'What is it?' Sean felt the first tingle of alarm. 'N'yoni', said Mbejane softly and Sean saw them. A dark pall, still so far off that they could not distinguish the individual birds: only a shadow, a thin dark shadow in the sky. Watching it Sean was suddenly cold in the hot noonday sun. He started to run. Brothers by birth. Enemies by blood. Natal, 1860; the Courtney twins are born. Heirs to their father's fortune, destiny divides the boys from the start – Garrick is eager to stay indoors with a book and escape the hardships of cattle-rearing, while Sean, strong and much-loved, wants to try his hand at everything. When Garrick is forced to take ownership of their farm, Sean must explore the opportunities awaiting him: the rush and horrors of the Zulu Wars, the women who will fall for his charms, the rise and fall of gold fever and the deadly thrills of big game hunting on the African plains. But will Sean's adventures really be his making – and at what ultimate cost?