The Kingdom of Deadard, the largest city and jewel of Criochan in the borderlands of Uisdean, is under attack from a tyrant in the west. Dummoval has a ruthless ambition not only to rule the borderlands but to become the first Emperor of Uisdean. To meet his craving for power Dummoval has set a son against his father, brothers against brothers and cities against cities. Cities burn, others fall, most surrender meekly to the unstoppable black eagles of Glaschu and the famed red horse of Hamaig. Deadard has only two alliances, one too far away to help the other struggling to hold back a fearsome unrelenting enemy. The very survival of Deadard lies in the hands of a young prince and his Ceud of five hundred Deadard Horse and Bow. 'Deadard is a sprawling epic that puts flesh on the bare bones of a skilfully reimagined borderland. Brother is pitted against brother amid plot and counter-plot, betrayal and back-stabbing as kingdoms battle for supremacy, armies march to victory or death, and reputations are won and lost.’ Douglas Jackson Author of the Wall and Barbarian