Sandra's Book Club: Blog Tour: A CODE OF KNIGHTS AND DECEPTION by Eliza Hampstead

A CODE OF KNIGHTS AND DECEPTION

Eliza Hampstead

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GENRE: Historical Time Travel Romance

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BLURB:

Outlander meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance.

She thought it was real. She was wrong.

When Sophia wakes up in 15th-century England, she expects hardship—but nothing prepares her for this brutal, unforgiving world. Lost, alone, and desperate to return to her husband and son, she vows to find a way home. But as the days turn into months, Sophia begins to build a new life, finding unexpected kinship and purpose in this strange land.

After a violent attack, she takes fate into her own hands, disguising herself as a man to train under Henry, the castle’s enigmatic master-at-arms. As steel clashes and their connection deepens, forbidden desire ignites.

Yet Henry is not who he claims to be. His real name is Ethan, and this is the least of the lies he tells her. Falling for Sophia was never part of the plan—but the closer they become, the more he realises how wrong it is to keep her in the dark.

As danger closes in and the lines between reality and deception blur, Sophia must uncover the truth about Henry—and herself—before she runs out of time.

*Warning: strong language, steamy scenes, and graphic violence inside. Mention/Description of, but not limited to, abduction, blood, death, amputation, childbirth, death, sexual assault, suicide, violence against children, rape, and torture.*

The book is the first in a duology and ends with a cliffhanger.

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Excerpt Three:

I tensed up, unsure of what would happen next. Would they really go through with it? Beating someone up for a believable story was one thing, but they wouldn't kill an actor, would they? No, they wouldn't go that far; I was sure of it.

Before I could process the thought, two soldiers brought forth a rope, swinging it over the tall branch of an oak in the square. They couldn't possibly stage this, could they? Hanging someone without harm wasn't possible. Using the fake hand and stage blood was one thing, but hanging someone? That could go wrong very quickly! Surely, any moment now, a rider would burst through the crowd, interrupting the execution. But no such intervention came. The dreadful scene continued.

Helpless and sick, my stomach churned as the farmer was led to the tree, and the noose was placed around his neck. A priest stepped forward, reciting a brief Latin prayer, his voice audible amidst the oppressive silence. Was this really happening? They couldn't just sentence him one minute and hang him the next! There had to be some sort of protocol or waiting period, right?

As time ticked by and nothing happened, it became clear that this was not a show or a performance. This was a real execution, taking place right before our eyes in a matter of minutes.

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What was your favorite scene to write for this book and why?

Thanks for having me! I’d like to talk about my favourite scene to write in A Code of Knights and Deception, and that would definitely be the battle scene.

Writing battle scenes is always a challenge, but this one was particularly special for me because it was a chance to bring everything I’d learned from my sword fighting lessons into the book. I’ve always had a fascination with medieval combat, and being able to combine that knowledge with the emotions and stakes of the characters made this scene feel really alive on the page.

What made this scene so much fun to write wasn’t just the action—though, trust me, I loved weaving in the swordplay and strategy—it was the emotional charge that came with it. For Sophia, it was her first real taste of the dangers of the medieval world she’s found herself in, and her survival instincts kicked into overdrive. It’s also a pivotal moment where she gets to put everything she’s learned about sword fighting into practice—everything she’s trained for earlier in the book—so she can protect the people she’s come to love, her new family at the castle.

At the same time, it was a moment for Ethan to show his true side, and for their relationship to evolve. You get to see them both at their best and their most vulnerable in this scene, and that balance of action with emotional depth is what made it a joy to write.

Plus, I’ll admit—there’s something immensely satisfying about getting to describe all the choreography and movements of a sword fight. It’s like I got to live out my own fantasy of being a medieval knight, even if only through Sophia’s eyes!

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s one of those scenes where the energy from the characters really jumped off the page for me, and I can’t wait for you to experience it too.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award-winning author Eliza Hampstead, a scientist by training, lives with her family in the UK. When she's not writing, she spends her time as a geek. Playing all sorts of games (board games, video games, RPGs) and being a big fan of medieval history are only a few of the many hobbies she has. Passionate about fantasy, she’s always planning her next adventure.

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