''Historical fiction doesn''t get much better than this'' ANGUS DONALD, author of The Outlaw Chronicles.

''Matthew Harffy''s tale of England in the Dark Ages is nothing less than superb'' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY.

''Murder, betrayal and vengeance fuel tribal warfare and personal combat. Beobrand is the warrior to follow'' DAVID GILMAN.

AD 633. Warlords battle across Dark Age Britain to become the first king of the English.

In a land rife with upheaval and danger, young Beobrand arrives in Northumbria in search of vengeance and to find his place in the world. First, he must learn to fight with sword and shield, to defend himself and the war-ravaged kingdoms that become his home.

Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, Beobrand faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man, standing strong against his king''s enemies in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall, and leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles.

But as adversaries old and new close in, can Beobrand save his kith and kin from the evil forces that surround them? And can he mete out the retribution he craves without sacrificing his honour... or even his soul?

Collected in a single volume for the first time, the first three novels in the epic Bernicia Chronicles series, comprising:

The Serpent Sword

The Cross and the Curse

Blood and Blade