This highly promising first novel has echoes of Sutcliff and Tolkien. As well as powerful story-telling, care and attention is paid to recreating everything from patterns of speech to a whole way of life. * Publishing News *

It is a truly huge adventure which takes the reader right into the heart of this merciless land ... vividly brought to life. * Liverpool Echo *

A sweeping historical drama, drawing you into the rich tapestry of life, that will have you hooked til the end. * Angels and Urchins *

Katy Moran clothes this stunning adventure with the authentic feel of the Dark Ages. From the opening moments of the story to its satisfyingly romantic conclusion, the reader is caught up in the struggle for power, the conflicting loyalties of the protagonists and the bloody feuds Essa has to cope with as he moves into manhood and seeks to establish his identity. It's a long time since I read a novel for older, fluent readers as good as this. New author, Katy Moran, writes with the same imaginative spirit which surfaces in her central character, and no greater compliment can be paid to her than to say that the reader is only too willing to be ensnared and captured by her narrative drive. * Carousel *

Wonderful and extremely gripping. * First News *