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The Conquest of Foy
The year is 1066AD. Saint Foy's reliquary is one of the most visited shrines in the empire. Foy would work miracles for some, but for others... strange curses.
The dangerous relics fall into the hands of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror) and he can't resist the opportunity to use them as a weapon in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages; the Battle of Hastings.
Is William in control, or is this Foy's conquest?
How did William obtain the relics?...
Monastery superiors often dispatched monks to discover new relics to draw in wealthy pilgrims. But cathedrals and abbeys across the empire were filling up with unknown or fake relics, and so pilgrims became fussy and fastidious.
Bishops needed a more aggressive approach if they wanted a famous saint in their abbey. One particularly jealous bishop could stand it no longer and dispatched his most trusted thief. Posing as a novice monk, the thief joined a rival monastery and waited. For ten years, the thief remained humble, obedient, gradually gaining the trust of his new superiors until his opportunity finally came. He was granted access to the sacred relics of Saint Foy.
Discovered before he could escape, the thief was left with no choice but to kill. As the thief returned north to his monastery, the relics became heavier with each step. It seems Saint Foy will not forgive.
The dangerous relics fall into the hands of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror) and he can't resist the opportunity to use them as a weapon in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages; the Battle of Hastings.
Is William in control, or is this Foy's conquest?
How did William obtain the relics?...
Monastery superiors often dispatched monks to discover new relics to draw in wealthy pilgrims. But cathedrals and abbeys across the empire were filling up with unknown or fake relics, and so pilgrims became fussy and fastidious.
Bishops needed a more aggressive approach if they wanted a famous saint in their abbey. One particularly jealous bishop could stand it no longer and dispatched his most trusted thief. Posing as a novice monk, the thief joined a rival monastery and waited. For ten years, the thief remained humble, obedient, gradually gaining the trust of his new superiors until his opportunity finally came. He was granted access to the sacred relics of Saint Foy.
Discovered before he could escape, the thief was left with no choice but to kill. As the thief returned north to his monastery, the relics became heavier with each step. It seems Saint Foy will not forgive.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
356 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2021
5 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Mark McPherson
1 book4 followersThe youngest of three hearing children with deaf parents, Mark discovered a love for history in 1999 while out for a walk in the English Midlands, stumbling on the exact location of King Richard III's death in battle in Bosworth.
Returning to Europe in the years following, he researched a medieval world vastly different to our own,
but with characters that were much more familiar.
Mark started work on The Conquest of Foy in 2006 while at a tiny Bed & Breakfast in Batheaston, England.
He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two teenage children.
Returning to Europe in the years following, he researched a medieval world vastly different to our own,
but with characters that were much more familiar.
Mark started work on The Conquest of Foy in 2006 while at a tiny Bed & Breakfast in Batheaston, England.
He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two teenage children.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 30, 2022
I enjoyed this foray into the 11th century CE in Europe because the Middle Ages is not an era I read a lot of historical fiction of but maybe I should look into more titles soon. The only character in the book that I had heard about before was William of Normandy (a.k.a. William the Conqueror) so it was nice to get immerged into it all with this book even though I wasn't super familiar with the time it was set in.
I would've maybe liked a little more character developement but if I look at the story in general it was still pretty good since it's a debut novel. I did highly enjoy the writing, which is also something that's very important to me in a book. It was a very well-written story so it makes up a little for the lack in characterization for me.
I'm also a big fan of short chapters because I always need to finish a chapter before putting a book down and this book was perfect for that. The chapters were never too long so it was easy to say oh I'll just read one more chapter and before I knew it I had finished the book. I really liked that.
Overall, The Conquest of Foy by Mark McPherson was for sure a solid debut novel. I didn't 100% fell in love with it but it wasn't a bad read either. It also did take me a little while to fully get into the story but after soldiering on for a bit it was kind of hard to put the book down. It's the kinda story that you need to get your bearings at first but once you do it's too exciting to stop reading.
I would've maybe liked a little more character developement but if I look at the story in general it was still pretty good since it's a debut novel. I did highly enjoy the writing, which is also something that's very important to me in a book. It was a very well-written story so it makes up a little for the lack in characterization for me.
I'm also a big fan of short chapters because I always need to finish a chapter before putting a book down and this book was perfect for that. The chapters were never too long so it was easy to say oh I'll just read one more chapter and before I knew it I had finished the book. I really liked that.
Overall, The Conquest of Foy by Mark McPherson was for sure a solid debut novel. I didn't 100% fell in love with it but it wasn't a bad read either. It also did take me a little while to fully get into the story but after soldiering on for a bit it was kind of hard to put the book down. It's the kinda story that you need to get your bearings at first but once you do it's too exciting to stop reading.
May 23, 2022
Thank you, Mark, for the opportunity to review your novel, #theconquestoffoy . Although I am a huge Historical Fiction fan, I hadn't yet read anything from this time period. I learned so much while finding myself totally invested in the story. A solid debut!! I loved the short chapters and your clean, concise way of teaching complicated material. It seemed well-researched. Is there a sequel in the works?
If you love Historical Fiction, give this novel a try!
If you love Historical Fiction, give this novel a try!
December 16, 2021
This book had me on the edge of my seat - I couldn’t put it down! Great blend of a dark, medieval fantasy with historical events. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend!
November 9, 2023
Thanks so much you, Mark, for the opportunity to review your novel, The Conquest of Foy.
I'm a massive fan of historical novels, so this really was right up my street.
For me, The Conquest of Foy seemed well researched and true to the medieval period, with the style of writing to be straight to the point and fairly easy to read and understand.
I read Conquest of Foy over two rainy autumn afternoons and found myself fully immersed in this 11th century epic, being eager to turn each page.
When reading, I like to finish a chapter before putting a book down, so I appreciated the short chapters in this novel.
Considering this is Mark's debut novel, I found the characters to be quite well developed and believable. The settings were also well described to enable the reader to form the medieval world in the mind.
Let's talk about the cover. For me the colours, greys, blacks, whites and the dark green are used perfectly to convey a feeling of darkness and the ethereal.
I found the typeface used throughout the novel to be clear and easy to read.
So all in all, I enjoyed The Conquest of Foy, and found it to be a solid debut novel, well done Mark.
A big four 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
I'm a massive fan of historical novels, so this really was right up my street.
For me, The Conquest of Foy seemed well researched and true to the medieval period, with the style of writing to be straight to the point and fairly easy to read and understand.
I read Conquest of Foy over two rainy autumn afternoons and found myself fully immersed in this 11th century epic, being eager to turn each page.
When reading, I like to finish a chapter before putting a book down, so I appreciated the short chapters in this novel.
Considering this is Mark's debut novel, I found the characters to be quite well developed and believable. The settings were also well described to enable the reader to form the medieval world in the mind.
Let's talk about the cover. For me the colours, greys, blacks, whites and the dark green are used perfectly to convey a feeling of darkness and the ethereal.
I found the typeface used throughout the novel to be clear and easy to read.
So all in all, I enjoyed The Conquest of Foy, and found it to be a solid debut novel, well done Mark.
A big four 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
August 1, 2022
Overall, The Conquest of Foy a solid book.
The first chapter sets the mood of the main conflict perfectly; a thief steals the bones of a saint and murders the monk that attempts to stop him. Immediately, you get the feeling of divine, impending judgement, and it lingers right up until the end when the bones are returned. Especially considering how the plot revolves around the short-lived reign of King Harold, the sort of spiritual override of political matters feels rather poetic.
The prose is to the point and easy to read, albeit occasionally repetitive, making this the sort of story you could easily read for hours. I personally would have liked a little more interaction between the main characters, since I feel like the ending would have packed more of a punch with more fleshed out relationships.
Nonetheless, if anyone is interested in 11th century English history, this is a pretty fun read.
The first chapter sets the mood of the main conflict perfectly; a thief steals the bones of a saint and murders the monk that attempts to stop him. Immediately, you get the feeling of divine, impending judgement, and it lingers right up until the end when the bones are returned. Especially considering how the plot revolves around the short-lived reign of King Harold, the sort of spiritual override of political matters feels rather poetic.
The prose is to the point and easy to read, albeit occasionally repetitive, making this the sort of story you could easily read for hours. I personally would have liked a little more interaction between the main characters, since I feel like the ending would have packed more of a punch with more fleshed out relationships.
Nonetheless, if anyone is interested in 11th century English history, this is a pretty fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
I don’t often read much historical fiction, but I’ve found a great majority of them are written about WWII. That’s why this one - about the Battle of Hastings in 1066 - really caught my attention.
From the beginning, I could tell this book was meticulously researched and the story was intricately woven. Going back and forth between different parts of Southern England and Northern France, the focus falls on the famous battle that changed the course of English history. In the process, Saint Foy is really the main “character” (I guess you could say) of the story because it was her bones who help William the Conquerer to win his decisive battle.
I’m not much for believing in mystical powers or the importance of shrines to those who were devout in their faith, but for a work of fiction to use these devices was interesting an unheard of. I appreciated the author for breaking up the monotony in this way. And I would highly recommend this book to any historical fiction lover who is looking for a new era to explore.
From the beginning, I could tell this book was meticulously researched and the story was intricately woven. Going back and forth between different parts of Southern England and Northern France, the focus falls on the famous battle that changed the course of English history. In the process, Saint Foy is really the main “character” (I guess you could say) of the story because it was her bones who help William the Conquerer to win his decisive battle.
I’m not much for believing in mystical powers or the importance of shrines to those who were devout in their faith, but for a work of fiction to use these devices was interesting an unheard of. I appreciated the author for breaking up the monotony in this way. And I would highly recommend this book to any historical fiction lover who is looking for a new era to explore.
May 28, 2024
I'm not someone who typically reads things like this, but the premise was interesting and the author requested an honest review so I gave it a shot! I don't know much about the 11th century, so I cannot attest to the historical accuracy or research that was put into this, but it was an entertaining read. It did take me a little bit of time before I was into the book, but once it grabbed me, it really grabbed me.
This was such a well-written story that even someone like me who isn't super into historical fiction books thoroughly was gripped by the book. The author crafted some great characters. There were times when I wished the characters were a bit more developed. The main characters also probably should have built a bit of a stronger relationship to help the ending, but overall I did like them.
One of my favorite things about this book were the short chapters. The short chapters really helped this book feel so fast-paced and helped me fly right through it.
The world-building was done fairly well. I feel like I learned so much about the medieval period in this book in such a fast and interesting way.
This was such a good debut book and I hope this book gets the attention it deserves!
This was such a well-written story that even someone like me who isn't super into historical fiction books thoroughly was gripped by the book. The author crafted some great characters. There were times when I wished the characters were a bit more developed. The main characters also probably should have built a bit of a stronger relationship to help the ending, but overall I did like them.
One of my favorite things about this book were the short chapters. The short chapters really helped this book feel so fast-paced and helped me fly right through it.
The world-building was done fairly well. I feel like I learned so much about the medieval period in this book in such a fast and interesting way.
This was such a good debut book and I hope this book gets the attention it deserves!
February 17, 2025
St Foy and the conquest of England
A good historical fiction concerning the events leading to and softly after the Battle of Hastings. Filled with real historical figures , the reader becom
es a part of the religious, military, and human aspects of this time in 1066CE. Highly researched with historical accuracy, there is a hearty amount of mythical zeal to explain how St Foy brought about the conquest .
A good historical fiction concerning the events leading to and softly after the Battle of Hastings. Filled with real historical figures , the reader becom
es a part of the religious, military, and human aspects of this time in 1066CE. Highly researched with historical accuracy, there is a hearty amount of mythical zeal to explain how St Foy brought about the conquest .
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews