A twelfth century historical fantasy unfolds in Barry Mathias's first novel The Power in the Dark (Salal 1997 $15.95), set in Wessex, England, just after the First Crusade. "The 'Dark' of the title,"; says Mathias, "represents the Dark Ages, a time when ignorance and superstition ruled."; John and Gwen, the two main protagonists, gain many allies, including members of a mysterious order of the Knights Templar, who teach them to use the power of their minds and imaginations. Book Two in Mathias' Ancient Bloodlines Trilogy is entitled Shadow of the Swords (2008).

[BCBW 2008] "Fiction"