Stephen Lawhead – författare

A stunning historical fantasy that brings ancient Byzantium to life.

First of an exciting new trilogy from the author of Byzantium, The Iron Lance is set at the time of the first Crusade in 1099.Amidst visions of the ancient past, a 19th century Scottish lawyer glimpses the harrowing pilgrimage of an ancestor…In the year 1095, Pope Urban II declares war on the infidel. Kings, princes, and lords throughout Europe take up the cross and rush to join the Crusade.Murdo Ranulfson is left behind to guard his family’s interests in the remote Orkney Isles while his father and brothers join the fight to win Jerusalem. But when all the family’s lands and possessions are confiscated, Murdo follows the Crusade with the hope of finding his father and redeeming their land.His epic journey leads him to the heart of the civilized world, where the Emperor Alexius and the Lords of the West are engaged in a battle of wills that threatens the survival of the Holy Roman Empire.Steeped in heroism, treachery and the clamour of battle, The Iron Lance begins an epic trilogy of a Scottish family fighting for its existence and its faith during the age of the Great Crusades.

Second volume of the magnificent historical saga set at the time of the Holy CrusadesDuncan knows little of the Great Crusade until his uncle, Torf-Einar, reappears with news that the holy Cross of the Crucifixion – the Black Rood – has been discovered and is in the possession of the Knights Templar.Against his father, Murdo’s, wishes, he sets off on a dangerous quest to return it to Scotland, accompanied only by his friend, the monk Padraig. The quest leads them to Armenia, Syria and Egypt, and soon the two become drawn into the dark intrigues of the Templars, who have begun to assert their power throughout the new kingdoms of the Holy Land.This magnificent and exciting historical fantasy recounts the bloodiest of all times – the early years of the last millennium – when treachery and brutal battle were commonplace, and men often survived by faith alone.

The triumphant conclusion to this epic historical trilogy about a Scottish family’s rise to power during the Holy CrusadesDuncan has returned with his new wife to the fastness of Banvard, to continue his father Murdo’s good work in building a powerful and devout community. Even more precious a gift than his wife, though, is the other item that Duncan has brought to the Scottish clan: the Black Rood, the holy Cross of the Crucifixion that Duncan rescued from the clutches of the Knights Templar.Yet the reach of the Templars is long, and soon Duncan and his loved ones find themselves under attack from the Christian Knights. Duncan’s daughter Cait is forced to flee, and soon finds herself on a boat heading for the Moorish strongholds of Spain, where she will find herself mired in a battle for religious supremacy which threatens to leave only corpses in its wake.Cait appears to have little hope of survival, but it seems that the pious devotion of her forebears is about to bear miraculous fruit. And the possibility of her survival becomes intertwined with the discovery of the most holy relic of all…In the final part of this enthralling trilogy of historical adventure, Stephen Lawhead delivers an explosive and revelatory climax to this unique religious fantasy quest.

Set in an era of brutal conflict and turmoil, this epic adventure is the first novel to tell the full story of the slave who became a saint, of the man who rose to the challenge of his time and changed the course of history.In the summer of 405AD, Irish raiders attack the western coast of Wales, carving a fiery swathe through the peaceful countryside. Among the survivors who are rounded up and taken back to Ireland is Succat: an impulsive sixteen-year-old son of a powerful Roman family.Succat is sold as a slave and put to work tending sheep. Repeated escape attempts lead to ever more brutal and savage beatings, until he comes to the attention of Cormac, a young novice druid. The two strike up an unlikely friendship and, as Succat learns the ways of the Irish people, he is given a new name by the druid: Patrick.With a new name begins Patrick’s new life: he is married, and returns to his home to claim his inheritance, only to find his father’s estate in ruins. So begins a calamitous journey that will lead him to Tours, see him join the Roman Legion as a soldier, suffer the the horrors of a plague-filled Rome; and thence back to Ireland, where he will embark on a mission for which his name will be remembered throughout history.In the spirit of Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian cycle, Patrick is a gritty and unsentimental portrait of one of the Western world's great icons, featuring an accurate and compelling rendering of the historical period – an era full of brutal conflict, adventure, turmoil, and visionary inspiration.

Aurelia:Last witness of an elder time, handmaid of the age to come.It was a time of the end of empire. The world was in turmoil. The Romans were abandoning Britain, leaving the remaining servants of empire to try to stem the tide of chaos. Aurelia was one such, the child of a prefect, and wife of another. The entire world had changed around her. How could she raise her sons to thrive in such a world?Everywhere, it seemed, the old, well-ordered realm she had been born into was passing away to be replaced by…what?It was that question her sons, Aurelian and Arthur, with the help of Merlin, were to answer.…

As the Kingdom of Atlantis is extinguished forever, three ships emerge to bear King Avallach and his daughter Charis to the Isle of Glass, where Celtic chieftans struggle for survival—and power—as the last vestiges of Rome’s power dwindle.In this myth-born land, one heroic figure towers over all, the Prince Taliesin. Together with Princess Charis, Taliesin will spawn the Kingdom of Sumer, a kingdom of Legend, of Merlin and of Arthur…

Merlin, like his father, the Bard Taliesin, has a great mission. But his is the more difficult. Where Taliesin imagined the Kingdom of Summer in song, it falls to Merlin to bring it into existence.Through a series of grave trials that tax his spirit and nearly destroy his body and mind, Merlin discovers how to bring the Kingdom of Summer into being. What’s more, Merlin is being readied for his life’s work: to prepare the coming of the Pendragon, Britain's great ruler, Lord of the Summer Kingdom, and Lion of Logres.

They called him unfit to rule, a lowborn, callow boy, Uther’s bastard. But his coming had been foretold in the songs of the bard Taliesin. And he had learned powerful secrets at the knee of the mystical sage Merlin.In order to bring about the Summer Kingdom—the reign of peace and prosperity foreseen by Taliesin—Arthur must first unite the petty British kings under his banner as High King and Pendragon of the Island of the Mighty. A period of intense warfare and considerable treachery follows with Arthur narrowly prevailing, greatly aided by Merlin’s guidance and counsel. But that is only the beginning…Wave upon wave of barbarian troops, traitorously assisted by some of the defeated British kings, batter Arthur’s depleted forces. Once again, following an epic struggle against terrible odds, the High King prevails. Peace reigns, the Summer Kingdom flowers, but only for a season.Soon Arthur will face his greatest test—a deadly trap set by the sorceress Morgian with his beloved Queen Gwenhwyvar as the bait…

Last witness of an elder time, handmaid of the age to come. It was a time of the end of empire. The world was in turmoil. The Romans were abandoning Britain, leaving the remaining servants of empire to try to stem the tide of chaos. Aurelia was one such, the child of a Magistrate, and wife of a Legate. The entire world was changing around her. How could she raise her sons to thrive in such a world? Everywhere, it seemed, the old, well-ordered realm she had been born into was passing away to be replaced by . . . what? It was that question her sons, Aurelius and Uther—with the help of Merlin—were born to answer.

A new reign of terror has brought fear and hatred to the land, while an ancient legend stirs in the heart of the wildwood ...The Norman conquest of England is complete - but for one young man the battle has only just begun. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered by Norman soldiers, he flees to London, seeking justice. The journey is long and hard - and the suffering of those he meets along the way fuels his anger. With his demands dismissed, Bran has no choice but to return home, but a worse fate still awaits him there. His lands have been confiscated and his people subjugated by a brutal and corrupt regime. Should Bran flee for his life or protect his people by surrendering to his father's murderers? The answer, perhaps, is known only to the Raven King - a creature of myth and magic born of the darkest shadows in the forest. Stephen R. Lawhead's Hood brings to life the legend of Robin Hood as never before.

From his gaol cell, outlaw Will Scatlocke waits to be hanged. Before he swings, Will - known to his friends as Scarlet - dictates his story to Odo, a duplicitous monk who has been given the job of recording his confession. Odo serves the ambitions of Abbot Hugo, who is gathering evidence that will lead to the capture of the men who have plagued the aristocracy and robbed the church of treasure. Hugo seeks the destruction of the elusive King Raven and his band, the Grellon.Driven from his home in the north of England, Will has trekked to Wales to join his fortunes with that of the man whose reputation is growing throughout Britain. A forester skilled with the longbow, Will is soon part of Bran ap Brychan's inner circle. In a failed attempt to kidnap sheriff Richard de Glanville, Will is captured. With rumours of conspiracy deepening at court, the humble prisoner becomes a vital link to the outlaws who abandoned him - and on whose loyalty their lives depend - and the throne of England. Stephen R. Lawhead's King Raven series brings to life the legend of Robin Hood as never before.

Driven from their ancestral homeland, outlaw Rhi Bran and his band have made their home in the forest of the March, and are feared by all for their unrivalled skill with the longbow. But they cannot hide forever. Bold action is required, and they are willing to die in order to win peace for the people of Elfael.Bran's companions include the mighty champion Iwan, skilled forester Will Scarlet, rough-and-ready priest Friar Tuck and, new to the band, vagabond minstrel Alan a'Dale. Together they have constructed a desperate plan to rid themselves of the barbarous Ffreinc, led by the malevolent Abbot Hugo and Guy of Gysburne. Severely outnumbered, the band must rely on their wits, their intimate knowledge of the forest, and all their fighting prowess if they are to prevail.