More Bywords

A collection of historical tales set across the ages of empire and faith, where ordinary people face extraordinary moral choices. The opening story, 'The Price of Blood,' sweeps readers into fifth-century Gaul, where Roman senators and Gothic warriors collide amid famine and the threat of war. A young Arvernian leader's rash act sets blood feuds spiraling, and men who once called each other friend must now decide what they owe to oaths, to justice, and to mercy. The prose carries the weight of Victorian moral seriousness without becoming heavy-handed, rendering ancient conflicts with surprising immediacy. Yonge understood that history is not merely the domain of kings and generals, but of individuals wrestling with conscience when violence closes in. These are stories about what people sacrifice, what they protect, and what they will not forgive in themselves or others. For readers who find their satisfactions in character tested by circumstance, in the slow working out of honor and guilt, this collection offers quiet intensity and long-remembered lessons.