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Rebellion: Civil War Series
'Captures the terror and tension of the Civil War.' Michael Arnold
The King's SpyNorthamptonshire.
14th June 1645.
The Battle of Naseby is set to decide the outcome of the civil war in England.
The armies of King Charles I face those of Parliament and its untested New Model Army. Yet amidst the carnage, an intensely personal battle takes place between two men.
Captain Maxwell Walker is a royalist cavalry officer, widower and father. Loyal and brave, but haunted by his grief, Maxwell thirsts for revenge. His life has never been the same since his encounter with the parliamentarian Gervase Harper, a man whose ruthless streak sees him prosecute the war with vigour. Harper cuts down anyone who gets in his way. Maxwell’s wife was no exception.
The outcome of Naseby causes Maxwell to be tasked with a royal rescue mission. The King’s most personal possession must be retrieved. His cypher would allow Parliament to decode captured royal correspondence and that would deal a major blow in the propaganda war.
The King's Captain
October 1645.
A bloody civil war divides England, Scotland and Ireland.
The royalist cause is in its death throes. But a solitary hope remains; that the last of King Charles I’s cavalrymen can join with the Marquis of Montrose, a legendary Scottish commander who has secured that country for the king.
Captain Maxwell Walker is one of these cavalrymen.
The Yorkshire village of Sherburn-in-Elmet proves pivotal for both the king’s hopes and the king’s captain. Following two battles in one day, the royalists are dispersed, yet doggedly continue with their task. The entire mission, however, is jeopardised from within when evidence of a turncoat is uncovered.
Battling north through enemy territory – his homeland – Maxwell is conflicted by loyalty to his family and his monarch.
At the eleventh hour, Maxwell is torn apart by revelations that leave only one course of action open to him. He must confront the past and do battle with his wife’s killer.
The King's Cavalier
November 1647.
King Charles I has been defeated and is in captivity. Captain Maxwell Walker, a veteran royalist cavalryman, is still grieving over his wife’s murder. But he has finally gone home to his beloved sons.
England, however, is far from at peace. Yorkshire proves as scarred as the rest of the kingdom and Maxwell is forced to relocate his family to escape reprisals.
Amidst revolutionary demands for political reform, there are calls for the monarch’s head. Maxwell is embroiled in the King’s escape from Hampton Court. But when the royal is retaken, Maxwell is forced to share his captivity on the Isle of Wight. He is soon entangled in a web of intrigue and plots.
When civil war erupts once again, Maxwell and his family are presented with an opportunity to escape.
The king's cavalier is torn between his duty and the promise of a new life.
As King and Parliament come to the brink of a peace settlement, the New Model Army initiates a coup.
The fate of Maxwell - and the King - must be decided.
Mark Turnbull is the author of Allegiance of Blood and is the editor of the Historical Novel Society's online newsletter.
Praise for Mark
'A rollicking good adventure set against the backdrop of the civil war.' Jemahl Evans, author of The Last Roundhead
'This is a tight and brilliantly plotted novella.
The King's SpyNorthamptonshire.
14th June 1645.
The Battle of Naseby is set to decide the outcome of the civil war in England.
The armies of King Charles I face those of Parliament and its untested New Model Army. Yet amidst the carnage, an intensely personal battle takes place between two men.
Captain Maxwell Walker is a royalist cavalry officer, widower and father. Loyal and brave, but haunted by his grief, Maxwell thirsts for revenge. His life has never been the same since his encounter with the parliamentarian Gervase Harper, a man whose ruthless streak sees him prosecute the war with vigour. Harper cuts down anyone who gets in his way. Maxwell’s wife was no exception.
The outcome of Naseby causes Maxwell to be tasked with a royal rescue mission. The King’s most personal possession must be retrieved. His cypher would allow Parliament to decode captured royal correspondence and that would deal a major blow in the propaganda war.
The King's Captain
October 1645.
A bloody civil war divides England, Scotland and Ireland.
The royalist cause is in its death throes. But a solitary hope remains; that the last of King Charles I’s cavalrymen can join with the Marquis of Montrose, a legendary Scottish commander who has secured that country for the king.
Captain Maxwell Walker is one of these cavalrymen.
The Yorkshire village of Sherburn-in-Elmet proves pivotal for both the king’s hopes and the king’s captain. Following two battles in one day, the royalists are dispersed, yet doggedly continue with their task. The entire mission, however, is jeopardised from within when evidence of a turncoat is uncovered.
Battling north through enemy territory – his homeland – Maxwell is conflicted by loyalty to his family and his monarch.
At the eleventh hour, Maxwell is torn apart by revelations that leave only one course of action open to him. He must confront the past and do battle with his wife’s killer.
The King's Cavalier
November 1647.
King Charles I has been defeated and is in captivity. Captain Maxwell Walker, a veteran royalist cavalryman, is still grieving over his wife’s murder. But he has finally gone home to his beloved sons.
England, however, is far from at peace. Yorkshire proves as scarred as the rest of the kingdom and Maxwell is forced to relocate his family to escape reprisals.
Amidst revolutionary demands for political reform, there are calls for the monarch’s head. Maxwell is embroiled in the King’s escape from Hampton Court. But when the royal is retaken, Maxwell is forced to share his captivity on the Isle of Wight. He is soon entangled in a web of intrigue and plots.
When civil war erupts once again, Maxwell and his family are presented with an opportunity to escape.
The king's cavalier is torn between his duty and the promise of a new life.
As King and Parliament come to the brink of a peace settlement, the New Model Army initiates a coup.
The fate of Maxwell - and the King - must be decided.
Mark Turnbull is the author of Allegiance of Blood and is the editor of the Historical Novel Society's online newsletter.
Praise for Mark
'A rollicking good adventure set against the backdrop of the civil war.' Jemahl Evans, author of The Last Roundhead
'This is a tight and brilliantly plotted novella.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2022
About the author
Mark Turnbull
9 books41 followersSince childhood I have been a passionate enthusiast of seventeenth century history, taking part in battle re-enactments and visiting historic sites. I live in Durham, England. Apart from personal enjoyment, I decided to write because I wanted to contribute to knowledge of the 17th century, and help keep the historical events alive.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a regional chair of The Battlefields Trust.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a regional chair of The Battlefields Trust.
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