The Ice Crown's Fury
In the frozen heart of the 13th century, a storm of iron and faith gathers on the borders of Rus'. One man, a dismissed hero, is all that stands between a thriving republic and its utter annihilation.
Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, the young warrior who shattered the Swedes on the Neva River, has been cast out by the very city he saved. Lord Novgorod the Great, a proud and fractious republic of wealthy boyars and fierce independents, fears its hero's power more than the enemies at its gates. But the wolves are circling.
From the West, the fanatical knights of the Livonian Order, their white mantles emblazoned with black crosses, march under a Papal blessing to conquer, convert, or kill. Fortress after fortress falls to their brutal siegecraft, leaving the road to Novgorod perilously open. Seen through the eyes of Brother Knight Lothar, a zealous warrior burning with holy fire, this is a righteous crusade. For the weary veteran Gunther, it is a grim march towards a bloody reckoning.
Forced to swallow their pride, the lords of Novgorod send a desperate plea to the one man who can save them. But Alexander's return comes at a price: absolute power. What follows is a brilliant, brutal campaign against a seemingly invincible foe, culminating in a desperate gamble—a battle to be fought not on solid ground, but upon the treacherous, groaning ice of Lake Peipus.
Yet, victory on the ice is only the beginning of Alexander’s trial. He must then turn to face a new, more insidious threat from the East—the long shadow of the Golden Horde—forcing him into a different kind of battle, one of diplomacy and submission that will test his soul, challenge his people's loyalty, and forge his eternal legend as the guardian of Rus'.
A masterfully researched and vividly imagined epic, The Ice Crown's Fury is a gripping saga of war, faith, and the agonizing price of leadership. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden, this novel brings to life the epic clashes and political intrigue of the Northern Crusades, and the rise of the warrior-prince who would become a saint.
