New Releases for October 2008: Medieval Historical Fiction

The Last Quest: Song of Montsegur by Derek Armstrong
Blending the history of the Albigensians-Cathars and the traditions of the tarot, this second volume in the trilogy continues the wry and engaging epic begun in The Last Troubadour. Ramon, the last troubadour, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, and their companions have escaped Carcassonne and must fight their way through the Phantom Wood to seek sanctuary at Chateau Montségur. They are pursued by Death and his scythe and the soldiers of Pope Innocent. With unexpected humor and rich historical lore, this entertaining saga brings the 13th century and the archetypes of the tarot to life.

The House Of Allerbrook (Exmoor Saga) by Valerie Anand – (*late medieval period)
Lady-in-waiting Jane Sweetwater’s resistance to the legendary attentions of Henry VIII may have saved her pretty neck, but her reward is a forced and unhappy marriage with a much older man and a harsh life on his farm. Her only consolation is that she still lives upon her beloved Exmoor, the bleak yet beautiful land that cradles Allerbrook House, her family home. Played out in this remote, forbidding place, Jane’s long and storied life is fraught with change: her fiercely protective nature leads her to assume responsibility not only for her own husband and child, but also for the rebellious son of her wayward sister. In time, she regains the position of a woman with status and property, but she cannot ignore the rumblings from London, as the articles of faith change with every new coronation.

Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
Where the second novel in the trilogy, Time And Chance, dealt with the extraordinary politics of the twelfth century, climaxing with the murder of Thomas Becket and Henry’s confrontation with the Church and self-imposed exile to Ireland, Devil’s Brood centers on the implosion of a family. And because it is a royal family whose domains span the English Channel and whose alliances encompass the Christian world, that collapse will have dire consequences. This is a story of betrayal as Henry’s three eldest sons and his wife enter into a rebellion against him, aligning themselves with his bitterest enemy, King Louis of France. But it is also the story of a great king whose brilliance forged an empire but whose personal blind spots led him into the most serious mistake of his life.