Under God's Rock

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Set in 11th-century Normandy, a blasphemous monk named Wido, crippled in his youth, discovers a relic that the Bible claims does not exist and the Catholic Church desperately wants to keep hidden. His reckless life changes dramatically when he encounters Styrkar, a Viking who survives a catastrophic rockfall that also devastates Wido's surroundings. Rescued by Styrkar, Wido hovers near death, while his widowed mother, Adelvia, shelters the Norseman from a relentless relic-hunter seeking treasure from Styrkar's sunken ship. As Adelvia grapples with her growing attraction to Styrkar, she betrays her deceased husband's memory, leading to a painful separation that endangers Styrkar's life. Captured and tortured by the warlord, Styrkar vows to protect the treasure he has fought for, unaware that it includes the holiest relic in Christendom, hidden beneath God's Rock. Nine months later, a desperate Wido commits an unspeakable act, fearing the Devil has taken hold of him. In her anguish, Adelvia turns her son over to the Church, where Wido grows to despise the hypocrisy he witnesses. For thirty-three years, he challenges God to heal his legs, culminating in a storm that brings him face-to-face with the relic. Wido's choices could unravel the very foundations of the Christian Empire, placing his fate—and that of the world—in his own hands.