During the smuggling days of Devon, Patience Perry is abandoned by his father at birth and is thrown into the world of the Brotherhood of the Axe, a secret society initiated by the Perry family of Axmouth. But Patience has a secret that even he doesn’t understand. He perseveres with endless cycles of rebirth, spanning centuries, and becomes a spectator and participant, witnessing the criminal generations of the Brotherhood and the dire consequences that arise from the crimes that they commit. Later he is blamed and charged with smuggling and on suspicion of murder, he is transported to Australia. Confident of a new future, his hopes are dashed when his dark past follows him to the colonies. A spark of hope is ignited when he meets Zachariah Fitch and the beautiful Johanna. But first, he must endure the cruelty of his new master, Frederick Taylor, a ruthless and malicious man who will stop at nothing to consolidate his wealth and power. Love, murder, betrayal, massacre and deceit, propel Patience into a world far worse than the one he left behind. This version of the book has colour plates of the paintings from the novel, by Malcolm Jones.