Ascent by Cathie Dunn Publication Date: April 8, 2022 Ocelot Press Series: House of Normandy, Book One Genre: Historical Fiction Synopsis: A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty – the House of Normandy Neustria, Kingdom of the West Franks AD 890 Fourteen-year-old Poppa’s life changes when Northmen land near Bayeux. Count Bérengar, her father, submits to them, and she is handfasted to Hrólfr, the Northmen’s heathen leader, as part of their agreement. To her relief, Hrólfr leaves immediately in search of further conquest, only returning to claim her years later. In the face of retaliating Franks, they flee to East Anglia, where she gives birth to their son and daughter. When Hrólfr and Poppa return to reclaim Bayeux, his new campaign strikes at the heart of Frankish power, and King Charles of the West Franks offers him a pact he cannot refuse. In ex...