As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.

In the year 872, many of the separate kingdoms of what is now England have fallen to the invading Danes, leaving the great kingdom of Wessex standing alone and defiant under the command of King Alfred. Against this turbulent backdrop lives Uhtred. Born to a Saxon nobleman, he is captured by the Danes and raised as one of their own. Forced to choose between his birth country and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are ever tested. What is he? Saxon or Dane? On a quest to reclaim his birthright, Uhtred must tread a dangerous path between both sides to play his part in the birth of a new nation and--ultimately--recapture his ancestral lands.

The setting is a historical one of England roughly around 800-900 A.D. The conflict involves the vikings who are eager to take more ground and the native English peoples or more correctly the Saxons who desire to hold the ground they have and repel the Vikings from England. The main protagonist is a fictional character although his birth place and enemies who contest him; Ubba (Ubbe Lothbrok) and Guthrum are real figures.—lazanja2

Northumbria, 9th century AD. A child, Uhtred, is the heir to the lordship of strategic lands. However, his father is killed by Danish invaders and Uhtred is taken prisoner. He is then raised as a Dane. Now, as a young man, with Saxons and Danes constantly in conflict, when his adopted Danish father is murdered and he is blamed he finds himself torn between his two cultures. His adventures will lead him to the court of a man who will have a large hand in shaping Britain: King Alfred of Wessex.—grantss