Showing results for "Alchemy" in Historical Fiction

Prague, 1588 The Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the elusive hunt for the philosopher’s stone and thus immortality. The Catholic Church fears he has pushed too far – into the forbidden realm of heresy – while the greatest powers in Christendom are concerned about the imperial line of succession. 

For now, the centuries-long war between mortalkind and the Aesir is quiet. Yet not over. With the coming of winter, a season in which the Aesir thrive, they will resurface. Only two people, united by magic, can stop them. But first they’ll have to survive more imminent threats to their lives. Robinson Hawksley is of the tragic belief that his beloved wife, McKenna, has perished in a sorcerer’s fire—just as he is about to ascend to the highest rank in the magic order of the Invisible College.

Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales. Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village’s edge. Lately she’s been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath.

1866. Will Stewart is one of many who have left their old lives behind to seek their fortunes in New Zealand's last great gold rush. The conditions are hostile and the outlook bleak, but he must push on in his uncertain search for the elusive buried treasure. Rose is about to arrive on the shores of South Island when a storm hits and her ship is wrecked. Just when all seems lost she is snatched from the jaws of death by Will, who risks his life to save her. Drawn together by circumstance, they stay together by choice and for a while it seems that their stars have finally aligned.

Named a Best Book of 2023 by Book Riot For fans of The Age of Light and Z comes a “beguiling novel of artistic ambition, perseverance, and friendship” (Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author) based on the true story of the 20th-century painters and tarot devotees Remedios Varo and...

Born with a deformed hand and an utter lack of the family's blood magic, Isabelle is despised by her cruel father. She is happy to be neglected so she can secretly pursue her illicit passion for math and science. Then, a surprising offer of an arranged royal marriage blows her life wide open and launches her and Jeane-Claude on an adventure that will take them from the Isle des Zephyrs in l'Empire Céleste to the very different Kingdom of Aragoth, where magic deals not with blood but with mirrors.

In the heart of Victorian England, where steam and iron threaten to smother the ancient countryside, artist Robert McKinley is swept into a world of enchantment and peril. When the actress he loves vanishes with her mysterious troupe, Robert’s search leads him beyond the veil of ordinary life—into a realm where forgotten gods and immortal lords dwell beneath the hills, wielding magic older than time itself.

Fontainebleau in 1825 is a glittering international court, rich with intrigue, passion and simmering violence. Lieutenant Colonel Kit Helford must navigate these treacherous waters to deliver the beautiful, self-destructive Princess Royal to her prospective husband. Kit's childhood friend, Clemency Arwenack, is tasked with safeguarding her royal mistress's reputation as the princess awaits a marriage she is dreading. But both have secrets they will hide at all costs.

IN TURBULENT TIMES, AN AVALON INITIATE FALLS IN LOVE WITH A ROMAN SOLDIER… Enter an enchanted world of Song, Ceremony, and reverence for the Earth’s seasonal cycles. The Tribes of Albion honor their wise Druid advisors, their prophetic Healers and Seers, and their divinely inspired Bards. In this culture, women stand as respected equals with men. Cerridwen is born into this world in 43 CE, on the small Island of Ynys Môn, home of a famed Druid College. When she reaches womanhood, her Druid parents send her to study at the Mystery School on the sacred Isle of Avalon.

After the birth of the Red Sulphur Twins, the forces of the Subtle Realm conjure a whirlwind of destruction. The Sun King and Prince William of Orange battle over the future of Europe shaping the fate of modernity. In their laboratory our family of alchemists closes in on the ultimate source of the magical red sulphur while struggling with unbearable jealousies.