Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife

Two young Vikings voyage deep into the Russian winter, a quest for glory that will lead all the way to Byzantium Conn Corbansson is a clever and strong leader of men and his cousin and best friend, the god-touched Raef, is his navigator and shield against evil. After joining a fur-trading ship to Russia they are forced to overwinter in the icebound village of Novgrod. But tempers flare in the confinement, and factions form – the far-faring Norse against the native Rus, the honour-bound warriors against the gold-seeking traders. Taking service with the leader of the Rus, Dobrynya, they travel south to Kiev, and on with a raiding party that will take them all the way into the northern reaches of the Byzantine Empire. Varanger, fourth in the compelling Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife series, is perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Giles Kristian. 'A potent blend of fantasy, history, and romance… a rousing, vivid tale rich with Nordic lore' Publishers Weekly 'Elements of romance, mysticism, and suspense are interwoven into one superlative, spine-tingling adventure' Booklist 'She is the finest author of historical fiction working in English today' SF Site

Raef finds himself in Constantinople at the turn of the first millennium, the early years of the reign of Basil II as the city is racked by civil war. Basil will become one of the most successful, and most feared, Byzantine Emperors. But for now, he rules as co-Emperor with his brother Constantine and makes war on a would-be-usurper, Bardas Phokas, son of a general who once claimed the throne for his own. Raef and his fellow Rus and Norsemen, Viking raiders and wild horsemen from the steppes, fall upon the elegant city of Constantinople like wolves on a garden party. But when Raef catches the eye of the Emperor's wife, life becomes even more fraught with peril. And Raef's stubborn pride in the face of a thousand years of imperial privilege will come near to bringing down the High City itself...

Corban Loosestrife, his family slain by Viking raiders, has saved his twin sister Mav from the clutches of her Viking abductors, and wrought bloody revenge on Eric Bloodaxe, the King of Jorvik. After fleeing with his family from the war of succession to Vinland, he feels they have finally earned some peace. But then a ship appears on the horizon, bringing Corban a summons to Jorvik and the murderous intrigues of those who would be king. Corban, his son, Conn, and his sister's son, Raef-young men ready to prove themselves in battle-must return into this nest of vipers and navigate the deadly political war for the ultimate prize: the Viking throne... “The Witches' Kitchen” is second in the epic “Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife” series, perfect for fans of James L. Nelson, Ben Kane and Adrian Goldsworthy.

After fleeing Constantinople and the wrath of the Emperor, Raef Corbanson has washed up with his companions on the coast of Normandy. His former patron Gunnhild is dead, and Raef is commanded to return to his father's hall in Jorvik, in England. Duke Richard of Normandy has sent his sister Emma to be wife to Ethelred of Wessex, the King of England. But other powers have designs on the island kingdom; Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and Raef's old shipmate, would be King of England, too. And Ethelred has other sons, older sons from his first marriage. Raef cannot escape this web of power; he owes a debt to Emma and her brother for aiding him. He owes fealty to Ethelred, for Jorvik is part of England, and Raef intends to rule the city as his father once did. And he owes an older, stronger, loyalty to Sweyn, for they are kin.

"Expertly researched narrative abounds with fascinating lore . . . this flamboyant re-creation of the distant past . . . is another genre triumph." -Kirkus Reviews When Norse raiders slaughtered his family and abducted his sister, Corban Loosestrife set out on an odyssey that took him across half the world, from the Viking fortress of Jorvik to the wild and desolate shores of Vinland in the New World. Now Corban struggles to make a new life alone in this strange land amid bloody clashes between warring native clans. Shunned for his pale skin and dark, coarse hair, Corban seeks shelter with the Wolf Clan discovering he is also feared for his strange powers to make fire and cut through the toughest skins with his magical blade. The healer of the tribe comes to love Corban, but will this be enough to defend him against the hatred of Miska, the tribe's cunning chief? When Corban has a vision he is compelled to follow, the world he has come to know is forever altered . . . "This compelling installment will satisfy fans of Holland's meaty Viking epic." -Booklist "The best historical novelist since France's Zoé Oldenbourg still has the chops-and TheSerpent Dreamer will not disappoint her many fans." -Kirkus Reviews

A devastating Viking raid leads Corban on an epic quest—the first in an extraordinary adventure series. Corban and Mav are twins born to the lord of an Irish coastal farmstead. Mav has the Second Sight, and is her father's favourite; Corban, however, is a deep disappointment. Exiled for refusing his father's command to take up his sword in the name of the High King, he is long gone when the dreadful Viking dragon ships unleash fire and slaughter on his people. His home destroyed, Corban must embark on an epic quest to save his sister from slavery. From the far coast of Ireland to the occupied village of Dublin, all the way across the sea to the Kingdom of the Danes, Corban is drawn to the trail of his sister, fighting for his life and striving to earn the influence and money he will need to buy her freedom. In a violent and uncaring world, everything is at stake. “The Soul Thief”, first in “the Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife” series, is perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Samantha Shannon and Giles Kristian.