By Austin Hernon
If you’ve ever sat in your favorite chair with a good historical novel and felt time pass silently by, I have a story you’ll definitely want to know. It is the story of a young man shaped by the struggles, loyalty, heartache and turmoil of his coming of age. A story that takes you from royal courts to windswept battlefields, from whispered secrets to harsh lessons of survival.
Of course, I’m talking about The Wayward Prince Trilogy – a saga born from the echoes of our past, designed for readers who appreciate history not just as fact, but as lived experience.
A Prince Raised in Shadows, Not Ceremony
If you’ve ever sat in your favourite chair with a good historical novel and felt time pass silently by, I have a story you’ll definitely want to know. It is the story of a young man shaped by the struggles, loyalty, heartache, and turmoil of his coming of age—a journey I first began crafting in The Wayward Prince, the opening novel of the trilogy.
(You can discover the first book here: THE WAYWARD PRINCE )
As I wrote about his early years, I found myself walking with him—listening to the hushed conversations of courtiers, feeling the burden of expectations he never asked for, watching him slip into a hard, true world beyond the palace doors. There, among the common people, he learns lessons that no teacher can ever teach.
In these early moments, the line between prince and pauper becomes blurred. It is in that blurry place that he discovers not only who he is, but who he must become.
History Is Never Neat—And Nor Is His Path
One of the great joys of historical fiction is its honesty. The past has rarely been kind to princes. Prizes were not guaranteed, and the results were fair. With this in mind, the journey of our wayward prince is not a straightforward one.
There are battles, yes—on land and at sea—but some of the fiercest battles are fought within. These form the heart of the second book, THE WARRIORS OF THE CROSS, where alliances tighten, enemies emerge from the shadows, and loyalties begin to shift like the seasons.
And woven through it all are threads of real history – the events, customs, tensions and characters inspired by the fabric of the era.
I’ve stood on old battlements, traced the lines of ancient maps, and delved deep into historical accounts to breathe life into the world he inhabits.
For Readers Who Prefer Their History Alive and Beating
If you delight in historical fiction with energy—where the clatter of armour, the murmur of the marketplace, and the fragrance of woodsmoke feel utterly real—then this trilogy was written with you firmly in mind.
The Wayward Prince is no flawless hero. He is fully human—brave yet uncertain, honourable yet conflicted, capable of both bold action and deep reflection. It’s this humanity that I believe readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, and Philippa Gregory will recognise and connect with.
These stories are not about perfection. They’re about people—real, breathing, struggling people—who lived through times both brutal and beautiful.
Why the Story Still Matters Today
Although set against a centuries-old backdrop, the themes of the trilogy feel remarkably familiar: Strength, loyalty, identity, sacrifice, and the desire to find one’s place in the world.
These are universal struggles, not limited to royalty or history. Many readers have told me that watching Prince wrestle with his choices reminded them of their own battles—different in scale, of course, but similar in spirit.
That, to me, is the true power of historical fiction: it connects us across time.
A Final Invitation—from One History Enthusiast to Another
If you love immersing yourself in another era…
If you enjoy characters who grow, falter, and rise again…
If you treasure novels that feel as intimate as they are epic…
Then I invite you to step into The Wayward Prince Trilogy Series.
Walk the muddy roads with him.
Share the clash of steel.
Feel the weight of his crown—and the cost of carrying it.
Watch him transform from a hesitant youth into the man destiny demands.
And when you’re ready to experience the final reckoning of his journey, you’ll find it in the third book, THE VENGEFUL SON, where the consequences of every choice finally collide.