Absolutely Splendid

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It’s no secret that I have been a fan of Stella Riley’s work for many years and was delighted last year when she finally went into audio by having her Rockliffe series narrated by the amazingly talented Alex Wyndham. I was even more delighted when I discovered that one of her best novels, ‘A Splendid Defiance’, would also be transformed by Mr Wyndham.

I have said before that Stella Riley and Alex Wyndham are a true ‘tour de force’ and this book confirms my belief.

Ms Riley’s ability to write dialogue and to make her people live off the page is well known. Add this to narration by the brilliant Alex Wyndham whose characterisations are phenomenal and the result is an outstanding audio.

Mr Wyndham’s transitions are flawless. Whenever there are a number of people having a conversation, he changes seamlessly from one to another leaving the listener in no doubt as to who is speaking. His performance is the perfect partner to Ms Riley’s words.

The siege of Banbury Castle in the English Civil War is little known but what happened there was reflected elsewhere throughout the land during those unhappy times. Once again, Stella Riley handles the storyline adroitly, bringing a mix of real people into the picture along with her own creations.

I first read this book many years ago and return to it often because it is unique. Now it’s in audio, I will be able to submerge myself in a world where excellent writing comes together with superb narration. I can’t recommend this audio highly enough. It is absolutely ‘Splendid’.

Well done the Riley-Wyndham Team. I look forward to your next collaboration.

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6 people found this helpful

Great listening

excellent all round. please record more books by Stella Riley and Alex Wyndham. Really enjoyable listening

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1 person found this helpful

Not an edge of the seat story line but an interesting bite of a difficult historical period .

Doesn’t really matter what Alex Wyndham is reading it’s always difficult to stop listening to a beautiful rich and varied voice.

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1 person found this helpful

A Splendid Defiance

Superbly read. An extremely well researched and fascinating insight into a small part of the civil war interwoven with a beautiful love story.

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4 people found this helpful

Alex Wyndham is amazing

The story was enthralling and the narration superb. I forgot it was just one voice. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant Story

Alex Wyndham does full justice to this fantastic story by Stella Riley. The author never disappoints and carries the reader through the challenging politics and religious beliefs with enough details to inform us without making it a history lesson. I buy everything she writes!

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2 people found this helpful

Wonderful

Embodies emotional portraits of characters lives lived in the time that history books give facts about.. Alex Wyndham breaths life into their souls.

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1 person found this helpful

Wonderful story, wonderful narration!

I have loved this book for over thirty years and am over the moon it's now available in audio format. Alex Wyndham is one of the finest narrators around, and he does an absolutely superb job!

The story is set during the English Civil War, at Banbury Castle, a Royalist stronghold, and tells the story of the small garrison of men there who held out against a Parliamentary force of more than ten times their size. Many of the characters in this book actually existed; the author's knowledge of the history of the era is considerable, and her research impeccable. She expertly brings to life the day-to-day routine of the people living within the castle walls, and their awkward relationship with the town of Banbury which was staunchly pro-Parliament.

The real heart of the book is found in the slow-burn love story between a cynical Royalist captain and the sister of a Puritan shopkeeper; it's beautifully written and developed (there's no insta-lust here!) and the two central characters are fully-rounded and three dimensional. Justin Ambrose is ambitious and resents kicking his heels in Banbury when he wants to be out there doing something; Abigail Radford lives under the control of her puritanical brother and has little to look forward to other than a life of drudgery and duty. Their initial meetings are inauspicious and, for Justin, unmemorable, but from there springs an unlikely friendship that gradually turns in to more in a way that feels realistic and unhurried.

If you are a fan of historical romance that puts an emphasis on the "historical", then this is a book for you. If you’re also looking for a richly detailed story, a beautifully developed romance and a compelling, devastatingly attractive and unforgettable hero, it’s all here.

Add to all that the superb narration by Alex Wyndham, and you've got a real winner. Mr Wyndham never disappoints; he's a highly skilled performer and vocal actor who is able to make a listener forget they're listening to only one person. All the characters - and there are quite a few - are easy to distinguish from one another and he is able to perform the females convincingly and without resorting to falsetto. I can't praise him - or this audiobook - highly enough.

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15 people found this helpful

LOVE this book!

One of my absolute favourites. Fantastic story and characters, some of whom pop up in Riley’s other civil war books. On my re-listen list!

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Splendid indeed

What a beautiful story of love! So intricately written and stunningly written. Magically narrated. Not, necessarily, a predictable ending after everything the characters endure but so so satisfying and it made my heart sing. Couldn’t recommend the book enough.

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