When young Ygerna first meets Uthyr, Pendragon of Britain, she is dazzled by the handsome and famous warrior. But when Uthyr interprets admiration as consent and takes her by force, Ygerna's hero worship turns to hatred. And she will do anything to get revenge on the man who got her with child and ruined her life. Set in 5th century Britain after the Romans have left the province to fend for itself, Ygerna's coming of age chronicles the battles of the Romanized Britons against the Anglo-Saxon tribes who want to take over the island at the beginning of the Dark Ages. A thoroughly new take on the story of King Arthur's mother, also known in Arthurian legend as Igraine and Ygrain, by the award-winning writer Ruth Nestvold.

"Once upon a time beyond history, in an age almost beyond imagination, there was a girl as fair as the moon, sitting on a horse and watching a fire. The bonfire is a part of history, but the princess is a part of legend. "Tristan and Isot, Tristram and Isolde, Essyllt and Drust, Yseult and Drystan: the spellings have changed, but they have always been lovers - the greatest lovers the world has ever known. Most accounts of their story have begun with the man. "This one begins with the woman." - From YSEULT For the price of a truce, Yseult is sent to a world where magic is dying - to marry the father of the man she loves. Marcus' son Drystan would have saved her from a loveless marriage, but with her relatives being held hostage, Yseult cannot endanger them and must go through with the wedding. The tragic love story of Yseult and Drystan plays out against the backdrop of a violent world threatening to descend into the Dark Ages - only Arthur's battles to push back the Saxon hordes can save what is left of civilization. With her background, Yseult could act as a bridge between the old age and the new - but will the price be too high?

For over ten years, there has been peace in Britain after Arthur and his warriors soundly defeated the Saxons at the battle of Caer Baddon. But sometimes peace is deceptive ... After a series of hard winters and famine, an alliance of dissatisfied northern kings attack the rich cities of Southern Britain. But in the years of peace, Arthur's army has grown soft; jealousies and trivialities rip once strong alliances apart. Cador, who is mockingly referred to as "farmer king," must go to war again. The threat to their way of life throws him together with Yseult, the woman he has secretly loved since he was a youth. But can their politically expedient marriage help bring peace to Britain again? Or will it only lead to further conflict? As betrayals both real and imagined shake the foundations of former British unity, Cador and Yseult must try to negotiate their own personal peace. Who will survive the upheavals to come? Will Britain rally once more behind a common leader to fight off the common threat?