Daniel's back! The sequel to Storm of War is on the way. We may still be a couple months away from a release date, but at least the newest “Unnamed WIP“ (Work In Progress) can move up the chain to “Named WIP.”
Those of you who haven't read Storm of War (shame on you) you can click the image below.
For the rest of us, let's take a look at the blurb for the about-to-be-named WIP:
Nicaea, 1097.
Daniel has gone from a petty thief living in the shadows of Constantinople to a budding squire serving the gruff Sir Hendry. He’s earned his place among the crusaders, proving himself capable during the capture of the impenetrable city, but he is still a meager player in a massive army of princes and lords.
The crusaders have scored the first victory in their quest for Jerusalem, but the holy city still lays thousands of miles away. And though the Saracens have been beaten, they are not defeated. Their horde of mounted archers gathers in the shadows, waiting for the right chance to strike
Unlike Storm of War, the title for this one came relatively easily. You see, not long after the siege of Nicaea (the premise of Storm of War, hint hint), the crusaders split their army in two and traveled toward an abandoned Byzantine military camp. On the way, the first half of the army was met by tens of thousands of mounted Seljuq horse archers. For half a day, the crusaders withstood their incessant hail of arrows.
Ralph of Caen chronicles this fight in the Gesta Tancredi, or the Deeds of Tancred. He describes it this way:
Our men withstood these attacks hoping for a storm to fly in from somewhere and scatter this enormous cloud of missiles. The ranks of their comrades were near, the enemy was everywhere, but there was no aid anywhere.
It was a turning point in the crusade, and I'll not spoil the ending of the battle here. Suffice to say that by the day's end—which saw between five and ten thousand dead—the crusaders had a begrudging respect for the Seljuqs. One eye witness proclaimed:
What man, however experienced and learned, would dare to write of the skill and prowess and courage of the Turks...you could not find stronger or braver or more skillful soldiers.
But what is the name of this battle, and therefore name of the book?
Dorylaeum
I hope you're as excited to read it as I have been to write it. If you haven't already, subscribe HERE for future updates. And stay tuned for a cover reveal in the not-to-distant future.
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