Templar Steel

by K. M. Ashman Book 1 in the The Brotherhood series.

First published 2018

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4.4(2,272)

In 1177 Saladin advances into the Kingdom of Jerusalem while its forces are dispersed. The young king Baldwin IV needs reliable knowledge of the Ayyubid army before he can risk the small force still available.

Templar sergeant Thomas Cronin is sent to locate the invasion and report its direction. His reconnaissance places the fictional Brotherhood in the events leading to Baldwin's unexpected victory at Montgisard.

Thomas’s reconnaissance matters because Baldwin cannot afford to commit his small force without knowing where Saladin is concentrated. The mission therefore focuses on observation, speed and survival rather than a conventional set-piece battle. When Thomas returns with usable information, the Brotherhood’s fictional work feeds directly into the historical circumstances that allow Baldwin to strike at Montgisard.