It is 1760, and Lord MacNeil decides that the way to make a man of his thirteen-year-old son, John, is to bring him along from England to the wilds of America. A gifted artist, John soon becomes the King's Own Artist. Set against a backdrop of tradition, growing unrest, and the looming danger of Pontiac's Rebellion, John's experiences in and around Fort Detroit do indeed carry him towards manhood. This is the first book in the series.