The Breaking Dawn | Jayne Castel
You cannot fight fate A historical romance adventure set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England - a time when only the strong survived. A Mercian village girl and a Welsh prince. When two worlds collide, an unforgettable love story unfolds. It is the summer of 641 A.D., and the Kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria are about to do battle. Merwenna of Weyham accepts the hand of a young warrior who is about to march to war. But when her betrothed does not return, she takes matters into her own hands and goes in search of him. Welsh battle lord, Prince Cynddylan, leads a host of warriors to help Mercia fight Northumbria. In doing so, he forms a fragile alliance with one of Britannia's most ruthless warlords - King Penda of Mercia. In the wake of the Battle of Maes Cogwy, the lives of many will change. Merwenna travels to Tamworth, the seat of the Mercian King, in search of Beorn, her betrothed - only to discover the bitter truth. Cynddylan and Penda return to Tamworth from battle, victorious - but fall out in its aftermath. From the moment Merwenna and Cynddylan meet in the Great Tower of Tamworth, their paths are entwined. In a journey from Tamworth, through the green heart of Mercia, and into the woods and mountains of Wales - Merwenna struggles between grief for the man she has lost, and her powerful attraction to this battle lord who appears to love only power and glory. Cynddylan is also torn. With each passing day, he finds himself increasingly captivated by this courageous young woman. Merwenna makes him question the world, and his place in it. Suddenly, he is not so sure what is worth living, or dying, for. Can two lovers from such different worlds, ever be together? The Breaking Dawn is the first novel in the Kingdom of Mercia series, following the ground-breaking Kingdom of the East Angles novels: Dark Under the Cover of Night, Nightfall till Daybreak and The Deepening Night. Set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England, these novels blend epic romance, adventure and rich historical detail.