An interesting exploration of the stories of different historic saints which provides a fictional story followed by some factual information. The stories are short and sweet, offering a small and easily digestible taster which I enjoyed. It was good to hear about Amy's research as well, and a bit about her academic life. I didn't find this a perfect fit for audiobook format simply because it's hard to reinsert yourself in the middle of a chapter if you've had to pause between saints, not quite knowing if you're in the fictional story or the non-fiction background section. However, the narration itself was good and easy to listen to and I think this would be even more enjoyable in print.

Storyland has been on my TBR for an embarrassingly long time, so I was intrigued by the idea of an audiobook of Amy Jeffs’ newest book Saints. I was also intrigued by the idea of approaching the stories of saints in the same way that myths and legends from other (often near-extinct) religions are told.

I have never really thought about saints in connection to mythology before, and I think it’s something we shy away from discussing. While some of the saints featured in this book do have their roots in real people, some do not, and can be traced back to Pagan legends that have been given a Christian update. I really enjoyed this more anthropological perspective, connecting the saints to modern worship where suitable, but otherwise looking at the role they played in the everyday lives of people in early Christian Britain.

As well as telling the stories of the saints themselves, Jeffs also gives historical context on both the origin of the various legends, and how they became a part of daily life in that time. Across the course of the book, she also manages to give an account of how saints fell out of favour in British religion, with the final few chapters looking more and more at the reformation.

I was worried going into the audiobook that I’d feel like I was missing out; after all, the stunning illustrations are one of the unique appeals about Jeffs’ books. I still feel like I got a very special reading experience though, between the excellent narration from the author and the music that was used periodically to great effect.

Needless to say, this has bumped Storyland much higher up my TBR! It was a really wonderful listen, that I highly, highly recommend.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I don't always agree with Jeffs interpretation of folklore and mythology, however I completely salute her meticulous research and the way she choises to retell stories. Her books are always a delight and Saints even turned up a few stories I hadn't heard. Great audiobook too.

A master of storytelling, Jeffs snippets of history and myth are captivating, each leaving you wanting more. I've never been so intersted in Christianity!

A fascinating account of some of the more mythical Saint's, worshipped in medieval Britain. It's not just a dry recounting of Saint's though, something that bothers me with your usual folk lore mythology books, but it places them in the context of the time and explores how people related to and worshipped these holy martyrs. I especially liked the 'abortion' miracles and how wholly divorced they are from our modern understanding. That it was seen as a restoration of a woman's purity, not lost until the birth of the baby, and the abortion miracle performed on her allowed her to keep her vow of chastity. The production of the audiobook was fantastic, with music played at the start of each section which gave it such an enchanting atmosphere and I wish more audiobooks used music like this. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. I had already read Jeffs' book, Wild and really enjoyed it but I thought this was way better. The stories are fascinating and the historical background and discussion of artefacts that Jeffs uses to accompany each story is a great way into thinking about the medieval world in which these stories are rooted. The paper cuts that accompany the stories are great too. I listened to the audio book here and Jeffs was a fantastic narrator and engaging story teller. I enjoyed it so much I bought the book after listening, which is how I know how great the illustrations are too.

This is a collection of legends and folklore about saints venerated in Medieval Britain, along with commentary on the aspects of daily life which made the legends relevant to medieval people as well as what is known (or not known) about the saints themselves. It was an interesting collection of stories, retold accessibly, and the contexts provided give them deeper meaning, although there were times when the historical accounts weren’t given with as much detail as I would prefer — the author assumes a fair amount of knowledge about British, and to an extent Western European, Medieval history and sometimes I felt like I was missing something (my knowledge being primarily Early Modern). But I enjoyed this glimpse inside the workings of the Cult of Saints, and shall be checking out Jeff’s other works. It was narrated by the author, who does an admirable job of conveying her enthusiasm for the subject,

A wonderful retelling of stories of myth and magic from our tiny island. Amy has a wonderful way of telling stories really draw you in.

Thankyku for this arc. As always jeffs gives a perfectly executed set of stories related to various myths this time in the form of saints some of these are quite quirky.

I listened to a lot of these when out walking found the narration very beautiful and calming. It was clear and informative.

SAINTS is a collection of myths and legends around saints who were worshipped in Britain, arranged by the calendar year, that give an insight into medieval life.

I liked that the tale contained a mix of during-life miracles, martyrdom stories, and post-death miracles. It was a nice mix of different tales, showing both why their lives (or deaths) led to veneration but also how the saints interacted with daily life. It also stops the stories feeling repetitive (there are only so many virgin martyrs one can hear about on the trot!)

The stories are accompanied by a brief commentary - about the historical background, if any, to the tale, what clues it can shed on medieval life, and where it fits into the overall stories of the rise and fall of saints within Western European Christianity. The overall trajectory of the book is charting this social history of saints.

It's neatly arranged into a calendar of the year, with saints appearing in the months of their feast days. It's very tidy, giving an order to tales that span centuries and a wide range of topics that otherwise could feel very haphazardly connected.

Amy Jeffs narrates, which I liked. There was a chance for her to bring the rhythm she had in her head when writing to the narration, emphasising the bits she saw as important. It was a nice glimpse into the author's mind.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this informative book. Well written and narrated by the author (I list3n end to the audiobook).

She guides us month by month through the legends of many Saints , known and unknown in quite a witty way. Tales of rituals, folk beliefs, martyrs and much more. Very enjoyable.

Just like the authors other books, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, this was informative, immersive and fun. She makes history really easy to understand so this is very accessible for anyone with an interest in many people from the past
The narration was excellent while the book had short chapters and easy to understand information

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This collection is excellent! The stories are well researched, composed in a way that is easy to understand and appreciate. The author narrates the audiobook really well and delivers sone truly engaging tales.

Overall, I can't find any flaws. I would highly recommend this collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC