Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Griffin Brady’s recently released novel, The Hussar’s Duty, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. The Hussar’s Duty is a standalone continuation in The Winged Warrior series set in sixteenth-century Poland.

Blurb

Poland’s most valiant winged hussar is called to fight in a campaign ripe for disaster. But he must also protect those he loves from jackals waiting to pounce. How does he choose between duty and devotion when death is on the line?

When Sultan Osman II sends Poland’s envoy packing, the Commonwealth must prepare for war against one of the largest armies the Ottomans have ever assembled. Tasked with repelling the invasion is Grand Hetman of the Crown Stanisław Żółkiewski, and he knows who to turn to: Jacek Dąbrowski, the Commonwealth’s most valiant Polish winged hussar.

Jacek has been idle far too long, and the call to arms is a siren’s song he can’t resist. But he has built a life far from the battlefield with his wife, Oliwia, and their children. If he pursues his quest for glory, who will safeguard them?

Oliwia knows her husband is restless. In fact, she’s been sending Jacek on cross-country errands for years in the hopes of quelling his lust for battle. When she realizes her efforts are futile, she resolves herself to letting him go—after hatching a scheme to accompany him.

Honor. Obligation. Devotion. These forces push and pull Jacek in different directions. His country needs him, but so does his family. Where does his duty lie? His choice will cause catastrophic ripples no matter which path he follows … and could very well bring the loss of his loved ones or his life.

Will the cost of defending king and country prove too steep for this warrior?

Excerpt

Interlude

“To me!” Raising his sabre, Jacek jumped Heban to the outer edge of the camp just as a Tatar and his horse crashed into a tent next to him. He circled the camp on the edges of the fray. The air cleared, exposing the invading Mongols, before thickening once more. Pulse pounding in his ears, he raced to confront them. The sound of men yelling, horses braying, and metal clashing was a muffled din in his head.

Heban reared as they smacked into a pair of horses, nearly unseating Jacek. The horse came down hard, and the momentum of Jacek’s sabre swing accelerated. The blade sliced through fabric, muscle, and bone, and a shriek filled Jacek’s ears. The Tatar pulled away.

Meanwhile, Heban came to a complete standstill. Jacek nudged with his knees, dug in his spurs, cursed loudly, and the horse swung his back end to the side so they sat broadside to a Tatar with his blade held high above Jacek’s head. The perfect target.

Damned horse!

No time for the pistol.

Jacek lunged, chopping at the enemy horse’s forehead, and the beast screamed and bucked to the side at the same moment Heban once again swung his backside. The Tatar’s curved blade slashed air. Something, or someone, thudded against Jacek’s back. He looked up in time to catch the glint of a blade plunging toward him. A jerk to the side, and the weapon glanced off his shoulder. Jacek grabbed the man’s arms and pulled them over his shoulders as though he donned a cloak, hauling him from his saddle. Power surged in his veins, and he slammed his foe to the ground. The man grunted and disappeared under hooves.

“They’re fleeing!” Dawid yelled, and Jacek squinted into the dusty fog. The whoops of the Tatars pierced the air.

“Chase them!” another shouted.

Chest heaving, Jacek urged his horse, but Heban wouldn’t move. Had he not been astride the blasted animal when the call came, he would have gladly traded him for Jarosława. Old as she was, she was far more reliable.

“Hold!” came a command.

A panting Henryk reined in his horse beside Jacek. “Koniecpolski says not to pursue lest it’s a trap.”

Hand cupping his mouth, Jacek relayed the command. “Stop! Let them go.”

“It’s a rout!” a soldier yelled, and cheers went up.

“Look for survivors,” Jacek bellowed. He yanked on his reins, pulling Heban’s head to the right. The horse’s body followed. “Oh, by your leave, you damned horse!”

Jacek guided them toward the site where the heaviest fighting had taken place, Heban fighting his grip the entire way.

“No!” someone screamed behind them, and Jacek yanked the horse around—or tried to—but the beast wouldn’t cooperate. So Jacek swiveled his head toward the commotion.

Lying on his back in the dirt, someone held up his arm to protect himself from a Tatar looming above him, poised to pierce his heart.

Recognition dawned in less time than it took to blink an eye.

“Filip!” Jacek roared and leaped from his saddle, but Heban sidestepped, and he landed with a whomp that stole the air from his lungs.

Helplessly, Jacek watched as the blade came down.

 The Hussar’s Duty is available on Kindle Unlimited and at
Universal Link • Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon AU • Amazon CA

Griffin Brady

Griffin Brady is an award-winning historical fiction author with a keen interest in the Polish Winged Hussars of the 16th and 17th centuries. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Her debut novel, The Heart of a Hussar, was a finalist for the 2021 Chaucer Early Historical Fiction Award and a 2021 Discovered Diamond.

The proud mother three grown sons, she lives in Colorado with her husband. She is also an award-winning bestselling romance author who writes under the pen name G.K. Brady.

For more information about Griffin and her books click on the links below
Website • Twitter • Facebook • BookBub
Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

More information on the Coffee Pot Book Club and other works of quality historical fiction can be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Book Title: The Hussar’s Duty
Series: The Winged Warrior Series
Author: Griffin Brady
Publication Date: 18 May 18 2023
Publisher: Trefoil Publishing
Page Length: 538
Genre: Historical Fiction