The year is 1423. The English invasion of France is faltering due to money, or rather, the lack of it. An unexpected opportunity arises for the English to acquire a fabulous treasure, which will resolve their financial problems and allow the conquest of France to be completed. But this requires Captain Richard Calveley to undertake a perilous journey to the Holy Land, which is now controlled by the Turks, where he encounters love, betrayal, and an old enemy.
The remarkable journey of a humble peasant girl who rose to lead France's armies against an unconquerable enemy showcases an extraordinary tale of courage and determination. Joan of Arc's swift ascent from obscurity to a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of a powerful nation is a historical account that defies belief. Her unique story stands out in world history, highlighting themes of faith, leadership, and the impact of a single individual on the course of events.
Set in the early 1400s, the narrative intertwines themes of murder, love, and revenge within the context of the Lollard heresy, advocating for the Bible to be accessible in English. As innocent lives are lost to persecution, the backdrop of the Hundred Years War, culminating in the Battle of Agincourt, adds historical depth to the story. The book explores the tension between faith and authority during a tumultuous period, highlighting the struggles of those who sought to challenge the status quo.
Anno Domini: The Coming of the Messiah is the fourth novel by the author Peter Tallon and the first instalment of the Anno Domini trilogy. During the beginning of the reign of Augustus Ceasar, Rome had not long ended a civil-war and was restoring stability in the provinces of its empire. In what is now modern-day Israel and the city of Jerusalem there seemed to be an epi-centre of passive hostility. Perhaps the jewel of the empire, it garnered special dispensation and treatment from the imperial senate from its puppet vassal, King Herod - though his cruelty, paranoia and unending ego had created many an enemy amongst his people. In these tensions, find our story's hero, Centurion Lucius Veranius. Conflict has arisen from a fanatical organisation, the Zealots, in the aim to remove the Roman puppet Herod and his Imperial masters. However, their task is almost insurmountable, leaving much of their ambition resting on the unsuspecting shoulders of a new-born infant: the future King-of-the-Jews, the Messiah, Jesus. Anno Domini: The Coming of the Messiah is an ambitious tale of violence, conspiracy, intrigue and insurrection.
After ten years training to become a Jesuit priest, Inigo Boscabel loses his faith just months before his ordination. To ease his mind, he takes a three-day hike along the Suffolk coast accompanied by his best friend, Wellington, a huge English mastiff. While looking for somewhere to camp for the night, Inigo stumbles and sprains his ankle. He limps into a remote coastal hamlet called Hobbswood where he is viewed with suspicion by the villagers until he is befriended by the local doctor, Lucas Fairweather. But all is not as it seems. Why do the villagers fear the big man who lives alone just outside the hamlet? What was the terrible event that happened three hundred years ago that still casts a shadow over the descendants of those involved, and why does Inigo get caught up in a conflict that could destroy most of England?