The Empress Zoe, ruthless and cruel, rules the eastern Mediterranean. To fight her battles, she employs an army of Vikings - the most fearsome warriors of their time. Led by the legendary Harald Hardrada, these mercenaries will do whatever it takes to win. Hiding in their ranks is Solveig - a fifteen-year-old girl. Amid the excitement and danger of combat, she must face terrible truths about the brutality of her people - and of her father. And, in the end, she will have to choose between all she holds dear, and what she believes is right. An epic adventure about Vikings and Saracens, ship battles and land-raids, loyalty and sacrifice.

Author Biography

Kevin Crossley-Holland's Arthur trilogy was translated into twenty-three languages, and has sold over one million copies worldwide. He is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries across the country. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, a patron of the Society of Storytelling, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and is currently President of the School Library Association. His novel Bracelet of Bones was published by Quercus in 2011.