England, 1069. The nation is still recovering from the Norman invasion three years earlier – and adjusting to life under its sometimes brutal new rulers. A young girl trembles in the shadows of what was once her home. Avis is homeless and penniless, and with no family left alive she is forced to become a ward of Richard, the Norman lord who has taken her home.
But when King William decrees that Norman lords must marry Anglo-Saxon women Avis must make a terrible choice. Either marry the repulsive Richard or else take a chance on another Norman, Melville, a man she has never met.
Soon she realizes that survival in a time of turmoil and war depends on putting aside the prejudices of the past.
Conquests is a brilliantly researched and involving historical drama that is perfect for fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory.