The Holy Wars

by Michael Jecks 2 books in this series

The Holy Wars series follows a mixed company of pilgrims who leave France after the crusading preaching of 1096. Odo treats the expedition as proof of his religious authority, while his brother Fulk, Sybille, Jeanne and Guillemette confront the journey for different reasons, including duty, escape, survival and the hope of remaking their lives.

The novels move from the popular enthusiasm surrounding Peter the Hermit through the sieges and battles that carried the First Crusade towards Jerusalem. By concentrating on ordinary travellers rather than only commanders, the series examines hunger, coercion, sexual violence, zealotry and comradeship alongside the military conquest usually celebrated in crusading narratives.

Reading order

Books in this series (2 books)

1. Pilgrim’s War

Michael Jecks

First published 2018

4.2(213)

France, 1096. Peter the Hermit’s preaching draws families, labourers and minor warriors into an armed pilgrimage towards Jerusalem. Sybille follows because her husband is determined to go; brothers Odo and Fulk carry opposed ideas of faith and adventure, while Jeanne and Guillemette see the march as…

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2. Crusader’s War

Michael Jecks

First published 2026

2.5(5)

The surviving pilgrims continue east after the siege of Nicaea. Odo’s conviction that he has been chosen by God develops into violent control over Sybille and those who question him, while Fulk tries to preserve his humanity and finds companionship with Guillemette. The route through Anatolia…

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