Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion: A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty

Ascent: A story of danger, adversity, and love
(House of Normandy Book 1)
By Cathie Dunn

Publication Date: 28th April 2022

Publisher: Ocelot Press

Page Length: 291 Pages

Genre: Viking Historical Romance / Historical Fiction

A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty – the House of Normandy

Neustria, Kingdom of the West Franks

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Fourteen-year-old Poppa’s life changes when Northmen land near Bayeux. Count Bérengar, her father, submits to them, and she is handfasted to Hrólfr, the Northmen’s heathen leader, as part of their agreement.

To her relief, Hrólfr leaves immediately in search of further conquest, only returning to claim her years later. In the face of retaliating Franks, they flee to East Anglia, where she gives birth to their son and daughter.

When Hrólfr and Poppa return to reclaim Bayeux, his new campaign strikes at the heart of Frankish power, and King Charles of the West Franks offers him a pact he cannot refuse. In exchange for vast tracts of land in Neustria, Hrólfr must convert to Christianity and accept marriage to Gisela, the king’s illegitimate daughter.

Poppa’s world shatters. She remains in Bayeux, with her daughter, Adela. When Gisela arrives one day, demanding she hand over Adela, to be raised in Rouen, Poppa’s patience is at an end. But Gisela makes for a dangerous enemy, and only one woman will survive their confrontation high up on the cliffs.

Will Poppa live to witness the dawn of a new era?

ASCENT is the first in a new series about the early women of the House of Normandy – women whose stories have been forgotten through time.

Until now!

Readers of Viking and medieval fiction will enjoy ASCENT, a fictional account of the life of Poppa of Bayeux, handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking.

Excerpt

A tall, broad shadow obscured the doorway. The steel of an axe in one hand reflected the bright sunlight. The man strode into the church, assessing the situation as his eyes roamed the interior, then alighted on the altar at the far end. A dry smile spread across his features.

The large gold cross! Poppa’s heart sank. This raid was real. Would these attackers be content with gold and silver, or was more at stake?

What will they do to us? She feared for the safety of the women and girls gathered around her.

Visibly shaken, Father Peter held out his hands, dropping the keys. “This is a house of God; a place of sanctuary.” He faced the intruder, and Poppa had to admit to her shame that she’d never deemed the priest to be this brave. Or foolish. “Remove yourself from this holy site forthwith!”

As the stranger stepped forward, towering over Father Peter, the priest shuffled backwards. Now the view at the enemy was clear. The stranger was brimming with confidence, clearly a leader. His long, blond hair gleamed in the rays of the sunshine filtering through the door. With his high cheekbones and a strong, straight nose, he could not be anything other than a Dane, or another Norse invader. A surprisingly well-kept beard covered the lower half of his face, but his light-blue eyes, the colour of a lake in winter – and as glacial – were compelling. They drew her to him.

Snapping out of her reverie, Poppa moved aside to avoid Father Peter bumping into her. Whimpers emerged from the women behind her as half a dozen warriors entered, their wide mouths contorted into wolfish grins.

The leader spoke in a language she did not understand, and the men laughed. Then they spread out swiftly, blocking the main doorway and the hidden side entrance, encircling the small crowd. Their eyes were raking over the girls and women.

Poppa recognised the look. Several times, she’d caught Ranulf gazing at her with that sense of…what? Desire? A shiver ran down her spine.

But theirs was not a loving desire. The stares from these fighting men were stronger than longing. They would take whatever they wanted, be that gold, silver – or women.

Was her fate sealed, together with that of all the women of Bayeux? She took a deep breath when their leader’s eyes met hers.

He raised an eyebrow and issued an order, and three of the warriors pushed their way through to the altar, towards the Holy Cross.

“No!” Father Peter’s voice rang loud in the silence, and he scrambled after them. “This is sacrilege.” When he reached the steps, one of the warriors turned swiftly.

Poppa lifted herself to the tips of her toes to see, but others stood in front of her, blocking her view. Then a raised blade flashed in the candlelight, and Father Peter groaned.

Screams filled the church again; high-pitched, they echoed around the thick stone walls. A strong scent of iron permeated the air. The blood drained from Poppa’s face as anger rose within her. One of the Norse warriors grabbed the golden cross and lifted it above his head. He shouted something in his language, and the invaders laughed again.

The light of the candle illuminated the rubies and garnets that adorned the cross.

A sense of dread settled over Poppa as she stared at them. Like flecks of blood dripping down the holy relic…

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Cathie Dunn

Cathie is an Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, dual-timeline, mystery, and romance. She loves to infuse her stories with a strong sense of place and time, combined with a dark secret or mystery – and a touch of romance. Often, you can find her deep down the rabbit hole of historical research…

In addition, she is also a historical fiction book promoter with The Coffee Pot Book Club, a novel-writing tutor, and a keen reviewer on her blog, Ruins & Reading.

After having lived in Scotland for almost two decades, Cathie is now enjoying the sunshine in the south of France with her husband, and her rescued pets, Ellie Dog & Charlie Cat.

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

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