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The Phoenix Crown

A Novel

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The Phoenix Crown

Written by: Kate Quinn, Janie Chang
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Katharine Chin
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About this listen

From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.

©2023 Kate Quinn and Janie Chang (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
20th Century Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting Mystery Natural Disaster San Francisco
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What listeners say about The Phoenix Crown

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awesome

Great story. history. loved every minute. I recommend this one for sure . 5 stars

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lobed the time period and theme

Loved the time period and learned a lot but not one of my favourites. I have read and listened to a lot of Kate Quinn’s books but this story seemed forced and repetitive. I liked one narrator much more than the other.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Just Wonderful

I love the Phoenix Crown! I listened to the audio version which was very well done! These amazing writers finally place the history, struggles and strength of women at the forefront…around the world! I learned a lot! Finally, history written by women about women’s contributions to society! Thank you so very much!

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

Epilogue is the best part…

Did not enjoy as much as The Alice Network
Not the best historical fiction this year..

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Novel

Suspense, intrigue, historical fiction and women supporting women and so much more.
Narration was fantastic.
if you are looking for a great book this is it.

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How the story wove together each character

I liked how each chapter counted down the time to the earth quake and how this book depicted historical details I was unfamiliar with. I also enjoyed the strong women characters. It was masterfully woven into a very engaging story.

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Captivating

Can’t go wrong with Kate Quin, and now I’m a fan of Jamie also! Good story, and I appreciated how they explain the development of the characters partly from real people, and the story line based on history. I usually prefer one narrator but this was perfect, but reading well and clearly.

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Enjoyable

Not my favourite Kate Quinn novel, but true to her writing style with interesting female protagonists neatly woven into historical events. I found the ending was a bit more predictable in this story but it’s enjoyable. The narration is well done!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Weak Character Development…

I am a huge fan of Kate Quinn but I did not love this book. The characters development was weak and the dialogue between them irritating. All the build up of Gemma’s migraine storyline, to have it fall by the wayside, no real back story on Su Ling learning to embroider, random insertion of all the Latin botanical names etc. the villain who was terrified of fire but not terrified to try to light the ladies on fire - I hate to say it but it just didn’t flow or come together for me. I was not invested in any of the characters at all. I was expecting way more.

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