This is a little bit of a departure for me – my normal reading taste remaining firmly within the realms of science fiction, and fantasy being a definite departure from the norm. But something about the write-up of this book intrigued me. This book is set in England in the first decades following the Norman Conquest, a period I have not read in fiction before.

England is in flux. The ruling Norman classes are new to the country, the previous rulers, the Anglo-Saxon elite are still very much in evidence, as are the original Gaelic population.. And relations between the three societies are far from perfect.

When William the Conqueror dies this situation is all the more dicey, and just to add a little more into the mix, this is a world where magick exists – fun don't you think?

The Conqueror's eldest son William the Red has become King of England, and he is determined to put magick behind him. So the future of the magick in Briton is left with two people. The Conqueror's youngest son Henry – who was left nothing following his father's death. And a Scottish Princess called Edith, sent to a nunnery in England by her ultra-Christian mother to be indoctrinated into the faith and to suppress her magick.

As I said at the start, this book intrigued me, and I am glad to report that it was worth being intrigued with this book. The characters in this book are rich - Edith the strongest but ably supported by many fully realised people. They are the true strength of the book.

Not that there is any shortcoming in terms of describing the setting or in the plot of the book. The story might not be the highest action adventure tale.

And to add an extra little something to this, there is a rather good little piece of writing contained herein, regarding the sexuality of one of the principal characters. Now I know that gay characters are no longer shunned in the way that they would have been in years gone by, but this particular character is very well handled - so commendations to the author for her handling of this in the book.

If you prefer your fantasy in a Conan-style action-fest then this might not be your type of book. But if you happen to enjoy intelligent well-written thoughtful fantasy there is much to recommend this book.

Synopsis
Red William, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, has inherited the throne and a kingdom free of Saxon Christian influence. But his decision to leave magic out of his rule causes the land to wither and die.

Now the fate of Britain lies in the hands of Edith, princess of Scotland, and Henry, the youngest son of the Conqueror. Both are highly gifted in magic, but only the blood of a king will cleanse the land from the evil and pestilence that infects it.