A young knight tackles the realities of court politics as a gift from the king turns into a painful challenge in the debut fantasy novel from Jason Kingsley CBE, creator of Modern History TV.

A Gift – or a Burden?

A young knight, his head full of his grandfather’s tales of chivalry and dragonslaying, single-handedly defeats the rebel Baron Reynald of Gorstone. The king rewards his courage with a fief of his own, but he must travel to the distant borderlands to claim it. Maybe it was not a gift after all?

Amid the harsh, unforgiving border country, the new Lord of Blackthorne struggles to rebuild a life from the ruins and forge key alliances. There are bandits in the strangely threatening woods, fierce sea tribes beyond the mountains, scant hope of help from the crown and strange powers in play.

As he and his people finally come to terms with rebuilding their lives, he receives a cryptic warning. A warlord is gathering outlaws to his banner in the west…