Scotland 1546. Seeking revenge for the burning of a young preacher, a group of lairds take St Andrews Castle by stealth, and murder Cardinal Beaton, the nation's most powerful man.

For a sister and brother - Bethia, living in the town outside the castle, and Will, one of the rebels within - the siege becomes a battle for survival.

As the long siege plays out, Will moves between hunger, fear and boredom; so cold he's burning furniture and books and so hungry he's eating rats. His actions mean the family could lose everything, unless Bethia gives up the hope of love - or forces Will home.

But this is not just a struggle between them, it's about the choices a nation must make as Henry VIII coerces from across the border, determined the infant Mary Queen of Scots will marry his son, and Scotland's auld alliance with France is invoked.

This debut novel closely follows the events of the siege of St Andrews Castle, and its dramatic re-taking.