Duchess of the New Dawn
Swirling intrigue, alliances made and broken, and ever imminent warfare mark the world of Chiltrude in 740 CE in Francia, land of the Franks. Chiltrude is a Christian woman who believes that changelings steal newborns, dwarves are a menace to humans, and night demons fill the skies in search of unwary travelers. She is also, however, the sole daughter of Charles Martel, and a woman who can read and write, and a sister who can understand the personal motives of warring brothers. All of these elements come together in this stirring novel of a woman who forces her own choices to the fore in a world that is easily able to constrict them.
Chiltrude falls in love with Odilo, duke of the Bavarians, as her father lays dying. Her father refuses to allow this marriage to take place. A series of events take place that Chiltrude uses to her advantage, not the least of which is the knowledge that Bavarian law, unlike Frankish law, permits women to act on their own behalf in marriage negotiations. As Chiltrude takes charge of her own life, she also puts into use the noblewoman’s role of peace weaver between her brothers.
The plot drives this hard-charging narrative. As oaths are made and broken, survival becomes paramount, and Chiltrude’s relationships change constantly due to necessary self-interest and the need to protect those closest to her. This is a world with little empathy, but a colorful world, nonetheless. Recommended for readers wishing to immerse themselves in the extremely dangerous but very compelling early medieval world two generations before the appearance of Charlemagne in the land of the Franks.
