The Thegn Edgar series of historical novels is set in the late eleventh century, the period following the invasion of England by the Normans in 1066. They follow the gripping adventures of Edgar of Rapendun, a young dispossessed thegn, as he struggles against seemingly impossible odds to keep himself alive and his small band of followers safe.
Horrifically injured at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (25th September 1066), Edgar, grandson of the Thegn of Rapendun, returns home to find the world a changed place. Whilst he recuperated from his wounds, the country was invaded again, this time by the brutal Normans.
As what remains of the English aristocracy bicker amongst themselves, waves of savage Normans spread death and destruction throughout the land. Edgar must now face a future for which he is not prepared. Forging alliances and making powerful enemies, he must fight for his people, his family and his very life against a seemingly implacable foe.
‘Thegn is a meticulously researched and compelling tale of the Norman Conquest as we follow the fate of Edgar, the embattled protagonist. With universal themes of love and loss, heroism and treachery, conquest and resistance, this is one for fans of Rosemary Sutcliffe and Ken Follett alike. I cannot wait for the next in the series.’ – Bill Rogers
The Norman invaders’ grip on England is slipping. Thegn Edgar and his companions Guthrum, Halfdene and the spy Alaric return to England, this time backed by a huge army from Denmark as Sweyn, King of the Danes, now stakes his claim to the throne of England.
As the Danish army struggles to wrest the throne from the usurper William of Normandy, Edgar finds himself on a more personal mission. Sent into the very lair of his most powerful enemy, Edgar faces his gravest danger yet. Meanwhile, within the army itself, treachery is growing.
Thegn Edgar and his companions join Captain Loki and the crew of the Stormleaper in a perilous river journey from Denmark to the Black Sea. With a ship full of valuable cargo, the crew must overcome dangers from the people they encounter and from nature itself as they travel through the unfamiliar rivers of the Rus.
As calamity mounts on calamity, Edgar and his friends must face seemingly insurmountable odds as they struggle to save the ship, the cargo and the crew, pushing themselves almost to breaking point.
The Silver Seekers continues the tale of Thegn Edgar and his companions, and transports them into hazardous new worlds. They face dangers previously undreamt of as they strive to become silver seekers – traders on the world’s most profitable trade route. They learn that not only is profit not assured – survival itself is far from certain.
The largest army seen in over a century has been raised by the Emperor Romanos Diogenes to face the growing threat from the Turks to the east. Beset by accidents and ill-omen from the outset, Thegn Edgar, now an officer in the elite Varangian Guard, suspects dark machinations from within the army itself, and he’s not alone. How far will this faction go? Could it result in the ultimate treachery?
Meanwhile, back in the Empire’s glittering capital, deadly forces line up against Edgar’s ward, Edda and her friend, the noble Alexios. As time runs out, Alaric the spy finds his talents pushed to the limit as he struggles to protect the lives of the young people in his care.
1071: a young, uncertain and untested emperor now sits on the throne of Constantinople and competing forces struggle to gain the upper hand in influencing the new court. Thegn Edgar is sent south to conduct one of the emperor’s new councillors, the Bishop of Side, back to the capital. It is hoped the bishop will moderate the malign influence of the Doukas clan.
When disaster strikes, Edgar finds himself having to complete his mission against impossible odds. He must find and return with the bishop – the future of the Empire depends on it.
In Constantinople, the greatest city in the world, Edgar’s ward Edda finds herself fascinated with the world of espionage as practised by the spy, Alaric. In honing her techniques, she is unaware that she is being drawn ever more tightly into the utmost peril.