William of Stockton travels to the Holy Land to perform penance, leaving the familiar politics of England for a region where Christian lords, Muslim powers and competing military orders pursue their own interests. The journey forces him to discover that a knight’s cross or title does not guarantee honour.
William encounters Seljuq Turks, Assassins, Egyptian forces and European nobles whose alliances shift with circumstance. Survival depends on recognising false friends as quickly as open enemies. The pilgrimage becomes a test of identity as he returns to the martial values learned from his father while questioning the motives of men who claim religious purpose for political ambition. The result is a crusading adventure shaped as much by intrigue as battle.
Bernard Cornwell
57 books
M J Porter
49 books
K. M. Ashman
37 books
Cecelia Holland
20 books
Sharon Kay Penman
14 books