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The Court of the Midnight King

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The Court of the Midnight King

By: Freda Warrington
Narrated by: Cameron Stewart
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About this listen

The Wars of the Roses - a colourful age, full of fury and passion. Richard III - a shadowy, charismatic figure, portrayed by Shakespeare and by history as England's most malign, ruthless, and infamous king...hacked to death on Bosworth Field in a just ending, unmourned. But history is written by the victors. Other realities reveal a different Richard; one who was loved and remembered in the North as their best ruler; a man who, good or evil, can never be forgotten.

To Lady Katherine, he is a dark angel; to his faithful knight Raphael, a creature of light; to others, a complex and seductive mystery. Through their eyes we see Richard grow in a strange world - like ours yet unlike, where a Mother Goddess is still revered alongside a patriarchal God. As the struggle between old and new religions is mirrored in that between York and Lancaster, a chance meeting binds Katherine and Richard reluctantly together, and Raphael becomes haunted by nightmare visions of the future.

From their youth, the novel traces their story along with that of England during one of the most fascinating times of our history.

In the bestselling tradition of The Mists of Avalon and Lady of Hay, The Court of the Midnight King mixes history with the fantastical to create a wonderful, epic tapestry of love, war, and treachery.

©2003 Freda Warrington (P)2014 Audible Studios Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Royalty England War Tudor

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Critic reviews

"Superb fusion of fantasy and historical romance. Freda Warrington has always written lyrical, intensely imagined books across the fantasy spectrum, from vampires to epic trilogies, but in this book she brings along her private passion for the historical figure of Richard III and the combination of dazzling alternative history and smouldering romance is thoroughly enjoyable from first page to last… A pleasure to read." (Justina Robson, author of Keeping It Real)
"Warrington’s prose is literary velvet, luxuriating in colour and texture… Idealised but well realised, The Court of the Midnight King is seductive, sensuous and rich. A bit like Richard himself." (Infinity Plus)
"Beautifully written and heartily recommended." (Medieval Mysteries)
"Lush and beautiful historical fantasy. One of my very favourite historical fantasy novels, this is a lushly written alternate version of Richard III’s history, with magic and romance and a rich sense of period. Gorgeously written, a wonderful book to sink into." (Stephanie Burgis, author of A Reckless Magick)
"[A] fascinating book. You’re not sure if this other version of our world is merely a dark mirror – a slightly different version of our past where the history runs the same, only colored by the supernatural – or if it is an entirely different place. This removes the inevitability inherent in this type of tale, for even though we have no real hope that Richard will survive, there is a tiny, tiny glimmer. That makes this even more of a strong moving story… The imagery in the story, the exploration of a fascinating time in English history and the strong characterization of both fictional and non-fictional characters make this an engaging read, one that despite its fictional aspect makes you wonder what the real truth is about Richard the III, and makes you look at accepted history with new eyes." (SF Site.com)
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What made the experience of listening to The Court of the Midnight King the most enjoyable?

I don't know how I managed to buy this book but I an so glad I did. It is the story of Richard III through the eyes of a minor noblewoman who was also the most dangerous people of the time, a healer. Richard had a one day affair with a young gird then totally rejects her because he thought she was trying to capture his heart like Elizabeth Woodford had captured his brother Edward IV. And so the story goes .........??

What a superb find

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This story is a superb combination of counter-factual history and fantasy.
Freda makes the characters come alive in all their complexity.
Richard is a tortured Byronic hero with very human flaws which make him utterly compelling. Kate is a medieval proto feminist in the best sense of the word. The love story is wonderful and some of the descriptive passages are simply beautiful.
The narrator did a commendable job of breathing life into the characters and I think his voice has a very pleasant timbre. Perfect listening.

Thrilling !

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The story is one quite a few Ricardians would relate to, but the narrator makes it so difficult. He hasn't the voices of the characters, especially the women. The men are patchy. He doesn't seem to get the supernatural elements either. I agree that it would have been better to employ a good female narrator, who understands the difference between a whisper and a shriek. All of his women sound wrong. They all sound like members of the older members of the royal family. Far too high pitched and full of wrong inflections. No understanding. I read the book and couldn't put it down. It's an alternate universe, so slips in historical facts and dates are immaterial , it's different and interesting, but this interpretation saddened me. One stars for performance is generous, which dragged the overall mark down, but I can't fault the plot and the craftsmanship and love which went into the writing, but immensely silly bits as well. The Lamed King story especially ridiculous. Who in their right minds would see the Tudors as a fair exchange with The Plantagenets? Richard would have married again and produced a nursery full of children. There'd have been church reforms, but not the wholesale Tudor slaughter and desecration. But as for the book? It's probably better to read it for yourself. A long read, but well worth it. A drag and endurance test to listen.

Love the story Loathe the narrator

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If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I couldn't get into the book with the male narrator constantly trying to use a female voice. Very off putting.

Has The Court of the Midnight King put you off other books in this genre?

No

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Cameron Stewart?

Any good female narrator would have been better

What character would you cut from The Court of the Midnight King?

After 6 hours of listening I gave up. So I cannot say

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed.

Should have used a female narrator

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I didn't like the story or the performer, although the story could have been improved with a better reader. Does the reader really think that women speak with those awful squeaky voices at any point in history and how did the author think that this was acceptable? I'm sorry but this was a waste of my monthly subscription.

Not for me

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