Hakan, son of Haldan, chosen son of the Lord of the Northern Jutes, swears loyalty to his father in fire, in iron, and in blood. But there are always shadows that roam. When a terrible tragedy befalls Hakan’s household he is forced to leave his world behind. He must seek to pledge his sword to a new king. Nameless and alone, he embarks on a journey to escape the bonds of his past and fulfil his destiny as a great warrior. Whispers of sinister forces in the north pull Hakan onwards to a kingdom plagued by mysterious and gruesome deaths. But does he have the strength to do battle with such dark foes? Or is death the only sane thing to seek in this world of blood and broken oaths? When we first meet Hakan he is the same as many young men; self centered, self-important and entirely wrapped up in his own existence, he thinks the entire world revolves around him. He is about to go through the rite of passage that marks his transition to adulthood. Once he is a full blooded warrior he will be accepted as an equal and start his life as a member of...