Award-winning novelist Rusty Blackwood has announced the release of the hardcover edition of her latest novel, Before The Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster, now available for purchase. The book serves as the prequel to Blackwood’s multi-award-winning Autumn Trilogy, which includes The Perils of Autumn, a finalist in the 2019 International Book Awards and the American Book Fest’s 2019 awards program.
The new hardcover edition is significant for collectors and readers who prefer durable formats, as it completes the hardcover collection of the Autumn Trilogy. In a statement, Blackwood expressed her pleasure in offering the prequel in hardback, noting that it “finishes the collection perfectly, especially for the consummate collector, as well as all readers who prefer this choice of format.” The book is available at Amazon through Blackwood’s author page at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rusty-Blackwood/author/B0092XLBRM.
Before The Grandeur explores the origins of Cyril Landon, a central figure in the Autumn Trilogy. Set in the village of South Wood Chester, Gloucestershire, England, the story follows Cyril, a deprived young Englishman born into poverty, whose determination and grit lead him from a labourer’s situation at a local farm to a future he never imagined. The novel delves into themes of ambition, loyalty, and the transformative power of seizing opportunity.
Critical reception has been positive. Richard Prause of Readers Favorite praised the book for focusing on “the simple, powerful moments of a man earning the trust of a stallion,” calling it “a perceptive exploration of ambition and loyalty” and recommending it to fans of character-driven historical fiction. Another reviewer, Asher Syed, stated that the novel “will be a boon for readers who are already fans of the series, and a brilliant introduction to fans-in-waiting.”
For a limited time, Blackwood is offering the book at no charge, a move that allows new readers to familiarize themselves with Cyril Landon’s difficult beginnings before continuing to The Perils of Autumn. Blackwood noted that understanding Cyril’s journey through England’s war years “will better assist readers in understanding the difficult journey that precedes the grandeur awaiting them in The Perils of Autumn.”
The Autumn Trilogy centers on Autumn Leeves, a young Kentucky woman born in 1946 to an unwed mother, who in 1970 becomes a nurse caring for the terminally ill wife of Cyril Landon, a middle-aged English equestrian master and owner of Landon Lawns Stables. The series combines romance, mystery, and equestrian drama, earning praise from reviewers and readers alike.
Blackwood is also the author of Willow’s Walk and Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, both of which have received 5-star reviews. More information about her work is available at her website, http://www.rusty-blackwood.com.
