When empires fall, daughters rise.
Amidst the struggles of war, four people: the fisherwoman Lena, the scholar Cillian, the musician Sorley, and the soldier Druisius meet the challenges of their time, as warriors, diplomats, spies and leaders.
Bound by vows of loyalty and love, they have little chance to succeed. But winning a war is only the beginning of saving a land, and what might lie after victory will demand secrecy and sacrifice too – not only of the four, but of the next generation as well.
A unique blend of historical and speculative fiction, Empire’s Legacy is a saga of choices, betrayals, intrigue, and love, where some battles of power and politics are won with swords – and some with words.
Try before you buy: download A Divided Duty, the first half of Empire’s Daughter (a complete novella – you can stop reading there and still have a complete story) for free.
Part I: Books 1 – 3
For centuries, women used weapons to kill for food, men to kill in war. Now Lena must break with tradition to save those she loves, but as she steps from her settled world into one of battle, intrigue and politics, her lover chooses banishment. Lonely and afraid, each decision Lena makes brings more terrible consequences, until even her own people turn against her. Her partner in exile, the enigmatic diplomat Cillian, has no survival skills. Lena’s quick wit and prowess with knife and bow keeps them alive as they search for a lost Empire of immense and ancient power. But how much will Lena sacrifice for a hopeless cause before the price is just too great?
Also available as the box set Empire’s Legacy.
Part II: Books 4 – 6
Far to the east, a young man flees his father’s terrible command. Joining the army, he serves first one and then another officer, but Druisius never forgets his loyalty to his family’s patron – and the young girl he met once who is now his Empress. When a delegation arrives from the lost west, seeking aid in a hopeless war, Druisius’s path intersects with Lena and Cillian’s – and with Sorley’s. But in the years ahead, Sorley must come to terms with his love for Cillian, and Druisius must honour both his last oath to his Empress and the secrets Cillian entrusts him with. As first war and then a costly peace demands more of both men than they expected, can they, as lovers and friends, find a way to happiness?
Part III: Books 7 – 8
A generation later, the price of the peace won in Empire’s Exile is about to be demanded – a price neither Cillian nor Lena is willing to pay. Their daughter Gwenna, heir to the leadership of their land, is summoned to Casil as a potential bride for the young Emperor. In the dangers and intrigue of Casil’s palace, all Gwenna’s education in the subtle arts of diplomacy and statecraft is tested.
But when the once-mighty Empire of the East falls, casting a long shadow over the lives of those far from the battlefield, Gwenna, now Principe of Ésparias, struggles with the weight of leadership in the absence of her father. Her bond with her partner, Lynthe, unravels as war threatens.
Lena, devastated both by Cillian’s death and by Sorley’s bitter rejection, cannot help her daughter. Grief threatens to consume her: seeking purpose, she journeys eastward, on the trail of a traitor to Ésparias and in the hope of finding her son Colm.
In a world on the brink, Gwenna and Colm, Lena and Sorley must choose their paths. Can Gwenna reconcile duty with love? Can Lena find healing in the arms of the past? Will their decisions shape the destiny of their nations, or will they too crumble like the Eastern Empire?
For something a bit different, you can now read (and buy, if you wish – currently only on Amazon) Sorley’s version of part of the poem known in our world as Beowulf, and in his as Bjarndýr and the Marsh Monster.
Where to Buy
Paperbacks are available from some on-line retailers, can be ordered from most independent bookshops, or, if you live in Guelph, they are carried by The Bookshelf.
As for e-books:
If, after reading the book descriptions, you’re thinking of purchasing in e-book format, may I say my preferred store is Scarlet Ferret, “a curated e-bookshop, every title hand-picked, read and loved before hitting the shelves as a Special Edition e-book with a package of exciting digital extras!”
You can buy the books there individually or as a bargain-priced Season’s Pass for the entire series. And they all come with extras – short stories, music, poems – all part of the world of the books. I hope you’ll consider this option.
But in these economic times, if price is a consideration, please feel free to choose a larger e-book platform instead: links to all are at https://books2read.com/marianlthorpe
marianlthorpe.com 