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Outlaw Knight (II): Empire
He defended a dying empire. Now he must fight to build a new one.
AD 1204. Constantinople has fallen, conquered by the warriors of the Fourth Crusade. Philip of Cognac—bastard son of King Richard the Lionheart—stood in its defence, only to witness its ruin in fire and betrayal. Now a fugitive in a broken world, he finds new purpose beside Theodore Laskaris, a defiant leader rising from the ashes.
Together, they must rally shattered armies, outwit ruthless rivals, and challenge the power of the Latin Empire. But Philip walks a dangerous scorned as a traitor by the Latins, mistrusted as a foreigner by the Romans. In a world divided by language, faith, and ambition, he must fight not just for survival—but for belonging.
A sweeping tale of resistance, rebirth, and reckoning at the end of the Age of Chivalry. Perfect for fans of Sharon Kay Penman, Ben Kane, and Conn Iggulden.
AD 1204. Constantinople has fallen, conquered by the warriors of the Fourth Crusade. Philip of Cognac—bastard son of King Richard the Lionheart—stood in its defence, only to witness its ruin in fire and betrayal. Now a fugitive in a broken world, he finds new purpose beside Theodore Laskaris, a defiant leader rising from the ashes.
Together, they must rally shattered armies, outwit ruthless rivals, and challenge the power of the Latin Empire. But Philip walks a dangerous scorned as a traitor by the Latins, mistrusted as a foreigner by the Romans. In a world divided by language, faith, and ambition, he must fight not just for survival—but for belonging.
A sweeping tale of resistance, rebirth, and reckoning at the end of the Age of Chivalry. Perfect for fans of Sharon Kay Penman, Ben Kane, and Conn Iggulden.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 22, 2026
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒔𝒆, 𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏. 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎.”
⚔️Empire — 2nd installment in the Outlaw Knight series — continues the journey of Philip of Cognac, the bastard son of King Richard the Lionheart. Now a fugitive after the fall of Constantinople, Philip finds himself drawn into a larger struggle alongside Theodore Laskaris, a determined leader trying to rebuild from the ruins.
⚔️David once again does a great job blending fiction with real history. The story feels grounded, with plenty of treachery, shifting loyalties, and well-described battle sequences. The writing is crisp, and the use of medieval terminology adds authenticity without becoming overwhelming. I especially enjoyed the way different cultures and regions are brought to life.
⚔️The character work is solid. Philip’s journey stands out as the stakes feel much higher this time—he’s navigating unfamiliar lands, dealing with Greek princes, Turkish rulers, and Georgian warlords, all while trying to survive and stay loyal to his cause.
⚔️That said, the book does feel a bit like a middle entry in a larger story. While it’s engaging, I did wish it had been slightly longer, with more time spent developing some of the side characters.
⚔️The included map and author’s note were a nice touch and helped add context to the story. Perhaps a character list would have been helpful to remember every character.
Overall, Empire is a gritty, fast-paced, and immersive historical tale that should appeal to fans of authors like Sharon Kay Penman, Ben Kane, and Conn Iggulden.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)
⚔️Empire — 2nd installment in the Outlaw Knight series — continues the journey of Philip of Cognac, the bastard son of King Richard the Lionheart. Now a fugitive after the fall of Constantinople, Philip finds himself drawn into a larger struggle alongside Theodore Laskaris, a determined leader trying to rebuild from the ruins.
⚔️David once again does a great job blending fiction with real history. The story feels grounded, with plenty of treachery, shifting loyalties, and well-described battle sequences. The writing is crisp, and the use of medieval terminology adds authenticity without becoming overwhelming. I especially enjoyed the way different cultures and regions are brought to life.
⚔️The character work is solid. Philip’s journey stands out as the stakes feel much higher this time—he’s navigating unfamiliar lands, dealing with Greek princes, Turkish rulers, and Georgian warlords, all while trying to survive and stay loyal to his cause.
⚔️That said, the book does feel a bit like a middle entry in a larger story. While it’s engaging, I did wish it had been slightly longer, with more time spent developing some of the side characters.
⚔️The included map and author’s note were a nice touch and helped add context to the story. Perhaps a character list would have been helpful to remember every character.
Overall, Empire is a gritty, fast-paced, and immersive historical tale that should appeal to fans of authors like Sharon Kay Penman, Ben Kane, and Conn Iggulden.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)
March 4, 2026
Switching
Same deal over and over . Everytime the main character gets in trouble, he becomes a man with no honor. Switches sides again. Couldn't even finish book two. What a waste of my time. Total crap. Read at your own risk. Be the last book by the author I ever read.
Same deal over and over . Everytime the main character gets in trouble, he becomes a man with no honor. Switches sides again. Couldn't even finish book two. What a waste of my time. Total crap. Read at your own risk. Be the last book by the author I ever read.
December 2, 2025
I think this book will be better when the whole series is out! Definitely felt like a middle book.
February 27, 2026
Empire
What an amazing story, I inhaled this book it is so well written and action backed. I read this story in3 days my only complaint was that the book is not long enough
What an amazing story, I inhaled this book it is so well written and action backed. I read this story in3 days my only complaint was that the book is not long enough
February 5, 2026
Hectic
From Flanders to Central Europe. The devastation of Man and property.
There was no value of lives when it comes to leaders that only think of themselves purporting this to be about their country.
Enjoyed the thrill of
From Flanders to Central Europe. The devastation of Man and property.
There was no value of lives when it comes to leaders that only think of themselves purporting this to be about their country.
Enjoyed the thrill of
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews