Divided We Fall — Gareth Mottram

In an alternate Anglo-Saxon Britain, fifteen-year-old Will Foundling trains his heart out to be accepted into the shield wall, but as an undersized outsider, his dream is constantly thwarted by ridicule and bullying from all sides. But when the savage Pict tribes inexplicably unite and come crashing through the ancient Romani Wall, Will has his chance to shine. His beloved warrior princess chooses him to join a quest to warn the capital and the deadly race is on.Pursued by relentless, wode-painted warriors and terrifying, druid-twisted creatures, Will is also forced to fight life-threatening jealousy and prejudice from his own side. With only Bridget, a sassy battle-runner to rely on in his deadly dash to safety, Will discovers the Picts are themselves running from a far darker force - a force that he is terrified to find resonates deep inside him.Can Will survive brutal warrior races, chilling magics, betrayal and the forbidden power growing within him to find love and his place in the new order?If you love rooting for the underdog, hoping against hope that an impossible relationship will blossom and shadowing desperate flights through ancient lands, DIVIDED WE FALL is the story for you.