Young Thorfinn was raised on the tales of veteran sailors who had crossed the ocean to reach the legendary land of Vinland. It is described as warm and fertile, a place where fighting would be unnecessary—completely unlike the frozen Icelandic village of his birth, and certainly unlike his present existence as a mercenary. War has become his home. Although his father once told him, "You have no enemies, nobody does. There is nobody who it's okay to hurt," Thorfinn came to believe that nothing could be further from the truth as he matured. The conflict between England and the Danes intensifies with each passing year. Death has become routine, and the Viking mercenaries revel in every moment of it. Aligning with either faction would drastically shift the balance of power, and the Vikings are eager to build their reputations and claim any spoils they acquire along the way. Amidst the chaos, Thorfinn must exact his revenge by killing Askeladd, the man who murdered his father. It appears that the only paradise for the Vikings is the ongoing era of war and death.