After abandoning a fort on the Danube frontier, Centurion Alexios Aquila is discharged from the regular legions and set to Castellum in the wild uplands of Northern Britain. There he is ordered to take command of an ill-disciplined force of auxiliary frontier scouts. But this isn't promotion. The scouts have a name—The Frontier Wolves. They also have a reputation—a bad one.

Castellum lies in the border country of Roman Britain beyond Hadrian's Wall where a handful of frontier scouts maintain a precarious peace amongst the warrior tribes. Into this wild landscape, Rosemary Sutcliff has woven a fast moving story of action and adventure.

From the dust jacket

When the Roman fort on the Danube was attacked by barbarians—and its superior officers were killed—23-year-old Centurion Alexios Aquila was left in command. And when he decided to abandon it, against all standing orders, things ended in disaster. 

His new assignment seemed the worst possible one: to lead the Frontier Wolves, a band of native British warriors on the wild fringes of the Empire. They were tough and ruthless—and wary of outsiders. 

It was up to Alexios to prove himself, not only to the Wolves but to the local Clan. And becoming a true Frontier Wolf, especially in the midst of sudden tragedy, was to be the most difficult—and frightening—challenge of his career. 

Rosemary Sutcliff’s newest saga, set in fourth century Britain, is absorbing and exciting adventure—and a most distinguished addition to her canon of historical novels.

From the dust jacket of the E.P. Dutton First American Edition