The Knights of the Cross, Volume III

Zbyszko continues the search for Danusia through territories controlled or influenced by the Teutonic Order. The discovery of the blinded Jurand and the recovery of his traumatised daughter reveal the full cost of the conspiracy at Szczytno. Although Zbyszko succeeds in bringing Danusia away from captivity, her suffering has destroyed the future he imagined for them.

Danusia’s death closes the romance that began the novel and returns Zbyszko to a world increasingly organised for war. Jagienka’s loyalty, Maćko’s plans for the family estate and Jurand’s response to his enemies offer different forms of endurance after private catastrophe. At the same time, the breakdown of negotiation between the Polish crown, Lithuania and the Teutonic Order prepares the larger conflict of the final volume.