This is a story from the time when Danish Vikings challenged the very existence of Britain, when all the English kingdoms were on the brink of destruction. Only King Alfred, the only ruler in the history of England ever named “the Great,” was determined to defend the independence of his native Wessex and the island as a whole. The hero of the novel, Uhtred, as a baby was kidnapped by the Danes and raised by them as a Viking who honored the northern gods. Growing up, he is forced to decide which side he should fight for—defend his true homeland or join the invaders. He must make this choice himself, without relying on the fact that everything has already been predetermined by fate.