Avalon

A novel of England during the Viking era, from an author who has vividly and colorfully portrayed life during the tumultuous Dark Ages (Historical Novels Review). The last quarter of the tenth century was a time of conflict and exploration-while the Anglo-Saxons fought against the Vikings, Norsemen voyaged into the unknown looking for new lands to pillage, and so discovered America. Prince Rumon of France, descendant of Charlemagne and King Alfred, was a searcher. He had visions of the Islands of the Blessed, perhaps King Arthur's Avalon, where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow. Merewyn grew up in savage Cornwall-a lonely girl, sustained by stubborn courage and belief in her descent from great King Arthur. Chance-or fate-in the form of a shipwreck off the Cornish coast brought Rumon and Merewyn together, and from that hour their lives were intertwined. Bound by his vow to her dying mother, Rumon brings Merewyn safely to England, keeping hidden the shameful secret of her birth. He considers his responsibility ended. At court, he is dazzled by the beautiful Queen Alfrida-but when a murderous truth is revealed, he turns to Merewyn, only to discover that he may have lost her. And he will journey across the Atlantic to find her again . . . From the beloved bestselling author of Katherine and Dragonwyck, this is a romantic tale of history and adventure characterized by an authentic sense of time (The New York Times Book Review).