881 AD: In the aftermath of the Battle of Edington, England is reeling, and Wessex clings desperately to independence - a brittle peace forged in a land divided by Saxon and Viking, faith and fire. Within the Kingdom of Wessex lies W¿denléah, a growing Saxon burh, and one of the few places in Wessex where Viking trade is still conducted. Osric, the burh's widowed thegn sworn to defend its church-held lands, hides a forbidden love with Æfre, a gifted healer-and one of the last remaining pagans in a world turned Christian. When Bishop Æthelwod, an ambitious and ruthless clergyman, seeks to purge the last of the old gods from W¿denléah, Æfre becomes his target. He seizes upon the love Æfre and Osric have for each other-it's the perfect weapon for him to gain leverage and to seize control - unless two unlikely allies can unite against him. Outside the walls, Jarl Torvald Ironsight, an exiled Viking chieftain with his own battle scars and secrets, watches over his trading camp - and Æfre - from afar. Torn between his unspoken desire for the healer and loyalty to his people, Torvald joins Osric in a desperate alliance that will test the boundaries of faith, honor, and the human heart. Betrayal looms, the gods grow restless, and love becomes both a weapon and a wound. For readers who love: ¿ Epic historical fiction set in Viking Age and Anglo-Saxon England ¿ Forbidden love and tragic romance ¿ Rich world-building, political intrigue, and character-driven narratives with emotional depth ¿ Stories like The Last Kingdom, Outlander, or The Mists of Avalon Content notes: ¿ Passionate "spicy" scenes ¿ Violence appropriate to the 9th century ¿ Book I of the Wild Gods Series ¿ Not a traditional HEA or HFN, but a love story shaped by fate, faith, and fire.