<h2>A kingdom without a crown.</h2><h2>A boy forsaken by his God.</h2><h2>A warrior bent on revenge.</h2><p>After the bloody Battle of Jelling, Denmark's throne lies empty and chaos reigns as Jarls jostle for power.</p><p>Sven survives the bloodshed only to return home to find Ribe sacked by those he trusted and Charles, a pawn in a much bigger political game, kidnapped.</p><p>Consumed by the loss of Charles, Sven is shocked by the arrival of the Abbess Hildegard, daughter of his nemesis King Louis of East Francia, who seeks the whereabouts of Charles, her son, and also the cross of Charlemagne.</p><p>But whilst others want revenge for the chaos Sven has caused, Denmark burns and Sven must stand in the shield wall one more time if he is to survive and rescue his grandson.</p><p>Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Sven and Charles must put their fate in the hands of the gods if they ever want to see each other again.</p><p><strong>Praise for The Charlemagne's Cross Series</strong></p><p>'Donovan Cook has quickly turned into a storyteller worthy of the greatest Viking Skalds! The Charlemagne series is a joy of superb character development, secrecy and deception, and of course thrilling Viking battles. Highly recommended for any fan of the shield wall.' -&nbsp;<strong>Peter Gibbons</strong></p><p>'Donovan Cook's Charlemagne's Cross series has everything I look for in a tale of the Dark Ages. Adventure and gritty action set against the backdrop of clashing religions and the collision of kingdoms. Great stuff!' -&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Harffy</strong></p><p>'A fabulous Norse tale of family secrets, betrayal and conflict right up until the very last page - I loved it!'-&nbsp;<strong>MJ Porter</strong></p><p>'An action-packed scintillating thriller. Pacy, raw, violent fayre, with a cast of characters you'll swiftly loathe or admire - you'll think you're in the shield wall' -&nbsp;<strong>Ross Greenwood</strong></p><p>'5.0 out of 5 stars For fans of historic fiction you'll love this, action packed with perfect mix of development to suit' -&nbsp;<strong>Reader Review</strong></p><p>'I really can't wait for the next book in the series, I thought it a riveting read. I'm so tired now, I couldn't put it down until about 4am. Read it, you won't be disappointed.' -&nbsp;<strong>Reader Review</strong></p><p>'Another brilliant story by the Author! Cannot wait for the next book, each one seems to just get better and better. Brilliant story line.- -&nbsp;<strong>Reader Review</strong></p>