Janine has discovered the truth: She is the lost heir to the Queen of the West. But Queen Annis already wears that crown, having proven her right through battle & the mystical flames of the ancient Fire Tree. Now both women are summoned to Inverness by King James to stand trial for treason - a charge that could cost them their lives.
As they converge on the city, Constable Ewan Burberry fears a deadly trap. Janine travels in a ducal coach, shadowed by unseen danger, while Annis arrives in full armour with two armies at her back. Waiting in the shadows is Derek Ramsbrook, a master assassin of boundless cruelty.
With an ancient power awakening & spies whispering in every corner, Janine devises a plan so risky it terrifies her followers. Annis finds herself isolated, her officers arrested & her path blocked. In a land where legend and treachery collide, Scotland’s fate hangs on a single musket ball passing through a candle flame.
The Quickening is here. A harsh, cruel reckoning has begun.
I tried for over 20 ears to write a novel, but I failed every time. I simply couldn't sustain the inspiration. Then, during a visit to Scotland, I started writing 'The Fire Tree'. The words poured onto the page like a torrent, as if a dam had burst.
I ended up writing 4 huge books, each almost 200,000 words each.
I split those books down into 6, then 10, then finally into 12 books, each of around 60,000 words.
I have now edited, proofed & published 6 of them as an independent author.View all by Ken Peter Kirk
