The Last Days of Dom Sebastian

How can I rest until this story is told? Can I let such a tale slip unnoticed into history? Or allow men to take liberties, inventing lies about that which is precious to me? I, Luis Pereira, Dom Sebastian’s friend and confessor, can alone let the truth stand for posterity …

Dom Sebastian, the deposed king of Portugal, after losing the battle of Alcácer Quibir in Morocco, flees to the East on board the Nossa Senhora dos Anjos. After months on the ocean, her crew ravaged by disease and starvation, the ship drifts towards Australian shores, pursued by the highly trained guarda-costras, minions of Cardinal Henrique, who has seized the throne.

Together with the beautiful Nicolá Massane, of Lisbon University, Australian archaeologist Francis da Costa follows a trail of relics and mythology to a valley surrounded by cliffs of red stone. Yet, the Kimberley landscape and its people have memories of their own. The past, written in blood on the soil, is deeply malevolent.

The medieval and modern threads build towards a shattering and simultaneous climax that will thrill the reader and resonate long after the book is closed.
The Last Days of Dom Sebastian is a story of adventure and conflict: a rumination on the darker side of the psyche, and on the unseen marks each of us leaves on the landscape when our time on earth is done.

REVIEW FROM PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:

Barron’s century-spanning epic will thrill readers who love history, archaeology, and a mystical twist. His prose and storytelling shine as he carefully balances two narrative modes that are widely different in content and form. Romance fans are sure to enjoy the sparks that fly between da Costa and Massane, while history lovers will appreciate how Barron delivers well-researched facts with flair.

The Last Days of Dom Sebastian combines the best elements of The Count of Monte Cristo with The Da Vinci Code, resulting in an adventure sure to grip readers from start to finish. This archaeological adventure twining past and present is a must-read for fans of thoughtful epic thrillers