Synopses & Reviews
The Black Plague. The Pestilence. Disease and death haunt every town and village across 14th century Europe and none are immune from its evil. Some see the devastation of their world as a sign from God for Man's wickedness.
But Brother Thomas Neville sees this swath of death as something much more. Neville is a man beset by demons. Or is it angels? He has had a visitation from none other than the Archangel Michael, who commands Thomas to a mission. This mission will take Neville across the length and breath of the continent in a desperate bid to find the means to stop the minions of Satan who have found a doorway out of Hell and are preparing to venture forth, to try and seize this world in preparation for an assault on Heaven itself.
As Thomas Neville encounters angels and demons, saints and witches, he comes to realize that the armies of God and Satan are arraying themselves for the final battle...and that his soul is to be the battleground.
The question is, has Neville picked the truly good side?
Review
"This is an extraordinary novel...meticulously researched." SFX Magazine
Review
"Her best book yet...an intricately shaded tale from the black-and-white world of medieval religion."--
Romantic Times Book Club "With a keen eye for detail and the nuances of medieval Europe, Douglass begins a new multivolume fantasy set on alternate, 14th-century Earth. Filled with the intricate weave of religious and political history that made up an era when church and state were not yet divided, this powerfully written tale belongs in every fantasy collection and has strong appeal for fans of historical fiction."--
Library Journal "This is an extraordinary novel... meticulously researched for an authentic 14th century atmosphere, not just in terms of aesthetic details, but in terms of the character's beliefs and philosophies of life."--
SFX Magazine "Douglass has again brilliantly blended detailed research with religion and magic to reinterpret actual historical events.... This captivating historical fantasy ranks with the best in the subgenre."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Captivatingly written, this first installment of a planned trilogy should win fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike."--Booklist
Review
"Her best book yet...an intricately shaded tale from the black-and-white world of medieval religion."--
Romantic Times Book Club "With a keen eye for detail and the nuances of medieval Europe, Douglass begins a new multivolume fantasy set on alternate, 14th-century Earth. Filled with the intricate weave of religious and political history that made up an era when church and state were not yet divided, this powerfully written tale belongs in every fantasy collection and has strong appeal for fans of historical fiction."--
Library Journal "This is an extraordinary novel... meticulously researched for an authentic 14th century atmosphere, not just in terms of aesthetic details, but in terms of the character's beliefs and philosophies of life."--
SFX Magazine "Douglass has again brilliantly blended detailed research with religion and magic to reinterpret actual historical events.... This captivating historical fantasy ranks with the best in the subgenre."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Captivatingly written, this first installment of a planned trilogy should win fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike."--Booklist
Review
"Her best book yet...an intricately shaded tale from the black-and-white world of medieval religion." Romantic Times BookClub
Review
"This powerfully written tale belongs in every fantasy collection and has strong appeal for fans of historical fiction." Library Journal
Synopsis
Set during the 14th century as the Black Plague ravages Europe, this first installment of an epic trilogy combines powerful storytelling with meticulous historical research and presents a unique take on the ageless battle between the forces of heaven and hell.
About the Author
Sara Douglass was born in Penola, a small farming settlement in the south of Australia, in 1957. She spent her early years chasing (and being chased by) sheep and collecting snakes before her parents transported her to the city of Adelaideand the more genteel surroundings of Methodist Ladies College. Having graduated, Sara then became a nurse on her parents' urging (it was both feminine and genteel) and spent seventeen years planning and then effecting her escape.
That escape came in the form of a Ph.D. in early modern English history. Sara and nursing finally parted company after a lengthy time of bare tolerance, and she took up a position as senior lecturer in medieval European history at the Bendigo campus of the Victorian University of La Trobe. Finding the departmental politics of academic life as intolerable as the emotional rigours of nursing, Sara needed to find another escape.
This took the form of one of Sara's childhood loves - books and writing. Spending some years practising writing novels, HarperCollins Australia picked up one of Sara's novels, BattleAxe (published in North America as The Wayfarer Redemption), the first in the Tencendor series, and chose it as the lead book in their new fantasy line with immediate success. Since 1995 Sara has become Australia's leading fantasy author and one of its top novelists. Her books are now sold around the world.