Review: The Godmother's Secret (audiobook) by Elizabeth St.John
Today, I'm delighted to welcome my dear author friend, Elizabeth St.John, back to Ruins & Reading. Her wonderful novel, The Godmother's Secret, was one of my favourite reads of 2022, and now this gem of a story is available in audiobook format.
And not only that: the book is read by the author herself, told in her own words. Very special! You'll find the link to a sample below.
The Godmother's Secret (audiobook) is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Make sure to check out all the other fabulous audio samples and snippets here!
And not only that: the book is read by the author herself, told in her own words. Very special! You'll find the link to a sample below.
The Godmother's Secret (audiobook) is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Make sure to check out all the other fabulous audio samples and snippets here!
The Godmother’s Secret – Audiobook
Elizabeth St.John
I read and reviewed The Godmother's Secret on Kindle last year (here), and I was looking forward to the audiobook. My first foray into the audiobook world, and I was not to be disappointed.
It was actually incredible to hear this intriguing tale read by the author. As she knows her story so well, Ms St.John was able to add a sense of history, with the emphasis on all the right scenes. She propelled us into the head of her main character, Lady Elysabeth Scrope, and brought across well the lady's dilemma – her true allegiance in a time of danger and suspicion. She brought Elysabeth to life, showing her concerns, plots, and her secrets.
Blurb:
"An extremely well-written book with depth and complexity to the main characters. The author says she wanted to write a book about family love and tolerance, and a woman's loyalty and courage. She has done so. This is the best book I've read in ages!"
~ The Ricardian Bulletin, Richard III Society
"The authenticity and historical research displayed within this story is immense and exquisite. Ms. St. John is sure to be a newfound favorite for fans of not only this fractious time in English history, but of all historical fans who adore rich, immersive prose."
~ Historical Fiction Company 2022 Book of the Year
"A very enjoyable read. The historical veracity is impeccable, and Elysabeth is a likeable, admirable character who faces interesting dilemmas with love and courage."
~ Historical Novel Society
If you knew the fate of the Princes in the Tower, would you tell? Or forever keep the secret?
May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Elysabeth’s sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne.
Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal, and power of the last medieval court, defying her Yorkist husband and her Lancastrian sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe. Bound by blood and rent by honour, Elysabeth is torn between King Richard and Margaret Beaufort, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Or did the young boys vanish for their own safety? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John blends her family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing story about what happened to the Princes in the Tower.
Buy Links:
This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link
🎧
Audible
Audiobooks (50% off this week!)
About the Author:
Elizabeth St. John
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth’s books include her trilogy, The Lydiard Chronicles, set in 17th Century England during the Civil War, and her newest release, The Godmother’s Secret, which explores the medieval mystery of the missing Princes in the Tower of London.
Connect with Elizabeth:
Lady Elysabeth's pledge as a godmother means she must keep her godson, Edward V, safe from harm, which is the overriding theme of this novel. Caught between rivalling and often shifting allegiances, Ms St.John portrays – in her own words – Elysabeth's own intrigues, aimed at helping her godson survive the dangers that lurk from all sides.
A truly wonderful story read by the author, the audiobook of The Godmother's Secret is a must-listen (if that term exists) for anyone who loves the intrigues surrounding Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor, and Richard III – and ponders the ultimate fate of the Princes in the Tower.
A real treat for lovers of audiobooks. Highly recommended.
A real treat for lovers of audiobooks. Highly recommended.
🎧
Listen to a Sample:
Official Tantor Media Audio Link: https://tinyurl.com/2lrbp2tv
~~~
Blurb:
"An extremely well-written book with depth and complexity to the main characters. The author says she wanted to write a book about family love and tolerance, and a woman's loyalty and courage. She has done so. This is the best book I've read in ages!"
~ The Ricardian Bulletin, Richard III Society
"The authenticity and historical research displayed within this story is immense and exquisite. Ms. St. John is sure to be a newfound favorite for fans of not only this fractious time in English history, but of all historical fans who adore rich, immersive prose."
~ Historical Fiction Company 2022 Book of the Year
"A very enjoyable read. The historical veracity is impeccable, and Elysabeth is a likeable, admirable character who faces interesting dilemmas with love and courage."
~ Historical Novel Society
If you knew the fate of the Princes in the Tower, would you tell? Or forever keep the secret?
May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Elysabeth’s sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne.
Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal, and power of the last medieval court, defying her Yorkist husband and her Lancastrian sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe. Bound by blood and rent by honour, Elysabeth is torn between King Richard and Margaret Beaufort, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Or did the young boys vanish for their own safety? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John blends her family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing story about what happened to the Princes in the Tower.
Buy Links:
This novel is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link
🎧
Audible
Audiobooks (50% off this week!)
~~~
About the Author:
Elizabeth St. John
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth’s books include her trilogy, The Lydiard Chronicles, set in 17th Century England during the Civil War, and her newest release, The Godmother’s Secret, which explores the medieval mystery of the missing Princes in the Tower of London.
Connect with Elizabeth:
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