
A Time of Conflict : It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. The king's grip on the country is fragile and chaos reigns. A young boatbuilder dreams of a better future after a devastating Viking raid shatters the life he hoped for. Three Lives Intertwined : A Norman noblewoman follows her husband to a new land only to find her life there shockingly different ; and a capable monk at Shiring Abbey has a vision of transforming his humble home into a centre of learning admired throughout Europe.