First published 1989
Catherine Velis works as a computer expert at an accounting firm in 1972. She has talents in music, painting, and chess that extend beyond her day job. When her company sends her to Algeria, someone offers her a side assignment that sounds too strange to believe. She must track down the scattered pieces of an ancient chess set that vanished centuries ago. The story jumps between her modern quest and events during the French Revolution in 1790. A young novice at an abbey discovers that her convent hides an extraordinary chess set once belonging to Charlemagne himself. This mystical game grants players access to supernatural abilities that defy understanding. The novice encounters the era's most powerful figures, including Robespierre and Napoleon, each pursuing their own schemes around the set. Catherine's search connects her to this revolutionary drama across time. Both women face dangerous forces that will do anything to control the chess set's incredible power.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, time-travel
Setting: Algeria, France
Period: 1972, 1790
512 pages · Hardcover · Headline