Farinas was happy living in the Roman city of Theveste in Africa Proconsularis until his mother's death changed his life forever. Taken by his uncles to join their war against the Roman invaders, he is involved in a doomed exploit with other Amazigh and Garamantes tribesmen that sees him captured and sold into slavery.
He finds friends and adventure on his way to Caledonia (Scotland), by way of Gaul and Britannia, with Videric, a fellow slave. As the gladiator, Leo Africanus, Farinas faces death many times in the arena before life takes another dramatic turn, and he is forced to flee the gladiator school at Trimontium.
Danger and adventure follow Farinas and Ruaraidh, a young Caledonii, through the lawless lands between the two Roman walls, and into the highlands of Caledonia, where they find a home with the Vacomagi Tribe. There Farinas meets up with a man who was once a fellow slave, and his beautiful warrior sister, Keitha. Together they fight in bloody inter-tribal wars. before helping tribal chiefs and druids to come together, to prepare for the war they know is coming, against their common enemy, Rome.