Alfred, the great king, is said to be dying. Rivals for his succession are poised to tear the kingdom apart -- the country Alfred has worked thirty years to build is about to disintegrate. Uhtred, the king's warrior, Saxon born but Viking raised, wants more than anything else to go and fight to reclaim his stolen Northumbrian inheritance. But he knows that if he deserts the king's cause, Alfred's dream -- and indeed the future of the English nation -- will very likely vanish. A man torn between two worlds must decide where his loyalty lies and play his part in the story of how England was made -- and very nearly lost.

Originally published: 2011.