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The Foreworld Saga book cover 1
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The Foreworld Saga
Series · 9 books · 2012-2014

Books in series

The Mongoliad book cover
#1

The Mongoliad

Book One

2012

The first novel to be released in The Foreworld Saga, The Mongoliad: Book One, is an epic-within-an-epic, taking place in 13th century. In it, a small band of warriors and mystics raise their swords to save Europe from a bloodthirsty Mongol invasion. Inspired by their leader (an elder of an order of warrior monks), they embark on a perilous journey and uncover the history of hidden knowledge and conflict among powerful secret societies that had been shaping world events for millennia. But the saga reaches the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcana, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated. Full of high adventure, unforgettable characters, and unflinching battle scenes, The Mongoliad ignites a dangerous quest where willpower and blades are tested and the scope of world-building is redefined. A note on this edition: The Mongoliad began as a social media experiment, combining serial story-telling with a unique level of interaction between authors and audience during the creative process. Since its original iteration, The Mongoliad has been restructured, edited, and rewritten under the supervision of its authors to create a more cohesive reading experience and will be published as a trilogy of novels. This edition is the definitive edition and is the authors' preferred text. Reviews: “This off-beat alternate history of Eurasia could be your new obsession.” –i09.com “This story is pure adventure, with much swordplay and swashbuckling.” –Kirkus Reviews “A terrifically engaging book that pulled me along at least as quickly as The Hunger Games. Think Lord of the Rings without all that pesky fantasy…Five frighteningly accurate historical sword fights out of five.” –Fanboy Comics
The Mongoliad book cover
#2

The Mongoliad

Book Two

2012

With bonus material! This Kindle edition features extra content only found in the Collector’s Edition of The Book Two, including an illustrated character glossary, a Foreworld map, and Dreamer, a prequel to the Mongoliad series. This riveting second installment in Stephenson and company’s epic tale focuses on the aftermath of the world-shattering Mongolian invasion of 1241 and the difficult paths undertaken by its most resilient survivors. The Shield Brethren, an order of warrior monks, search for a way to overthrow the horde, even as the invaders take its members hostage. Forced to fight in the Mongols’ Circus of Swords, Haakon must prove his mettle or lose his life in the ring. His bravery may impress the enemy, but freedom remains a distant dream. Father Rodrigo receives a prophecy from God and believes it’s his mission to deliver the message to Rome. Though a peaceful man, he resigns himself to take up arms in the name of his Lord. Joining his fight to save Christendom are the hunter Ferenc, orphan Ocyrhoe, healer Raphael, and alchemist Yasper, each searching for his place in history. Deftly blending fact and fantasy, The Book Two captures the indomitable will to survive against immense odds.
The Mongoliad book cover
#3

The Mongoliad

Book Three

2013

The final book of the Mongoliad trilogy from Neal Stephenson and company tells the gripping personal stories of medieval freedom fighters to form an epic, imaginative recounting of a moment in history when a world in peril relied solely on the courage of its people. The shadow of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II hangs over the shattered Holy Roman Church as the cardinals remain deadlocked, unable to choose a new pope. Only the Binders and a mad priest have a hope of uniting the Church against the invading Mongol host. An untested band of young warriors stands against the dissolute Khan, fighting for glory and freedom in the Khan’s sadistic circus of swords, and the brave band of Shield-Brethren who set out to stop the Mongol threat single-handedly race against their nemesis before he can raise the entire empire against them. Veteran knight Feronantus, haunted by his life in exile, leads the dwindling company of Shield-Brethren to their final battle, molding them into a team that will outlast him. No good hero lives forever. Or fights alone.
Katabasis book cover
#4

Katabasis

2013

The death of the fearsome Ögedei Khan has brought the Mongol invasion of the West to an abrupt halt. Exhausted, plagued by uncertainty and self-doubt, and reeling from betrayal by one of their own, the surviving Shield-Brethren struggle across a frozen, shattered wasteland to return home after their desperate battle in Mongolia. <br><P>Their mission is complete—Christendom has been saved—but new and terrible questions haunt each member of the company: Are they heroes or villains? Or just pawns in a larger game, trapped in a world gone mad in the wake of the unspeakable devastation visited upon it by the Mongol horde?<br><P>And most poignant of all, where—and what—is “home” now, and what will be their place in the world they fought to defend? <br><P><I>Katabasis, </i>a new novel in the acclaimed <I>Foreworld </i>Saga, follows the survivors as they struggle to confront their own fears and decide who they truly are—and whom they will ultimately serve.
Siege Perilous book cover
#5

Siege Perilous

2014

Ocyrhoe, a young, cunning fugitive from Rome, safeguards a chalice of subtle but great power. Finding herself in France, she allies with the persecuted, pacifist Cathar sect in their legendary mountaintop stronghold, Montségur. There she resists agents of the Roman Church and its Inquisition, fights off escalating, bloody besiegement by troops of the King of France, and shields the mysterious cup from the designs of many. Percival, the heroic Shield-Brethren knight from The Mongoliad, consumed by his mystical visions of the Holy Grail, is also drawn to Montségur—where the chalice holds the key to his destiny. Arrayed against Percival and Ocyrhoe are enemies both old and new who are determined to reveal the secrets of the Shield-Brethren with the hope of destroying the order once and for all. Alive with memorable characters, intense with action and intrigue, Siege Perilous conjures a medieval world where the forces of faith confront the forces of fear. Choices made by characters in The Mongoliad reach their ultimate conclusion in this fifth and concluding novel—and all of Christendom is at stake.
Symposium #3 book cover
#15

Symposium #3

A SideQuest Comic

2014

SideQuests are stand-alone stories or novellas that chronicle the heroes, villains, and adventures in The Foreworld Saga across numerous ages. They can be read with or without prior knowledge of The Foreworld Saga. Symposium is set in the Classical Era. The Shield-Brethren are a secret martial order that has defended the West for centuries. Now, the origins of the order are revealed in this stunning three-issue SideQuest comic book. Our heroes, seeking to realize the idea offered to them by the philosopher Plato, leave Athens and travel to Delphi with hope of visiting the oracle. They have a dream to found a city of their own, and they desire insight from the oracle as to their question. But their skills—both as warriors and as thinking men—will be tested by adversaries they do not even know they have. This comic contains explicit content and is recommended for mature readers.
The Dead God #1 book cover
#21

The Dead God #1

A SideQuest Comic

2014

In the year 536 AD, the land of Frisia is a hostile place. Across the dark, cold countryside, three valiant warriors quest for a treasure the likes of which few can comprehend. These three—the mighty grappler, Eadhild; the skilled archer, Coll; and the charming young Valens—are searching for the head of Yvrnn, the sky-god. For, according to legend, the head of Yvrnn will grant its possessors great wisdom and fortune. The trio's quest won't be easy, as they must not only contend with Yvrnn's followers who have set obstacles in their paths, but also the mystical creatures and bandits that haunt the roads of Frisia. The Dead God is a three-part tale of swords and sorcery set in The Foreworld Saga of brave warriors plunged into an adventure beyond their imaginations.
The Dead God #2 book cover
#22

The Dead God #2

A SideQuest Comic

2014

The second in a three-issue arc of The Dead God. In the year 536 AD, the land of Frisia is a cold and dark place. Three adventurers—the mighty grappler, Eadhild; the skilled archer, Coll; and the charming young Valens—are searching for the head of Yvrnn, the sky-god. According to legend, the head of Yvrnn will grant its possessors great wisdom and fortune. Their quest won't be easy, as they must not only contend with Yvrnn's followers who have set obstacles in their paths, but also the mystical creatures and bandits that haunt the roads of Frisia. Set in the world of The Foreworld Saga, The Dead God is a three-part tale of swords and sorcery, in an age of myth and mist—a tale of brave warriors plunged into an adventure beyond anything they could have imagined.
Cimarronin book cover
#24

Cimarronin

A Samurai in New Spain #1

2014

A disgraced outcast samurai living in early seventeenth-century Spain, Kitazume is contemplating ritual suicide when a divine force (of a sort) intervenes: Luis, a mischievous Jesuit priest and Kitazume’s longtime friend. At Luis’s insistence, the samurai agrees to help smuggle a Manchu princess to Mexico. But little does he know that he’s really been dragged into an epic struggle for power. Several forces have their malicious sights set on the New World’s rich silver mines: an insurgent Spanish duke, political Chinese interests, and the escaped African slaves known as the cimarrónes. And working in secret among them is a mysterious, long-lost order that has its own plans for the precious metal. As politics and greed collide, Kitazume must call upon his deadly skills once more. But he’s not just fighting to save his friends—he’s fighting for the redemption he so desperately craves.

Authors

Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
Author · 40 books
Neal Stephenson is the author of Reamde, Anathem, and the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World), as well as Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, and Zodiac. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
Christian Cameron
Christian Cameron
Author · 44 books

Aka Miles Cameron. Also publishes as Gordon Kent with his father Kenneth M. Cameron. Christian Cameron was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1962. He grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, Iowa City, Iowa,Christian Cameron and Rochester, New York, where he attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and later graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in history. After the longest undergraduate degree on record (1980-87), he joined the United States Navy, where he served as an intelligence officer and as a backseater in S-3 Vikings in the First Gulf War, in Somalia, and elsewhere. After a dozen years of service, he became a full time writer in 2000. He lives in Toronto (that’s Ontario, in Canada) with his wife Sarah and their daughter Beatrice, currently age four. And a half.

Charles C. Mann
Charles C. Mann
Author · 10 books

Charles C. Mann is a correspondent for Science and The Atlantic Monthly, and has cowritten four previous books including Noah’s Choice: The Future of Endangered Species and The Second Creation . A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he has won awards from the American Bar Association, the Margaret Sanger Foundation, the American Institute of Physics, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, among others. His writing was selected for The Best American Science Writing 2003 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2003. He lives with his wife and their children in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Ellis Amdur
Ellis Amdur
Author · 6 books

Ellis Amdur balances two careers, that as a crisis intervention specialist, through his company, Edgework and as a 50+ year practitioner of traditional Japanese martial arts. His writing meets right in the middle. Among his non-fiction works are thirteen profession-specific books on verbal de-escalation of aggression, two books for hostage negotiators, two on the art of tactical communication with hostile individuals, one on the art of psychotherapy, and has edited a book by Evelyn & Shelley Amdur on the former's career as a hospice social worker. He has written and published three books on martial arts, the iconoclastic Dueling with Osensei: Old School, a work on classical martial traditions and Hidden in Plain Sight, on esoteric knowledge within various martial traditions. In fiction, he is a co-author of the graphic novel, Cimmaronin, and the author of two novels, The Girl with the Face of the Moon, and Lost Boy. His third novel, Little Bird & the Tiger, set in Meiji Japan, is due for release in 2023. His books are considered unique in that he uses his own experiences, often hair-raising or outrageous, as illustrations of the principles about which he writes, but it is also backed by solid research, and boots-on-the-ground experience.

Mark Teppo
Mark Teppo
Author · 13 books
Mark Teppo has written more than a dozen novels across a number of genres. He's a book-seller, paper-hoarder, and troublemaker. Not necessarily in that order.
Joseph Brassey
Joseph Brassey
Author · 4 books

Joseph Brassey is a freelance writer and medieval fighting instructor who lives in Tacoma, Washington. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, son, and two cats. In his spare time, he trains in, and teaches, medieval martial arts. He has lived on both sides of the continental United States and has worked everywhere from a local newspaper to the frameshop of a crafts store to the smoke-belching interior of a house-siding factory with questionable safety policies.

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