She hates him. He doesn’t understand her. Alice and Robbie: two youngsters forced to step reluctantly fast towards adulthood and marriage. Layered, lyrical, atmospheric: this is a book to engage and enthrall older children, young adults and those of any age who like to adventure in Tudor England.

In 1520s England, Alice, twelve years old, daughter of impoverished Sir Lionel and Lady Catherine, is to be married to Robbie, the fourteen-year-old son of an up-and-coming family of Bristol merchants. Sir Lionel, together with Robbie’s father, is seeking to nudge King Henry into supporting exploration and enterprise in distant, just-discovered lands. However, unexpected opposition suddenly threatens not only their plans, but also their lives.