Cirrus@Austlit

'December 1940, London: Christopher Larkham finds an ancient Roman ring inscribed with a phoenix. As he takes shelter from the firestorm of the Blitz, the ring glows, and pushing open a door, he finds himself in 1666 and facing the Great Fire of London. Fire-and-brimstone preacher, Brother Blowbladder, and his men of the Righteous Temple have prayed for the ancient gods of fire to bring flames down upon London, a city of sin. Could Christopher be their messenger? Or was it the strange girl on the quay who drew him back in time? Why do the Righteous men wear the same phoenix symbol as the engraving on Christopher's ring?

'The Fire Watcher trilogy follows Christopher and his new friends race to untangle the truth of the phoenix ring, and face the greatest fires in the citys history.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'May 1941. The Blitz is reaching its fiery climax. Christopher tries to go back to 1666; to find his new friends and learn more about the power of his phoenix ring. Instead, he finds himself in a smaller, older river port town known as Lundenwic, where the Anglo-Saxon community faces an invasion by the dreaded Vikings. Christopher must discover why the ring has brought him here, and how to get back to his own time. But then Viking ships appear on the Thames, and their warriors threaten to burn the city and conquer the whole of England.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'August 1944. The war is finally turning against Hitler, but he has one last secret weapon: flying bombs, sent to destroy the City of London. But Christopher only cares about solving the riddle of the phoenix ring. He journeys back to its source: early Roman Londinium, now surrounded on all sides by the armies of the British queen, Boudica. With help from a slave girl, Fortunata, Christopher learns the secrets of the ancient Roman fire-watchers, the Vigiles: but unknown to him, a sinister figure from 1666 has followed him through time. The chase takes Christopher and Fortunata through the battle for Londinium, then across the centuries, to a rebuilt 17th century London where Christopher and his friends finally untangle the truth.' (Publication summary)