AD 633 Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia he is compelled to join his brother Octa as a warrior in the household of King Edwin He must learn to fight with sword & shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria In a period of great upheaval for Dark Age Britain all he finds is death & war Men & women strive to seize control of their destinies in a time of despair & the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy & dominion Amongst the blood & the betrayals Beobrand learns of his brother's near-certain murder Inexperienced but ruthless Beobrand must form his own allegiances & learn to fight as a warrior with sword & shield Driven by a desire for vengeance & a relentless pursuit of his enemies he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour & gore of the shieldwall As he closes in on his kin's slayer can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves without sacrificing his honour or even his soul?