“We will set it all on fire.”

In a world that may resemble our own, the small, independent state The Northern Kingdom has been under threat from the superior military power of The Federation for generations. A new attack from the Federation sparks a guerilla war and terror and religious extremism ensue.

Harald, the son of the great resistance hero of the North, grows into a beast-like soldier, capable of evoking fear in his enemies and allies alike. His sister Ingebjørg must leave her two young sons in an attempt to free her husband
who has been taken prisoner by the Federation. Federal officer Henok, who was
raised in the North, has been sent to destroy the resistance movement.

Set in a vast and cruel winter landscape, detached from time and geography, this story, told by one of Norway’s strongest authors, stands out as disturbingly timely and contemporary.