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Date first published	4 October 1999
ISBN Number	0 002 25969 9
Page Count	418 h/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

One summer's day, a stranger carrying great wealth in gold comes to the settlement of Ratharryn. He is killed in the old temple. The people assume that the gold is a gift from the gods. But the mysterious treasure causes great dissension within the tribe and beyond.

The three sons of Ratharryn's Chief each perceive the great gift in a different way. The eldest, Lengar, the warrior, harnesses his murderous ambition to be a ruler and great warrior for the tribe. Camaban, the second son and an outcast, becomes a visionary and feared wise man, and it is his vision that will force the youngest brother, Saban, to create the great temple on the green hill where the gods will appear on earth.

It is Saban who is the builder, the leader and the man of peace. It is his love for a soceress whose powers rival those of Camaban and for Aurenna, the sun bride whose destiny is to die for the gods, that finally brings the rivalries of the brothers to a head. But it is also his skills that will build a vast temple, a place for the gods certainly but also a place that will confirm for ever the supreme power of the tribe that built it. In the end when the temple is complete, Saban must choose between the gods and his family.

Review

This book is amazing! Bearing in mind that Cornwell normally sets his stories into a historical backdrop, where he can recreate the sights and sounds of the times, this time he is virtually on his own. Whereas the Egyptians left a legacy of artifacts and writings, in Britain, there is nothing, apart from what the archaeologists can piece together. He has created a whole world, based around fact, but it has a depth and feel that make it seem plausible that the Henge was built as described in the book.

Some reviews suggest the book is wrong because it depicts sacrifice, however there is evidence to suggest that human sacrifice did take place. Cornwell has put it into the context that he wants for the story. Whether it is right or wrong is anyone's guess. However sacrifice plays a small part of the overall story, the basic plot is the appearance of the gold in the settlement, and the argument that ensues as to how it would be used. The father wishes to hoard it, Lenagr the eldest feels it is his because he killed the 'Outlander'. Camaban, feels it should be used to repay the gods. The only person without any thoughts is Saban who has no wish to use the gold.

Saban, is also in love, he has been betrothed to the chiefs daughter from the next settlement, in order to cement peace between the two. Saban is happy and in love, and it is then his world is torn apart, as Lengar returns to the village, kills his father, and banishes Saban into slavery. Derrewyn becomes the plaything of Lengar. However the bond between Saban and Derrewyn runs throughout the story.

How accurate is the story? Who can tell? Much of what we know is conjecture, we do not really know why the Henge was built, what it's use was or how it was used. The fact that it can be used to read the changes in the seasons is one reason for it's existence, but why use such large stones. There is evidence of smaller stone circles and even of wooden ones. We shall probably never know.

There has been some debate about the credibility of how the stones were moved, and the comparatively short timescale of the book 5-7 years is my guess. We will never know how the stones were moved nor how long it took. However if we consider the Pyramids, it was accepted for a long time that they were built with thousands of slaves over many years, but it is now accepted that the building was probably done by a few hundred workers. We have to remember that the story is set some 2000 years after the building of the Pyramids, so it is poosible that some of the technology had reached the UK. I personally think that some sort of technology did exist which has been lost in the mists of time, this is not hard to believe, as once the Romans left Britain, the ability to build stone structures and roads disappeared. What the technology was i have no idea. However the ability to move 40 ton stones, would not have been possible, or even contemplated if the knowledge of how did not exist.

The story is akin to the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, in that it creates a complete world, there are values, rules, religion and rites, all of which create a society that maintains itself, and also trades with other local tribes. It is possible to immerse yourself in the story, and feel that you are there. It would be wrong to accept the book as fact - it clearly is not, but the story has been written with such clarity of purpose, it can be difficult to think of it as a work of fiction, and that lifts it above the average novel.

As with all of his other work, it is written in a clear style, that does not talk down to you, but treats you as an educated adult. In fact this story does tend to break his golden rule for story writing, action, a break in pace, then more action (usually Frog bashing in the Sharpe novels).

If you want to read a story with a difference, from the dawn of time, I would not hesitate in recommending this story to you.

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