"The year is 1425. France lies in bloody fragments, torn apart by decades of warfare between Frenchmen, Burgundians, and the hated English. Gilles de Rais is a loyal soldier in the service of the Dauphin, driven by dreams of chivalry and sacred honor. But even Gilles has begun to despair, unable to stomach the ceaseless bloodshed. Merlin's ancient prophecy foretells that a Maid will come who will unite the kingdom and heal the Land, but Gilles cannot bear to wait much longer."--Jacket.