Return to the Eyrie
By Katerina Dunne
By Katerina Dunne
Publication Date: 30th April 2024
Publisher: Historium Press
Page Length: 404 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction (Medieval) / Historical Romance
Honour, revenge, and the quest for justice.
Belgrade, Kingdom of Hungary, 1470.
Raised in exile, adolescent noblewoman Margit Szilágyi dreams of returning to her homeland of Transylvania to avenge her father's murder and reclaim her stolen legacy. To achieve this, she must break the constraints of her gender and social status and secretly train in combat. When the king offers her a chance at justice, she seizes it—even if it means disguising herself as a man to infiltrate the vultures' nest that now occupies her ancestral ‘eyrie’.
Plagued by childhood trauma and torn between two passionate loves, Margit faces brutal battles, her murderous kin's traps and inner demons on her quest for vengeance. Only by confronting the past can she reclaim her honour—if she can survive long enough to see it through.
Return to the Eyrie is an epic coming-of-age tale of a young woman's unwavering pursuit of justice and destiny in 15th century Hungary.
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Return to the Eyrie
Katerina Dunne
Katerina Dunne is the pen-name of Katerina Vavoulidou. Originally from Athens, Greece, Katerina has been living in Ireland since 1999. She has a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Athens, an MA in Film Studies from University College Dublin and an MPhil in Medieval History from Trinity College Dublin.
Katerina is passionate about history, especially medieval history, and her main area of interest is 13th to 15th century Hungary. Although the main characters of her stories are fictional, Katerina uses real events and personalities as part of her narrative in order to bring to life the fascinating history of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, a location and time period not so well-known to English-speaking readers.
Return to the Eyrie (published April 2024) is the second book in the Medieval Hungary series, a sequel to Lord of the Eyrie (published in February 2022).
Connect with Katerina:
I love Hungarian history, it is so fascinating.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. And the English-speaking world doesn't know very much about it, especially about medieval Hungary, which was a kind of "superpower" in its time. Katerina
DeleteI know absolutely nothing about Hungary, so I am really looking forward to reading this book in the future. The best way, I think, to find out about a country is through a really good novel - it is like you travel to the destination without leaving your sofa. Much cheaper than going on holiday!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maddie. I hope you will enjoy it. Katerina
DeleteWhat a beautiful image, I am really liking the scrapbook vibe.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever read any books set in Belgrade. There are so few historical fiction books that are set in Hungary, in fact of the top of my head I could not name one.
I have added your novel to my to-read list.
Thank you. I hope you will enjoy it. Katerina
DeleteIs this book based on a true story? I am sure I recognise the name of Margit Szilágy from somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. The main characters and story are fictional, but the historical background is real. There are a number of real historical characters in it as well. The Szilágyi family were the maternal relatives of King Matthias (ruled 1458-1490). To give me more freedom with the plot, my main characters are fictional members of this family.
DeleteI loved this novel. A feisty heroine, fast-paced action, and an intriguing plot. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathie. Regards, Katerina
DeleteMay I ask what your inspiration was behind your novel? And what drew you to Hungarian history?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest, Jamie. I have been fascinated by Hungary and its history since my teenage years, although I have no connection to the country. Over time I realised how little the English-speaking world knows about Hungarian history, so I decided to put my research into fiction writing so that readers can be entertained as well as learn. The mid to late 15th century is my favourite period, and I drew my inspiration from the Hungarian-Ottoman conflict during that era. Katerina
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