Heirs of Alexandria series

In our own universe, Hypatia of Alexandria was killed for her non-Christian views, shortly before the destruction of the Library of Alexandria by an angry mob. In the universe of the novels, Hypatia was converted to Christianity by John Chrysostom, and stopped the mob from destroying the Library. She continued her correspondence with John and Augustine of Hippo, which eventually led to the modern (1530s) divisions of the Church.

The Shadow of the Lion (2002) deals with Chernobog's attempt to destroy Venice and the awakening of the city's ancient powers. Marco is the main protagonist, while Chernobog acts through several intermediaries.

This Rough Magic (2003) is set in Corfu and features several new antagonists. It is largely centered on Maria and Benito's awakening, Marco having fit comfortably in his new role in Venice. Elizabeth Bartholdy has replaced Chernobog as the major behind-the-scenes villain in the book.

A Mankind Witch (2005) is a solo effort by Freer, and takes place between Shadow of the Lion and This Rough Magic. While Manfred and Eric are major characters, the focus is shifted to a thrall, Cair Aidin, and the Princess of Telemark, Signy. Trolls are the major antagonists of the story.

Much Fall of Blood (2010) follows Manfred and Erik after their journey to Jerusalem. They are attempting to broker an agreement between the Ilkhan and their nomadic cousins, the Golden Horde, which is complicated by disguised agents of Chernobog who wish to ensure no agreement occurs. In parallel, and eventually intersecting, Elizabeth Bartholdy's latest plot seeks to exploit and destroy an ancient supernatural pact between the family line of Prince Vlad of Wallachia and the supernatural powers that live in his domain, and both her nephew Prince Emeric of Hungary and the dark magician Count Mindaug work their own plots subverting hers.

Burdens of the Dead (2013) centers on Benito Valdosta's attempt to stop Chernobog's plots once and for all thanks after the revelations of Much Fall of Blood, through a naval war with Byzantium in an attempt to block a Black Sea fleet under construction for Chernobog from penetrating into the Mediterranean. The crossroads city of Constantinople is the focal point of their war, and the spirit of Hekate, goddess of crossroads and long worshipped in the Bosporus, quickly becomes involved in the war, and kidnapping and sorcery puts Benito's family at risk in an attempt to distract him and weaken the naval offensive. The original working title was Great Doom's Shadow.

All the Plagues of Hell (2018), by Eric Flint & Dave Freer, focuses on the city of Milan. The condottiere Carlo Sforza foils its Duke's attempt to assassinate him, lethally, and takes control of the city. The illegitimate daughter of the dead duke awakens a spirit of plague in an attempt to take control for herself, and magicians across Europe seek the source of their premonitions that a plague is awakening. This is complicated by the arrival in Milan of a notorious black magician, Count Mindaug, who most of the Christian magicians believe is the architect of the plague, by the involvement of Sforza's illegitimate son, Benito Valdosta of Venice, and the antagonism Venice has had for Sforza, and by Sforza's belief that magic is faked and lacks any spiritual or supernatural power.

The following characters appear in two or more novels in the series:

• Aidoneus: God of the dead.
• Aldanto, Ceasare: Milanese sell-sword and spy.
• Bartholdy, Elizabeth: Hungarian countess and "aunt" to King Emeric, she is hundreds of years old but appears to be in her early twenties. She engages in gruesome blood rituals to keep her youth.
• Bespi, Fortunato: Former Milanese spy, he is reprogrammed by the Strega to act as Marco's bodyguard.
• De Chevreuse, Francesca: Most powerful Courtesan in Venice, formerly of Orleans.
• Dell'Este, Enrico: The Duke of Ferrara and an excellent swordsmith, he is known as the Old Fox, perhaps the craftiest military mind Italy has seen in decades.
• Dorma, Petro: Head of the influential House Dorma, leader of the Lords of the Nightwatch, and a frontrunner for the position of Doge.
• Garavalli, Maria: A sharp-tongued canaler, one of the most feared women in the canals.
• Hakkonsen, Eric: An Icelander, bodyguard and mentor to Manfred.
• Hohenstauffen, Charles Fredrik: Holy Roman Emperor
• Evangelina: A member of the Hypatian order in Venice's St. Hypatia di Hagia Sophia.
• Jagiellon: Grand Duke of Lithuania, possessed by the demon Chernobog.
• Lopez, Eneko: A Basque cleric and ecclesiastical magician, he is perhaps the greatest sacred magician since Hypatia herself.
• Manfred, Prince of Brittany, Earl of Carnac, Marquis of Rennes, Baron of Ravensburg: Nephew of the Holy Roman Emperor, second in line to the throne, and Knight of the Cross.
• Mindaug, Kazimierz: Lithuanian count, advisor to various powers including Jagiellon, Countess Bartholdy, King Emeric, and Carlo Sforza.
• Montescue, Katerina (Kat): Heiress to the bankrupt House Montescue, she worked as a smuggler.
• Montescue, Ludovico: Current leader of House Montescue, having wasted most of his money in a pathetic effort to destroy the Valdostas.
• Sforza, Carlo: A notorious and skilled condottiere known as The Wolf of the North, he is a father of Benito Valdosta, with a long-standing grudge with Duke Enrico Dell'Este over the fate of Benito's mother. Carlo Sforza is substantially based on Francesco Sforza, a historical condottiere who became Duke of Milan in 1450.
• Valdosta, Benito: Grandson of the Duke of Ferrara, a pickpocket while in hiding.
• Valdosta, Marco: Grandson of the Duke of Ferrara and a skilled doctor (when trained) and powerful mage, he is the heir to House Valdosta and the Lion Crown.
• Winged Lion of Venice: The city's ancient guardian, which answers only to the wearer of the Winged Mantle.

Led by the Grand Metropolitan in Rome, the Petrine branch of the Church (named for St. Peter and built on the teachings of Hypatia and Chrysostom) is the creed of choice in Italy and Spain, with a relatively large following in Aquitaine. The Petrines are noted for taking a mediative role in politics and a more tolerant attitude to other faiths.

Most of central and northern Europe follow the Pauline creed (named for St. Paul and based on the writings of St. Augustine). The Paulines are recognized for a general intolerance to all non-Christians, though some members of the Church are more politic about it than others. There is no official head of the Pauline church, though the Holy Roman Emperor is the "Bulwark of the Faith". The Paulines very closely (with a few exceptions) resemble historical medieval Catholicism in faith, practice and politics.