As the war unfolds and moves to upstate New York, relationships among the French, British, Indians and colonial settlers become increasingly tense and the frontier grows more dangerous. Indians see the war between the French and English as an opportunity to regain control of their territory. They begin to attack settlements, taking women like Mary Jemison captive as part of their spiritual mourning tradition for lost warriors. While French and English officers are disgusted by Indians they perceive as barbarians, they are forced into uneasy alliances with them.

Interesting characters emerge, like British general Andrew William Johnson, an Irish fur trader who has an exceptional ability to bridge the cultural divide, and his friend, the Mohawk Chief Hendrick. As the front lines stretch from North Carolina to Canada, it is far from clear who the victors will be.