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The Serpent and the Pearl
- Borgias, Book 1
- Narrated by: Leila Birch, Maria Elena Infantino, Ronan Vibert
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
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The Serpent and the Pearl
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Summary
Rome, 1492: The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous - or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web....
Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham, and she is to be given as a concubine to the ruthless, charismatic Cardinal Borgia: Spaniard, sensualist, candidate for Pope - and passionately in love with her.
Two trusted companions will follow her into the Pope's shadowy harem: Leonello, a cynical bodyguard bent on bloody revenge against a mysterious killer, and Carmelina, a fiery cook with a past full of secrets. But as corruption thickens in the Vatican and the enemies begin to circle, Giulia and her friends will need all their wits to survive in the world of the Borgias.
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Critic reviews
“Epic, sexy.” (Publishers Weekly starred review)
“Deeply passionate.” (Kate Furnivall, New York Times best-selling author)
“A riveting plunge into an ancient world.” (C. W. Gortner, author of The Vatican Princess)
What listeners say about The Serpent and the Pearl
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-09-24
The narrator for Giulia
The book and two out of three narrators are really good. But what on earth… The narrator for Giulia…? What’s even happening there?? I’ll get the second book in print, that was not ok.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- v.jeffs
- 13-08-13
compelling
I have just finished listening to this book and loved it. The characters of the dwarf and the female cook have been described so well you feel as though you know them personally.
I cannot wait until the next book comes out........but I will have to.
Even though I knew a lot about the Borgias this shows them from a different angle.......the lives of those in his household and how they see the Pope, his children and most importantly his mistress!
This is a compelling book and will not disappoint!!!!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Bec
- 11-02-24
Destroyed by absolutely dreadful narration!
I love Kate Quinn and really wanted to try this genre as a change from the modern history ones of hers I’ve read.. I couldn’t bear to listen past chapter 13 as the narrator for Julia was so dreadful- really random intonation and phrasing which was so distracting I had to return the book! Gutted as potentially intriguing story. Don’t risk it! Read the paperback.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Able Marle Devon
- 20-02-14
Just beautiful!
What did you like most about The Serpent and the Pearl?
This story is just gorgeous - you close your eyes and you are back in 15th century Rome.
What did you like best about this story?
If you liked the recent TV series you will absolutely adore this book. The characters just spring to life.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
It was lovely to have the story told by 3 people - it made the book really interesting and the narrator's sounded exactly as you imagined Guilia, Carmelina and Leonello to be.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A different side to the Borgia story
Any additional comments?
If you love history you will love it, if you don't love history this book will spark your interest and you will probably end up loving history!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-05-23
a drudge due to the performance
I disagree with the other reviews quite severely. I love medieval and other historical novels normally and really enjoyed the other Kate Quinn novels I have listened to. They were read very well by Saskia Maarlaveld. She caught the characters very well. But in this performance, one of the narrators really destroyed my enjoyment. I'm struggling to get through it. The performance is dull, morose and boring with very unusual pronunciation which is unnecessary and annoying. Where were the editors who should have checked this? Her performance has convinced me that there is no action in the book...about the Borgias!! I will not try the second book under any circumstances. I gave the performance 2 stars as the other two narrators were ok.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adanaya
- 10-06-18
Correction.
Blame the fact that my head was still deep in Renaissance Italy. Leonello. Not Leonardo. Leonello. Brought to life by the most sadly lamented Ronan Vibert.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 31-05-15
A good introduction to the Borgias
I really enjoyed this book, which covers an aspect of the history of this era that I have never read about before. I'm now looking forward to listening to the next book in the trilogy, which I have already downloaded!
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