Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook is most definitely going on my 'favourite listens' list for 2024.
The cover and title captured my interest right away, especially the 'Glorious Revenge" part. Who? Why? What happened? Maude's sister Constance is reported as dead by the British Admiralty, who claims her death was an accident. I was hooked after reading the full synopsis. There's such an imaginative plot just waiting to be discovered by the listener. I truly wasn't able to put it down.
What else? Well, the setting for sure. The book is set in Victorian London in the early 1850's. Pook did a wonderful job building her setting, capturing society, architecture, mores, language, current events and more. The details woven throughout create strong mental images and immerse the listener.
What about the characters? I loved Maude - her tenacity, her wily determination and her love for her family. We come to know Constance from her diary. And when you're looking for the antagonist? They won't be hard to find.
Does Maude get her revenge? Well, I'm not going to spoil things for you. Lets just say that there's lots of action. And a twist that was great. What a fantastic listen! An easy five stars for the writing and the performance.
The reader was Genevieve Gaunt and she was the perfect choice. She has a voice that is low and smoky. Words are slightly drawn out - and that immerses the listener even deeper into the book. Her speaking is clear and easy to understand. Her accent seems very fitting for the era. She does a great job of capturing the emotion and action of Pook's work. Voices are provided for other characters that are just as fitting.
Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge.
2 comments:
Sounds very good
It's very good Mystica!
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