Sekekama , the undisputed King of the Marsh Pride, must content with rivals to his throne. His three eldest sons are hungry for power and threaten to overthrow the King. On the outskirts of their territory, the Northern Pride is growing a blood thirsty army and preparing for revenge against their sworn enemy. Meanwhile, the Kingdom's deadliest assassin, Saba, works tirelessly to make sure her only son follows in her deadly footsteps.
Neo must prepare for life as a solitary assassin, but his future hangs in the balance when his mother is forced to fight for their fortress and is left seriously injured. Pressure mounts as Neo grows stronger and his own father - Dark Eyes - wants him out. Meanwhile, on the edges of the Marsh, the vengeful Northern Queens suffer a cruel blow to their growing pride when their drifter King returns.
The Marsh Pride reaches breaking point as Sekekama struggles to suppress the rebellion of his three treacherous sons and protect his kingdom. As the Great Marsh withers in the grip of the dry season, Zalika, Queen of the Army of Shadows raises new troops to prepare for her moment of triumph. And the vagabond Pale Pack fights for survival, driven to desperate lengths for food.
The Marsh Pride's ageing King, Sekekama, is forced to lead his family into hostile territory, in a mission to save them from a vicious drought gripping the Kingdom. His great gamble leads him into bloody contest against old rivals and new. But it is his control over one treacherous son that will determine Sekekama's hold on power - and the future of his own legacy.
