‘I am Somerled. The summer warrior. What am I, if not a warrior?’

In twelfth-century Scotland, far removed from the courtly manners of the Lowland, the Winter Isles are riven by vicious warfare, plots and battles. Into this hard, seafaring life is born a boy called Somerled. The son of an ageing chieftain, Somerled must prove his own worth as a warrior. He will rise to lead his men into battle and claim the title of Lord of the Isles – but what must he sacrifice to secure the glory of his name?

The Winter Isles is an astonishingly vivid re-creation of the savage dynastic battles of medieval Scotland: an authentic, emotional, powerful read.

‘Fearlessly and deftly done. I loved this book deeply’ Giles Kristian

‘One of the must-reads of the year’ Manda Scott