The Conquest

3 total works

Knights of the Hawk

by James Aitcheson

Published 24 October 2013

The third novel in the compelling Conquest series (1066: The Bloody Aftermath) from the author of Sworn Sword. Perfect for fans of Ben Kane.

AUTUMN, 1071. The struggle for England has been long and brutal. Now, however, five years after the fateful Battle of Hastings, only a determined band of rebels in the Fens stand between King William and absolute conquest.

Tancred, a proud and ambitious knight, is among the Normans marching to crush them. Once lauded for his exploits, his fame is now fading. Embittered by his dwindling fortunes and by the oath shackling him to his lord, he yearns for the chance to win back his reputation through spilling enemy blood.

But as the Normans’ attempts to assault the rebels’ island stronghold meet with failure, the King grows increasingly desperate. With morale in camp failing, and the prospect of victory seeming ever more distant, Tancred’s loyalty is put to the test as never before.

Sworn Sword

by James Aitcheson

Published 4 August 2011

January 1069. Less than three years have passed since Hastings and the death of the usurper, Harold Godwineson. In the depths of winter, two thousand Normans march to subdue the troublesome province of Northumbria. Tancred a Dinant, an ambitious and oath-sworn knight and a proud leader of men, is among them, hungry for battle, for silver and for land. But at Durham the Normans are ambushed in the streets by English rebels. In the battle that ensues, their army is slaughtered almost to a man. Badly wounded, Tancred barely escapes with his life. His lord is among those slain. Soon the enemy are on the march, led by the dispossessed prince Eadgar, the last of the ancient Saxon line, who is determined to seize the realm he believes is his. Yet even as Tancred seeks vengeance for his lord's murder, he finds himself caught up in secret dealings between a powerful Norman magnate and a shadow from the past. As the Norman and English armies prepare to clash, Tancred begins to uncover a plot which harks back to the day of Hastings itself. A plot which, if allowed to succeed, threatens to undermine the entire Conquest. The fate of the Kingdom hangs in the balance ...

The Splintered Kingdom

by James Aitcheson

Published 13 September 2012

England, 1070.

Renowned for his exploits, the knight Tancred has become a lord in his own right, with men to command and a manor to call home on the turbulent Welsh Marches.

But his hard-fought gains are soon placed in peril, as the Normans’ newly won kingdom falls under siege on all sides. A coalition of enemies both old and new prepares to march, and King William’s fragile hold on England is brought to breaking point.

Amidst the turmoil, and with rivals seeking to undermine him, Tancred is chosen to lead an expedition deep into Wales. His sternest challenge yet, it will be either his chance for glory, or his undoing.