Years of civil war have failed to settle England’s succession, and the Warlord of the North joins the young Henry, Duke of Normandy, in a strategy intended to break Stephen’s remaining hold on the kingdom. Henry’s cause is threatened not only by the king but by relatives and continental rivals who see an opportunity to strip away his lands while he is occupied in England.
The campaign forces the young duke to become more than Matilda’s heir. Betrayal, negotiation and military necessity shape the ruler he is becoming, while the Warlord provides experience gained through the long Anarchy. The novel follows Henry’s transition from claimant to king and the creation of the authority from which he will later expand Plantagenet power across Britain and France.
Bernard Cornwell
57 books
M J Porter
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K. M. Ashman
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Cecelia Holland
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Sharon Kay Penman
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