The Island of the Mighty has been defeated. The shadow of the Eagle lies across the land. The Britons are a broken and defeated people. But hope lives in one man and one woman. The man is Merlin, Seer of the Island of the Mighty, whose quest for the ancient sword, Excalibur, kindles hope that the royal bloodline of Britain will one day be restored. The woman is the fiery-tempered red-haired beauty Boudicea, whose destiny it is to strike fear into the hearts of her Roman oppressors, and bring fire and blood to the cities raised by these foreign invaders. This sequel to The Hawk and the Wolf continues the tales of Merlin and Boudicea, but paints a vivid tapestry of a defeated land, torn by betrayal and deceit, by political and religious factions. It is a land of war, a land of passion, a land of savagery; but it is also a land where, beyond all hope, can be found the one miraculous treasure that can restore peace to the land and fulfill the purposes of the gods of old. The Grail.