In this thrilling sequel to The Nor'Wester, Duncan Scott returns to England from Canada to search for his long-lost sister, Libby. Arriving on the Liverpool docks, Duncan learns that his sister's fate has captivated the entire country. He also learns a name: Elizabeth Fry, a prison reformer who helped Libby and who holds the key to her location. But before he can meet Fry and find his sister once and for all, Duncan is kidnapped by a Press Gang in a dockside inn. Forced to take the "King's Shilling," Duncan must serve in the Royal Navy where he once again becomes an unwilling player in the game of Empire. Now on board His Majesty's Ship Cerberus, Duncan meets old friends and makes dangerous enemies. Before Duncan's service ends, he will face deadly cannon fire on the Baltic, and will go on to fight an epic battle with Napoleon's fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, a battle that could very well seal his own destiny, that of his sister Libby, and of the British Empire itself.