Spring, AD 777. Sigurd Hring, new King of the Svear, is summoning all the greatest warriors of the North to his banner. He invites Bjarki Bloodhand, the famous berserkr, to swear an oath of fealty to him. But Bjarki has already sailed away to rescue a beautiful Saxon princess. Tor Hildarsdottir, sister of Bjarki, now oath-bound to a powerful Svearland jarl, finds herself unwillingly enrolled in Sigurd’s mighty army. When Sigurd Hring arrogantly rejects the overlordship of Siegfried, King of the Dane-Mark, red war is inevitable. The two sides agree to meet on the field of honour at Norrkoping on the Svealand border. But Bjarki has sworn an oath to Siegfried, while Tor must fight for her lord and homeland. So the siblings will face each other over the shield-rims in a battle to end all battles to decide who shall be . . . King of the North.
