Helena is a healer. Ivan is her prisoner. Caught in the crossfire of war, they must choose: loyalty or love.

The Balkans, 1383

A sudden conflict between Serbs and Greeks has forced Ivan to join his brother and fight with the Serbian army. On the battlefield, Ivan is wounded and captured by the hostile Greeks, and he soon becomes a hostage to be used as a pawn in a deadly bid for power.

Helena, a Greek midwife, is tasked to care for Ivan, a request that will test not only her healing abilities but also her loyalty. Though war has made her reluctant patient an enemy, she can’t help but forge a connection with him, yet falling in love with him could turn her world upside down and brand her a traitor.

As the Ottoman Empire extends its grip into the Balkans, events beyond their control force Ivan and Helena to choose between loyalty to their families and people or following the longings of their hearts.

Award-winning historical novelist A. L. Sowards creates an engaging world of overlords and spies, rebellions and battlefields, and forbidden love.

The Balkan Legends Series:After the Crescent Strike, A Prequel NovellaBeneath a Crescent Shadow, Book OneBeyond the Crescent Sky, Book Two (coming January 2025)Against a Crescent Storm, Book Three (coming June 2025)