As the last unvanquished piece of England, Wessex is eyed hungrily by the fearsome Viking conquerors. Uhtred, a dispossessed young nobleman, is tied to the imperiled land by birth and marriage but was raised by the Danish invaders-and he questions where his allegiance must lie. But blood is his destiny, and when the overwhelming Viking horde attacks out of a wintry darkness, Uhtred must put aside all hatred and distrust and stand beside his embattled country's staunch defender-the fugitive King Alfred. New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell's The Pale Horseman is a gripping, monumental adventure that gives breathtaking life to one of the most important epochs in English history.