Summer, 1522. In a wave of pomp, Henry VIII's court welcomes the Imperial emperor Charles V. Anthony Blanke – the son of the king's late 'black trumpet', John Blanke – is called to Hampton Court by Cardinal Wolsey who is preparing a gift for the King: a masque of King Arthur and the Black Knight. Anthony is set to take centre stage.

Soon, the festive mood sours. Wolsey's historian is found gruesomely murdered and a reluctant Anthony is charged with investigating the crime. His mission takes him through ancient monastic libraries and the back streets of London and sees him lock horns with secretive monks, historian Polydore Vergil, and a new face at court, Anne Boleyn. 

Blanke must discover the murderer, secure the great masque, and avoid King Henry's wrath.

'Beautifully written ... a unique tale told in a unique voice' - S.G. Maclean

'A crisp evocation of Renaissance-era London which has just enough period detail to bring it to life but not so much as to overburden it… in Anthony Blanke, Veerapen has come up with a protagonist who could sustain several sequels'

‘A splendidly enjoyable novel crying out for a sequel’

'This is a wonderfully evocative portrait of the earlier Tudor world, beautifully written with at times startlingly refreshing use of language and imagery. A unique tale told in a unique voice'

'Steven Veerapen is a new name on the fiction scene, but one of whom we’ll surely be hearing much, much more'

‘This rip-roaring account of murder and monastic intrigue in the court of Henry VIII reels with atmosphere and a thoroughly refreshing voice'

'A sparkling historical thriller, beautifully crafted and delivered with verve'

'A fascinating protagonist ... If you enjoy Tudor murder mysteries, you will be enthralled with Of Blood Descended'

'Immerses us in the origins of the Arthurian legends while providing a hierarchy of authentic characters who squelch their way through a genuine Tudor London'

'There is much to enjoy in this fast-moving thriller, well-located in its period and settings'

Steven Veerapen was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Mauritian father and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII’s six wives.