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  • The Summer Queen

  • Eleanor of Aquitaine Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Elizabeth Chadwick
  • Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
  • Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (377 ratings)
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The Summer Queen cover art

The Summer Queen

By: Elizabeth Chadwick
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
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Summary

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

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)

What listeners say about The Summer Queen

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written & a joy to listen to.

I am a great fan of Elizabeth Chadwick's work and yet again she has produced another wonderful read, this book is beautifully written with perfect narration. I was sad to reach the
end of this book but know that it is not the end of Eleanor's story and so I await with eager anticipation for the next book in this trilogy where perhaps we will also see the appearance of the Greatest knight William Marshall !.
If you love Elizabeth's work then I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy this book, her research put together in a story such as this teaches us much about this period and gives us a sense of that time in history. Well done and thank you Elizabeth for sharing your talent with us, such a joy to listen to.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Where does The Summer Queen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Number 1

What did you like best about this story?

Ive tried twice to read about Elenor before and have given up. This summer I have been reading my way through all of Elizabeth Chadwicks novels. I love the way she weaves a story in to known facts. details of the small stuff such as the description of the jewels on clothing food and drink. The hazards of the traveling. All from a female point.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The whole book was a joy from first to last.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A depressing look at the past

I read this for a book club and it was a slog to finish. The life of one of "history's most powerful women" told as series of sexual encounters. It was depressing to see the plight of women in history, even those in "power" but disappointing that the writer painted her the way she did. I found the many sex scenes gratuitous and rather disturbing.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Historical Mills and Boon

Not the interesting historical novel I was expecting. It feels like the historical story is a poor excuse for badly written bodice ripping.
It was too tedious and silly I couldn't get past chapter 20.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent read

A bit slow at first but excellent reading when the story became more involved definitely recommend. Looking forward to the next instalment.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic book!

Where does The Summer Queen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have read and/or listened all of Elizabeth Chadwick's books and this was up there was all the others!

Have you listened to any of Katie Scarfe’s other performances? How does this one compare?

The reader took a bit of getting used to, not the best by a long shot. I do think that another reader could have given a better feel and personality. Knocked off one star.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book is fantastic and really leaves you wanting more, the reader wasnt engaging enough for me to want to listen in one sitting.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Medieval romance...based on true events!

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...

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good story but more of a romance

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the book and the historical details but it ain't no Philippa Gregory. The author had obviously done a lot of research but there were more heaving bodices than I would have liked! However, it is one of a trilogy so I listen to the next book just to find out what happens.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing!

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.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So real I felt the perilousness of the age

Beautiful narration of a evocative and tumultuous period in history. Aleanor and any woman of the age needed resilience and fortitude. I pictured everything from the dress to the horses to emotion and felt involved by subtle weaving of details. Bodes well for The Winter Crown'. It showed that wealth and position were no guarantee of a long life, and the greatest enemy was likely to share your bed!

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3 people found this helpful