The book doesn't just focus on Asturias. It spans the Mediterranean, connecting the local resistance to the massive siege of Constantinople, where over 120,000 soldiers advanced like a "tide of fire".
Balbás isn't just a novelist; he is an independent historian and researcher. His background in military history (and work with magazines like Desperta Ferro ) ensures every shield-wall and tactical maneuver feels authentic.
The story follows , the son of the Duke of Cantabria, who travels to Corduba (Cordoba) as a hostage to ensure his people's loyalty. But Fruela has a secret mission: he must deliver a message to Pelayo , a former guardsman of King Rodrigo. This letter will be the spark that ignites a rebellion in the northern mountains—a defiance that history would later remember as the start of the Battle of Covadonga . Why You Should Read It