As the ninth century wanes, Alfred the Great lays dying; his dream of a unified England in danger and his kingdom on the brink of chaos. While his son, Edward, has been named his successor, there are other Saxon claimants to the throne-as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north. Uhtred, the Saxon-born, Viking-raised warrior, whose life seems to shadow the making of England itself, is torn between his vows to Alfred and his desire to reclaim his long-lost ancestral lands in the north. Now, he must make a momentous decision that will forever transform his life . . . and the course of history: take up arms-and Alfred's mantle-or lay his sword down and let the dream of a unified kingdom fall into oblivion.