A Traitor's Fate by Derek Birks

A Traitor’s Fate is the second book of the Rebels & Brothers historical fiction series by Derek Birks.

back cover - A Traitors Fate - brothers and rebels 2 by derek birks

front cover - A Traitors Fate - brothers and rebels 2 by derek birks

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During the Wars of the Roses, peace never lasts…
It is 1464. Ned Elder and his two sisters, Emma & Eleanor, have won a hard-fought peace and their feud with the Radcliffes seems long over, but one man never accepted the outcome. After three bitter years of waiting to destroy the Elders, a new ally provides him with a fresh opportunity for revenge.

When Ned is summoned to confront a Lancastrian revolt by the new king, Edward of York, he finds his enemies are not just amongst the ranks of the rebels. Branded a traitor by his own commander, the Earl of Warwick, Ned is soon a wanted man in hostile territory and the price on his head only rises when he stumbles upon a royal secret.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and Emma watch over Ned’s pregnant wife, Amelie, with only a small garrison of old men and boys to protect them. The feud may have ended, but the scars run deep for all three women and they must hold their nerve and prepare to defend themselves at any cost.

A condemned man, Ned must find a way to escape his pursuers or else the whole Elder family will be destroyed.

A Word from the Author

In A Traitor’s Fate, the sequel to Feud, I wanted to recapture the essence of the first book without simply repeating what went before. The story of the Elders has moved on three years, but the civil war is not quite over and Ned is obliged to take up his sword again. The focus moves to the north of England where he discovers family roots that he never knew existed.

The events of Feud have taken their toll on the womenfolk, damaged in so many ways, but children have since been born and now the women seek some peace. However, they are unlikely to get it because, if the war is not yet over, nor is the family feud that began all the Elders’ troubles in book 1.

As with all my books, I spent a lot of time researching both the events and the places around which this story takes place. Again it is rooted in accurate history and the story does not ignore the hardships and trials of the lesser men and women: servants and men at arms.

The series continues with Kingdom of Rebels and concludes with The Last Shroud.

(Derek Birks, March 2017)