Henry Bolingbroke knows that he should be king of England. It's his God-given destiny, and the young Richard II had no right to banish him and claim the throne. With the help of the powerful lords of Northumberland, especially Harry "Hotspur" Percy, Henry triumphantly overthrows Richard and imprisons him. But the thrill of becoming Henry IV of England fades as trouble brews in Wales. Rebellion is in the air, and the question of how Richard II really died lingers, poisoning the court. Henry IV will need all his strength to defend the crown, but the relationships between the king, Hotspur, and the king's son Prince Hal contain the seeds of their own destruction. The king's powerful enemies are poised to pounce as the three men are drawn to bloody collision some two miles from Shrewsbury. .