A historical novel by M. E. Javits

A crown.
A family.
A reckoning.

In medieval Sweden, blood binds a kingdom together. Ambition tears it apart.

Enter the world of The Folkungs, a sweeping saga of love, betrayal, royal rivalries, and the cost of power.

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Sweden · The year 1291
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Based on historical events
A family divided✦A kingdom contested✦A story remembered
Royal family seated at a banquet in a grand medieval hallA dynasty at the crossroads
The novel

Where history meets human ambition.

Three brothers stand in the shadow of a throne. Only one wears the crown.

When King Magnus dies, young Birger inherits a kingdom he is not yet ready to rule. His brothers Erik and Valdemar must find their own place in a royal household where private loyalties and public duty are always in conflict.

Against the castles, forests, and courts of medieval Scandinavia, family tensions grow into a struggle with consequences far beyond Sweden's borders.

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1291Where the novel begins
660Paperback pages
3Royal brothers
At the heart of the saga

Every alliance has a price.

A king and his brothers looking across a castle city01

Power

The crown is inherited. The authority to wear it must be won.

Noblewomen walking in a medieval castle garden02

Love

Marriage and devotion become inseparable from politics.

Two swordsmen sparring in a stone courtyard03

Betrayal

The deepest wounds are sometimes dealt by family.

Meet the characters

Born into royalty.
Bound by rivalry.

Birger, Erik, and Valdemar grow up together. Their paths will not remain the same.

From an uncertain young king to a gifted younger brother and the people caught between them, discover the intersecting lives that shape this world.

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Three medieval noble figures riding horses in a castle courtyardThe next generation
See the story unfold

A world made cinematic.

Take a glimpse into the atmosphere of The Folkungs through short visual interpretations of castle life, royal conflict, and the people behind the crown.

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These are conceptual visual scenes supplied for this site, not an official feature-film trailer.

Decorative rendering — not the publisher's printed cover

A saga in print & audio

The story is waiting for you.

A richly researched novel with a heart as compelling as its history.

Published by BookBaby, the novel is available in paperback and eBook formats, with an audiobook narrated by Wyn Delano. Explore retailers and choose how you want to enter the story.

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From reader reviews
“

“A wonderful saga combining love, struggle, intrigue…”

Reader review · excerpt

“Fast moving and gripping.”

Reader review · excerpt

“Well-written and deeply researched.”

Reader review · excerpt
1 / 3
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Portrait photograph supplied for the author section
Behind the pages

Meet M. E. Javits.

From Stockholm to New York, the author brings a deeply personal interest in Scandinavian history to the page.

Born in Sweden and educated in both Stockholm and at Columbia University, Margaretha Espersson Javits blends historical research with the imagination of the novelist.

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Enter the saga

One kingdom. Three brothers.
Countless loyalties.

Discover the sweeping historical novel inspired by medieval Sweden's royal past.

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