Listen to a sample
The Tarot Reader of Versailles
- Author
- Anya Bergman
- Narrator
- Clara Harte, Sofia Zervudachi
- Publisher
- Manilla Press
- Publish Date
- 19 June 2025
- Run Time
- 15 hours 1 minute
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Narrative theme: sense of place, Speculative fiction, Occult fiction / Paranormal Horror, Historical fantasy, Historical romance
- Rating
- 4.0 (1 review)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
'A gorgeously written, at times fantastical and deeply immersive novel' Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn
Two women. An extraordinary power. An explosive bond.
In a time of revolution, their fates will lie in the turn of a card . . .
It is the early days of the French Revolution and, on the streets of Paris, terror reigns.
Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand is a young woman with an extraordinary power - through her tarot cards, she can commune with the dead, revolutionaries and the aristocracy alike seeking her out to divine their fortunes. Lenormand is loyal to Marie Antoinette and the dauphin of France, but she has seen the queen's fate in the cards and must take care that it doesn't become her own.
Then, one fateful day, she comes across Cait, a scullery maid from Ireland who has travelled to Paris for love. Cait has powers too - she can read people's pasts as Lenormand reads their futures. The two young women share an electrifying connection, drawn to each other's abilities. But Cait is hiding something. What will she do - and who will she betray - to bring revolution to the shores of her beloved Ireland too?
Inspired by the astonishing true story of Marie-Anne Adelaide Lenormand, The Tarot Reader of Versailles is a sweeping, powerful novel where allegiances, betrayals and even fate itself can be forged or broken by the turn of a card . . .
*Selected as a Bookseller pick of the month*
'Readers who like their historical fiction laced with fantastical elements will enjoy this spirited tale' The Times
'[A] propulsive epic in the company of two extraordinary women' Daily Mail
'A complex, epic and engrossing tale' Caroline Lea, author of Love, Sex & Frankenstein
'I was totally swept up in this epic story of fate and betrayal, love and intrigue. Every twist left me reeling' Danielle Giles, author of Mere
'Thrilling, compelling and beautifully woven' Aoife Fitzpatrick, author of The Red Bird Sings
'Feminist, fantastical and flawlessly imagined' Natasha Solomons
'Lush, lyrical and utterly captivating' Kim Curran, author of The Morrigan
Critics Review
-
The author of the dynamic The Witches Of Vardo heads onto the bloody streets of the French Revolution in this equally propulsive epic in the company of two extraordinary women . . . The prose is lush, the love stories beguiling, but Bergman doesn't shy away from the horror of the reign of terror and the harsh realities of change.
Daily Mail
-
Marie Anne Lenormand can commune with the dead . . . [Caitlin] Molloy is also connected to spirits and gods, in her case old Irish ones. Molloy and Lenormand meet, and the gods collide. Readers who like their historical fiction laced with fantastical elements will enjoy this spirited tale.
The Times
-
A complex, epic and engrossing tale, which is part emotive love story with a fantastical edge, part fascinating historical exploration of the French Revolution and part compulsive revenge story, which holds the reader captive throughout. . . . The voices of these two women who find themselves caught up in the heady and dangerous world of the Revolution are beautifully drawn.
Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman and Love, Sex & Frankenstein
-
Utterly captivating. Anya Bergman's vivid depiction of revolutionary France, and the extraordinary women negotiating the vagaries of power, fortune and fate throughout such unrest and upheaval, held me in thrall from the first page to the last. An engrossing, propulsive novel.
Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
I was totally swept up in this epic story of fate and betrayal, love and intrigue. As the two women fight for their futures and ideals in a world in which everything is turned upside down, every twist left me reeling. Bergman effortlessly conjures the glittering excess of Versailles and the heady ideals of revolutionary Paris. Opulent and gripping, this novel is clear-sighted about the costs of revolution, and the people who get left behind.
Danielle Giles, author of Mere
-
Thrilling, compelling and beautifully-woven . . . the startling, entwined destinies of Lenormand and Molloy unfold across Paris and the rugged shores of a restless Ireland - a gripping clash between love and honour. Bergman is - as ever - deft and masterful in evoking the timeless wisdom of mythology . . . this vivid novel sings with insight and compassion.
Aoife Fitzpatrick, author of The Red Bird Sings
-
A dark and delicious odyssey through the blood-soaked streets of French Revolution Paris. The Tarot Reader of Versailles had me spellbound from the very first page. I adored the original way this novel expertly wove folklore, Tarot, and Ireland's Great Rebellion with this fascinating period of French history. One to savour
C.J. Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches
-
An utterly magical book that weaves through the history of the French Revolution, casting it in a new light: feminist, fantastical and flawlessly imagined.
Natasha Solomons, author of Fair Rosaline and Cleopatra
-
A sweeping, fantasy-fuelled tale of allegiances, betrayals, love and intrigue . . . full of simmering Sapphic romance and dangerous necromancy. . . This is a gripping tale of female empowerment you won't want to miss!
Lancashire Post
-
An enchanting and captivating novel that beautifully weaves together the perspectives of two very different women during the bloody French Revolution. I was enthralled right from the start and gripped by the immersive world Bergman created.
Angie Spoto, author of The Grief Nurse and The Bone Diver
User Reviews
Book 4.0
Narration 5.0
-
4.0 5.0
A real sense of time and place, and a fascinating angle to tell the story from. I was unawareness an Irish connection to the French Revolution (or vice versa) but I'm not surprised!
I enjoyed the paranormal storyline, and I really enjoyed the connections to the French royal family.
The romance between the two female characters was sweet - but again, why don't people just talk to one another!!!!
All in all, an enjoyable listening experience - the narrators did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life.ClareR 2025-06-28
Details
- Author
- Anya Bergman
- Narrator
- Clara Harte, Sofia Zervudachi
- Duration
- 15 hours 1 minute
- Release Date
- 19 June 2025
- ISBN
- 9781786582591
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Manilla Press
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Narrative theme: sense of place, Speculative fiction, Occult fiction / Paranormal Horror, Historical fantasy, Historical romance
- Rating
- 4.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
'Utterly captivating. An engrossing, propulsive novel' Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites'A gorgeously written, at times fantastical and deeply immersive novel' Molly Aitken, author of Bright I BurnTwo women. An extraordinary power. An explosive bond.In a time of revolution, their fates will lie in the turn of a card . . .It is the early days of the French Revolution and, on the streets of Paris, terror reigns.Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand is a young woman with an extraordinary power - through her tarot cards, she can commune with the dead, revolutionaries and the aristocracy alike seeking her out to divine their fortunes. Lenormand is loyal to Marie Antoinette and the dauphin of France, but she has seen the queen's fate in the cards and must take care that it doesn't become her own.Then, one fateful day, she comes across Cait, a scullery maid from Ireland who has travelled to Paris for love. Cait has powers too - she can read people's pasts as Lenormand reads their futures. The two young women share an electrifying connection, drawn to each other's abilities. But Cait is hiding something. What will she do - and who will she betray - to bring revolution to the shores of her beloved Ireland too?Inspired by the astonishing true story of Marie-Anne Adelaide Lenormand, The Tarot Reader of Versailles is a sweeping, powerful novel where allegiances, betrayals and even fate itself can be forged or broken by the turn of a card . . .*Selected as a Bookseller pick of the month*'Readers who like their historical fiction laced with fantastical elements will enjoy this spirited tale' The Times'[A] propulsive epic in the company of two extraordinary women' Daily Mail'A complex, epic and engrossing tale' Caroline Lea, author of Love, Sex & Frankenstein'I was totally swept up in this epic story of fate and betrayal, love and intrigue. Every twist left me reeling' Danielle Giles, author of Mere'Thrilling, compelling and beautifully woven' Aoife Fitzpatrick, author of The Red Bird Sings'Feminist, fantastical and flawlessly imagined' Natasha Solomons'Lush, lyrical and utterly captivating' Kim Curran, author of The Morrigan
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.