Britain, the Island of the Mighty, stands on the brink of war with the Roman Empire. But the King is without a sword—Excalibur, the sword forged by the gods in the dawn of days, which has been passed down through the generations, has been lost. And it is doubtful that the kingdom can stand, without the help of the gods. But the young prince Emrys, nicknamed Merlin, knows that it is his destiny to seek Excalibur. For the gods have given him a special gift—or a curse, as it sometimes seems—the Sight, the ability to see further into the heart of mysteries than other men. But he also knows that Morgana, the goddess who rebelled against the gods in the ancient days, will pursue and kill him in her attempt to take Excalibur for herself. With Excalibur in her possession, Morgana will become Queen of the Island of the Mighty, and the days will be dark and bloody. In this fast-moving and violent tale, the world seems poised upon the brink of two possibilities. Darkness and death; or the age of Arthur.