Exiled from court, distrusted and indebted, Richard de Clare is a man whose past is greater than his prospects and whose once-great name overshadows his deeds. Having backed the loser in the civil war, he faces penury and disgrace due to the disfavour of the distant and over-mighty king.

He has, however, one last gambit to play, one final attempt to claim a wealth and glory that would eclipse even the greatest exploits of his mighty fathers. And, nothing less than the hand of an Irish princess and a throne will suffice if Richard is to surpass the great feats of his family.

All Richard’s hopes rest on the shoulders of his captain, Raymond de Carew, already in Ireland and facing mutiny by his own troops. If he is to maintain his bridgehead in Ireland and retain his lord’s favour, Raymond will have to turn to unlikely allies and to accomplish feats he would never have otherwise have dared.

Upon the walls of Viking Waterford, one way or another, a king shall be made.