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Title: Royal Escape

Author: Georgette Heyer

Narrator: Cornelius Garrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-08

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Dispossessed of crown and kingdom, crushed and routed at the Battle of Worcester, the young Charles II is forced to flee for his life. Out of the heat of battle, the outlaw king and his tiny party must try to escape to France.

©2001 Georgette Heyer; (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Members Reviews:

The Great Escape

This is not exactly a "romance novel", but it is good history even though the "Marie King's" escape takes a long, long time. The reader did a very good job with a subject that got tiresome at times.

Tedious

I normally love Heyer's novels, but I find her historical books quite tedious. This one is no exception, and I struggled to get through it. It is well narrated, but that cannot make up for the fact that everything happends really slowly. It deals with Charles II and his escape from England, it takes him an entire book to escape. Perhaps if I was more conversant with history around this event, I would have enjoyed the book more, but I feel that a good historical novel shouldn't rely on the reader's previous knowledge.

Excellent

If you could sum up Royal Escape in three words, what would they be?

Left me with a desire to read more books about Charles II. Very easy entertaining listening.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Charles II of course.

Which character as performed by Cornelius Garrett was your favorite?

Great narration.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Enjoyed the description.

More of a 17th Century Travelogue than a Novel

It is hard for me to make too many negative comments about a Heyer novel. And I knew what to expect when I started this book. As every reviewer stated, there was very little plot and the tension one would expect in a story about a fugitive attempting to escape from certain death, was definitely lacking. Charles II on the run for his life seemed to approach the world and his predicament with the same joie de vivre and humor as the 19th century courtiers in her Regency comedies of manners. It was obvious that Heyer found him a very sympathetic character and considered his adversaries as simpletons. It was in some ways one of her most "classist" novels, and that is saying a lot.

All of that said though, it is still a well written book and she managed to stretch out a six week adventure in rural England with a predetermined ending into a readable and lengthy book. I know that Heyer has a reputation as a stickler for accuracy in historical detail, but I have no idea how much of this story is true, beyond the battle itself, the king, Wilmot and the fact that they did eventually escape to France. But she certainly presented a plausible and believable tale of what very well might have happened.

I usually enjoy Cornelius Garrett's narration on Heyer novels. But he always has to make at least one character have a very annoying lisp. He did it in this book as well, and I found it even more annoying than usual.

I still recommend the book. But go into it with your eyes open. This does not have the plot, pace or conclusion of other Heyer books, whether her romances, mysteries or other historical fiction.

Easy listening

This is unlike most of Georgette Heyer's sparkling comedies being about the escape from England of King Charles II after a losing battle.