Swords in the Desert

by Doug Peterson Book 2 in the Kingdom Come series.

First published 2025

Amazon

4.7(1,209)

The five intertwined protagonists from Thrones in the Desert follow the final twelve chapters of Luke as Jesus travels towards Jerusalem. Their loyalties are tested by arrest, betrayal and political violence, and the approach of crucifixion forces each to decide whether self-preservation matters more than the truth they have witnessed.

From Gethsemane and the competing jurisdictions of Herod and Pilate to the cross and the empty tomb, the novel interprets the Passion through people positioned at different levels of first-century society. Its historical detail supports an explicitly Christian narrative of sacrifice, forgiveness and resurrection, with invented private stories woven around the Gospel framework.

Historical Periods

Ministry and Crucifixion of Jesus27–33 CE

Genres

Biographical Fiction Christian Fiction Court & Political Fiction Historical Sagas

Historical people

Jesus Christc. 6–4 BCE–c. 30/33 CE Pontius Pilatusfl. c. 26–36 CE Mary Magdalenedied c. 1st century Saint Peter2 BCE–65 Herod Antipasborn 21 BCE Mary, mother of Jesus1st century BCE–1st century CE