The Heretic's Secret Series

"…astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told…"—Quill & Quire In the style of Bernard Cornwell, The Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize today.John and Peter enjoy arguing about their differing views of the world. Peter sees the Church and an unquestioning acceptance of God's word as the way to salvation. John sees developing an understanding of the wonder of the world around him as a way of becoming closer to God. As the chaos of war erupts around them, the friendly differences of childhood demand that they take sides.Troubled by mysterious visions, Peter seeks refuge in the Church and becomes an assistant to the militant Aumery. Repelled by the horror he sees around him, John finds himself drawing closer to the persecuted Cathar heretics. As the brutal holy war expands and the flames of the Inquisition spread, Peter and John find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous search for a secret that may have the power to change the world. "…in Wilson's hands, the subject entertains as it horrifies. Wilson never lectures readers, but allows his characters to participate in history…he neither glorifies war nor softens the raw violence of the Inquisition…it is a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time." Mark D. Dunn, The Globe and Mail

"…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."—The Globe and Mail   The Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize. Quest follows the stories of Adso, the soldier who helped John escape from Beziers, John and Peter, as they struggle to come to terms with the increasingly bloody war that is engulfing their homeland. Adso determines to fight a guerilla war against the invaders, and in particular, the mercenary Oddo and his Falcons. John and Isabella flee to Al-Andalus to seek peace and the lost knowledge preserved in libraries of the Moors. Increasingly troubled by mysterious voices, and teetering on the edge of insanity, Peter embarks on a quest to find the relic that will announce Christ's coming and the End of Days. Nothing turns out as the characters expect, but each finds a piece of a puzzle that might hold the key to the future.   "…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"—Quill & Quire

"…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"—Quill & Quire The Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize. Simon de Montfort's land grab has angered King Pedro of Aragon and he is marching north with a vast army intent on destroying the crusade. The armies meet on a hillside outside Muret and the result will determine the history of Languedoc. The battle also draws in Adso, Peter and John. Adso must fulfill his oath to kill Oddo, Peter must discover the path that God has chosen for him and John discovers a valuable, but extremely dangerous, piece of information that could finally stop Aumery. In the end, the Crusade and Adso, Peter and John's involvement in it will change the future, but in ways that none of them imagined in their wildest dreams. "…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."—The Globe and Mail

"…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."—The Globe and Mail "…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"—Quill & Quire Not all the Crusades were fought on the far edges of Christendom. In the thirteenth century, a bloody Holy War was fought against a sect of heretical Christians, the Cathars, who lived in Languedoc around the modern city of Toulouse. The war lasted decades and tens of thousands were murdered, mutilated or thrown on vast bonfires. A powerful culture of poets and troubadours, with its own distinct language, was destroyed and modern France created. The crusade spawned the Dominicans and the formal Inquisition, and the bitterness it created lasted 200 years into the brutal religious wars that devastated Europe in the Reformation.When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. Caught up in the horror are two childhood friends. Peter—an assistant to the shadowy, enigmatic priest who leads the crusade—is convinced that the war against the Cathars is God's will, a mission that will lead him to the highest ranks of power in Rome itself. John—who finds himself drawn to the strange ideas of the heretics—simply seeks the peace to learn and understand through reading the forbidden books hidden in remote castles across the land. As the crusading knights destroy city after city and the flames of the Inquisition spread, Peter and John find themselves on opposite sides of a search for an ancient secret that may have the power to change the world. The Heretic's Secret (Single Volume Edition) comprises the complete Heretic's Secret Trilogy (Heretic, Quest, and Rebirth).