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The Secret Rise
In The Secret Rise by Judith Briles and Brian Barnes, a hidden valley community in 1000s Normandy is pushed into the open, and its leader, Nichol, has to turn that exposure into protection. The story starts with Timo traveling to England to reach Queen Emma and keep a fragile alliance alive, then circles back to Harmonie as enemies close in and old wounds resurface. When power politics and church intrigue collide, Nichol’s gifts, the sense of “the Lady,” and the watchful hawk all become part of how the community survives. The book labels itself historical fantasy fiction and women’s fiction, and that blend is exactly what you get.
I really enjoyed how the writing keeps returning to care as a kind of strength. Not soft care. Practical care. Food, shelter, teaching, planning. You see it when the kids start stepping into who they are: Lucette apprenticing with an aging bowyer, Athena aching to find her own place, the family trying to raise capable children in a world that punishes the vulnerable. That focus gives the book a steady heartbeat. It also means the pace can feel like it moves slowly, less like a thriller and more like a community ledger where every choice has consequences.
The authors make some bold and satisfying moves when they let public power meet private courage. The confrontation with Lord Charles snaps into a sharper, higher-stakes register, and it pays off. There’s blood, yes, but also control, messaging, and the cold math of authority. Then comes the moment that really defines the “rise”: Duke Richard publicly elevates Robert and Nichol, turning them into titled protectors with land and responsibility. I liked that it isn’t framed as a fairy-tale reward. It lands like a heavy cloak. Warm, maybe, but weighty. And later, the book earns its emotional stakes again in scenes like the river rescue, where the kids’ courage and the wolves’ training become life-or-death in a storm-swollen current.
If you’re into historical fantasy that uses light-touch mysticism to deepen character and theme, and women’s fiction that centers leadership, family, and found-community resilience, this one will likely work for you. I’d especially recommend it to readers who enjoy stories where politics and spiritual mystery sit beside domestic details, where competence is its own kind of magic, and where “building a life” gets as much page time as winning a fight. If you like hope that has splinters in it, and a heroine who leads by seeing people clearly, this book has a lot to offer.
Pages: 542 | ASIN: B0FDV29WWF
Amazing Archer and Warrior
The Secret Rise follows a woman, her family, and allies as they face betrayal, curses, prophecy, and the unrelenting pressure of survival, all while a mysterious guiding presence known as the Lady shadows her path. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Our inspiration has been ongoing … often starting with a “What if …” as the two of us starting a writing session together. The original story that began in The Secret Journey (published in 2023 was the seeding. Did we know that Nichol would become a Lady Baron or have three children, and become the amazing archer and warrior? No. It all germinated as we worked forward.
How has character development for the main characters changed for you through the series?
Nichol’s kindness and caring for others were always there. Once she escaped the ruthlessness of her mother in book 1, The Secret Journey, all our “what ifs …” were all over the place. We always remained open for something else to drop in—but with the promise that her wisdom would be shared; the justice was important; and that protecting her family and friends would be upfront.
I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically while writing?
Great question. We know some of the twists and turns … but also know as we write, variables will drop in. Now, we are working on book 4 The Secret Awakening. We storyboarded the major conflicts we saw coming … a huge variable is that the kids become young adults and take the lead. We knew how we would end the series … and we are marching forward to it.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Nichol and the direction of The Secret Awakening?
Ahhh …A huge twist is coming for Lucette and Aiden. As well as the quest for knowledge that Athena seeks with words. Lucette is truly her mother Nichol in many ways … the other two … oh my!
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Will Others Seek to Destroy Her?
Nichol’s story was introduced in Book 1, The Secret Journey when her beloved papa is murdered by her mother in the year 1000 AD. The darkening cloud spiraling around her made her the next target.
Fleeing Marseilles, she develops new powers, a vision of the future, and trusts the Lady’s voice. For those around her, a new world unfolds and carries them forward.
Overflowing with scandal, tragedy, and triumph, Book 3, The Secret Rise carries Nichol’s strengths to a higher level. Again, she must outsmart and out maneuver those connected with the church. Now the mother of three, her children begin to display powers she doesn’t possess and Shadow brings wolf pups to the mix.Will Nichol continue to be hunted by Fredrik, her evil half-brother?
Does Duke Richard have hidden motives in seeking Nichol’s advice?
Can the village of Harmonie become the model for hamlets within the Kingdom of Normandy?
Do Nichol’s children have the skills that she has, or do they have new ones?
Will the Kingdom of Normandy accept her family and their rising status?
Authors Judith Briles and Brian Barnes weave book series for readers to open and fall into. It’s historical fiction that unravels the 11th century. Out of the darkness comes the empowerment of Nichol, creating a sanctuary and a revelation of what women with vision can achieve with their knowledge and skills.
The Secret Rise is Book 3 of the Harmonie Books series. Get Book 1, The Secret Journey and Book 2 The Secret Hamlet. Book 4, The Secret Awakening will be published in 2026.
The Secret Rise, book 3
The Secret Rise is a sweeping tale set in medieval Normandy and England, where Nichol, once a girl betrayed by her family, becomes the guiding light of a hidden hamlet called Harmonie. Now a wife and mother, she carries the weight of leadership, navigating danger from enemies old and new, forging bonds with Queen Emma of England, and testing the limits of her own strength and foresight. The book follows Nichol, her family, and allies as they face betrayal, curses, prophecy, and the unrelenting pressure of survival, all while a mysterious guiding presence known as the Lady shadows her path. It is both a story of individual courage and of how a community holds together when secrecy is no longer an option.
I found myself swept up by the writing. It has a rhythm that shifts between tenderness and suspense, sometimes almost too swiftly, but that kept me hooked. The dialogue feels earnest, and the authors have a knack for describing how ordinary moments, like a meal, a walk with children, or the hush before a dangerous meeting, carry enormous weight when survival is always at risk. The prose leaned on repetition of themes like destiny and trust, yet I also caught myself underlining sentences because they had that raw, heartfelt punch that lingers. What struck me most was how alive Nichol feels. She is fierce, protective, flawed, and burdened, and that combination made me root for her every step of the way.
What surprised me was the warmth threaded through the peril. This isn’t just about battles and politics; it is about mothers feeding babies, children inventing secret languages, and villagers laughing together after fear has passed. Those touches gave me chills in the best way. I will admit, at nearly five hundred pages, the book sometimes meanders. Still, I never truly wanted to put it down. The presence of the Lady, that mysterious spiritual force, added a quiet shimmer to the narrative, and I liked how it blurred the line between faith, fate, and imagination. It made me question whether strength comes from within or from something greater that whispers in the dark.
I closed the book feeling both satisfied and a little restless, already curious about the next installment. I would recommend The Secret Rise to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a hint of the mystical, especially those who like stories centered on strong women navigating impossible choices. It’s a book for anyone who wants to be pulled into another time and place, not just through action, but through the intimacy of family and the resilience of community.
Pages: 540 | ASIN : B0FDV29WWF
