Historical Fiction
Anarchy
Rebel Sword
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- Published reviews coming soon.
The sharp end of conflict, loyalty, passion and sacrifice finely balanced on the point of a Rebel Sword.
When Henry I dies in 1135, his nephew, Stephen seizes the throne. Most of the barons support him, despite the solemn oaths they swore to Henry’s only legitimate heir, the Empress Matilda. It seems her cause is lost until her half-brother, the powerful Robert, Earl of Gloucester, falls out with King Stephen and decides to support Matilda.
While Robert plots treason, his bastard son, Thomas, sulks in a Bristol tavern. Though born of a Saxon mother, the youth is raised in his father’s Norman household, where his fierce pride and skill with a blade often lead him into conflict. After a violent brawl, he is exiled to his father’s estates in Normandy, though his punishment does not satisfy some of his opponents.
As Thomas rides south, in the company of his curmudgeonly Saxon uncle, the outlook seems bleak until a chance encounter with a troubled young heiress. But, since she is bound for a nunnery and he is condemned to exile, what possible future could they have together?
Only a fool would challenge barons, church and king for the sake of one young lady. Only a fool… or a determined, half-Saxon bastard who knows that his father is about to light the fire of rebellion across the kingdom.
Available in Ebook and paperback.
Gritty, vivid and fast-moving, Rebel Sword takes us on a journey of treachery, rebellion and desperate courage, through the mud and blood of the Anarchy.
Gritty, vivid and fast-moving, Rebel Sword takes us on a journey of treachery, rebellion and desperate courage, through the mud and blood of the Anarchy.
The Last of the Romans
The Last of the Romans series explores the early life and exploits of a real life character from the fifth century, Ambrosius Aurelianus. Though we know Ambrosius existed and we have some information about his role in defending Britain against Saxon incursions, we know almost nothing about the man himself or his early life.
This series is an attempt – albeit a fictional one – to recreate Ambrosius’ early life and show how the formidable man who later managed to unite the warring tribes of Britain might have been forged from adversity and struggle.
The Last of the Romans series begins in 454 AD in Northern Italy…
Last of the Romans
454 AD Northern Italy.
Dux Ambrosius Aurelianus has served the Roman Empire with distinction. His bucellarii, a small band of irregular soldiers, have helped to bring a fragile peace to the beleaguered empire in the west. But, with the empire now at peace, his master, Flavius Aetius, decides to chain up his dogs of war.
Ambrosius and his men are left to idle away their days in a rural backwater, but Ambrosius’ boredom is brutally swept aside when old rivals seize the opportunity to destroy him.
Pursued as a traitor by the imperial guard, Ambrosius takes his loyal band, along with other dissident soldiers and a Saxon girl, Inga, into the mountains.
Since nowhere is safe, Ambrosius travels north, across the crumbling ruins of the empire, to his estranged family in Gaul. But there too, he finds nothing but conflict, for his home town is now besieged by a small army of rebellious Franks.
Freedom and peace seem a world away.
Whatever course the soldier takes, Ambrosius and his bucellarii will need to muster all their strength and skill to survive.
At the twilight of the empire, they may be the Last of the Romans…
Recommended for fans of Ben Kane, Anthony Riches and Conn Iggulden.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
Fast-paced and action-packed.
The Story of Dux and his men pulled me in at once.
Britannia: World’s End
454 AD.
Even after years of Roman rule, Britannia is a conflicted and largely untamed land.
Disgraced Imperial Officer, Dux Ambrosius Aurelianus, flees to its shores seeking sanctuary in the land of his deceased mother. His years of loyal service to the emperor count for nothing now. He must carve out a new life beyond the empire.
Accompanying Ambrosius is a disparate group of fellow refugees: Inga, a freed Saxon slave, his bucellarii – warriors sworn to him – and the surviving members of his estranged family.
The burden of command weighs heavy on his shoulders, for when he lands in the country, winter is fast approaching.
But the weather is not the only thing inhospitable towards the newcomers.
Plagued by troubles, Ambrosius faces opponents among both the native Britons and Saxon settlers. He discovers that no-one in Britannia – least of all, the High King, Vortigern – still fears the soldiers of the decaying empire.
When those he loves are savagely abducted and betrayal divides his company, Ambrosius is left with only a handful of his bucellarii. Though heavily outnumbered and unfamiliar with the land, Ambrosius remains undaunted.
Pitted against powerful opponents, the Roman will need new allies if he is to free the hostages and make Britannia his home.
There will be blood.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
An enthralling tale of honour and fortitude.
Packed with action and a cast of well-drawn characters.
New Dawn
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New Dawn is set in post-Roman Britannia in Spring 455 AD, several months after the events described in the novel: Britannia: World’s End.
After wintering at Villa Magna to recover from his bitter struggle against the British High King Vortigern, ex-Imperial Officer Dux Ambrosius Aurelianus leads his motley company westwards. He hopes to find a safe refuge in the south-west near Durnovaria, where he believes his dead mother’s kinfolk might be found.
Arriving in the area, Ambrosius finds a small, abandoned settlement where his company can take shelter for the night before moving on to the town of Vindocladia – just north of Durnovaria. But Vortigern has put the word out: a high blood price will be paid to anyone who captures Ambrosius; and there are many who would take up the challenge…
Available in Ebook and audiobook.
Well written and fast moving.
Yet another great from Derek Birks!
Land of Fire
Late Spring, 455 AD.
After a brutal winter struggle against the High King Vortigern, outcast imperial officer Ambrosius Aurelianus has led his weary followers to south-west Britannia in search of his mother’s kinfolk. But Vortigern, thirsting for revenge is already forging a dangerous alliance against him.
Taking refuge in a ruined Roman fort near the decaying town of Vindocladia, Ambrosius finds an ally in Lurotriga, the widowed queen of the Durotriges. Though still sworn to his Saxon lady Inga, he is soon beguiled by the British noblewoman.
Between Inga and her new rival there can be no compromise and their enmity threatens to cause a rift between the Britons and Saxons of Ambrosius’ company.
If Vortigern attacks before the fort is repaired Ambrosius fears the outcome. He must find allies fast but, in a land of squabbling rival tribes the Roman encounters more enemies than friends. A treaty with neighbouring Dumnonia offers Ambrosius some hope, but commits him to defend the south coast against Scotti raiders. Ambrosius’ forces are stretched perilously thin putting the lives of Lurotriga and others at risk.
As Ambrosius prepares to pursue Vortigern for a final reckoning, his quest to discover his mother’s kin suddenly delivers a startling revelation, but will it help him to defeat the High King?
Heavily outnumbered in the thick forests and steep valleys of Vortigern’s homeland, Ambrosius must rely upon the fighting spirit of his small force of bucellarii and raw recruits. But sometimes courage alone is not enough.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
In Land of Fire, Birks creates a world of violence and intrigue that will leave you breathless. Set in the period after the Romans have left Britain for good, it captures the desperate struggles between rival warlords seeking to install themselves as overlord, set against the ever growing threat of Saxon incursion from the east. For page after page, the relentless action sweeps you through the landscape from brutal skirmish to gory battle. Intense!
Birks has created a wonderfully convincing snapshot of post-Roman Britain, dark and bloody and visceral. Highly recommended.
The Wars of the Roses
In 1459 England is on the verge of civil war: the Wars of the Roses. A struggle for power at the heart of the royal court has fractured traditional allegiances, forging new and dangerous alliances. Richard, Duke of York, the most powerful nobleman in the land, has been cast adrift by the government of King Henry VI – a regime dominated by his queen, Margaret of Anjou. York and his allies, the father and son Neville Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, are ousted from all positions of influence and declared traitors. York is gathering his forces to test the queen’s resolve by war.
It all starts with Feud…
Feud
As the Wars of the Roses begin, the rule of law breaks down…
In 1459 open war breaks out between the Houses of York and Lancaster and a desperate struggle for the crown of England begins. Yet, while the fire of civil war burns, an old local score is being settled in the heart of Yorkshire.
Young and untried knight, Ned Elder, finds himself at the centre of a bitter feud when his father is executed, his brother butchered and his sisters abducted. Ned barely escapes with his life and is pursued across the land with only a few loyal companions. Determined to find his sisters, recover his lands and put an end to the feud, Ned is forced to take sides in the civil war. He soon gains a formidable reputation in the Yorkist army of young Edward, Earl of March, but the path he must follow is brutal for his enemies are relentless and will show no mercy.
While Ned risks all upon the snow-covered battlefield of Towton, his sisters and the girl he loves must also fight for their very survival. In the wake of the battle, the brutal feud is played out to its bloody conclusion.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
A breath of fresh air for historical fiction.
From the eye-catching cover to the last page, Feud is an exciting story of survival through personal upheaval during a vicious war, where the outcome is not always certain.
A Traitor’s Fate
During the Wars of the Roses, peace never lasts…
It is 1464. Ned Elder and his two sisters, Emma & Eleanor, have won a hard-fought peace and their feud with the Radcliffes seems long over, but one man never accepted the outcome. After three bitter years of waiting to destroy the Elders, a new ally provides him with a fresh opportunity for revenge.
When Ned is summoned to confront a Lancastrian revolt by the new king, Edward of York, he finds his enemies are not just amongst the ranks of the rebels. Branded a traitor by his own commander, the Earl of Warwick, Ned is soon a wanted man in hostile territory and the price on his head only rises when he stumbles upon a royal secret.
Meanwhile, Eleanor and Emma watch over Ned’s pregnant wife, Amelie, with only a small garrison of old men and boys to protect them. The feud may have ended, but the scars run deep for all three women and they must hold their nerve and prepare to defend themselves at any cost. A condemned man, Ned must find a way to escape his pursuers or else the whole Elder family will be destroyed.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
The author has done a superb job in creating a page turning, drama filled tale!
Kingdom of Rebels
England in 1468 is a nervous kingdom.
King Edward IV has fallen out with his chief ally during the Wars of the Roses, the powerful Earl of Warwick.
Ned Elder, a young lord whose sword helped to put Edward on the throne, has been forced out of England by Warwick. Far away on the Scottish border, the beleaguered fort of Crag Tower desperately awaits Ned’s return. Led by his fiery sister, Eleanor, the dwindling garrison is all that remains of his brave army of retainers.
Unknown to all except the loyal knight, Ragwulf, Eleanor has Ned’s young son in her charge – a son who has never seen his father. But, as border clansmen batter the gates with fire, the castle seems certain to fall.
One by one Ned’s family and friends are caught up in Warwick’s web of treason. The fate of the Elders and those who serve them lies once more in the balance as all are drawn back to Yorkshire where they face old enemies once more.
Eleanor can only hope that Ned will soon return. She must fight to keep that hope alive… and when Lady Eleanor fights, she takes no prisoners…
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
This magnificent story captures life in the 15th Century with wonderful skill.
Thoroughly recommended.
The Last Shroud
The Wars of the Roses must be settled on the field of battle. The prize? The crown of England.
July 1469: just as England has finally found peace, a revolt breaks out against King Edward IV, forcing Ned Elder to take up his sword once more. But is Ned the warrior he once was? As the kingdom spirals into civil war, divisions between Ned and his sisters, Emma and Eleanor, threaten the family’s very survival. Out of the turmoil of rebellion steps an old enemy who offers to help Emma, but can she trust him?
Will the Elder family stand together when it matters most? They must, if they are to survive.
Available in Ebook and paperback.
Devastating - but impossible to put down.
An intense finale to a great series.
Scars from the Past
To save a prince, all other lives must be put at risk…
By 1481, England has been free from civil war for ten years and members of the Elder family have found a fragile peace after their part in the bloody struggle for the throne. Even so, the scars remain with them all and, close to home, in Ludlow, trouble is stirring once more.
Born out of the carnage of the Wars of the Roses, young John Elder is now the heir to his father’s legacy, but he finds it a poisonous one. After a brutal fight with an outlaw, John abandons his home, his inheritance and the girl he loves to become a mercenary in Flanders. But, in his absence, the Elder family are left to face his ruthless, outlaw enemy alone. When young Edward, Prince of Wales, is caught up in the bitter struggle, the life of the heir to the throne hangs in the balance.
Only if the Elders can leave the scars of the past behind them, is there any hope of survival, but will John return in time to help? If he embraces his unwelcome legacy and overcomes his relentless enemy, perhaps then he might also be able to reclaim his lost love.
Available in Ebook and paperback.
The period is well researched and the settings atmospheric and vividly described, so that at times the reader feels embedded in the mud and rain.
Derek Birks has taken his usual high standard of storytelling to a whole new level. Scars From the Past is impossible to put down... I defy you to enjoy this book and not want to go back to Feud, where it all started.
The Blood of Princes
A savage tale of love, treason and betrayal. A bloody struggle for power at the heart of the royal court.
In April 1483, the sudden death of King Edward IV brings his 12 year old son to the throne.
Restless young lord and ex-mercenary John Elder is newly-appointed to the service of Edward, Prince of Wales, and charged with the boy’s safety. His first task, escorting the new king to London for his coronation, seems a simple one but the accession of a boy king raises concerns among the leading noblemen of the land.
As old jealousies and feuds are rekindled, the new king’s uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, seizes control and plunges the kingdom into crisis. But is Gloucester young Edward’s enemy, or saviour?
While John, outlawed and trapped, must wait to see how events unfold, other members of the battle-scarred Elder family are drawn, one by one, into his conspiracy. Soon they are mired so deep in the murky underbelly of London society, that there seems no hope of escape from the tangle of intrigue and murder.
In the end, all lives will hang upon the outcome of a daring incursion into the Tower of London itself.
Available in Ebook and paperback.
The author has once again delivered the entire package, so dear reader, fasten your seat belts.
A masterpiece of adventure and intrigue.
Echoes of Treason
The red dragon of Wales is coming…
It is autumn 1483 and Richard III is king of England, but rumours about the fate of his nephews are rife and dissent is beginning to grow. Waiting in Brittany, is the exiled Lancastrian heir to the throne, Henry Tudor, who senses that his moment has come. Henry’s mother, Lady Margaret Stanley, plots to restore her son’s fortunes with a series of revolts against King Richard.
After the disastrous events of the summer, the embattled Elder family is scattered and in hiding. The outlawed head of the family, John, has escaped to Flanders along with a few loyal comrades, his sister, Meg, and his lover, Isabel. But the Elders will not be left to lick their wounds for long, because William Catesby, influential servant of King Richard, has made it his mission to destroy them.
When Lady Stanley tries to draw the Elders into the Tudor rebellion, John must decide whether he can cast aside his long-held Yorkist loyalties. Should he join Henry Tudor under the banner of St. George and the dragon of Wales?
It is the devil’s choice: poverty and a life in exile, or the slim chance of returning home by the fickle path of treason.
Available in Ebook and paperback.
A brilliant read from cover to cover.
First class historical fiction… a gripping Wars of the Roses yarn.
Shadow of Doubt
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Note: This story fits within the Wars of the Roses series set in the 1480s, between Book 7, Echoes of Treason and the final book, Crown of Fear, out in 2021. However, the story itself is self-contained and can be read without any knowledge of the series – nor are there any major spoilers for the series.
By the early spring of 1485, the Elder family are still licking the wounds sustained in the abortive October Rebellion of 1483 against King Richard III. The head of the family, outlawed Lord John Elder has joined the pretender, Henry Tudor in France while his aunt and half-sister linger in the dubious safety of Ludlow.
King Richard’s closest adviser, William Catesby, knowing an invasion is certain is keen to capture any of Tudor’s supporters if they land in England. Henry Tudor though is also anxious to find out who, among prominent Englishmen, he can rely upon.
So in March 1485 he sends his trusted ally, John Elder to sound out one man who might hold the key to his success in the south west.
Available in Ebook.
I could not put this down.
The characters come to life before your eyes.
Crown of Fear
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The final book in the Wars of the Roses
England, August 1485.
For almost thirty years, the Elder family has been ravaged by the feud between York and Lancaster. Now exiled John Elder, yearning for an end to the Elders’ troubles, throws his support behind a young, untried pretender, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.
Henry’s tiny invasion force looks certain to be heavily outnumbered by the massive host that Richard III has summoned. But nothing is certain for some of King Richard’s subjects are wondering if the dire rumours they have heard about him are true.
Since one of Richard’s most powerful nobles, Lord Thomas Stanley is also Henry’s stepfather the king takes Stanley’s son hostage. If Stanley deserts him, the king must rely upon the vast army of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, but the earl has long resented Richard’s power in the north.
King Richard’s chief councillor, Sir William Catesby, keen to protect his king decides to crush the dangerous Elder brood once and for all. So, one by one John’s kinfolk are captured and imprisoned.
On a marshy plain not far from Market Bosworth the fate of the Elders and the kingdom of England will finally be settled.
Available in Ebook, paperback and audiobook.
I am bereft, because I know there will be no more. But what an experience it has been. I will never look at the Wars of the Roses in the same way again.