A kingdom without a crown. A boy forsaken by his God. A warrior bent on revenge. After the bloody Battle of Jelling, Denmark's throne lies empty and chaos reigns as Jarl's jostle for power. Sven survives the bloodshed only to return home to find Ribe sacked by those he trusted and Charles, a pawn in a much bigger political game, kidnapped. Consumed by the loss of Charles, Sven is shocked by the arrival of the Abbess Hildegard, daughter of his nemesis King Louis of East Francia, who seeks the whereabouts of Charles, her son, and also the cross of Charlemagne. But whilst others want revenge for the chaos Sven has caused, Denmark burns and Sven must stand in the shield wall one more time if he is to survive and rescue his grandson. Outnumbered and outmanoeuvred, Sven and Charles must put their fate in the hands of the gods if they ever want to see each other again.
