The Final Sacrament cover art

The Final Sacrament

Clarenceux Trilogy, Book 3

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The Final Sacrament

By: James Forrester
Narrated by: Mike Grady
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About this listen

London, 1566. William Harley, Clarenceux King of Arms, lives quietly with his family, with a document in his possession that could destroy the state. When his wife and his daughter go missing, Clarenceux finds himself on the run with his other daughter. He knows he must destroy the document, even if it should cost him his life - but how can he, until he has reunited his family?

©2012 Ian James Forrester Mortimer (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction

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The final sacrement is the third book in the trilogy. The first is Sacred Treason and the second Betrayal of Trust

The author is one of my favourites and I feel he should get more awards. He is a very clever academic man and has been able to produce these historical novels without making them difficult to follow. He has made history easy for us mere mortals (thats me, appologies to all the cleverer people out there)

It is easy to identify with the main chacacter and I hope he will write more historical fiction in the future.

he also writes under the name ian mortimer and is brilliant and a lovely person

if you like hilary mantel you will like james forrester but I like him more

historical fiction at its best

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What did you like best about this story?

It was a very slow to start and to begin with I did consider returning the book, however the way it was read kept me hooked and the story did develop to the point where I had to find out what was going to happened, the characters developed, and you found yourself wanting to find out more about them. Was a good story.

What about Mike Grady’s performance did you like?

Loved the way he read the story kept me hooked.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really had hoped that he would have survived the fire, He was a good man who had the most difficult decisions to make to save his family. He always had hope.

Any additional comments?

I am glad I did not send it back, really enjoyed the story immensly.

Started Slow

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I enjoyed this despite the misery the author chooses to inflict on the protagonist.

Clarenceux is a most worthy man and his trials and tribulations are dealt with masterfully by the author

Mike Grady gives a great performance I throughly enjoyed the book start to finish

Bravo!

Great end to the trilogy

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this is the third book so make sure you listen to the previous parts of the trilogy first.

Good overall story. Slightly weak ending.

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Wow, what a cracking cliff-hanger at the end of this trilogy! I loved the first book, and having waited impatiently for the second book (The Roots of Betrayal) I was somewhat disappointed with the meandering plot of that book, with too many pirates and side-plots, and not enough William. But this one was right back on track and sees William finally pushed into a desperate corner by his possession of a document so deadly that it could bring down the Tudor monarchy and plunge England into a bloody religious civil war. Oh boy, what a rollercoaster, especially at the end. I took my mp3 player to bed into the wee small hours because I couldn't wait until the next day to find out how it all ended. I am not going to give spoilers, but enough to say I needed a tissue to blow my nose and wipe away the tears as the book closed on a shattering cliff-hanger. I know it is popular to compare this trilogy to the Rory Clements and CJ Sansom, but for me it is like comparing oranges and apples. This trilogy covers one specific and particular facet of the legitimacy of Elizabeth 1's reign brought into the personal life, soul and conscience of one man. William Harley struggles to balance his Catholic faith with his loyalty to his country (no matter who is on the throne) and his chivalric sense of honour. Add to that the love for his family and loyalty to those closest to him, his sense of never knowing who to trust aside from a bare few, in this third volume, that internal struggle becomes painful and palpable. Bravo James Forrester and bravo also to Mike Grady who narrated it and brought William to life so beautifully and in the final analysis, so poignantly.

Cracking Finale!

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a compelling take with strong characters and a complex plot, based on real people and events.

What did you like best about this story?

Put the religious differences of the Monarchy and their near nobility into context. People, places and names took on a believable life.

Which character – as performed by Mike Grady – was your favourite?

Most, despite the fact he occasionally sounded like a discombobulated Dalek. He put life, dialect and accent into every character, making it a dramatic listen.

Any additional comments?

Great story, great narration.

Ripping yarn

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what a fantastic series! I'm so glad I discovered these books, the stories keep my attention throughout and my family knew better than to disturb me while they were on . I highly recommend this series,don't miss them!

quality of writing,

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Invested so much time for such an awful ending. What a complete waste of three books.

Disappointing

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