The Lion and the Lily Books in Order

Napoleon rises from an outsider in Corsica to military commander and emperor of France. Victories across Europe feed his ambitions, but the invasion of Russia and mounting opposition test the limits of his power and judgment.

With Orléans besieged and France’s heir still uncrowned, young Joan claims a divine calling to lead an army. Her efforts to inspire soldiers and secure a coronation place her faith against political distrust and the threat of betrayal.

Catherine de’ Medici arranges a royal marriage hoping to ease France’s religious conflict. An attack on Admiral Coligny threatens that fragile peace, forcing her to confront competing loyalties as fear for her sons intensifies tensions in Paris.

Charlemagne inherits a divided kingdom in 768, facing rivalry with his brother and warfare beyond his borders. Campaigns against the Saxons and appeals from the pope challenge him to decide how conquest, faith, and kingship should fit together.

Robespierre enters revolutionary Paris determined to defend the poor and confront aristocratic privilege. As debate gives way to republican rule and political terror, his convictions isolate him from friends and deepen the conflict between justice and power.