Shiela rhoads

For six months, the lands of the massacred Scythe tribe have lain empty and desolate; then, one crisp winter's morning, the red sky crackles and forty thousand survivors of the Lostwell Catastrophe appear, along with a dozen dragons, and one Holdfast... While King Daniel struggles to reform the City, Queen Emily dreams of recapturing the lost town of Jezra on the Western Bank. When the Lostwell Exiles arrive, she realises that she may have found the only force capable of transforming her dreams into a reality.

Sir Michael of Weedon might think that his service to the crown ended when the Queen died and he was no longer required as her knight. He is wrong, for his qualities as a true and loyal warrior mean that he can be trusted. King Henry and the Earl of Suffolk send him to France to recover a pyx. Before he can complete his task, he is conscripted back into the army and finds himself, once more, fighting alongside Sir John Talbot.

In Stornas, Reinar is feeling strong, working and training with vigor, imposing his authority on those around him, though internally, he is beset by fears. The threat of Alari grows each day, and though he carries himself with confidence, wanting to assure his people of their safety, Reinar knows it is only a matter of time before the goddess makes an appearance. Far away from Reinar, Alys is trying to turn her life around, though a terrible secret preys on her mind.

Sir Thomas, Hero of Arsuf, rides to war again! When a king asks a baron to go on crusade it is an order not a request and, as such, is not to be ignored. The Earl of Cleveland has done his duty for his King and for the Pope many times over but he and his son, William,are chosen as token gesture to placate an unhappy Pope. Leaving England with a handful of men and untried and young knights, the old campaigner travels across Europe to join a crusade which is going nowhere. In a land riven with conspiracies and plots on both sides, Sir Thomas is beset by enemies.

Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever. His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark - and in doing so, risks starting a war.

Having heard Gudrum’s threats and Alys’ warnings, Reinar is desperate to head South, back to his family. Though he must be patient. His army is far behind him, and Reinar knows he’ll need every pair of hands to get their fleet back home. Waiting with his brother, Sigurd is looking forward to his reunion with Raf, unaware that she is now with Gudrum. And though Raf didn’t return to Gudrum willingly, she is still struggling, unable to decide where her true loyalties lie.

Draguta Teros wants to crush her enemies...every last one of them: Her disloyal sister, Dara; Briggit Halvardar and her followers; Jael Furyck and her Brekkan army; the gods themselves.

13th Century, Wales and England. To young Gruffyd, life has been unkind. Eking out a meagre living with his father, he has learned very quickly how to look after himself in the hostile borderlands. His father, an archer, has taught him well, and at 17 Gruffyd is a keen and able bowman. Young, loyal and skilled, it’s not long before Gruffyd finds himself following in his father’s footsteps, working as an archer in the bordering castle. But tragedy strikes when his lord commits a devastating deed, and Gruffyd is forced to make a life altering decision.

Knickerbocker scoundrel Harrison Archer returns to New York to discover that his deceased father has bankrupted his estranged family. To save them from ruin, he’s forced to quickly find and marry an heiress. For a matchmaker, Harrison turns to the one woman he wishes he could marry: his childhood friend and true love, Maddie, who once broke his heart and is now engaged to a duke. When Harrison and Maddie reunite, the passion between them ignites. But with their marriages to others looming, time is running out. Is their fate inescapable . . .or can love set them free?

Bernard Cornwell, the perennial New York Times bestselling author of the Richard Sharpe series and “perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today” (Washington Post) joins co-author Susannah Kells for A Crowning Mercy—a breathtaking romantic adventure set against the dramatic backdrop of the English Civil War. The exciting story of a rebellious Puritan woman on a perilous quest for love and fortune, A Crowning Mercy is a must for Cornwell fans as well as for devoted readers/listeners of Sharon Kay Penman and Diana Gabaldon.