worth a listen.
Downloading next book in series now! Another sleepless night!

Very enjoyable listen

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This isn’t my usual genre so I didn’t know what to expect, however from the start it grabbed my attention. I love the narrative and the narrator. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Fabulous listen

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loved it. wish it wasn't over but glad there are 2 more books in the series!

love it

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Fantastic loved every second of this story, from one of my favourite authors.A must listen..

This book has been most enjoyable.

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An excellent historical novel, really well written, with some great characters. I didn't really care for the narration, I found it a little weak for such a strong character as Eleanor, but still really enjoyed the book overall.

Powerful historical fiction.

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I am not generally a fan of medieval stories, but Chadwick’s novel had me hooked very early on, and I enjoyed it very much from start to finish. I felt I was given great insight into the life of the famous Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine and her struggle to be respected as both a woman and heiress. The story is beautifully narrated and the characters are made lively and believable.
I often became frustrated with how badly Eleanor was treated by a lot of the people around her, but she was a strong-willed woman and always seemed to survive her ordeals with grace. I couldn’t help but cheer her on! In short, this is a fascinating, romantic and beautiful story, which is made even better by the fact that it is based on real events. I can’t wait for the next two audio books in this trilogy...

Medieval romance...based on true events!

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i loved this book. It's the third book i've read by Elizabeth Chadwick & it's brilliant..

brilliant

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This is the first of Elizabeth Chadwicks books that I have read and was recommended this one and the following two books in the series by my daughter. I really enjoyed it and like a lot of people over the years am fascinated by the heroine. I will definitely read the next instalment.

loved this book

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I confess when I started this book, Eleanor of Aquitaine was a name I had heard of, but knew little else. This has provided an enjoyable introduction to the early years of Eleanor. I was checking the story as I went along and my mind is blown that the book has already covered so much and there are two more books to go! The historical note at the end of the book is glitchy, otherwise it was an enjoyable listen.

Fascinating woman

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Fantastic story, eminently likeable heroine, plenty of passion, some pain and frustration, but lavishly beautiful. The narrator's voice came across as a little girly, but enhanced the image of young and innocent Alienor.

Intriguing!

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