DESCRIPTION:

Knights Trilogy Book I: The Keeper of Dogs

Knights Trilogy is meant to depict 13th century life in the Western Marches of Wales at the beginning of the civil war (1263) between Earl Simon de Montfort and King Henry the Third of England. It is the story of Cord, the keeper of dogs, a felon's son who lives in the castle of the men who hung his father. Cord, who would become a knight...

Old Sloat, the Wild Boar, almost slays a little peasant girl and only Cord's quick action saves the girl's life. For having dared to wound the boar, however, the Baron declares that Cord will lose his hand. Unless, that is, the hunters slay the boar that same day. If the boar is slain Cord will become the fief's new forester. When Sloat kills the Baron, a storm of plots, personalities, and power is unleashed at Pellinore Castle.

Lady Alice de Mowbray is a captive at the castle. As was his feudal right, the Baron had been attempting to find her a husband against her will. With the Baron's death, Alice tries to win her freedom and flee back to her ancestral castle. Each attempt fails, until she enlists the help of Cord, who against all odds, comes to her aid. And so begins the adventure of one young man against all the odds...

REVIEWS:

"KEEPER OF THE DOGS, Book 1 of Vaughn Heppner's Knights Trilogy,...details a romantic era ... knights and ladies, hunting and hawking, the dreams of a knight's son, and the fears of a well-born lady held prisoner in a castle...Heppner has written a richly detailed account of life in 13th-century England, and his storylines echo many romantic themes. I recommend KEEPER OF THE DOGS for those who love to immerse themselves in the details of a life in a time not their own." Reviewed by Chris Carsten of RCRG Reviews

"The author presents an amazingly vivid picture of the times, of the nobles, knights, priest, villagers, and peasants. He shows us life in the castle as well as life in a peasant's poor home, so the reader has the feeling of being right there, pomp, pageantry, dirt, fleas, and all. We see a very exciting wild boar hunt, complete with mastiffs, boarhounds and blood hounds, with Cord doing his job as dog boy. We see how a falcon is obtained and how falcons are used in hunting. We read about a knight's armor and his horses. And we see how wounds are treated. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading the next Book in the trilogy to see what happens to the sympathetic characters." Reviewed by Kathleen Culligan Techler For Romancing the Web 5 STARS