Anvil of God
Book One of the Carolingian
Chronicles
Author: J. Boyce Gleason
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 440
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Book Description:
It is 741. After subduing the pagan religions in
the east, halting the march of Islam in the west, and conquering the continent
for the Merovingian kings, mayor of the palace Charles the Hammer has one final
ambition—the throne. Only one thing stands in his way—he is dying.
Charles cobbles together a plan to divide the
kingdom among his three sons, betroth his daughter to a Lombard
prince to secure his southern border, and keep the Church unified behind them
through his friend Bishop Boniface. Despite his best efforts, the only thing to
reign after Charles’s death is chaos. His daughter has no intention of marrying
anyone, let alone a Lombard prince. His two
eldest sons question the rights of their younger pagan stepbrother, and the
Church demands a steep price for their support. Son battles son, Christianity
battles paganism, and Charles’s daughter flees his court for an enemy’s love.
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Excerpt from Anvil of God
No one saw the second beast charge. It, too, followed the path of the V, although this time no shields were banged and no spears were thrown. The large animal crashed through the wood unchecked, heading directly for Odilo and Trudi. They, like everyone else, had been watching the fallen knight and remained unaware of the danger until the boar lunged at them.
Without a word, Odilo stepped to the right. Trudi spun away to her left. Then, in a fluid motion, their arms lifted and fell together, impaling the beast between them. It twisted under their spears, thrashing wildly as neither blow was a killing stroke. Odilo leaned down on the shaft of his spear, trying to drive its point further into the animal’s shoulder. As he pushed into the animal, it surged forward in an attempt to gore his leg. Trudi, having lost hold of her spear, drew her sword. The blade flashed above her head. She brought it down on the beast’s neck with both hands, severing its head in one stroke.
The hunters were stunned into silence. Blood spewed over Trudi’s legs and pooled at her feet. With a visceral shout Odilo swept Trudi into his arms and raised her hand high above their heads. The knights cheered and banged their spears against their shields. Odilo bowed theatrically to Trudi and the cheers grew louder.
He had never seen a woman wield a sword like that. Her strength and speed surprised him. She laughed, embarrassed at the applause, and he found it oddly compelling that she could be both strong and vulnerable. He studied the lines of her face and the curl of her hair. He took in the fullness of her lips and the light in her eyes. She was powerful, he realized unexpectedly, and quite beautiful.
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About the Author
With an AB degree in history from
Dartmouth College, J. Boyce Gleason brings a strong understanding of what
events shaped the past and when, but writes historical-fiction to discover why.
Gleason lives in Virginia
Visit his website at www.jboycegleason.com.
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