Her king is dead. The queen wants revenge. If she is captured, she will die. England, 625 AD. Accused of regicide Synnöve, King Raedwald’s cup bearer and lover, must escape the royal court to avoid execution at the hands of his jealous and vengeful queen. She would starve to death if it were not for her late mother’s faithful friend, Maud. But one day Maud does not visit. Nor the next. Then Maud's body is found, drowned. Terrified but desperate to prove her innocence, Synnöve must flee and hide in the dark forest – a treacherous realm full of wolves, wild boar, bandits and vengeful tree spirits. She meets Baedo, the blond giant and Eowyn, a powerful sorceress, who teaches her the healing ways of the Wyrd and other magic. Together they battle to unearth the truth. But will they expose the real murderer before the queen’s men find and execute Synnöve