Known for his ferocity in battle, Roman General Marcus Augustus Valerias has long served as a formidable enforcer for the emperors. But in the year 372 AD, when the Roman Empire is at the cusp of its great decline, the General contemplates a different future. Tired of the savage brutality and endless warring, Valerias dreams of a simpler and less violent way of life. His changes in behavior are obvious to the legions surrounding him. When an attempt to die in battle goes awry and he encounters a young orphaned child, Valerias knows it’s time to make a change. After freeing the Christian priest he’s been holding prisoner, Valerias washes his hands of his military role and embarks on a journey to Britannia to make a new life for himself. The General soon finds his life more complicated than he ever expected. He becomes entwined in the troubles of a widowed queen, a dangerous Roman army deserter, and two ruthlessly ambitious Hun brothers as they struggle with love, power, greed, religion, and the demons of their pasts. The results culminate in an explosive battle between two powerful armies—the effects of which serve as only a temporary ripple in the relentless passage of time.

It’s been nine years since the events of Scott Douglas Prill’s Into the Realm of Time and five years since the Roman Emperor Valens' army was annihilated at the battle of Adrianople. Far from warfare, retired General Marcus Augustus Valerias is now settled into life at his estate near Milan with his wife, Claire, a former Briton queen, and her two daughters. Still, waves of worry plague the once-great but now aging general as he watches his life and the Roman Empire slowly crumble. Claire also sees the toll that time is taking when news arrives of trouble in her former kingdom and with the throne she abdicated to her brother and his ambitious new queen. Claire, Valerias and those closest to them struggle with religious strife, fractured family bonds, old and new enemies, and legacies affected by time. All are pulled into the turmoil, leaving even the most steadfast questioning their motives and beliefs. At the same time, a Saxon king plans a massive invasion of Claire’s homeland with the support of the Angles and the Jutes. Together, the allied barbarian forces launch over one thousand warships, threatening her former kingdom’s very survival. This news propels Claire and Valerias to form and lead an army to defend Britannia—or watch it disappear at the hands of the Saxons.