Song of Montségur Trilogy

"Brilliance... genuinely innovative."

Booklist 

The epic history of the last of the Cathars, the rise of the Inquisition and the creation of the Tarot deck in Medieval Europe. A  grand adventure, "Set in thirteen century France – that hotbed heroes, heroines, and heresy – it's a wide-screen Technicolor adventure worthy of a full Errol Flynn treatment… an adventure for spiritual grownups that educates as much as it delights," according to bestselling author Lon Milo Duquette.

Populated with real historical characters, and following the early history of the famous adventurer-troubadour Ramon Lull — himself the author of 300 books and an inspiration for Tarot decks in the thirteenth century, the trilogy is published in three beautiful editions.

• Book 1 — The Last Troubadour 

"Recommended for all." Library Journal

Ramon Troubadour returns home to a devastated Carcassonne to rescue a Holy Relic and the Lady of the Cathars from the Inquisition. With characters right out of history and the Tarot deck, Ramon must save the Lady to prevent a war... Read more..
 
Available Now, wherever books are sold. (ISBN 9781601640109)

• Book 2 — The Last Quest

"Action-packed second novel." Publishers Weekly
Ramon, the last living troubadour, and the other children of Magba have escaped Carcassonne with the precious Dame, the Jewel of the South in book one, The Last Troubadour. Now, in The Last Quest they must fight their way through the Phantom Wood and achieve sanctuary at Chateau Montségur.

Available October 1, 2008, wherever books are sold. (ISBN 9781601640109)

• Book 3 — The Last Stand

 
The not-to-be-missed conclusion.
Available September 2009.

The Last Troubadour

First Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle

A Historical Thriller by Derek Armstrong 

LOGLINE
 In this historical thriller set against the rich background of the 13th century Inquisition, the last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue a holy Christian relic from a crusading king. Seamlessly weaving the history of the Cathar Crusade with the historical origins of the Tarot deck, this fascinating, genre-bending epic brings symbols of the Tarot to life.

Review Snippets

"Brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways. A writer of abundant talent." — Booklist, David Pitt

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that Derek Armstrong wrote his novel, The Last Troubadour – Song of Montségur, purely for my own amusement and pleasure. With wit, wisdom (and more than an occasional wink) he has written a novel that panders to nearly every one of my cultural, spiritual, and historical prejudices. Set in thirteen century France – that hotbed heroes, heroines, and heresy – it's a wide-screen Technicolor adventure worthy of a full Errol Flynn treatment… an adventure for spiritual grownups that educates as much as it delights. I can't wait for the next in the series."

Lon Milo DuQuette – Author of Accidental Christ

"Tales about the Inquisition are not supposed to be amusing and entertaining, but Armstrong (The Game) manages to make them just that while keeping historical integrity mostly intact... recommended for all." — Library Journal Review

 

"The 13th-century French inquisition that targeted the heretical Cathar sect provides the backdrop for Armstrong’s action-packed second novel (after The Game)." — Publishers Weekly Review

 

"Derek Armstrong is good." —Michael Korda, editor in chief emeritus, Simon & Schuster, and author, Charmed Lives and Another Life

"A wonderful work of art." —Aeclectic Tarot, Bonnie Cehovet 

"Adventure for the mind, body and soul. I loved it." —Tarot Channel, Gayla Uslu

"The tarot-themed characters are inspired. An author to watch." —Films and Books 

US Price $ 24.95
Canadian Price $26.95 

ISBN 9781601640109

Please view the exciting novel trailer. Click below:

Book Flap Copy

Ramon Troubadour returns to his devastated home city of Carcassonne to rescue the holy Dame of the Cathars from the flames of the Inquisition. His famous voice and sense of humor help him make new allies in his quest to prevent a bloody crusade

Only the Dame knows the secret of the holy relic of Montségur. A king will go to war for the relic. A dying pope will kill for it.

 

Helped by a nameless one-eyed knight, a fighting damsel, a witch and a circus of colorful entertainers on dancing horses, Ramon must stand against a terrifying army led by Death incarnate, complete with archetypal scythe.

 

Based on the true history of the Inquisition and the legend of the Tarot, The Last Troubadour assembles a magnificent cast right out of the Tarot deck: the Fool, the Magician, The Emperor, The Pope, Death and even The Devil. Don’t miss this tale of knightly valor, Tarot symbolism, tragic history and exciting quests.

 

Visit Armstrong's informative and fun Tarot Cards and Troubadour Magic blog!

Note: If your favorite bookseller is not on this list—or if you ARE a bookseller and would like to be on this list—please email us link information. If your favorite retailer doesn't have a copy of The Last Troubadour, please ask them to order! We support all booksellers. Thank you!

• Amazon.com: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur
• Amazon.ca (Canada)
  
• Barnes & Noble
• Book Passage
• Book People
• Books & Books
• Books Inc.
• Books-A-Million (BAM!)
• BookSense (enter your zip code to be directed to your favorite independent bookseller, then please ask for The Game)
• Borders: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur
• Boulder Book Store
• Brookline Booksmith
• Changing Hands
• Chapters/Indigo Canada
• Cody's Books
• Copperfield's
• eCampus
• Harvard Bookstore
• Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
  
• Kepler's
• Powells
• Square Books
• Tattered Cover Bookstore

SYNOPSIS

Armstrong brings his "genre-bending" skills to the thirteenth century, quilling a laugh-out-loud historical thriller that is at once genuine, amusing, tragic and exciting. The last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue the Holiest Christian relic from a crusading Sainted King and "flaming" Pope Innocence. With him are a disgraced Templar and a luscious Temptress. Together, the Troubadour, the Templar and the Temptress—a heretic, athiest and pagan—are the last hope to save the Holy of Holies from powerful men who would exploit it to provoke a new crusade to Jerusalem.

Armstrong somehow retains his trademark "prose style that keeps us chuckling" (Booklist) while pointing his satirical wit at a Church that believes the answer to faith is to burn any who do not believe. With larger-than-life characters that manage not to become caricatures, Armstrong sets his heroes against the Diableteur, a witch hunter who resembles the archetypal "Death and his sickle", a lecherous archbishop who believes the relic can make him the next Pope, and a Pope who knows the true nature of the relic will destroy the Church. With Ramon Troubadour and his Templar/Temptress duo are an eclectic cast of characters—the one-eyed "white" knight who falls in love with the virgin Holy Lady, a Novgorodian wandering sorceress, and famous rebels, Doré the Dandy and Osric the Hammer. Oh, not to forget little Mauri, a "rat-like" mongrel of a dog who often "saves the day", and Izzy and Wizi, two "nearly human" horses.

If you enjoy your thrills and history—crusading knights, romantic-but-funny troubadours, fighting damsels, evil archbishops and roasting "heretics" on the pyre—mixed with a generous dollop of humor, large dashes of historical tragedy, and a big splash of satire, you'll adore The Last Troubadour, a genre-bend if there ever was one. 

IN USA: $24.95

NEW Canadian Price $26.95* 

*Please allow Canadian retailers time to adjust pricing. 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Armstrong, Derek Lee.
  The last troubadour : a novel / Derek Armstrong. -- 1st ed.
       p. cm. --  (Song of Montsegur ; bk. 1)
  Summary: "Historical thriller focused on the 13th century Cathar crusade, the development of tarot cards, Pope Innocent IV, Saint Louis of France, the Holy Grail, based on true history"--Provided by publisher.
  ISBN 978-1-60164-010-9
 1.  France--History--13th century--Fiction. 2.  Carcassonne (France)--History--Fiction. 3.  Troubadours--Fiction. 4.  Albigenses--Fiction. 5.  Inquisition--France, Southern--Fiction. 6.  Tarot cards--Fiction.  I. Title.
  PS3601.R575L37 2007
  813'.6--dc22
                                                            2007028101

The Tarot and The Cathars 

 Armstrong seemlessly blends true history and historical characters—Pope Innocent, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, Ramon Troubadour, Archbishop Amiel, Viscount D'Arci—with a little whimsical "possible history." It has long been reported by scholars that one possible source of Tarot symbolism were the Christian Cathars who feature in Armstrong's novel as the persecuted people "burned as heretics" by the Church. Armstrong cleverly weaves a "possible" history of the Tarot, making historical characters come alive as the Fool (Ramon Troubadour), the Magician (Nevara), Death (Diableteur), the Pope (Pope Innocent IV), the High Priestess (Dame Esclarmonde de Foix), Chariot (Arnot, the Templar) and many other eclectic and fascinating characters. Not only is the "mystical" history possible, it's clever and funny, adding rich dimension and imagery to The Last Troubadour.

The Holy of Holies

The Cathars of Montségur are famous as the "guardians" of holy relics of Christianity, and Armstrong uses this "fact" to weave a historical epic of great intensity and joy. 

The Quest and The Last Stand

Don't miss the sequels to The Last Troubadour—The Quest (Second Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle) and The Last Stand, scheduled for spring and fall 08 respectively.

Derek Armstrong

Derek Armstrong loves the provocative, controversial and unique. What the critics say:

"Armstrong's abudant enthusiasm for his material, combined with the semi-satirical plotline, compel us to keep reading, and his prose style keeps us chuckling." David Pitt, Booklist Magazine

"Derek Armstrong is good,"
Michael Korda, Simon & Schuster VP.

"Gruesome, suspenseful, and rich with dark humor, Armstrong moves the reader through time and space with a keen sense of momentum and dash. His characters are diverse, bold, unforgettable..." ForeWord Magazine

Armstrong focuses on "high concept" but with a key difference. Black humor, edgy dialogue and "broad swipes at the cultural zeitgeist" are integral to Armstrong's unique writing. Armstrong is as likely to make fun of his own "thriller" genre as reality television--the target of his attack in The Game. His historical thriller, The Last Troubadour makes light of both the historic Catholic Church AND the latest passion for Holy Grail. He has been called "cheeky" and "daring" and "provocative." Derek Armstrong writes thrillers because, according to him, "they're entertaining and you can be ridiculous and serious at the same time. Thrills and laughs belong together. Really."

Accomplishments: Derek Armstrong has won many awards for advertising copywriting Internationally and wrote The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster) with co-author Kam Wai Yu, now translated to five languages. Forthcoming titles include MADicine, the whacky thriller sequel to The Game, this time taking major swipes at medicine and scientific research.

From Derek's Blog: "My historical epic historical adventure The Last Troubadour — first book of the Song of Montségur trilogy — finally released after 20 years of research, multiple publisher offers and a considerable buzz. Song of Montségur has history, too. Kam Wai Yu invented the animated novel trailer — the very first book video ever produced (click here to play the eighties original -- then here to play the revised 2007 version!), back in the eighties for this epic adventure. It's a classic!

 Why the buzz? Well, aside from grand adventure, knights templars, Holy relics, holy wars, burning pagans and heretics, genuine acts of heroism and historical treasures, we have — perhaps for the first time in this fun format — a history of the Tarot told through colorful characters and events..." Read more...

Find out about Kunati's TROUBADOUR TAROT Deck, coming 2008! 

Read Derek Armstrong's Troubadour and Tarot Blog.

Read Derek Armstrong's Interpretation of the Tarot Cards.

 Copyright Note: Illustrated Tarot cards are copyright-free photograph images of original decks. All Pamela Colman Smith illustrations are from an actual 1910 Rider-Waite-Smith deck, free of copyright. The Medeival deck is hand-painted circa 1451.

The Last Troubadour

First Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle

A Reviewer's Synopsis —

"Brilliance"

"The story (which is set in the mid-thirteenth century) is intriguing: a motley trio of heroes—a troubadour, a Templar, and a beautiful woman—must find the world’s most important religious relic before the evil Diableteur, a disfigured witch hunter who is working for the Pope, gets to it. At stake: the future of the Catholic Church. The characters are amusing. The novel is thoroughly readable and has more than a few moments of brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways. A writer of abundant talent."

— David Pitt, Booklist Magazine

 

---

See the excitement! Click the video novel trailer below.

---

 

Full synopsis here    •    More Reviews here    •    Chapter Excerpt here

Meet the author    •    Purchase from your favorite retailer now

US Price $ 24.95
Canadian Price $26.95
ISBN 9781601640109

Book Flap Copy

Ramon Troubadour returns to his devastated home city of Carcassonne to rescue the holy Dame of the Cathars from the flames of the Inquisition. His famous voice and sense of humor help him make new allies in his quest to prevent a bloody crusade

Only the Dame knows the secret of the holy relic of Montségur. A king will go to war for the relic. A dying pope will kill for it.

Helped by a nameless one-eyed knight, a fighting damsel, a witch and a circus of colorful entertainers on dancing horses, Ramon must stand against a terrifying army led by Death incarnate, complete with archetypal scythe.

 

Based on the true history of the Inquisition and the legend of the Tarot, The Last Troubadour assembles a magnificent cast right out of the Tarot deck: the Fool, the Magician, The Emperor, The Pope, Death and even The Devil. Don’t miss this tale of knightly valor, Tarot symbolism, tragic history and exciting quests.

 

Visit Armstrong's informative and fun Tarot Cards and Troubadour Magic blog!

 

• Amazon.com: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur

• Amazon.ca (Canada)
  
• Barnes & Noble
• Book Passage
• Book People
• Books & Books
• Books Inc.
• Books-A-Million (BAM!)
• BookSense (enter your zip code to be directed to your favorite independent bookseller, then please ask for The Game)
• Borders: The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur
• Boulder Book Store
• Brookline Booksmith
• Changing Hands
• Chapters/Indigo Canada
• Cody's Books
• Copperfield's
• eCampus
• Harvard Bookstore
• Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
  
• Kepler's
• Powells
• Square Books
• Tattered Cover Bookstore

 

SYNOPSIS

Armstrong brings his "genre-bending" skills to the thirteenth century, quilling a laugh-out-loud historical thriller that is at once genuine, amusing, tragic and exciting. The last living troubadour, condemned by the church as a heretic, must rescue the Holiest Christian relic from a crusading Sainted King and "flaming" Pope Innocence. With him are a disgraced Templar and a luscious Temptress. Together, the Troubadour, the Templar and the Temptress—a heretic, athiest and pagan—are the last hope to save the Holy of Holies from powerful men who would exploit it to provoke a new crusade to Jerusalem.

Armstrong somehow retains his trademark "prose style that keeps us chuckling" (Booklist) while pointing his satirical wit at a Church that believes the answer to faith is to burn any who do not believe. With larger-than-life characters that manage not to become caricatures, Armstrong sets his heroes against the Diableteur, a witch hunter who resembles the archetypal "Death and his sickle", a lecherous archbishop who believes the relic can make him the next Pope, and a Pope who knows the true nature of the relic will destroy the Church. With Ramon Troubadour and his Templar/Temptress duo are an eclectic cast of characters—the one-eyed "white" knight who falls in love with the virgin Holy Lady, a Novgorodian wandering sorceress, and famous rebels, Doré the Dandy and Osric the Hammer. Oh, not to forget little Mauri, a "rat-like" mongrel of a dog who often "saves the day", and Izzy and Wizi, two "nearly human" horses.

If you enjoy your thrills and history—crusading knights, romantic-but-funny troubadours, fighting damsels, evil archbishops and roasting "heretics" on the pyre—mixed with a generous dollop of humor, large dashes of historical tragedy, and a big splash of satire, you'll adore The Last Troubadour, a genre-bend if there ever was one. 

IN USA: $24.95

NEW Canadian Price $26.95* 

---

ISBN-13: 978-1-60164-010-9
ISBN-10: 1-60164-010-2
Fall 2007
384 pages
US$ 24.95
Kunati Cloth Hardcover

---

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Armstrong, Derek Lee.
  The last troubadour : a novel / Derek Armstrong. -- 1st ed.
       p. cm. --  (Song of Montsegur ; bk. 1)
  Summary: "Historical thriller focused on the 13th century Cathar crusade, the development of tarot cards, Pope Innocent IV, Saint Louis of France, the Holy Grail, based on true history"--Provided by publisher.
  ISBN 978-1-60164-010-9
 1.  France--History--13th century--Fiction. 2.  Carcassonne (France)--History--Fiction. 3.  Troubadours--Fiction. 4.  Albigenses--Fiction. 5.  Inquisition--France, Southern--Fiction. 6.  Tarot cards--Fiction.  I. Title.
  PS3601.R575L37 2007
  813'.6--dc22
                                                            2007028101

 

Tarot and the Cathars

 

 Armstrong seamlessly blends true history and historical characters—Pope Innocent, Dame Esclarmonde de Foix, Ramon Troubadour, Archbishop Amiel, Viscount D'Arci—with a little whimsical "possible history." It has long been reported by scholars that one possible source of Tarot symbolism were the Christian Cathars who feature in Armstrong's novel as the persecuted people "burned as heretics" by the Church. Armstrong cleverly weaves a "possible" history of the Tarot, making historical characters come alive as the Fool (Ramon Troubadour), the Magician (Nevara), Death (Diableteur), the Pope (Pope Innocent IV), the High Priestess (Dame Esclarmonde de Foix), Chariot (Arnot, the Templar) and many other eclectic and fascinating characters. Not only is the "mystical" history possible, it's clever and funny, adding rich dimension and imagery to The Last Troubadour.

The Holy of Holies

The Cathars of Montségur are famous as the "guardians" of holy relics of Christianity, and Armstrong uses this "fact" to weave a historical epic of great intensity and joy. 

The Quest and The Last Stand

Don't miss the sequels to The Last Troubadour—The Quest (Second Book of the Song of Montségur Cycle) and The Last Stand, scheduled for spring and fall 08 respectively.

 

Derek Armstrong

Derek Armstrong loves the provocative, controversial and unique. What the critics say:

"Armstrong's abundent enthusiasm for his material, combined with the semi-satirical plotline, compel us to keep reading, and his prose style keeps us chuckling." David Pitt, Booklist Magazine

"Derek Armstrong is good,"
Michael Korda, Simon & Schuster VP.

"Suspenseful, and rich with dark humor, Armstrong moves the reader through time and space with a keen sense of momentum and dash. His characters are diverse, bold, unforgettable..." ForeWord Magazine

Armstrong focuses on "high concept" but with a key difference. Black humor, edgy dialog and "broad swipes at the cultural zeitgeist" are integral to Armstrong's unique writing. Armstrong is as likely to make fun of his own "thriller" genre as reality television--the target of his attack in The Game. His historical thriller, The Last Troubadour makes light of both the historic Catholic Church AND the latest passion for Holy Grail. He has been called "cheeky" and "daring" and "provocative." Derek Armstrong writes thrillers because, according to him, "they're entertaining and you can be ridiculous and serious at the same time. Thrills and laughs belong together. Really."

Accomplishments: Derek Armstrong has won many awards for advertising copywriting Internationally and wrote The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster) with co-author Kam Wai Yu, now translated to five languages. Forthcoming titles include MADicine, the whacky thriller sequel to The Game, this time taking major swipes at medicine and scientific research.