A Conspiracy of Prophets
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
The last thing Lukas Bessarion wants is to warn the crusaders…yet if he refuses, a bloodthirsty demon will seize power.
Syria, 1098: After a gruelling siege, the crusaders finally capture Antioch—but within days, the besiegers become the besieged. Clawing for survival in a doomed city, the Franks turn to a new power for help: the mad prophet, Peter Bartholomew.
Plagued by his own unwanted visions, Lukas Bessarion knows the vicious Bartholomew is controlled by the demon Lilith, now growing in power. But none of the Franks—from naïve ladies to murderous counts and princes obsessed with political rivalry—seem worth saving.
Worse, if Lukas accepts his destiny as a prophet, he'll need to renounce earthly power—like his father's enchanted lance, hidden beneath Antioch. With the Lance, he hopes to avenge his beloved Ayla and lead his own people to victory. But Lukas isn't the only one who wants the Lance.
Lilith's thirst for blood is insatiable. And to satisfy it, she will stop at nothing to gain control of Lukas, the Lance, and the entire crusade…
The Watchers of Outremer historical fantasy series continues with this dark and thrilling sequel to SPFBO finalist A Wind from the Wilderness! Pick up A Conspiracy of Prophets today to experience the darkest days of the First Crusade, as demons and demigods battle for the soul of an army.
Customer Reviews
Set during the Crusades-refreshing change
If you like historical fiction, this series is a refreshing change from World War 1 & 2. #BookBub just did a thing about the best historical-fiction books and authors. I would have put this book, or better said, this author on that list. The prose, pacing, character development, plot for this series is all spot on.
A Conspiracy of Prophets continues with Lucas, now a widower, obsessed with finding the Bessarion lance, protecting his people, revenge on his wife’s killers, and getting back to his own time. The book wastes no time getting into the thick of things and it keeps up the pace throughout. The pilgrimage is continuously threatened by natural forces, inner-backstabbing, quarreling, and distrust. They manage to take over Antioch only to be surrounded and attacked by a massive Turkish army; yet they are literally incapable of getting over their lust for power and control to work together to save themselves—they are literally starving. The leaders are driven by fear and a lust for power, Lucas is driven by revenge and a need to be a warrior–not the prophet he is intended to be. He fights his calling every step of the way; so he fights his own inner-peace every step of the way–but so does Count Raymond. It is hard to like Lukas and Count Raymond because how driven they are by revenge and power. Ayla, Lucas’ wife, is still prevalent in this book and I like that because I liked Ayla. This book brings in another strong female character, Emoleta. I love how she comes into her own in this sequel. She was first mentioned in A Wind from the Wilderness, but in this book she becomes an active and key player of events. Evrard, Emoleta’s brother, becomes more like-able in the book, so I Iike that change as well. They help balance out the other characters heaviness. I love Lilith as the villain, she does it well. She does is so subtly, it’s perfect.
The book is heavy, very heavy–Game of Thrones heavy; but the book is about war, revenge, power, and hate.
Sad really. This book is set during the crusades and here we are today still doing the same thing over and over again. The same lust for power and revenge—really, really, sad.
I am looking forward to the next book for the Bessarion family.