Quest of the Warrior Maiden

From the dawn of the Middle Ages comes a tale of impossible love between two sworn enemies set against the backdrop of a holy war between Islamic and Christian armies. The legends of Charlemagne come to life filled with chivalry, secret romances, betrayal, revenge and magic. Bradamante, the niece of Charlemagne, and Ruggiero, a Saracen knight descended from Hector of Troy, are renowned warriors who meet and fall in love on a battlefield before being separated.

The heroine, Bradamante, receives the call to adventure from an enchantress shows her Ruggiero's two possible fates. One is where he is baptized a Christian, marries her, and fathers a child with her, but is murdered before their child is born. His other possible fate has him causing the defeat of Charlemagne and the fall of Christendom. If she follows her heart, her beloved will die tragically, but if she denies her heart so that Ruggiero lives, her family will die.

Dueling magical forces compete with each other to determine which of Ruggiero's fate will come to pass. Quest of the Warrior Maiden is adapted from the classic epic poems Orlando innamorato and Orlando furioso and examines the conflicts between love, war and faith.

"In Quest of the Warrior Maiden, author Linda C. McCabe reveals an undeniable talent for creating a truly memorable and epic fantasy saga incorporating memorable characters, cliff hanger suspense, magic and Arthurian romance of the first order. Quest of the Warrior Maiden is enthusiastically recommended reading and a first rate selection for community library Science Fiction/Fantasy collections." - Julie Summers, reviewer - Midwest Book Review

"All great legends, whether of Britain's King Arthur, Greece's Trojan War or Europe's Charlemagne cycle contain stories of minor characters begging to be elaborated on. In Quest of the Warrior Maiden, Linda McCabe has picked up the lesser known tale of Ruggiero and Bradamante, this last being the warrior maiden of the title. Classic in its theme of young, idealistic lovers from opposing camps, it sheds a bright light on the culture, history and legends of a time and place too little explored by most western readers." - Persia Woolley, author of the acclaimed Guinevere Trilogy

"Amidst opposing armies of an ancient holy war, debut novelist Linda C. McCabe adds fresh interest to the tale of the star-crossed lovers, Bradamante and Ruggiero, in Quest of the Warrior Maiden. Rich in detail of the period, fans of the genre will truly appreciate McCabe's intelligence in detailing for her readers the events behind and leading up to the poignant love story between this lesser known couple from legend." - bestselling author, Patricia V. Davis

"McCabe paints a vivid portrait of Medieval France whose vestiges can still be found in the streets of modern Paris." - Cara Black, award winning author of the Aimée Leduc mystery series and Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

"A grand and engaging re-telling of the original 'star crossed lovers' epic with everything Orlando – chivalry, romance, fights to the death, hippogriffs, madness, and beauty! As engaging a story as I have read this year, I couldn't put it down and I urge you to pick it up today." - John Granger, author of Unlocking Harry Potter