1358, Northern France. In a land ravaged by war, King John II is the prisoner of the King of England.
His son, the teenaged Dauphin, must battle to impose control over the fractured kingdom. But King Charles of Navarre wants to wrest power for himself.
He leads Parisians and the Jacquerie to open rebellion, upending the social order, pitting noble against commoner in a brutal struggle for power.
A free company of English men and boys, led by John Hawkwood, previously of Sir John de Sully’s Vintaine, must navigate the treacherous landscape with only their wits, combat skills and each other to rely on.
From the smouldering ruins of small French villages, to the blood-soaked battlefields, their journey is fraught with danger, dogged by a mysterious enemy intent on revenge.
As they face the harsh realities of medieval warfare, their bonds are tested, and their fates intertwined with the destiny of a nation.
Ashes of Rebellion by Michael Jecks is published on 19 September, 2025. It’s his latest Vintaine novel.
If you enjoy historical fiction, our list of over 190 books published this year can suggest some more reading for you.





