Midsummer's Day, 1348. On this day of ill omen, plague makes its entrance. Within weeks, swathes of England will be darkened by death's shadow as towns and villages burn to the ringing of church bells.

While panic and suspicion flood the land, a small band of travellers comes together to outrun the breakdown in law and order. But when one of their number is found hanging from a tree, the chilling discovery confims that something more sinister than plague is in their midst. And as the runes warn of treachery, it appears no one is quite what they seem, least of all the child rune reader, who mercilessly compels each of her companions to tell their stories. And face the consequences.

Take a leap of imagination and embark on an unforgettable journey through the ravaged countryside . . . with only a scarred trader in holy relics, a conjuror, two musicians and a deformed storyteller for company.