A Code of Knights and Deception

Outlander meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance!

Swords of Time Book 1

by Eliza Hampstead

Genre: Dark Time Travel Historical Romantasy

Outlander meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance!

Sophia

I thought I was trapped in history. Turns out, it’s far worse than I imagined.

I woke up in 15th-century England, a brutal world where women are silenced, superstition rules, and survival depends on obedience. Trapped far from my husband and son, nothing makes sense. I’m a scientist, not a damsel in distress, so I did what I had to—I disguised myself as a man and trained with Henry, the castle’s master-at-arms, learning to wield a sword to defend myself.

But as I carve my place in this world, my forbidden love for Henry shakes everything I believed in. Do I fight to return home—or surrender to a future I never imagined?

Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that Henry is hiding something—something that could shatter everything I’ve fought for.

Ethan

What if the woman you’re supposed to observe becomes the one you can’t live without?
I never meant to fall for her. She’s fearless, brilliant, captivating. Every lesson, every stolen moment deepens the lie—and my guilt. I’m not the man she thinks I am. That my name is Ethan, not Henry, is the least of the lies I tell her.

If she learns the truth, I’ll lose her forever.

And time is running out.

*Warning: strong language, steamy scenes, and graphic violence inside. Mention/Description of, but not limited to, abduction, blood, death, amputation, childbirth, death, sexual assault, suicide, violence against children, rape, and torture.*

The book is the first in a duology and ends with a cliffhanger.

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Then, with a sudden crash, I was yanked back into reality. My eyes blinked open to find myself lying on beaten earth, small stones scattered around me like the remnants of some forgotten battle. I attempted to reach for them, but my fingers refused to obey my command. Were those dark pellets in the corner rat droppings? The thought made me want to retch, but I had no air to spare.

Before me appeared the bluest eyes I had ever seen. They fixed intently on my face, twin beacons of azure that seemed to anchor me against the encroaching tide of despair. I stared into them, unable to pull my gaze away from their hypnotic depths. They were like the water in the Mediterranean—inviting, warm, and mysterious all at once. Just as I longed to dive into those azure waves and sink into them on a hot summer day, I wanted to immerse myself in the comforting embrace of those mesmerising eyes.

Strong hands grasped my shoulders, shaking me back into reality with a jolt. I tore my gaze from those captivating eyes and looked downward, my vision fixing on sensually shaped lips surrounded by a dark beard. The man’s mouth moved vigorously, but I couldn’t make out the words he was saying. My ears were filled with a persistent ringing, drowning out the world around me.

“…breathe,” I finally heard him say, his voice taking on an urgent tone. “Can you hear me? You must draw breath!” He shook me again, his grip firm yet gentle, grounding me in the present moment. “Breathe! Quickly now, do not falter!”

Eliza Hampstead, a scientist by training, lives with her family in the UK. When she’s not writing, she spends her time as a geek. Playing all sorts of games (board games, video games, RPGs) and being a big fan of medieval history are only a few of the many hobbies she has. Passionate about fantasy, she’s always planning her next adventure.

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What inspired you to write this book?

Twelve years ago, I was standing in a muddy field at a medieval fair, watching a reenactment of a sword fight. I’d just started learning broadsword techniques at a fencing school, and for the first time in my life, I could see myself inside the stories I used to love—epic battles, knights in shining armour, high-stakes romance. I remember thinking: What would happen if someone like me—a modern woman, a scientist—suddenly woke up in medieval England? That one question never left me.

At the time, I wasn’t a published author. I was scribbling down fragments in notebooks and Word docs, trying to juggle a demanding job and motherhood. But this idea… this one stuck. I didn’t want to write another time-travel story with magic or portals or ancient relics. I wanted a world that felt real. Harsh, beautiful, flawed. And I wanted a heroine who wasn’t a damsel or a quirky romantic comedy lead. I wanted someone with intelligence, grit, and the kind of vulnerability that comes from losing everything you know.

The problem was, I didn’t know how to end the story. I’d written almost the entire first draft before I shelved it. It wasn’t until I finished my fantasy romance series, The War of the Nephilim, that I felt like I understood how to write emotional arcs—how to balance deep worldbuilding with romantic tension, and how to trust myself to let the characters lead.

When I returned to A Code of Knights and Deception, I rewrote almost every chapter. But the heart of the story—the woman who wakes up in a medieval castle and doesn’t know if she’ll ever get home—remained the same. Today, the book feels more relevant than ever. The question it poses feels even more urgent: What is real? And if given the choice, would you return to your reality… or stay in the dream?