The Ravens’ Banquet

The Ravens’ Banquet

Clifford Beal

Clifford Beal

Germany 1626: A War, a Witch, a Reckoning….Richard Treadwell is a young man who dreams of glory and honour on the battlefield—and the plunder and riches that would follow. With the help of his father, he journeys to Hamburg to seek his fortune as a mercenary in the Danish army when it intervenes in the vast war that rages in northern Germany between the Catholic Hapsburg empire and the Protestant princes of the north.But he brings with him an old secret—and the potential seed of his own destruction—as he descends into a horrific maelstrom of conflict and slaughter that quickly destroys his illusions of adventure, of right and wrong, and of good and evil. When his fate is foreshadowed by a young gypsy woman, he discovers that he cannot outrun what he left behind in England and he soon finds himself thrown headlong into a series of bloody skirmishes alongside the Danes that strip him of conscience and harden his heart. The opposing armies close for a battle that will be the turning point in the struggle for the kingdom—and in the war for his soul. But even as Treadwell steels himself for the final contest against the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor, an unseen enemy stalks him within his own camp.Fleeing the battlefield, his life takes an even darker turn when he stumbles upon a coven of peasant women dwelling deep in the forest of the Harz Mountains, women that have their own terrible secrets to protect—and a burning hatred to avenge.The hero of Gideon’s Angel returns to tell how his journey into the supernatural began. “They are attracted to you as salt attracts the beast in the field….”Praise for Gideon’s Angel:“…the plot never stops thickening and the galloping pace keeps it from clotting… All this plus sound historical settings, terrific supernatural set pieces and walk-on parts for D’Artagnan and John Milton. What’s not to like?”– The Daily Mail“Our exiled but secretly returned Cavalier hero faces the hard choice: Cromwell or the devil? Swashbuckling excitement in grimy 1653.” – The Daily Telegraph“…I took a look—and was hooked. Check it out. Fast-paced fantasy/historical adventure.” –Michael Moorcock “The sheer panache with which Clifford Beal brings together the past and the supernatural results in a headlong alt-history hybrid more potent than either aspect of the entire would be without the other”—Tor.com
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Gideon's Angel

Gideon's Angel

Clifford Beal

Clifford Beal

1653. The long, bloody English Civil War is at an end. King Charles is dead and Oliver Cromwell rules the land. Richard Treadwell, Royalist, exile, and now soldier for the King of France, burns with revenge for those who deprive him of his family and fortune. He returns to England in secret to assassinate Cromwell.But his is not the only plot in motion. A secret army run by a deluded Puritan is bent on the same quest, guided by the Devil's hand. When demonic entities are summoned, Treadwell finds his fortunes reversed: he must save Cromwell, or consign England to Hell...But first he has to contend with a wife he left in Devon who believes she's a widow, a furious Parisian mistress who has trailed him to England, and a young Musketeer named d'Artagnan, sent to drag him back to France. It's a dangerous new Republic, for an old Cavalier coming home.
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The Witch of Torinia

The Witch of Torinia

Clifford Beal

Clifford Beal

Divide...and Conquer!Lady Lucinda, secret sorceress of the Old Gods, has split the One Faith into bitter factions. With the help of the Duke of Torinia, she launches a war to overthrow the King of Valdur and bring back the old ways. Brother Acquel Galenus, now Magister of the High Temple of Livorna, knows he must stop her, but doubts his own faith and abilities. With powerful demons seeking to re-enter the world through Lucinda, he must find allies, but how?Julianus Strykar, now a coronel of the mercenary company of the Black Rose, finds himself thrust into the maelstrom of civil war, but false pride leads him into a battle he may not be able to win. He soon faces old enemies and ghosts from his past.Captain Nicolo Danamis may have regained his fleet, but the return of his long-lost father and lord, Valerian, has complicated his love affair with mer princess Citala. When the Queen of Valdur demands his help, he and Citala find themselves at the centre of palace...
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