Rite of Conquest — Judith Tarr

National bestselling author Judith Tarr's House of War was hailed as a "beautifully researched, masterfully written fantasy" (Booklist). Now she tells the tale of a land in turmoil and a young man who would be king...

For five hundred years the Saxons ruled England, crushing the ancient powers with cold iron and the weight of Christianity. But now the old ways are rising once more. Across the Channel in Normandy, William is born -- the bastard son of a duke and a magical woman of Druid descent -- whom history will name the Conqueror.

As William grows to manhood, his battle skills earn him respect, but his brutal temper and disregard for his innate magical abilities hold him back. He needs a teacher, whether he wants one or not, and is fortunate to find her in the beautiful French noblewoman Mathilda. But William is resistant to the very idea of magic, and unless he can accept Mathilda's help -- and her love -- his imperfectly controlled abilities may destroy him.

In an epic battle that spans worlds and ages, magical forces and earthbound armies will be drawn together by William as he fights to achieve his destiny and reign as king of England...