12th Century Europe was a time of ferment and change as Crusaders returning from Palestine brought with them innovative ideas in architecture and art, medicine and science. Newly available translations from the ancient Greeks invigorated learning and philosophy and led to the rise of the university. The formation of towns and a growing merchant class loosened the bondage of serfdom and the medieval system of feudalism, furthering technical innovation and a broader prosperity.

The Basilisk, a novel set in the first half of that century tells the story of three historical figures, two of whom were giants of that era, the brilliant philosopher Peter Abelard and his antagonist, the powerful mystic and Christian reformer Bernard of Clairvaux. The novel's third historical character is Abelard's mistress and wife, Heloise, considered in her own right as one of the most significant women of that time.

The author surrounds these extraordinary personages with a cast of fictional and historical characters, whose own stories help recreate the remarkable age in which they lived, a period in history known to us today as the 12th Century Renaissance.