Dawn of Ages

by Jana Petken

Jana Petken presents “Dawn of Ages” “An engrossing historical epic steeped in intrigue and suspense at the dawn of the Middle Ages.” As Normandy grows in power and stature, so too does its young duke, William of Normandy. Since childhood, he has been forced to run, hide, and endure the threat of assassination from powerful nobles who seek to overthrow him. After his guardians and tutors are murdered, one after the other, he begins to take revenge on his treacherous family members and their allies and gain control of a divided region. Can William turn the chaos fomented by his enemies into a victory that will usher in a new era of Norman dominance on the European Continent? Will William’s greatest challenge be on the battlefield or in his fight against the Vatican, which seeks to rob him of his beloved bride, Matilda? Troy of Lisieux is the illegitimate grandson of a Norman count.When his mother dies, he is left in the care of his Aunt Ermengarde, an icy, aloof woman who ignores his existence, and his Uncle Roland, a man who would rather his nephew did not exist at all. Alone and vulnerable after his grandfather is murdered, Troy begins to search for answers about his nameless father and dead mother. When he finds those answers, however, he realises everything he thought he knew about his family was a lie, and that his name, and his life, may be stolen from him. When Troy saves the Duke of Normandy’s life on a stormy winter’s night, their mutual desire for revenge against their enemies forges an unlikely friendship between them. “An epic journey into Normandy’s past, and to the men and women who changed the face of Europe through acts of incredible courage and insidious guile.”Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite. Five StarsDawn of Ages is a work of fiction in the historical, intrigue, and interpersonal drama subgenres, and was penned by author Jana Petken. The work is suitable for the general reading audience and is set during the early Middle Ages in Europe. The two central male leads of the story are William, the young Duke of Normandy, and Troy of Lisieux, who saves the duke’s life during a winter storm. When these two characters get together and explore their dark family histories, their desire for revenge bonds them in an unexpected quest. In a Europe deeply divided, William seeks to control by deadly means, and Troy will do anything to reconcile the lies he’s lived with all his life.Author Jana Petken has a clear commitment to authentic history that runs through this novel and provides the backbone to every sinister and engaging detail of the bloody history of William of Normandy. Balancing artistic license with actual fact in perfect symbiosis, the narration explains and exposes the devious and cut-throat mechanics of royalty and politics in the early Middle Ages without ever overdoing the explanation or feeling like a lecture. The action scenes are rapt with tension, and the dialogue is accessible to modern audiences, but well-balanced to still give an atmospheric sense of olde-worlde parlance and the class divides of the time. I personally enjoyed Troy’s story and his emotional journey immensely. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Dawn of Ages to historical fiction fans looking for a new author to obsess over.

724 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2020

About the author

Jana Petken is a multi award winning historical fiction author.

She is critically acclaimed as a bestselling, gritty author who produces bold, colourful characters and riveting storylines. She is the recipient of numerous major international awards for her works of historical fiction.

Before life as an author, she served in the British Royal Navy. During her service, she studied Naval Law and history. After the Navy, she worked for British Airways and turned to writing after an accident on board an aircraft forced her to retire prematurely.

Nice to meet you all x

Reviews

[Nigel Seed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people know about Duke William invading England in 1066 and taking the crown, but what about the long years before that momentous day? Dawn of Ages weaves a tale of ancient Normandy that takes the reader into that almost forgotten time. The storyline is engaging and the writing is excellent. Strongly recommended

[William J Camp · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story but …

This story was entertaining and provided insights into Harold and William and the tensions pre-existing the conqueror’s invasion and Harold’s defeat at Hastings. However, it’s ending is unsatisfactory unless there exists or will be a sequel. Petken’s attempts at Norman French fall short; but that is a pedantic quibble on my part.

[Steve ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is reading

The book is really awesome I really liked it a lot it was really awesome I can't believe they're making me put 20 words on this thing it really was a decent buck I wouldn't say it was super great but it was worth reading