Recensori in anteprimaPamela Taylor

After three long years of war and disruptions, Alfred hopes for a time of peace and tranquility. A time to devote his energy to bettering the lives of his people, to focus on what the future holds for his children, to nurture his alliances, and to see his previous endeavors bear fruit. But even the home front has bumps in the road.

The campaign to suppress Teuton aggression has been costly, Lord Meriden's threat to disrupt the kingdom shows no sign of abating, and Nerrick's growing negativity casts a shadow over the mutual defense plans with the Territories. Against this domestic backdrop, Alfred can't forget his obligation to support the fledgling reign of young King Denis, whose kingdom is an essential buffer against Teuton ambitions.

The threat to peace and tranquility, when it comes, arises from an entirely unexpected quarter and puts Alfred in the unfamiliar position of being completely dependent on others to find a resolution. Could his grandfather have been wrong about his special destiny?

In volume 5 of The Second Son Chronicles, Alfred’s journey to discover his special destiny continues. Now that the destructive force of black powder has been unleashed, Alfred must reinforce his alliances in a world where the nature of conflict has been changed for all time. Against this backdrop, he faces the daunting task of finding a suitable match for his eldest daughter, knowing he must balance the needs of the kingdom against his vow to ensure the happiness of the child whose anticipated arrival kept him alive during his ordeal in captivity. When the Teutons take advantage of the ongoing civil war in the Kingdom Across the Southern Sea by seizing its southeastern province, the stakes are ratcheted up yet again. Does Alfred hold the trump card to subdue the ambitions of the Teutons and find a new equilibrium in a constantly changing world? Text will be available in ePub and PDF format only.

In the fourth volume of the Second Son Chronicles, Alfred – now a traitor to the Crown for desertion on the field of battle – must live with his family in complete seclusion in a remote corner of his wife’s homeland, avoiding all contact with the outside world lest the king’s spies discover their whereabouts. When horsemen are spotted in the forest one wintry morning, the chill that runs through the cottage has nothing to do with the temperature outside. Text will be in PDF format.

At the dawn of the Renaissance, Alfred - the eponymous second son - must discover the special destiny foreseen for him by his grandfather. Now, the unthinkable has happened: Alfred’s brother is king. And it isn’t long before everyone’s worst fears are realized. Traditional allegiances are shattered under a style of rule unknown since the grand bargain that formed the kingdom was struck over two hundred years ago. These will be the most dangerous years of Alfred’s life, forcing him to re-examine his duty to personal honor and to the kingdom, while the threats posed by his brother constantly remind him of his father’s final words of advice. What choices will he have to make to try to protect the things he holds most dear? Text will be in PDF format.

It was inevitable that the new king would be very different from his father. What no one could foresee was where his penchant for action would lead. It was equally inevitable that Alfred’s brother, John, would do something outrageous. What no one would have predicted is just how far he would exceed the bounds of royal decorum. At a time when the world is changing faster than anyone expected, Alfred must try to create a role for himself that lives up to his grandfather’s vision of his destiny. And Ralf is still out there, knowing that his plan for Alfred’s death has failed and that vengeance for his father has yet to be achieved. Text is in PDF format.

It is the dawn of the Renaissance, a time when new ideas are just beginning to emerge. Alfred — the eponymous second son — comes of age in the enlightened court of his grandfather. Alfred is convinced that his life will be unremarkable, spent in diligent but mundane service to king and kingdom. His grandfather, however, foresees for him a special destiny. It is also a time when peace and stability are tenuous, and threats can arise from unexpected quarters. Taken captive while on a mission for the king, Alfred is held for ransom and taken ever farther away from his home. With his prospects dwindling, he must find a way to survive if he is ever to fulfill that mysterious destiny.