At the dawn of the 8th century, in Asturias, as in other regions of Hispania, Christians were brutally mistreated and forced to pay a heavy tax if they wanted to continue practicing their religion and not convert to Islam. Discontent gradually grew, until Pelayo and a few brave men decided to rebel against the invaders. They hoped that other regions would follow their example, but things were not going to be as easy as they had anticipated. However, against all odds and human logic, they remained determined to resist and defeat an army that vastly outnumbered them. This was the beginning of the Reconquista, which would culminate in the liberation of the kingdom of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs. Juan Pérez-Foncea, the acclaimed author of titles such as 'Los Tercios no se rinden' (The Tercios Do Not Surrender), 'Invencibles' (Invincible) and 'Los primeros de Filipinas' (The First of the Philippines), tackles a historical period that, in addition to being exciting, is perhaps the most significant in defining the essence of Spain, as it was during this period that the Spanish forged their deepest identity by taking up arms against an invading culture. He does so through the figure of Sisnando, barely a child when he receives the news that his two older brothers have died in the battle of Guadalete, which later encourages him to join the ongoing rebellion. His life story, full of adversities that he will have to overcome, and that of his beloved, Isela, form the backbone of this absorbing novel about a crucial moment in our history. 'For many readers, the surname Pérez-Foncea is synonymous with fantastic historical novels that have sold tens of thousands of copies. (...) He is, above all, a magnificent analyst of Spanish history in the context of world history'. La Tribuna del País Vasco 'Anyone familiar with Juan Pérez-Foncea's literary career knows that his books focus on the real historical events of the Spanish Empire'. Trapped in a few sheets of paper