Elizabeth Chadwick’s THE AUTUMN THRONE published today

THE AUTUMN THRONE is published in hardback today by Sphere, concluding the glorious retelling of the life of one the most powerful women in medieval Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine, by one of the most-loved historical writers today, New York Times bestseller Elizabeth Chadwick.

Chadwick’s ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE trilogy opened with THE SUMMER QUEEN and was followed by THE WINTER CROWN, and was described by Choice Magazine as ‘engrossingly written and well researched.’ The beloved trilogy is being published in the UK, the USA, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Russia, with more languages expected.

England, 1176. Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright.

Freed only by Henry's death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry stirred up among his sons has intensified to a dangerous rivalry.

Eleanor needs every ounce of courage and fortitude as she crosses the Alps on horseback in winter to bring Richard his bride, and travels medieval Europe to ransom her beloved son. But even her indomitable spirit will be tested to its limits as she attempts to keep the peace between her warring sons, and find places in the centres of power for her daughters.

Praise for THE AUTUMN THRONE

‘Fluid and entertaining… a novel packed with incident, interest and emotional depth. The medieval world she has created is rounded and convincing, the fruit of years of research… Highly recommended.’ – Historical Novel Society

‘THE AUTUMN THRONE completes Elizabeth Chadwick’s superb and, I would argue, definitive trilogy on the life of one of the most (if not THE most) astonishing female figures in medieval history. I’ve always said that reading an Elizabeth Chadwick novel is not like reading history at all, it’s experiencing it… I feel that I’ve been allowed into Eleanor’s thoughts and given a chance to see and know her as I imagine she may well have been. Eleanor was a truly remarkable woman, her story is the stuff of legend, and Elizabeth Chadwick has done her justice.’ – For Winter Nights

Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick and the ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE series

‘An author who makes history come gloriously alive.’ – The Times

‘Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel, you know you are in for a sumptuous ride. Beautifully strong characters and a real feel for time and place.’ – The Daily Telegraph

‘A magnificent woman’s story told by a brilliant historical novelist; realistic, emotional, vibrant, exciting and unputdownable.’ – RT Book Reviews, July Top Pick

Read more about Elizabeth Chadwick on the Blake Friedmann website or her website.

Follow Elizabeth on Twitter and Facebook.

THE POWDER OF DEATH BY JULIAN STOCKWIN PUBLISHED TODAY

Julian Stockwin’s latest historical fiction novel THE POWDER OF DEATH is published August 18 2016 by Allison & Busby. THE POWDER OF DEATH is Julian’s newest addition to the MOMENTS IN HISTORY series, historical action-adventure novels which examine and reimagine the turning points of the past.

1261. Oxford, England. An envoy returns from the land of the Tartars to meet with an English scholar and share a deadly secret that touches on the future of Christianity itself. The two men vow that the knowledge of gunpowder must die with them as the consequences are otherwise too fatal to contemplate.

1290. Hurnwych Green, England. After his quiet life is shattered by tragedy, local blacksmith Jared begins a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Aboard a ship to Venice, he meets Sir Nicholas Gayne who invites him to join the Knights Hospitallers as their blacksmith on a holy crusade for King Edward.

The adventure that follows sees Jared encounter men from distant Cathay who harbour the secret of huo yao, and so begins one man’s obsession with the powder of death and a king’s determination to change the very nature of warfare…

Praise for Julian Stockwin and the MOMENTS IN HISTORY series

‘Historical fiction is a tricky beast. As a writer you have to keep your history in proper shape while combining it with a narrative that someone actually wants to read. Score two out of two for Julian Stockwin.’ – Daily Mail.

‘Julian Stockwin, a master of the historic novel, writes with a zeal, recreating ancient times, with fast-paced prose, vivid characters, and matchless authenticity. Powder smoke and the stench of brimstone waft off the pages.’ – Quarterdeck magazine.

About Julian Stockwin

At 14 Stockwin joined a tough sea-training school, followed by the Royal Navy, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy when his family emigrated.  He saw active service in the Far East, the Antarctic, the South Seas and Vietnam, and was on board the Melbourne at the time of its disastrous peace time collision with the Voyager.  Later he worked for NATO on the strategic deployment of merchant shipping.

Find out more about Julian on the Blake Friedmann or Julian’s website.

Read an excerpt of THE POWDER OF DEATH online. 

THE BLUE POOL BY SIOBHÁN MACDONALD PUBLISHED TODAY

Siobhán MacDonald’s ingenious and unpredictable psychological thriller THE BLUE POOL will be published by Canelo 15 August 2016.

Following her acclaimed debut TWISTED RIVER - 'Evocative and richly detailed... a page-turning mystery' –  THE BLUE POOL is alive with unpredictable twists and MacDonald’s trademark ingenuity.  THE BLUE POOL is a mesmerising exploration of loyalty, friendship, and the corrosive effects of guilt that will appeal to readers of Clare Mackintosh, Paula Hawkins, and B A Paris.

Published to acclaim by Piper in Germany in 2015, THE BLUE POOL is further proof that MacDonald is a master of her craft.

For foreign rights information, please see here.

Praise for Siobhán MacDonald and TWISTED RIVER

‘TWISTED RIVER is a superb thriller – gripping, surprising, and terrifically rewarding.’ – Chris Pavone, author of THE EXPATS

‘MacDonald toys with the reader, leading right then feinting left with plot twists that genuinely surprise. Infidelity, deception, revenge, and murder all come into play, but the big thrill here is the constant undermining of assumptions.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘Macdonald does an exquisite job of leading her readers by the noses and then throwing grand twists into the plot to catch them completely off guard. She plays off stereotypes to successfully muddy the plot waters and enhance the mystery… The suspense is well-developed to maintain intrigue and an eerie atmosphere consistently throughout the book.’ – Jen Forbus, Jen’s Book Thoughts

About Siobhán MacDonald

Siobhán MacDonald grew up in Bishopstown, Cork and her family later moved to Limerick. She studied electronic engineering in Galway and has worked as a technical writer in Scotland and France. She lives with her family in Limerick and has written three novels.

Find out more about Siobhán through Blake Friedmann, or visit her website.

Follow Siobhán on Twitter.

THE LAST HORSEMAN BY DAVID GILMAN PUBLISHED TODAY

David Gilman’s epic standalone THE LAST HORSEMAN is published in hardback on 11 August 2016 by Head of Zeus. David Gilman is the bestselling author of the MASTER OF WAR series, set during the 100 Years War, and his new historical novel is already receiving plaudits from readers. Bestselling adventure and thriller writer Tony Park has said: 'Gritty, compelling - an exciting yet moving tale of love, war and Africa.' 

Dublin, 1899. On a foul night in a troubled city, lawyer Joseph Radcliffe watches the execution of a young Irish rebel. Radcliffe, together with his black American comrade Benjamin Pierce, has made a living defending the toughest cases in Dublin, but is haunted by the spectre of his defeats, the loss of his wife and child and his difficult relationship with his surviving son, Edward. While Ireland smoulders with rebellion, war breaks out in South Africa and when, after an argument with his father, Edward runs away to join the Irish forces fighting there, Radcliffe, accompanied by Pierce, sets out to find him and bring him home.

South Africa, 1900. Both Radcliffe and Pierce have known war. Former cavalrymen in the US army, they have seen enough killing to last them a lifetime. But eight hundred miles north of Cape Town, amid the trackless veld, they experience the bloody brutality of a conflict that the British generals are shocked to discover they are losing. Under fire from Boer snipers and artillery, distrusted by the British forces, the two old soldiers will find their survival skills tested to the hilt as they search for the missing boy in this epic tale of heroism and treachery, love and loyalty.

The MASTER OF WAR series is sold in Brazil, Spain, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic.  The paperback for the third title in the series, GATE OF THE DEAD, will be out in September 2016, with the fourth book VIPER’S BLOOD out in hardback in January 2017.  

Praise for David Gilman, the MASTER OF WAR series and THE LAST HORSEMAN

‘Once again Mr Gilman demonstrates why he's a superlative talent in his field and why historical fiction fans like me will continue to hang onto his every breath-taking, shock-ridden, plot-twisting word.' - The Book Bag.

'THE LAST HORSEMAN is gripping and full of action, but is also smart and subtle about questions of loyalty and guilt in a war with few good guys.' - The Times.

‘THE LAST HORSEMAN is a book I highly recommend, for the stand-alone story, for the sympathetic way it’s told, and for the simply excellent writing that drags you from rain-soaked Ireland to the dusty plains of South Africa, making you experience every step and emotion along the way.’ –  Robin Carter, Parmenion Books.

‘Takes no hostages, this fast-paced story never lets up.' - The Independent.

‘Gilman is a master author. His books are meticulously researched and historically accurate whilst at the same time being thrilling and suspenseful, he is an author in the same class as Bernard Cornwell, and if you like that author's books, then you will be delighted with this author.’ -  Army Rumour Service.

About David Gilman

David Gilman has had many careers, including firefighter, soldier and photographer, before turning to writing full time. He is an award-winning author and screenwriter.

Find out more about David Gilman on Blake Friedmann’s or David’s own website.

Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

LUNGDON BY EDWARD CAREY PUBLISHED TOMORROW

LUNGDON by Edward Carey will be published by Hot Key Books on 11 August 2016. LUNGDON is the gloriously ghastly climax to Carey’s gothic IREMONGER TRILOGY. The first book of the trilogy, HEAP HOUSE, was a Kirkus Reviews ‘Best Teen Book of 2014’ and a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.

The Iremongers are a sinister family dynasty who have made a fortune from a city’s junk. Now they are at large in London, the ruins of Foulsham left burning behind them. They need a new home and they intend to find one. Londoners are beginning to notice bizarre happenings in their city – loved ones disappearing, strange objects appearing and a creeping darkness that seems to swallow up the daylight. The Police have summoned help, but is their cure more deadly than the feared Iremongers? What role will our hero Clod play: returning son or rebel? What of the flame-haired orphan Lucy Pennant? And where are all the rats coming from…?

The Iremonger trilogy is published in thirteen countries. Edward Carey has recently visited the Auckland Festival in New Zealand and toured Italy to talk about his acclaimed trilogy. In Italy he has also had exhibitions of the Iremonger characters and at the Milanesiana Festival he was awarded the Fernanda Pivano Prize, previously won by Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Cunningham, and Michael Chabon, among others.  See some images here.

Praise for Edward Carey and the IREMONGER TRILOGY

‘If this were music, Carey would be Eric Satie. If it were film, he would be Tim Burton.’ – Newsday

‘Edward Carey is one of the strangest writers we are privileged to have in this country. There are echoes in his work of other great idiosyncratics from Angela Carter to Russell Hoban, but he supersedes even them in the downright oddity of his mind.’ – Observer

‘IREMONGER torques and tempers our memories of Dickensian London into a singularly jaunty and creepy tale of agreeable misfits. Read it by gas lamp, with a glass of absinthe at your wrist and a fireplace poker by your knee.’ – Gregory Maguire, author of WICKED.

‘Channels Dickens crossed with Lemony Snicket... a Gothic tale in turns witty, sweet, thoughtful and thrilling—but always off-kilter—and penned with gorgeous, loopy prose. Suspense and horror gradually accumulate into an avalanche of a climax… magnificently creepy.’ —Kirkus Reviews.

More Iremonger Accolades
A New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2014
Selected in Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2014
Selected by Kirkus as one of the Best Teen Books of 2014
On tor.com’s Best Books of 2014 – Reviewer’s Choice
Selected as one of Newsday’s Top Ten Children’s books 2014
Recommended on the Booktrust Christmas Gifts for Children List 2013
Listed by The Sunday Times as one of the Top Children’s Books of 2013
New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice

About Edward Carey

Edward is a novelist, visual artist and playwright. His debut novel OBSERVATORY MANSIONS (with his illustrations) is sold in 14 countries and was described by John Fowles as 'proving the potential brilliance of the novel form'. Born in England, he teaches at the University of Austin, Texas.

Find out more about Edward through Blake Friedmann or on Edward’s website.

Read an excerpt of LUNGDON.

Follow Edward on Twitter.