King and Emperor

UK: Legend, 1996. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 6.25" x 9.5. h/b 452 pages, condition is very good, slight tanning to the edges of the pages. Set during an alternate Dark Ages that never was, The Hammer and the Cross is the gripping saga of Shef, the One King, a visionary and warrior whose accomplishments have changed the course of history. First, he led a mighty Viking horde to victory over England. Then he defeated his foes among the Norsemen to become the unquestioned King of the North. Now, in the powerful conclusion to Harry Harrison's acclaimed trilogy, Shef must face the reborn power of the Holy Roman Emperor. Ruled by the German knight, Bruno, who wields the Holy Lance with which Jesus Christ was slain, Rome threatens Shef's fearsome Viking navy with a new invention of unparalleled destruction: Greek fire. Unable to defend his fleet against this awesome weapon, Shef travels to the East in search of new wisdom, his quest leading him to the lavish court of the Moslem Caliph and, ultimately, to the secret hiding place of the Holy Grail. Faiths and empires clash in the final battle between The Hammer and The Cross, and not even the gods can predict the outcome.