It’s release week for the third full-length novel in The Balkan Legends Series, Against a Crescent Storm!
Some events echo across time and shape history for centuries to come. Against a Crescent Storm is formed around one such event: the pivotal 1389 Battle of Kosovo. This novel combines history, legend, adventure, and wholesome romance to tell the story of a people struggling against a conquering Ottoman Empire that threatens their freedom and their Christian identity.
Here’s what the book is about:
The Balkans, 1389
Three years ago, Danilo’s people won their freedom from the hated Ottoman Empire, but with enemies on every side, the Serbs’ hard-earned peace remains fragile. Knowing the sultan will soon come for revenge, Danilo sets out to gain key allies for the coming war—and to escape the haunting grief of personal loss.
War has orphaned Maja and her brother, but they’ve moved forward from the turbulent aftermath of battle by crafting religious mosaics. Yet after being cheated and robbed, they are desperate for help. Rescue comes from Danilo, the man who once saved them from slavery to the Turks. What begins as an offer for safe escort is soon complicated by threats from a Hungarian noble who suspects them of conspiracy and from Iskandar, an Ottoman spy consumed by a vendetta against Danilo and a dangerous obsession with Maja.
As their journey grows more perilous, Danilo and Maja are drawn together by shared grief and affection. Yet upon returning home, Danilo finds that his župan, unaware of Danilo’s growing emotional entanglement with Maja, plans to use Danilo’s hand in marriage as a tool to forge a crucial alliance. Danilo is soon torn between love for Maja and loyalty to his family and people.
As tensions escalate, sabotage and vicious rumors weaken Christian unity, and hope of victory in the Balkans grows dim. Allies and enemies converge on the fields of Kosovo, where an epic battle will shape the destiny of nations for centuries to come.
Against a Crescent Storm comes in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook. It’s available in bookstores and online at Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Deseret Book, Libro.fm, Kobo ebooks, and Kobo audiobooks. A limited number of signed hardcover are available here. It’s also included with a DB Bookshelf Plus subscription.
Here’s the full Balkan Legends Series:
I hope historical fiction fans will love the immersion into a unique historical setting, the high stakes, and the participant-level view of an epic battle. I hope historical romance fans will relish the sweet relationship that develops between Danilo and Maja as they overcome a series of daunting obstacles. I hope Christian fiction fans will appreciate the story’s focus on hope and goodness even as it deals with the deep, gritty, and hard topics that are realistic for these events and this time period.
If you have read any previous books in The Balkan Legends Series, welcome back to medieval Serbia. You’ll find characters who have already won your heart or earned your loathing, and be introduced to new characters who expand the scope of the series. Included are the strong family ties, excruciating choices, little-known history, naturally woven Christian themes, and emotional resonance that you’ve come to expect from these stories. If you’re new to this series, welcome. I hope you love Danilo and Maja’s story.
A. L. Sowards 