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

 

If you enjoy immersive historical fiction set in the Viking Age, ASCENT by Cathie Dunn is a novel well worth discovering. Bringing to life the story of Poppa of Bayeux—the handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking—this richly imagined tale blends history, drama and emotion, offering readers a compelling glimpse into a world of conquest, power and survival.

✔️ A young noblewoman forced into a Viking alliance
✔️ A fierce Northman torn between power and loyalty
✔️ A marriage that threatens to destroy everything
✔️ A love tested by ambition, faith, and betrayal
✔️ A clash between pagan past and Christian future

Check out the blurb:

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?

Don’t miss the opportunity to discover this compelling story—purchase your copy of ASCENT HERE.

Cathie Dunn 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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