The Prisoner of War (Pilot): Part I of the Serial Novel

A mysterious warrior held for ransom. A small, brave kingdom under threat from a distant monarch. Three young people unknowingly swept up by history, whose choices could shift the course of a nation.Published serially in the 19th century style made famous by Dickens and Dumas, THE PRISONER OF WAR is a tale of adventure, romance, and political intrigue set at the height of the Viking Age.Norway, 9th century AD: In the valley of Gruntal in the kingdom of Rogaland, three young women watch the horizon for the return of their village’s longships. Each has a secret wish bound up with the return of the ships, but when they arrive, it is with an unexpected cargo: a prisoner of unknown origin – beautiful, fierce, gravely injured and unable to speak.As a distant monarch’s bloody campaign to unify Norway closes in on peaceful Gruntal, the local chieftain arranges a series of strategic marriages for his children. Fearing the loss of her freedom, his eldest daughter asks her adopted sister to teach her the ways of influencing men, and the two girls begin to meet secretly in the hut where the prisoner is recovering. One by one other young women hear of their lessons, and soon the meetings swell to an informal class. But in a society where a woman’s virtue is her most valuable asset, such gatherings carry a terrible personal risk; and their discovery could undermine the wider balance of power – with devastating consequences.Published serially in the 19th century style made famous by Dickens and Dumas, THE PRISONER OF WAR is an intricately plotted tale of adventure, romance, and political intrigue set at the height of the Viking Age.(Pilot episode: serialization begins WINTER/SPRING 2016)