Synopsis: The story of Sorrel, a man sent back in time, from the nineteenth century to the fourteenth, where he lands in medieval England where Edward II has just been deposed from his throne by his wife Isabella. Sorrel is uneasy with the brutality and despair that abounds, but believes he can use his intelligence and foresight to become a great ruler. While beginning with great ambition, Sorrel is increasingly and regularly humbled as the book progresses.