検索キーワード： "John Broughton" 大衆小説

In the early 9th century, Asculf leads a quiet life among his apple orchards on the Isle of Sceapig. When called upon for military service, he covers himself in glory. His prowess leads to a friendship with King Aethelwulf of Kent, who offers him one of the most prestigious positions in the kingdom. Meeting King Egbert of Wessex through his son, Aethelwulf, his courage and successful grasp of strategy promise them great success.

As the old gods are eroded by the new church and and ambitious men vie for power, blood is shed throughout the land. In the south, ealdorman Aelfhere believes that for his only daughter, 16-year-old Cynethryth, marriage to a Saxon king is the way to security. And so, against her own wishes, Cynethryth is betrothed. Yet as battle rages around her, Cynethryth too becomes a victim of war. Taken prisoner by the warrior invaders, she is forced into the presence of another Saxon king, who would also have her for his wife. A man she actually loves.

A sinister Masonic-Templar organization - The Brotherhood of the Wand - is planning to bring the world to its knees and create a dystopian one-government world. The price? Eighty percent of the world's population. To achieve this aim, they are planning to harness ley lines and other ancient earth energies to reawaken the Serpent: a mythical creature known to all early civilizations by different names.