Coming June 16, 2026
740: Chiltrude, the daughter of Francia’s reigning family, aspires to wed her beloved Odilo, the Duke of Bavaria, and rule by his side. But her dying father forbids the marriage. As her brothers’ rivalry threatens to shatter the realm, she faces imprisonment in an abbey and fears for the baby in her womb.
Defying her kinsmen, she will risk everything to seize her heart’s desire, protect her child, and secure her Bavaria’s future. Amid the shifting loyalties of the duchy’s influential clans, she must outmaneuver Odilo’s archrival, her hostile in-laws, and most of all, her own brothers.
In Duchess of the New Dawn, Kim Rendfeld brings to life forgotten historical characters and events from the days of Charles Martel and tells the story of one woman’s audacity to choose her own path.
“…a romantic adventure and a masterclass in medieval realpolitik.” —Peggy Kurkowski, Foreword Reviews
“Swirling intrigue, alliances made and broken, and ever imminent warfare mark the world of Chiltrude.”—Karen Bordonaro, Historical Novels Review