1556. Mary reigns. The soldiers of her husband, Philip of Spain, patrol the jungle territories of the New World. The Spanish commander of the Imperial forces, with a contingent of mercenary English, finds the path to a fabled kingdom. In England, Mary's sister, the worldly-wise Elizabeth, circles like a beast of prey, ever ambitious and seeking her place in the sun. Mary and Philip, the two that learn the secret, plan great things but can Elizabeth stop them? What has the learned Doctor Dee, Elizabeth's secret counsellor, discovered? Who will win the fight for domination of the globe? Sweeping panoramas form the backdrop to this novel of intrigue, suspense and hidden powers. A world in ferment where everything is changing but the reality of war remains the same.