The Books of James Boschert

Explore a collection of historical novels and thrillers.

Hand selecting a book from old bookshelf.

Talon Series

Talon Series

Set in twelfth-century Palestine, the Talon series follows the adventures of Talon de Gilles, a hero whose life is shaped by the violent and complex world of the Crusades. His journey takes him from being a captive to an assassin, a knight, and a merchant.

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Assassins of Alamut book cover, mysterious woman.

Assassins of Alamut (Book 1)

  • Synopsis: Talon de Gilles, the 13-year-old son of a Christian knight of Jerusalem, is taken captive when ferocious Saracens attack his family’s caravan. Instead of being sold into slavery, he is forced to become an Assassin of the Ismaili, the most feared and hated sect in all of Persia. The Master of the Ismaili has plans for this young European, who will be able to pass unnoticed among his own kind to reach targets that not even the most skillful Saracen could approach unchallenged. But when Talon, his friend Reza, and Rav’an, the master’s own sister, discover treachery in the stronghold of Alamut, they must flee, using all their skills to evade the ruthless assassins sent to hunt them down across Persia, from frozen mountain passes to the flowering gardens of Isfahan.
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Knight in armor with castle background.

Knight Assassin (Book 2)

  • Synopsis: A joyous homecoming to France turns into a nightmare for Talon. Ruthless enemies, who will stop at nothing to destroy his entire family, are challenging his father's inheritance. To defend his family, Talon must use the skills he learned as a Persian Hashshashin to tip the balance in his family’s favor, an act he never wanted to do again. He relies on a handful of Welsh archers he met at sea and his uncle’s trusty sergeant, Max, to help him defend his family from this sinister plot.
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Book cover with crocodile, pyramid, and sunset.

Assassination in Al Qahira (Book 3)

  • Synopsis: Fate has other plans for Talon as he returns to the Holy Land to search for his beloved Ravan. His ship is wrecked off the coast of North Africa, but he and his sole surviving companion, Max, escape captivity and the threat of execution, only to risk their lives preventing a massacre. They find themselves in the care of a wealthy Egyptian family in the Fayoum, but are later recognized and made slaves. Brought to Al Qahira, a city seething with old enmities, intrigues, and treachery, Talon must call on all his skill as an assassin to protect the children he has sworn to guard with his life.
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Book cover: "Greek Fire" by James Boschert.

Greek Fire (Book 4)

  • Synopsis: After being imprisoned for brawling in Acre, Talon and his longtime friend Max are freed by an old Templar mentor and offered a new mission in Constantinople. There, Talon finds that winning the Emperor’s favor obligates him to follow the Emperor to war in an expedition to free Byzantine lands from the Seljuk Turks. Beneath the pageantry of the great city, seditious plans are being fomented by disaffected aristocrats who have made a reckless deal with Arab pirates to sell Greek Fire, the one weapon the Byzantine Empire has to defend itself. Talon and Max find themselves in a fight for their lives, both at sea and in the labyrinthine backstreets of Constantinople, where Talon must outwit his own kind, assassins in the pay of a treacherous aristocratic faction.
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Book cover: A Falcon Flies by James Boschert.

A Falcon Flies (Book 5)

  • Synopsis: Talon returns to the crusader port of Acre after more than a year in Byzantium as a rich man, the owner of ships, and in possession of a license to trade within the Empire. Riches, however, bring enemies, and accusations of witchcraft have followed him from Languedoc. He survives a daring attack by assassins, but then the kingdom of Baldwin IV is threatened by the Sultan of Egypt, Salah Ed Din. Talon must take part in one of the most significant battles of the time, Montgisard, to help ensure the continued survival of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. To avoid the assassins who have targeted him, he is forced to take a circuitous route through the deepest reaches of the southern deserts, facing betrayal, imprisonment, and execution along the way.
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Book cover: The Dragon's Breath, red background.

The Dragon’s Breath (Book 6)

  • Synopsis: Talon, now an assassin-turned-knight-turned-merchant, is restless and sets sail for the coasts of Africa and India with his wife and son, eager for adventure. After rescuing a Chinese lord named Hsü, their destination and fates are changed, and Hsü introduces them to the intricacies of trading in China and the wonders of Guangzhou, China’s richest city. But Hsü is drawn into a political competition for the position of governor, and his opponents target everyone associated with him, including the foreign merchants. Talon and Reza are drawn into supporting Hsü’s bid for power, and their fighting skills are put to the test against new weapons and unfamiliar fighting styles. It will take their combined skills to navigate the treacherous waters of intrigue and violence if they hope to return home.
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Storms of Retribution" book cover with knights.

Storms of Retribution (Book 8)

  • Synopsis: The year 1187 is one of the most fateful and disastrous for the Christian crusades in the Holy Land. With an act of savage banditry, an infamous lord of the Kingdom of Jerusalem destroys the treaties that have made possible a fragile peace, and led by Salah Ed Din, the armies of the Arab world converge on the borders of the Christian kingdom. Talon and his faithful companions find themselves fighting for their lives at the springs of Cresson and the Horns of Hattin, then among the survivors who take refuge in besieged Tyre. Meanwhile, in Talon’s absence, spies, assassins, and pirates converge on Cyprus, determined to take possession of all he has left behind, as rumors of hidden gold make his enemies more determined than ever.
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Cover of 'Midshipman Graham and the Battle of Abukir' with a naval battle scene.

Midshipman Graham and the Battle of Aboukir

  • Synopsis: It is midsummer of 1799 in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Young Midshipman Duncan Graham, without any familial privileges, can only advance through merit. During an expedition to obtain fresh water, he is left stranded on shore and must become very adaptable in order to avoid detection by the French police and help a British spy facilitate a daring escape by sea.
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Stormy sea with a ship under dark skies, promoting a thriller book.

North Sea Windstorm

  • Synopsis: This fast-paced story is set in an area regularly referred to in the legendary BBC Shipping Forecast, which experiences some of the worst weather conditions around the British Isles. The authentic world is filled with hard men, hard liquor, hard drugs, and cold-blooded murder. The characters, which include ex-military men from both sides of the Atlantic, crooked wheeler-dealers, and Danish detectives, are all in on the action.
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Book cover of 'When the Jungle is Silent' by James Boschert.

When the Jungle Is Silent

  • Synopsis: Set in Borneo during a little-known war called “the Confrontation,” this story tells of the British soldiers who fought in one of the densest jungles in the world. Jason, a young soldier of the Light Infantry, is stationed in Penang, an idyllic island off the coast of Malaysia, where his romance with a young American from the Peace Corps is interrupted when his regiment is sent to Borneo. Ill-prepared for the grim horror of a war in the jungle, he finds himself "Up Country" close to local populations of Iban headhunters and in the path of a determined Indonesian offensive. He is forced to wake up to the cruel harshness of real soldiering while he endeavors to stay one step ahead of the Indonesians, who are combing the jungle.
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A dark, eerie cover with a skeletal hand holding a scepter, titled 'A Congress of Kings' by James.

A Congress of Kings

  • Synopsis: A Congress of Kings By James-Boschert Ninth Book of Talon The year 1191 is the beginning of the Third Christian crusade in the Holy Land, and one of the most significant Under the vigilant protection of Lord Talon and his companions, the land of Kantara enjoys peace even as the tyrant Isaac Komnenos continues to plunder the rest of Cyprus. However, dark clouds are gathering, and great storms bring with them unwelcome Norman visitors. Soon Talon is embroiled in the invasion of Cyprus, assisting King Richard of England who, en route to Acre for the Third Crusade, must save his royal sister, Queen Joanna, from Isaac’s clutches. Talon is forced to accompany Richard I to the besieged city of Acre—a city which holds painful memories for Talon. There, quarreling kings, men who once were kings, and men who want to be kings form the leadership of the Crusading armies. Their lust for power blinds them to the threat posed by Salah ad Din, the skilled general who fights on the Arab side, continuing the tragedy that started with the terrible defeat at Hattin. And lurking out of sight is yet another implacable foe who prepares his own assassins for a mission of revenge. Talon has eluded the Fidai of The Master, Rashid ad Din for nearly twenty years, but his luck may be running out.
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