The West Rises

Abandoned by the Romans, facing slaughter by raiding Picts and Saxons, Britain stands on the brink of catastrophe. Only one man can save the nation: VORTIGERN.  His adopted name means High King, but he is an outsider from the far west; despised by the establishment and opposed by jealous rivals who will block his path to power. 

Vortigern's greatest ally is young warrior Kerin Brightspear, famed for his quick wits and fighting skills. Kerin is bound by oath and love to Vortigern, who saved him from death as an abandoned child and raised him with his own sons. He yearns to prove his worth to the man he idolises, but time is running out. At home, powerful British warlords, politicians and priests are locked in their own disputes. Beyond the borders, enemies are growing stronger by the day. Can Kerin seize the chance to repay his debt as Vortigern bids to become all that his name proclaims: lord of the Britons, the High King? 

At one of the most dangerous moments in British history, when the Roman Empire was crumbling and invasion threatened on all sides, a warlord known as Vortigern became King of all the Britons. His people called him the High King, but the legends call him a villain. This is another view of his story, seen through the eyes of the young warrior who becomes his devoted companion.