The Knights of the Gabala, legendary protectors of the Nine Duchies, have disappeared through a demon-haunted gateway between worlds. Only one held back - Manannan, whose every instinct told him to stay. Now he is the Coward Knight, and in torment. Murder and black magic beset the Duchies. As the storm clouds of war gather, Manannan rides to the Forest of the Ocean and prepares to face his darkest fears. For he must ride through the same gate and seek out his vanished companions. And the secret he will learn there will tear his soul apart ...
David Gemmell was born in London, England, in the summer of 1948. Expelled from school at sixteen, he became a bouncer, working nightclubs in Soho. Born with a silver tongue, Gemmell rarely needed to bounce customers, relying instead on his gift of gab to talk his way out of trouble. This talent eventually led him to jobs as a freelancer for the London Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Express. His first novel, Legend, was published in 1984 and has remained in print ever since. He became a full-time writer in 1986. His books consistently top the London Times bestseller list.
