There is a storm brewing over the citizens of The Nation. For decades the Tembora people have ruled with an iron fist, forcing the minority faction, the Delgati, to live as second class citizens within allocated districts, denying them the most basic rights. Over the recent past, there has been a growing dissent among the Delgati people and public violence and riots have become a daily occurrence. Lead by an extremist group which calls themselves The Blackbirds, more and more of the Delgati are determined to break through the fences and start a bloody revolution Andrew Sherwood is a member of the Tembora faction and the leader of the opposition party. He is determined to bring restrictive regulations to an end in a desperate effort to avoid civil war and bloodshed. Although he is a skilled politician, the opposition he faces from both factions is overwhelming. He will need help from somebody on the inside. This help arrives in the form of Janus Walker, a charismatic Delgati man and the leader of the peaceful freedom activists known as The Shepherds. This group is working tirelessly to gain support for a peaceful solution to The Nation's problems. Together Andrew and Janus begin a journey for deliverance which will be littered with obstacles. Violence, betrayal and lies seem to be lurking behind every corner and Andrew realises that there are shadowy figures adamant to see him fail in his efforts for peace. As the tension mounts, Andrew soon realises that his task is even more difficult than he had imagined. The leader of The Nation, Karl Engels, wants to see him tried for treason and another member of The Shepherds, the enigmatic Caliban Jacobs, continues to unsettle him with ominous predictions and subtle warnings. As he struggles to fight for the freedom of the Delgati while remaining true to his beliefs, Andrew is forced to learn the harsh reality of politics and the bloody price to pay for power. 'The Shepherds' is the first book in the series 'A descent to Power'. It was inspired by George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' and real life occurrences in modern day politics around the world.