"Old gods fall as Christianity rises across Northern Europe with a fair amount of help from the women behind the scenes, the wielders of true power." -- Chanticleer Reviews

"...dramatically gripping novel... A captivating account of the lives of extraordinary women in perilous times." —Kirkus

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory's The White Queen and Sandra Gulland's The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

"[A] fascinating story of upheaval in early Britain...Historical fiction readers will be absorbed by this intricate tale of memorable Northumbrian women fighting for change." —BookLife

[A] brilliant recreation of the lives of inspiring heroines from seventh-century Northumbria." —Readers' Favorite

Seventh century England is a hodgepodge of warring Anglo-Saxon states filled with shifting alliances and treacherous grabs for royal power. Kings rise and fall, depending on Woden's Luck. Northumbria, the damp kingdom north of the River Humber, is a state riven with rivalries and kings determined to expand at any cost.

Women have no obvious role in a warrior society, but by using their wits, four women—two queens and two abbesses—make monumental changes. One woman marries a pagan king and successfully converts him to Christianity before he dies in battle. One becomes the most powerful abbess in Northumbria and holds the Great Synod at Whitby Abbey, which brings the kingdom back to the Roman Church. Another becomes queen and keeps political alliances strong despite different religious denominations. The fourth woman ushers in a new age by negotiating with kings and churchmen to establish one united church in the Northumbrian kingdom.

Based on true events and people, this is the story of Northumbria through the eyes of the most important women of their time.

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