Outlander
meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance!
A Code of
Knights and Deception
Swords of
Time Book 1
by Eliza
Hampstead
Genre: Dark
Time Travel Historical Romantasy
Outlander
meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance!
Sophia
I thought I was trapped in history. Turns out, it’s far worse than I imagined.
I woke up in
15th-century England, a brutal world where women are silenced, superstition
rules, and survival depends on obedience. Trapped far from my husband and son,
nothing makes sense. I’m a scientist, not a damsel in distress, so I did what I
had to—I disguised myself as a man and trained with Henry, the castle’s
master-at-arms, learning to wield a sword to defend myself.
But as I
carve my place in this world, my forbidden love for Henry shakes everything I
believed in. Do I fight to return home—or surrender to a future I never
imagined?
Yet, I can’t
shake the feeling that Henry is hiding something—something that could shatter
everything I’ve fought for.
Ethan
What if the woman you’re supposed to observe becomes the one you can’t live
without?
I never meant to fall for her. She’s fearless, brilliant, captivating. Every
lesson, every stolen moment deepens the lie—and my guilt. I’m not the man she
thinks I am. That my name is Ethan, not Henry, is the least of the lies I tell
her.
If she learns the truth, I’ll lose her forever.
And time is running out.
*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.
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.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
What inspired you to write this book?
Twelve years ago, I was standing in a muddy field at a medieval fair, watching a reenactment of a sword fight. I’d just started learning broadsword techniques at a fencing school, and for the first time in my life, I could see myself inside the stories I used to love—epic battles, knights in shining armour, high-stakes romance. I remember thinking: What would happen if someone like me—a modern woman, a scientist—suddenly woke up in medieval England? That one question never left me.
At the time, I wasn’t a published author. I was scribbling down fragments in notebooks and Word docs, trying to juggle a demanding job and motherhood. But this idea... this one stuck. I didn’t want to write another time-travel story with magic or portals or ancient relics. I wanted a world that felt real. Harsh, beautiful, flawed. And I wanted a heroine who wasn’t a damsel or a quirky romantic comedy lead. I wanted someone with intelligence, grit, and the kind of vulnerability that comes from losing everything you know.Tto end the story. I’d written almost the entire first draft before I shelved it. It wasn’t until I finished my fantasy romance series, The War of the Nephilim, that I felt like I understood how to write emotional arcs—how to balance deep worldbuilding with romantic tension, and how to trust myself to let the characters l
When I returned to A Code of Knights and Deception, I rewrote almost every chapter. But the heart of the story—the woman who wakes up in a medieval castle and doesn’t know if she’ll ever get home—remained the same. Today, the book feels more relevant than ever. The question it poses feels even more urgent: What is real? And if given the choice, would you return to your reality… or stay in the dream?
Thank you!
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