Van Diemen's Land, 1835
Ralph Courtney has had everything taken from him - his wife, his son, his fortune, his freedom . . . Chased from the hills of Zululand, he had found refuge with Ann and Harry at the mission station at Mahikeng. Behind the great Barrier of Spears, out of reach of King Shaka's murderous brother, they had been safe for a time. But even here, a hundred miles north of the Orange River and British justice, Ralph could not escape his past . . .
Captured. Convicted. Sentenced. Transported six thousand miles - to the end of the world, the worst prison on earth. Ralph knows that escape is impossible. All is lost. But one day, a ship comes in over the bar and he is brought back to life by a man he believed dead.
Meanwhile, Ann and Harry are trapped in Mahikeng, their fate tied to that of the mission station. When new orders come from London, they have no choice but to return to the Zulu court and face the enemy they thought they'd left behind . . .
Blood, vengeance and destiny collide in the latest thrilling adventure from the bestselling master of adventure, Wilbur Smith.