Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl

By: Matthew Reilly

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

In this special prequel to Matthew Reilly’s The Tournament, Roger Ascham, the unorthodox tutor of Princess Elizabeth, is tasked by King Henry VIII with a most unusual and dangerous mission – tracking down a favourite prostitute of the King's who has gone missing.

©2014 Matthew Reilly (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"Nobody writes action like Matthew Reilly." ( Vince Flynn)

Made me want to hear "The Tournament"!

I'm new to Matthew Reilly's books, and found this to be a juicier morsel than anticipated--much like an hors-d'oeuvre that looks to be of interest, and proves to be delicious.

As an avid fan of historical fiction, I'm fascinated by Reilly's depiction of King Henry VIII--as a brash and irreverent monarch AND doting father, and of his daughter, a young "Princess" Elizabeth--yes, fellow history buffs--THAT Princess Elizabeth. And having had the good fortune to have visited the Tower of London (reportedly haunted by the ghost of Ann Boleyn) and other sites of England's rich history, I'm even more intrigued at what Mr Reilly has in store for us in future books.

Admittedly, there are a few more "He said's" and "She said's" than necessary, and the mystery seemed a bit shy of what Sherlock Holmes fans might expect, however, this story has, for me, done exactly what the author intended--it's whetted my appetite and made me want to hear more, and for that I congratulate you Mr. Reilly. I look forward to hearing "The Tournament"!

And to Mr Humphrey Bower--my compliments, Sir, on a flawless narration! You made "The King's Lost Girl" come to life!

And a request for you, Mr. Reilly, tell us more about Isabella, and REALLY introduce us to the king's lost girl....you've shown us her beauty from a distance, but WHO is she?

Good book for a freebie.

I enjoyed the book. A very good read. Could use less profanity. But still good read.

Anything Free is Worth Saving Up For

Set during 1546 England, Matthew Reilly's short and FREE prequel to his longer novel, The Tournament, is a straight forward murder mystery that leaves no one in suspense. But that's okay. The point of this short story wasn't to dazzle us with top of the line detective work, but to introduce the readers or listeners to the intellectual and unconventional Roger Ascham--tutor to Princess Elizabeth I. The plot seemed a secondary device to the actual characterization and showcasing of Roger Ascham, one of the main characters in The Tournament. All in all, I found myself enjoying the narrative despite some cheesy Indiana Jones-esque action scenes. I actually wouldn't mind reading or listening to The Tournament some time in the future. I think Reilly's talents as a writer will shine much better in the longer format that will give him time to develop and hone the plot line.

Final recommendation: It's free so you might as well enjoy it. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Intriguing

What made the experience of listening to FREE PRODUCT - Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl the most enjoyable?

Interesting plot, descriptive language, it moves right along, nice easy reading short story.

What other book might you compare FREE PRODUCT - Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl to and why?

not sure at this time

Which scene was your favorite?

Investigative scene at brothel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

pleasant easy read

Short story

Where does FREE PRODUCT - Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoyed it!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I wished it was longer

Which scene was your favorite?

The end, when he realized who the killer was.

If you could take any character from FREE PRODUCT - Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The princess teacher

Any additional comments?

I was good as a short story it left me wanting more!