Enter a world of frozen rivers and dark woods, where witches, wolves and worse threats lurk in the shadows.

A world in need of a hero.

The northern invaders swept south and built a new kingdom with blood and iron. The tribes, once fierce and free, are now a conquered people.

But hope remains.

Whispers speak of a hidden artefact which holds power over death itself, and of a girl who cannot walk, but who wields the powers of the old gods - and who knows a secret that could bring the newly-forged kingdom tumbling down.

Master storyteller John Gwynne - who has sold more than a million books worldwide - returns with a powerful story inspired by Slavic mythology, packed with conquest and sacrifice, love and loss, dark magic and dangerous superstition.

Praise for John Gwynne:

'Visceral, heart-breaking and unputdownable' Jay Kristoff

'Masterfully crafted, brutally compelling' Anthony Ryan

'A satisfying and riveting read' Robin Hobb