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Flanders, March 1794
The Queen of the Citadels is the third instalment of the King’s Germans series, which is set during the war of the First Coalition against France.
After defeat for the redcoats at Dunkirk, the King’s Germans, Hanoverian soldiers in the service of King George III, find themselves spending a miserable winter in Flanders. Without proper provisions, sickness and casualties begin to mount, even before a shot is fired in anger. With the arrival of spring and the promise of the offensive to come, the alliance of Austria, Great Britain and Prussia must finally capture Paris, or face the spectre of their own destruction in the fields of Flanders against a resurgent enemy.
Sebastian Krombach, ordered to escort supplies to the frontier fortress of Furnes, finds himself caught up in a lightning French attack. When Furnes is overrun, Krombach and his redcoats retreat to Nieuport. There, Krombach is drawn into a desperate action in order to turn the tide on an enemy who threaten to sever the supply lines that enable the Duke of York’s army to survive on the continent.
Captain Erich von Bomm, promoted to command a company in the First Hanoverian Grenadiers, finds that another prong of that same surprise offensive drives his battalion from the important fortress of Menen, known as the Keys to the Lys. The allies are forced to muster a response and regain Menen, or the forces of York and his Austrian ally Prince Josias will be driven apart and defeated piecemeal.
French dragoon officer Julien Beauvais is freed from the horrors of prison in La Conciergerie, only to be sentenced to serve as a common soldier in the ranks of the 14th Nationals, the regiment known as the Black Lions. Sent to the Army of the North with the newest batch of recruits, Beauvais witnesses the terrifying splendour of the fortress at Lille, the Queen of the Citadels, which controls the roads to Paris. At the start of the new campaign year, where other attacks have failed to hold Menen, the Black Lions are ordered to seize it again from the allies, and this time hold onto the Keys of the Lys, no matter what the cost.
Meanwhile, the woman who earned Beauvais’ freedom, Juliette, Countess of Marboré, lives a life of duplicity and danger, in the seeming luxury of the Austrian headquarters. Her coded messages might help capture Menen, but she is unaware that she is sending Beauvais into the maelstrom of battle and that the noose is tightening around her activities, as suspicions grow of a spy in the Austrian camp.
Idealist: rogue: warrior: spy.
Their stories, and others, are interwoven in this tale about the struggle for the control of France. Yet it is not the decisions of princes, dukes or generals who will have the final say over these four lives, but the shadowy political figures who occupy the seats of power in Paris, London, and Vienna. In this world, personal rivalries spill over and the lines between friend and foe are frequently blurred.
As the Terror rages and the war drums beat again for the new campaign season of 1794, this is the year in which the revolution in France must be defeated, or it will threaten to engulf Europe.
Whilst British and Austrian politicians trade the spoils of war before the victory even achieved, the Black Lions will once again hunt their prey, and the King’s Germans must fight to hold the Keys of Lys, and for their own survival!
Praise for the King’s Germans series.:
“The author has created a varied & excellent cast from both sides of the conflict. He has a gift for characterisation; I find it very easy to believe in these men: always the key to keeping me reading.” Lynn Bryant, Peninsular War Saga
“The detailed characters, the action interwoven & carefully placed within the political background & realities of the time kept me keen to read on for 'just another page' long past lights out as well as to genuinely care about the cast.”
“Enough to say that this series gets better and better: I really liked Black Lions of Flanders, but I devoured King of Dunkirk. Absolutely fantastic: very well written, brilliant description, pace & tons of action! Can't wait for The Queen of the Citadels!"
"Big things have small beginnings" I look forward to the adventures of Krombach, Brandt and von Bomm. This first novel in Fielder's King's Germans series is difficult-to-put-down with a promise for more. A Five-star achievement."
"A great series, full of colourful, often unsavoury, characters set in a neglected period of warfare" &"The first good historical novel of the wars of the French Revolution that I have read since the works of Alexandre Dumas"
“If you are looking for your next action-packed historical military series, then this is it. The King’s Germans will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who loves Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling Sharpe, 5 stars!” Mary Anne Yarde – best-selling author of the Du Lac series.
October 1793: The French border.
Dunkirk was a disaster for the Duke of York’s army. The French, sensing victory before the winter, launch attacks along the length of the border. Menen is captured and the French now hold the whip hand. Nieuport and Ostend are threatened, and Sebastian Krombach finds himself involved in a desperate plan to stop the Black Lions as they spearhead the French advance. Werner Brandt and the men of 2nd Battalion race to Menen to counterattack and rescue Erich von Bomm and the Grenadiers, whilst von Bomm struggles to save himself from his infatuation with a mysterious French vivandière.
Meanwhile, dark and brooding, the citadel of Lille dominates the border. The Queen of the Citadels has never been captured by force. The allies must now keep Menen, which guards Flanders, and seize Lille to open the road to Paris. All of this must be done under the watchful eyes of a spy in the Austrian camp. Juliette of Marboré is fighting her own secret war to free Julian Beauvais, languishing in the Conciergerie prison, and waiting for his appointment with the guillotine, as the Terror rages in Paris.
BUY THE BOOK
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08X3SS947
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X3SS947
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08X3SS947
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08X3SS947
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dominic Fielder has had careers in retail and the private education sector and is currently working as a secondary school Maths teacher. He has a First-class honours degree in history and a lifetime’s interest in the hobby of wargaming. The King's Germans series is a project that grew out of this passion He currently juggles writing and research around a crowded work and family life.
Whilst self-published he is very grateful for an excellent support team. The Black Lions of Flanders (set in 1793) is the first in the King's Germans' series, which will follow an array of characters through to the final book in Waterloo. He lives just outside of Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor. where he enjoys walking on the moors and the occasional horse-riding excursion as both writing inspiration and relaxation.
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kings_Germans
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingsGermans
Amazon Author Page:
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Twitter Handle: @Kings_Germans @maryanneyarde
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