Crown of Blood Audiobook By Nicola Tallis cover art

Crown of Blood

The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Crown of Blood

By: Nicola Tallis
Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $16.89

Buy for $16.89

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

"Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same." These were the heartbreaking words of a 17-year-old girl, Lady Jane Grey, as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Minutes later, her head was struck from her body with a single stroke of a heavy ax. Her death for high treason sent shock waves through the Tudor world and served as a gruesome reminder to all who aspired to a crown that the ax could fall at any time.

Jane is known to history as "the Nine Days Queen", but her reign lasted, in fact, for 13 days. The human and emotional aspects of her story have often been ignored, although she is remembered as one of the Tudor era's most tragic victims. While this is doubtlessly true, it is only part of the complex jigsaw of Jane's story.

She was a remarkable individual with a charismatic personality who earned the admiration and affection of many of those who knew her. All were impressed by her wit, passion, intelligence, and determined spirit. Furthermore, the recent trend of trying to highlight her achievements and her religious faith has, in fact, further obscured the real Jane, a young religious radical who saw herself as an advocate of the reformed faith - Protestantism - and ultimately became a martyr for it.

Crown of Blood is an important and significant retelling of an often-misunderstood tale: Set at the time of Jane's downfall and following her journey through to her trial and execution, each chapter moves between the past and the "present", using a rich abundance of primary source material (some of which has never been published) in order to paint a vivid picture of Jane's short and turbulent life. This dramatic narrative traces the dangerous plots and web of deadly intrigue in which Jane became involuntarily tangled - and that ultimately led to a shocking and catastrophic conclusion.

©2016 Nicola Tallis (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
16th Century Great Britain Historical Politicians Royalty Women England Tudor King
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Crown of Blood

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    150
  • 4 Stars
    80
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    142
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    143
  • 4 Stars
    66
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging and expansive

The audio on this one was a bit patchy, but the content of the story was wonderful. It was amazing to hear the story of one so often overlooked between the chapters of other monarchs.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Crown of blood

I like this review because it gives a clear history of The time of King Edward and King Henry. I always like reading history and learning different perspectives.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well Written

The information was great and overall the history is fascinating, and accurate. The book is well written. It’s just hard to listen to. It sounds like it is being read by an automated recording and not by an actual person. After the initial hour or so you get used to it though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars

No disappointment here!

I've always been fascinated by Lady Jane's story, so when I heard Ms Tallis speaking about this book during an interview, I was all in! This book has all the goods: the story from start to finish, with all of the meticulous background research one would expect. I especially enjoyed the bonus info from the appendices.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very good and well read.

I enjoyed the reading and learning more of Jane Grey. My middle son is 17 and it bring onto perspective on how young she truly was when she was executed and it breaks my heart.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Person

Interesting and detailed content. However, I wish Flosnik would have referred to the various nobility by names instead of property. All the family lineage in the later chapter became so confusing it detracted me from truly grasping all the interpersonal dynamics.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Slightly annoying voice, excellent history

Tallis doesn't romanticize or fall into sentimental traps - well-supported by historical evidence, she tells the tragic story of yet another generation of grabs for power, and for the British throne itself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Listen.

Easy listen. Good reader. A must for any Tudor fan. Worth listening to many times

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This was amazing!

I am so amazed at the beauty the candor of this young woman! She had such bravery and understanding that was beyond her years. She was in fact a polished theologian! I greatly admire the Lady Jane Grey! Although her life was cut short her example will live throughout eternity! I have always admired her, and after reading this book I greatly admire her even more!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Engaging popular history

Engaging popular history which covers the many aspects of the events connected to the life, death and aftermath of Lady Jane Grey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!