I particularly enjoyed that the audiobook was read by Michael Ball himself. I really enjoyed listening to him reading the story. My only issue was that there were a lot of characters and it was difficult sometimes to keep track of who everybody was. I kept mixing up the two J names Joe and Jack, although thankfully it didn't last long because they were voiced so very differently on the audiobook that it was obvious who was speaking.

It was quite an easy going story, with a bit of mystery and intrigue, a bit of romance, but more than anything this book is a love letter to the theatre, and anyone who has ever been involved in any small way with putting on a theatrical performance, or even who just loves going to the theatre, will find something to enjoy in this story.

I'm not usually one for historical novels, but Michael Ball narrates the story himself, and brings the characters alive. A great story with a good mix of different characters both good and bad, who all have a story of their own. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

This is the first audio book I have read and enjoyed listening to, I think it was because Michael Ball put so much effort into differentiating between each character and putting emphasis on their conversations that it was like listening to a play rather than having a book read to you. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions (luckily I was alone each time!).
The Empire is a theatre that brings together people from all levels of society to enjoy and work in Musical theatre, every character is easy to visualise as Micheal brings them to life with his words and voice. I was sad when I finished it.

I absolutely loved this and the fact it is narrated by Michael himself gives the story another dimension as it is read as it was meant to be, no ambiguity. The story is superb and I cannot wait for the next book from Mr Ball

The empire is a theatrical novel about theatre people, obviously written and read by someone who has never lost his love of the lights, the curtain calls, and treading the boards.

I really enjoyed listening to this, read by Michael Ball, who knows and loves all of his characters, he narrates his story with enthusiasm, which really helps because a large number of cast members are introduced in a pretty short space of time.

There are crooks, villains, a sweet love story, old flames, old grduges, drama, but overall an undercurrent of warmth, friendship, and loyalty that just makes this a really cosy read/listen.

The setting in the 1920s is inspired, as the theatre is still in it's heyday with movies not yet having taken hold, the theatre still ruled in terms of the colour, the celebrity, and the glamour, but there is also the backdrop of the recent world war, losses, and English class prejudices which make for characters with some real depth, not just shadow puppets for the plot.

I took this audiobook with me on some winter walks and I would recommend anyone who likes a cosy historical novel that doesn't take itself too seriously to do the same. A great listen for a road trip or holiday.

The Empire Michael Ball and Narrated by: Michael Ball himself! and what a Wonderful reading voice he has!!!! especially as I snuggled under a cover with him! This is the first book in the new Empire series and what a great start to this series this audiobook was. I just fell in love with it! It was just beautiful from start to finish.

I highly recommend this audiobook and looking forward to Book two in this wonderful series! Hats off to you Michael You are a star!

Big Thank you to Bonnier UK Audio, Zaffre and Netgalley for my audiobook.

When I saw that Michael Ball had written a novel I knew it was something I need to read.
As Michael Ball has personal experience in the theatre, there was a certain amount of trust given automatically that the storyline would be true to life. I have spent a lot of time in the theatre myself so I know how accurate it is.

The storyline follows a theatre that is being deliberately steered in the wrong direction. The idea behind it is really good and I enjoyed it so much and I am eagerly awaiting another novel from Michael Ball 🙂

I am a huge fan of Micheal Ball and love listening to his radio show so his first novel read by the man himself was always going to be on my list. This book does not disappoint it really does feel like a love letter to the theatre and enveloped me in the twenties and the stories of this bunch of people who are thrown together with a love of the theatre and the arrival of a young man called Jack who after returning home from war is after a new challenge and makes the theatre his home. As we meet all of the characters involved what uncovers is a theatre full of secrets and scandals that threaten to ruin the theatre unless they can come up with a new idea to save it. As blackmail and threats flow and underhand dealings appear to be against them can they all come together to save the theatre and maybe to bring them all together as a family. Loved this book.

Charming insight into our English heritage theatre, with all the wonderful quirks and foibles of the characters within.
The story is like a play written in Acts, centred around The Empire theatre, and the latest productions and cast members.
Michael Ball brings the 1920’s characters to life in all their gorgeous eccentric and glamorous ways. Brilliantly revived with many of the sayings and endearments I remember from my childhood, and being taken to the theatre a lot.
The audiobook is beautifully read by Michael Ball himself which is great as he understands the voices, characters and the story so well.
Hugely entertaining and enjoyable and although I am not a particular fan I really appreciated this tale.
For anyone who enjoys the theatre and all its history, hugely recommended.
Charming, warm and well written.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early listening!!

What an absolute treat this book was after growing up listening to Michael Ball as Raoul and Marius, and all the other timeless showtunes he sang! I can’t believe this was Ball’s debut novel, it was excellent. What made the book all the more special was absolutely listening to his flawless audiobook, each character uniquely portrayed vocally. I would definitely recommend the audiobook for this reason, the only strange thing was the long pauses between chapters (which had me checking more than once to see if the NetGalley app had shut down.)

Although the number of characters is formidable, if you can follow the many story lines in Downton Abbey, The Empire’s large cast is doable. The storyline does require concentration to keep all the pieces straight, and I’m not sure if I would have liked it quite as much if it hadn’t been for Michael Ball’s notoriety and entertaining narration.

Overall, a delightful listen. As a musical theatre performer myself, I was absolutely tickled by Ball’s love letter to theatre which is this novel!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If someone had asked me what kind of book Michael Ball would write, I think I would have described this novel. Romantic with tons of show biz sparkle but very clean cut. Just like the writer himself. In this novel, our hero is Jack Treadwell. He's back home after several years away, firstly due to WW1 and then trying to find his place in the world after those horrors. Both of his parents died just before his return, and it's fair to say he's drifting. But fate leads him to the Empire, a dazzling theatre. He's quickly enthralled by the glamour of the setting and its residents, not least of all the cool headed Grace Hawkins who works diligently behind the scenes. But local rivalries threaten the very existence of the theatre. Can Jack save the theatre he's fallen in love with?

It's a great novel, not too taxing and very enjoyable. Imagine Downton Abbeyesque drama but set in a theatre. Michael Ball narrates the audiobook and does a very fine job. It's easy to forget when he rolls up every Christmas that he's a very good actor, too, and this comes across in his characters' voices superbly. His enthusiasm is infectious, so even the most cynical (like me) can't help but be swept up by the glamour.

lovee literature if there was ever such a genre, based around the 1920's theatre world. Set in 1920's the story is set in a depressive dark time however the theatre world is alive and vibrant. Nice read and some lovable characters telling the story of saving the theatre and restoring to its former glory. The plot is well thought out and characters explained as you move through the book it all develops nicely into a well structured novel. Surprising little book. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

This was a treat to listen to on audio. It sounded as though Michael poured all his emotion and personality into this narration - his character voices were fantastic and some really made me smile - especially his female ones.
He is writing about what he knows - the stage and performing - and this really shows. Plenty of detail in the workings of the theatre and in the characters of the lovies.
I missed out on being on the blog tour for this one so really pleased I got the chance to listen top this one on Netgalley.
Really hope that he writes another book.

I’m so glad I requested this as an audiobook as Michael Ball narrates it himself and he does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life, plus as the author he reads the story as it was written which can sometimes be a bit off with a separate narrator.

If you love theatre and historical fiction then this is for you, it takes you right into that word and is completely immersive. It was a pleasure to listen to. The only issue I had was there were a lot of chats there introduced early on and it was difficult to keep track of who was who. That does become easier as the book goes on but like someone else said, the character list included with the print edition would have made that a lot easier.

1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in its cast of characters - both on stage and behind the scenes. When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire's future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings.
I read the ebook of this lovely novel but couldn’t resist listening to the audiobook, narrated by the author himself. Was I disappointed? – no. Did he bring it to life? Absolutely. The book starts slowly but there were quite a few characters to introduce, the pace increases & the climax is riveting. The book is full of warmth & Michael’s rich honeyed tones make it often spellbinding – I could listen to him all day. Not a short listen at nearly twelve hours but worth every minute
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily listened to

One thing to know about me is that I absolutely love the 20s. I find that decade absolutely fascinating and love to read anything and everything that's set in the period of time. Needless to say that when I saw this audiobook on NetGalley, I just had to request it! And wow this book did not disappoint!

It narrates the story of Jack Treadwell, coming back to the UK after years trying spent in France to recover from the atrocities of the first world war. Coming back into his hometown, he decides to honor his mother's dying wish and gets a job working at a magnificent theater. In no time, he becomes everyone's friends and keeps getting promoted!
This was a fun story about a nobody who just randomly gets a job, discovers a passion for theater and just runs with it. A historical fiction, with of course a dash of romance, sprinkles of drama, just how we like it, and just a spoonful of mystery.
The characters were fun, but still intriguing and very much endearing. You couldn't help but root for them all. The plot was a bit slow at first, but once you get into it, you can't stop reading, you just get more and more invested in the story.

And the audiobook, wow, what an experience! I admit, I did not know who Michael Ball was when I first started reading, but boy am I glad he decided to narrate his own book. This is one of book I'll definitely say is more appreciated if you listen to it. Ball is a narration master, from the different voices he was able to take, the tempo and the emotions he made me feel, it was just magnificent. I usually get bored if there's only one narrator, but in this case, I was hooked from beginning to end.

All in all, a great and entertaining historical fiction that I only recommend you listening to if you have the chance!

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier UK audio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Empire is a romp of a read. Often historical fiction books can be long and drawn out but not this one.

The large cast of characters keep you interested throughout without you getting lost in a who's who for each segment you read. The audiobook is read by Michael himself who, ever the performer, does a fantastic job of bringing you in to each scene and character in a way that can be hard with such a large number of characters.

This book is sad, happy, funny and romantic all rolled into one. It is set in 1920s Highgate and I can't tell you how nice it was to hear a story set in Northern England with Northern accents.

This really was a pleasure to listen to.

It took me a while to get into this book. I listened to it as an audio book and I’m afraid I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I think reading it would have been better. A decent enough story

You want entertainment, some theatrical pizazz and a sparkle of historical fiction? Look no further. And narrated by the author too, Michael Ball who is a legend in the theatre world, added that extra layer of greatness. He has the voices and personalities spot on.

I loved the feel of this book. It was a joy to listen to and was so effortless to slip into. It had some great characters, the plot was steady and entertaining and the whole thing just felt easy.

It did take me a fair few chapters to get to grips with the characters and keep track of who was who but that was my own brain fog fault perhaps. I kept getting lost in the story and I didn’t know who some of the people were. I struggled to keep hold of the threads and it did interrupt the flow for me so it wasn’t quite as seamless as it could have been. I know the book has a handy list of characters for refresh yourself so the audiobook relied a little more on my memory!

I’m definitely keen to follow up more into this series though and hope there will be more to come! Now I know the characters it might make reading the next one a little easier!.

Set in Northern England in the early 1920s The Empire theatre is struggling and Joe Allerdyce, a rival owner of several theatres and music halls is using underhand tactics to try and ac. Jack, whose acquire it. However Jack, the new stage manager and Grace are working behind the scenes to keep the Empire up and running.

The Empire evokes the grandeur, magic and excitement of the theatre setting by showing the dedication and hard work that goes into making a show and the pressure that lies on everyone's shoulders, especially in dire situations. The main positive of this book is the characters and so fun and complex, although there are way to many to remember and the whole book has a fun happy vibe to it. The only down sides is some parts fell flat with not much happening and/or other areas dragging on a bit too long. Overall this is a fun read but not the best book out there.