The Last Troubadour Novel Full Of Chaos Magick, Paganism And Tarot History, The Last Troubadour, an historical thriller novel by Derek Armstrong r Options

The Last Troubadour, my historical thriller adventure novel set in 13th Century Occitania "seamlessly blends Tarot history with the founding of the Inquisition and the high adventure of Knights Templar, pagans, Holy relics and Cathar heretics," wrote one reviewer. "Armstrong injects the trope with new vigor." Booklist Magazine. (The dramatic scene with Nevara, practicing Chaos Magick with servitors is classic!)

I'm excited to be back at Sacred Magick. I'll participate as much as I can this month, before my next tour! My hiatus was largely due to book tours on my previous novel The Game. I'm about to go off in September for another round of signings, this time for THE LAST TROUBADOUR, a magickal high adventure that weaves in the romantic history of the tarot. Reviewers, so far, love it. My Servitors are busy out there spreading the word! The Tarot readings look good (The Fool, Universe and other wonderful cards point to a bestseller!)

Anyway, thought I'd share the advance link on Amazon and my publisher's site if anyone is interested in this fun historical thriller (18 years in the making!). There's already a movie company who want to option the rights, thanks to my publisher's efforts.

On Amazon click here.

On Kunati Books click here.

Oh, don't miss the way-cool animated book trailer on THE LAST TROUBADOUR HERE.

I really hate sounding like a radio ad. So, just for fun, here's an excerpt from the foreword to the book:

My historical epic historical adventure, three books in the Song of Montségur epic, finally releases this fall from Kunati after 18 years of research, multiple publisher offers and a considerable buzz. Song of Montségur has history, too. Kam Wai Yu invented the animated novel trailer, the first book video (click here to play the eighties original -- then here to play the revised 2007 version!), back in the eighties for this epic adventure. It's a classic!

Why the buzz? Well, aside from grand adventure, knights templars, Holy relics, holy wars, burning pagans and heretics, genuine acts of heroism and historical treasures, we have — perhaps for the first time in this fun format — a history of the Tarot told through colorful characters and events.

This is an excerpt from the introduction to The Last Troubadour, first of the books in the trilogy:

Song of Montségur recalls the rise of the brutal monastic Inquisition in the South of France, an epic story of heroes and villains of the 13th century. Rather than spin a dark tale of glory and death, I fancifully retell these momentous
vents with your reading pleasure as my goal: two cups adventure, a pound of real history, a large dollop of humor, a dash of tragedy and hopefully enough mystical juice to create a buzz, roasted over a fire of heretics and witches. Enjoy!

From The Silver Dame of Montségur to the terrible witchhunter Diableteur, all of my larger-than-life characters are drawn from history. Many legends (and half-baked histories) associate the development of the Tarot cards with the Cathar heresies and this period in history. In The Last Troubadour, you will meet my “inventor” of the first tarot deck, Nevara of the Baug Balar “circus” and the characters from history that inspired her deck. Although we know the full decks appeared around this time—the four-suited Turuq came earlier—associating Nevara with major trumps of the Tarot is pure imagination. All major characters and events are historical, fancifully dressed up here with Tarot attributions:

The Fool
Ramon, last of the Occitan’s famous heretical troubadours

The Magus
Nevara, the albino pagan sorceress of the Baug Balar “circus”

The Priestess
Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, the High Lady of the Cathar Christians

The Empress
Magba, the ever-pregnant mother of the Baug Balar entertainers

The Emperor
Hugh d’Arcis, conquering Viscount of Carcassonne

The Hierophant (Pope)
Cardinal Sinibaldo Fiesco, the future Pope Innocent IV

The Lovers
The Grand Duo, the famous rebels Doré the bastard and Osric the hammer

The Chariot
Arnot, the disenfranchised Templar

Justice (Adjustment)
Perce de Mendes, too-loyal squire of the famous Cyclops Seigneur

The Hermit
Guilhem d’Alions, the ancient Perfectus of the Cathars

Fortune
Adelais, the rebellious daughter of the conquering Viscount of Carcassonne

Strength (Lust)
Seigneur, the “Cyclops” one-eyed crusader

The Hanged Man
The suicidal Dominican monk, Brother Jaie

Death
The Diableteur, feared witch-hunter

The Devil
Archbishop Peter Amiel of Narbonne, worldly leader of the crusaders

Sounds interesting, just ordered a bunch of Cathar books ((perfect heresy and another one)) as Ive been interested in learning more of that unique period in history

Wish you success.