The crusade is over, and relative peace has returned to the Holy
Land, yet the magic and afflictions that permeate it haven't gone
away. When Gauthier of Flanders, now a wandering knight, stops in a
caravanserai and gives water to a Christian woman prisoner of the
Order of Assassins, he has no idea what evil is about to be unleashed
upon the world ... nor that he will once again have to stand against a deadly demon.
Gauthier is in Acre, awaiting the arrival of Sybille, his sister - a
woman with a scandalous reputation he hasn't seen in many years.
Meanwhile, the Assassins, working for the Djinn Ottar Benk, are still
after him, convinced that he is in possession of the dangerous
`treasure' that Benk covets. To force the knight to show himself,
they begin to foment trouble in the city, held by the Christians.
Gauthier and Osarias have reached Jebel Tarr, the city of the
Flagellants, where the Breath of the Qa'dj now resides. They want to
extinguish it forever, but can such a demon ever be destroyed?
Meanwhile, the machinations of Guy of Lusignan, his thirst for power
and blood, have brought the Cross and the Crescent to the brink of
renewed war, one that only Syria of Arcos, torn between her feelings for the Sultan and Gauthier, can still prevent - maybe ...
In spite of himself, Gauthier has returned to Hierus Halem, both to
accompany his sister Sybil, who is seeking the ugliest man on Earth,
but also to continue the fight against the Qa'dj, whose breath is
once again plaguing the land. Unfortunately, the man Sybil is after
is Guy of Lusignan, a brutal, fanatical lord whose actions are
rekindling the conflict between Christians and Muslims. Caught once again in a world of violence, Gauthier will owe his survival to an
old friend ...
On Puerto Blanco, life goes on. Captain Flynn is dead, murdered by his old nemesis. Emilio mourns his mentor and lover, yet finds unexpected companionship in Maria and Raffy. The three children left behind by the Barracuda have grown and found each other, but the dangers are many: De La Loya and his Spanish expedition; Ferrango, Maria's cuckolded husband; Flynn's killer; a scorned woman with a talent for poisons... And above all, a cursed diamond that carries madness and death.
It's been several months since the events of The Yellow M, but the
evil of Professor Septimus still echoes around London. Important
figures of the capital's jet set come together around the
questionable values the mad scientist defended. Olrik is forced to
resort to opium in order to forget he was guinea pig. As for
Mortimer, he too is trying, albeit for more humanist reasons, to revive certain aspects of Septimus's work - to Blake's extreme
concern...
Tasked by the queen to close the `Septimus Wave' case once and for
all, Captain Blake is facing a daunting task, for many questions
remain unanswered. Where did the spaceship buried beneath London come
from? What became of Lady Rowana and Professor Evangely? Meanwhile,
Mortimer is trying to pull Olrik out of the catatonic state the
villain has been in since his encounter with the ship's occupant. Has the threat to the nation truly been vanquished?
Emilio, a young servant disguised as a woman to escape the pirates' blood thirst. Maria, daughter of a Spanish grandee, captured by the same pirates. Raffy, son of Captain Blackdog of the pirate ship Barracuda. All three of them taken to Puerto Blanco, all three of them left behind when the Barracuda leaves to seek a fabulous diamond. What twisted fates await them on the island, amidst the various groups that vie for dominance there ?
The Gerfauts' schemes have born fruit. Siobhán drank the blood of Brigga the Witch, and evil has taken hold of her. Once a wise and generous ruler, she has become merciless, and is entirely devoted to Lady Gerfaut's son, whom she soon marries. Her own mother, Lady O'Mara, isn't invited to the wedding, and Séamus, her protector, is powerless to help. The last glimmer of hope lies with Kyle of Klanach and his unwavering love and loyalty...
With the Master of Machines as their new leader, the Crusaders are ready to assault Jerusalem once more. The Sultan must now choose between his love for a Christian princess and his faith. And Gauthier of Flanders, to free his ally Osarias's Jewish people, will have to confront the last part of his mysterious past, a Jinni. As the final battle is joined, truths will be revealed on the nature of gods and demons and the ambitions of men.
After her mother's marriage to the mysterious Lord Blackmore, Siobhan, last descendant of the Kings of Sudenne, is now supposed to be safe from the hostility of the sorcerer who rules the country. Too many mysteries remain, though, and the land itself calls for justice and the Lament of the Lost Moors to be heard. Will the young woman be able to avenge her father and defeat evil - and at what price ?
Three years have passed in Puerto Blanco, and there has been no news of the Barracuda. Emilio, still passing himself off as a woman, has been learning the art of fencing from Mr Flynn. Maria, now married to the slave merchant Ferrango, makes her husband's existence a living hell. As for Raffy, being left behind by his pirate father has hit him hard. But when an old enemy of Flynn's sails into the harbour, their lives are turned upside down again.
The land of Eruin Dulea is ruled by a powerful and merciless sorcerer. A generation ago, he defeated his last challenger to the throne, Wulf, in a titanic battle. Wulf's widow, Lady O'Mara, and his daughter Siobhàn can finally stop hiding, though. By marrying Lord Blackmore, Lady O'Mara places herself under his protection. But Siobhan is a strong willed young woman, more at ease with a sword than a spinning wheel, and Blackmore himself isn't all he seems to be...
Maria, Emilio, the governor and her right-hand man have fled Puerto
Blanco. On the small island wherethey're hiding, they've been shocked
to discover the Barracuda! But its captain is no longer onboard,
andthey'll have to venture inland to find him - despite the
indigenous tribes who live there. Raffy, meanwhile,wasn't lucky
enough to escape, and he is still in the hands of the Spanish forces
and the new governor: hisformer lover and ex-prostitute Keen-Flame?
The Crusader army has been destroyed by the terrible Simoun Dja, the desert wind. Gauthier of Flanders has gone to look for the Jews of Samaria, possible allies to retake Jerusalem. But the Holy Land is rife with plots and counterplots. Christians and Muslims alike are torn by internal conflicts. And behind it all, pulling strings and offering temptations, one creature: the qa'dj-the demon that crept at the foot of the Cross.
With the Master of Machines as their new leader, the Crusaders are ready to assault Jerusalem once more. The Sultan must now choose between his love for a Christian princess and his faith. And Gauthier of Flanders, to free his ally Osarias's Jewish people, will have to confront the last part of his mysterious past, a Jinni. As the final battle is joined, truths will be revealed on the nature of gods and demons and the ambitions of men.
The tale of a forgotten crusade, erased from history because it fell into the shadow of the devil.
Jerusalem is in the hands of Sultan Ab'dul Razim, and the Christians have raised an army to take it back, led by Grégoire of Arcos and the Duke of Taranto. Only Gauthier of Flanders and his sister-in-law Syria of Arcos are opposed to an attack they deem premature. But the stench of brimstone covers everything, and in a war fought in the name of God, it is the Qua'dj, a demon, who could decide the fate of the Holy Land...
It's chaos in Puerto Blanco. Raffy, caught red-handed with Ferrango's wife Maria, is about to be thrown into a shark tank; the governor is toppled by a coup ... and the Spanish occupy the city after bombarding it. Amidst the blood and fire, alliances are formed and broken, betrayal follows betrayal, and the flame of resistance is kindled. Will love and friendship prove stronger than fanaticism and the thirst for power?
Time has passed in Eruin Dulea. Siobhán reigns with wisdom and compassion. One day, during a trip with her protector Séamus, she meets Kyle of Klanach, a minor nobleman haunted by his family's dishonour, whose charm doesn't leave her indifferent... Unfortunately, the evil Lady Gerfaut is plotting to place her own son in power. And what better way to do this than a marriage, even if it requires black magic to arrange?
It's time for the final act. In Puerto Blanco, the traders, the freebooters and the slaves are in open revolt, led by Raffy and Ferrango. At sea, Blackdog and the Barracuda have struck an alliance with the Red Hawk. Everywhere the Spanish are retreating, and the island should soon be recaptured. But beyond political and military considerations, there remains the question of the Kashar Diamond's fate... How many lives will be lost in the name of its curse? Who will survive?
