The Bastard (The King’s Cousins, Book 3)

HISTORICAL:  Quill Cardon is the son and heir of Lord Adelard de Blays, but is not made aware of this until the last time he ever sees his father.  Lord Adelard sends his son away for his own safety before he himself is arrested and later beheaded for treason. Quill fosters with another family, never knowing the fate of his family.  Years later, he runs into his stepbrother and learns what happened to each of them during their years of separation.  Quill serves the king with a knight, whose sister is Tristanna Willoughby. Tristanna is engaged to a horrid man.  Quill and Tristanna spend some time together while her fiancé blatantly cavorts with other women in front of her.  

This audiobook answers the questions remaining from the prior two books in the series.  Additional information is gleaned regarding Adelard, which motivates Quill’s actions later in the story.  Quill and Tristanna have multiple challenges to overcome before they can be together, and both are ready to do the right thing and sacrifice their own happiness.  There are a couple of unexpected twists in this tale that make it even more intriguing and satisfying—especially regarding the fate of Tristanna’s new husband.  The motivations of each character are delineated clearly and they stay true to these throughout the story.  The pacing is brilliant in this entry, and the tension ramps up steadily.  

This narrator is the perfect choice for this audiobook!  His voice selections for each character are consistent and incorporate the appropriate amount of gravitas when warranted.  He paints a readily visualized scene with his words, accents and cadence.  His voice is extremely believable and melodic at times!  The production quality of this recording is high, without any noticeable mistakes or unexpected sounds in the recording. 

Carey Sullivan