Showing results by publisher "Black Rose Writing" in Medieval

Piran Chegwin had known since he was just a boy that he wanted to be a priest—to bring comfort and care to ordinary folk in a little parish church. So when his father manages to scrape together the money for him to study theology at Oxford, it seems his future is set. That is, until he encounters Martin de Villiers, an ambitious, self-important fellow student who takes an instant dislike to Piran. Piran's only offense? Having been born a Cornishman. But to Martin's eyes, it's an offense that must be set right.

March, 1366. Amid the chaos of a war-torn Spain, Geoffrey Chaucer—page to King Edward III and the son of a wine merchant—finds himself thrust into the heart of a boiling conflict between two brothers: King Pedro the Cruel of Castile and his half-brother, Enrique Trastámara. But Chaucer’s task is far from simple. Sent as a reluctant spy by the king, he must locate the elusive mercenary Sir Hugh Calveley and persuade him to change sides in a war that could alter the fate of kingdoms.

Duke Boleslav, brother to Wenceslas, reveals to his young son his own life's dreadful tale, and why this boy must dedicate his life to his father's salvation. Pagan priests vie with one another and with the growing power of Christianity. Prague is a trading center with an important slave market, a thriving iron industry, and is a crossroads of far-reaching trade routes. It is growing in wealth, yet threatened by jealous enemies and forces, both external and within its borders.

When 16th-century printers Henri and Bertrand Dubois find a stack of letters among their grandmother's memorabilia, they realize their lives are about to change, for in those missives is incontrovertible proof that the legend of the lost chronicles of King Alfred is no legend at all. Publishing those chronicles would be the coup of a lifetime, elevating not only the brothers' prestige among publishers in two kingdoms but also their position in society. But first, they have to find them.

After three long years of war and disruptions, Alfred hopes for a time of peace and tranquility. A time to devote his energy to bettering the lives of his people, to focus on what the future holds for his children, to nurture his alliances, and to see his previous endeavors bear fruit. But even the home front has bumps in the road. The campaign to suppress Teuton aggression has been costly, Lord Meriden's threat to disrupt the kingdom shows no sign of abating, and Nerrick's growing negativity casts a shadow over the mutual defense plans with the Territories.

Isabella wants to come home—a rather innocuous request—unless you're the king and Isabella is the aunt whose mental instability led her own father to banish her from the kingdom. Her arrival, unbidden, on the steps of the castle opens old wounds and forces Alfred to examine his grandfather's decision.

"Deceptions, triumphs, passions and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page to the last page." –Authors Reading. Get ready for a thrilling adventure in the highly-anticipated third installment of the Second Son Chronicles by bestselling author, Pamela Taylor. In Pestilence, Alfred’s worst nightmare comes true when his brother John ascends to the throne, plunging the kingdom into chaos and uncertainty. As traditional allegiances crumble and a new style of rule emerges, Alfred is forced to confront his duty to both his personal honor and the kingdom he loves.

Coming to his senses in a place he's never seen before, Alfred discovers he has survived the deadly sickness sweeping the land and has also managed, quite by accident, to find his family. But he's also a traitor to the Crown for desertion on the field of battle, so he and his family must live in complete seclusion in a remote corner of Gwen's homeland.

A quiet life of service is all he desires. But when peace becomes tenuous, his commitment to duty leads him to deadly danger…14th century. Lord Alfred is content with his mundane destiny. Too far removed from the throne to ever ascend and more interested in scholarship, he still willingly accepts his kingly grandfather’s charge to execute a secret mission. But when his bid to protect the heir leaves him captive to a dangerous man, the young lordling fears he’ll see death before his family will pay any ransom.

Geoffrey, Alfred's heir, and Denis, King of the Kingdom Across the Southern Sea. Two young men soon to come of age. One, having doubts as he comes to grips with the enormity of what his future holds; the other, eager to end the regency and rule in his own right. Both relying on Alfred's guidance as each birthday marks another milestone in the lives they're destined to lead.

The old Duke of Brittany had vacillated for years over who would succeed him and finally settles in his will on his half-brother, John de Montfort. But the years of vacillation had left others believing the ducal crown would pass to them, and no one understands this better than Montfort's wife, Jeanne de Flandre. When the schemes and political maneuvers of the Countess of Penthièvre land Montfort in the French king's prison, it falls to Jeanne to defend his rights to the duchy and protect their son's patrimony.

Convinced that the prizes in his long game-the riches of Aleffe Province and King Denis's great port on the Southern Sea-are now within his grasp, the Teuton king has finally shown his cards. He's confident Denis's youth and inexperience mean he'll be no match for the might of the Teuton army, especially if he can be isolated. To that end, the Teuton has already taken steps to prevent Denis's ally in the south from joining the fray. All that's left is to neutralize Alfred-and the Teuton is certain he's found the perfect way to do that.