“The second volume of Bracewell’s richly textured Emma of Normandy trilogy weaves together the threads of the story left dangling at the conclusion of Shadow on the Crown…As the Vikings continue to threaten, vultures are circling in the upper echelons of the royal house, and it is difficult to know who to trust. Emma sets aside her own dreams and desires, shrewdly forging political alliances…Set approximately one century later than Bernard Cornwell’s popular Saxon Tales, Emma’s intriguing and historically authentic saga will appeal to a similar audience.” Booklist.