Book excerpt: The mischievous red-head named Edric leads a pleasant life in Shropshire, hunting in the woods and dancing in the taverns, until his Norman neighbor Osbern falsely accuses him of murder. Edric takes his first stance against the growing power of the Normans-a stance he soon holds for all of Saxon Engla-lond. Osbern FitzRichard, who moved to Engla-lond at a very young age, yearns with all of his heart for the Anglo-Saxons to love Normandy as much as he does. Unfortunately, Osbern also suffers from strange visions and pestering voices that lead him down dark and destructive paths. His closest knight, Geoffrey, uses his lord's holy prophecies to justify his own evil deeds, which consist of capturing and torturing innocent victims who are never then seen or heard from again. Edric's struggles against Osbern echo through all of Engla-lond when William the Bastard takes the throne. Edric Silvaticus becomes a true hero to his people who is wed to a "fairy" wife by night and roams the woods to watch over his people by day. He inspires all Saxons to come together and fight against their Norman oppressors. This Robin Hood-esque story features characters from "Godric the Kingslayer" and villains cruel enough to be in a Grimm fairy tale. Edric fights these evils with true valor, but he must eventually decide whether preserving his people's spirits is worth the loss of their lives, and whether there is truth to be found in the seemingly-crazed ramblings of his own worst enemy.