Customer Reviews

CRUSADE.

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Robyn Young was born in Oxford in September 1975, the only child of a civil engineer father and an artist and folk singer mother. She now lives in Brighton and writes full time. Her first novel Brethren was a big success.

1274 and the war in the Holy Land has not gone well for the crusaders. The fortified city of Acre is the last major stronghold of the Crusader and an epic conflict is just about to start. Will Campbell is a Templar Knight trained in the art of war, but as a member of the mysterious group known as the Brethren he is also a man of peace. After years of useless bloodshed the Brethren have helped to create a truce between the Christians and the Muslims, if a somewhat tentative one.

Will now has fears that they have been betrayed by their most trusted patron, Edward of England. The English king has made a promise to the pope that he will lead a new Crusade. On top of that a group of powerful merchants who will make a huge profit if the conflict were to continue have devised a plan that will ensure the war continues. They will then profit from selling arms to both sides and also ensuring that the slave trade continues . . .

This book is a follow up to the entertaining Brethren, first book in the trilogy. I found both books exhilarating and exciting, but I do admit that they are about a subject I enjoy immensely.

Crusade is book 2 in a trilogy (The Brethren Trilogy) about the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and a secret society within the Templars that existed to create peace in the Holy Land. I read Book 1, Brethren, in about a week and I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this book (which made my wait about a year) and was somewhat frustrated with the change in tone from book 1 to book 2. Basically, book 1 was thoroughly entrenched in the Templars and their purposes in Outremer (literally "overseas"), while the fictional characters that were central to the story were on the periphery, color added to the already rich facts and history that were very accurately provided.

Book 2 begins with a plot by businessman to force a new Crusade through treachery and deception, a plot that would force the "Christian" European kings to take up the cross and return to Outremer (current day middle-east), because the Crusades produced business, and vast amounts of money, for many traders.
Will Campbell, the main character from Brethren, returns in his place as a knight in the Templars and a member of the Anima Templi, a group that, from within the Templars, works in secret with high ranking members of the Mamluks, the rulers of Egypt and most of Outremer, to end the 200 year war now known as the Crusades.
Sultan Baybars, historically speaking one of the greatest rulers of all time in terms of accomplishment, was the ruler of most of Outremer, with the exception of a few chunks of land possessed by the infidels; Christians, Venetians, Genoese, and other non-Muslim people. Jerusalem was (and still is, modern news programs remind us of this nightly) the center of the worlds 3 major religions, Christianity (mainly Catholicism during the Crusades), Muslim, and Judaism. All 3 religions believe that they should own the land that is center to their religion. Enter the Crusades.
A plot surfaces that could threaten the Christians, the Muslims, everyone in Outremer. Also surfacing are plots to dethrone the men in charge of the Muslims, the city of Jerusalem and the Templars. Also entering the landscape is the powerful horde known as the Mongols (yes, like Genghis Khan), who were looking to take over the world themselves. The Mamluks, as the main power in Outremer were faced with a war on 2 fronts, invading Mongols that were covering Asia like a plague, and the infidel, the Christians, who the Muslims believed defiled their religion and their land simply by being in Outremer.
All of these issues tie together to create a story that is excessively rich in character development (perhaps too rich as much time is spent developing characters that I don't believe directly effected the main plot or the final outcome of the novel; but they are wonderful characters), rich in history (with accuracy that is brutally honest, aside from the fictional characters), accurate in description of the true historical figures of the time, including their motivations and goals, and somewhat thick with suspense.
I believe that suspense is where this book is most disappointing; it was not nearly as suspenseful as the first. There is no real climax and the book does not end with a 'cliff-hanger' as the first did. Rather, it just points to where history already tells us we would be headed if we were with Will Campbell. That, of course, is a problem only if you are a student of medieval history, the Crusades, or the Knights Templar, which I am, all 3 (so please accept that I am admittedly opinionated on this subject and not pointing out that the book is flawed by this fact).

Brethren, was wonderful. One of my favorite reads recently. This book, however, began slow; it took me about 1/3 of the book (maybe 175 pages) to truly gain interest in the story, mainly due to character development that I, personally, don't think was necessary (don't get me wrong, I realize that I did not write this book; just my humble opinion). Robyn Young obviously has a tremendous gift and love for character development and I believe that this love led to the creation of many characters that could have been left out; but she couldn't let go of the many diverse characters.
I will state that I am glad that I completed this book as it did not end the way I thought it would, but it is heading in a direction that leaves me wondering whether the fiction will soon override the fact. I realize that this is historical FICTION, but it seems that the fictional characters may be moving toward a not-so-strange end (as in truth is stranger than fiction) . I certainly hope that I am wrong.

Robyn Young is a very talented author with a huge gift for creating believable characters but I believe that someone who is not extremely interested in the topic (Crusades, Templars, Medieval history) might become irritated with the time spent building the characters. However, if you are at all interested in the subject, this is a wonderful read that happens to be penned by an author that has a true gift for creating wonderful characters that filled the background already laid out by history.

All in all, the book was good, perhaps overly complicated by the many characters, but considering the topic, the intent and the ending, it is still very true to history in its depiction of war and politics of the time, day-to-day life, battles and leaders that were players in the time depicted, and the monumental end of the Crusades.
So, to sum up, Brethren (book 1) was a 5 star effort, thorough in character, history, suspense and mystery.
Crusade is a 4 star effort, somewhat bogged down by a few characters that were probably not necessary (but were well developed nonetheless), historically accurate (with minor changes allowed for creative license), sparsely suspenseful but somewhat predictable and non-mysterious; but overall the book was very good.
I eagerly await book 3, Requiem (now titled The Fall of the Templars in the US), due out in 2008, and the fate of Will Campbell and the Anima Templi.

I thought that the book was ok. It was not quite as good as the first one in the series. There were points when the book just didn't seem to keep you wanting to read. There were also times when I thought the book didn't carry on with the storyline the first book started.

Despite all of its horrors, war can still be a very lucrative endeavor, and the crusades were some of the most lucrative of all. In Robyn Young's latest installment of her action-romance medieval epic, we see how men of industry often use their influence and power to expand their commercial empire, sometimes at the cost of peace.

Book two picks up with the Holy Land controlled nearly entirely by the Mamluks. Sultan Baybars has signed a peace treaty with the Franks, as both sides have grown quite weary of the ceaseless fighting. But the Christian merchants in the Holy Land are beginning to lose money, and many on Baybars' council are eager to toss the Christians out of their land once and for all. Plans are put into action, all with the common goal of war. The delicate peace constructed by the Anima Templi - a small sect within the temple dedicated to peaceful coexistence with other religions - hangs in the balance.

Will Campbell, the heroic Templar knight from the first book, finds his position in the Temple elevating while he endures the tribulations of a secret and forbidden love affair with the beautiful maiden, Elwyn. Will faces the daunting task of thwarting an attempt to steal the sacred Black Stone of Islam, a plan put together by secret enemies, knowing the results would be catastrophic. His peace-seeking cohort in the Mamluk camp, Kalawun, is working diligently to keep Baybars' aggressive tendencies in check while remaining true to his faith and his family. Meanwhile Garin, the once-talented knight turned dispirited and bitter wretch, pursues his own agenda of self-profit and a futile grasp for status. His skill is outweighed only by hauntings from his past and an affinity for wine. The fragile peace manufactured by the secret workings of the Anima Templi and Kalawun is assaulted from all sides, and they know one wrong move would result in war. However, anticipating and evading such a scenario becomes more difficult as the days go by. The Middle East grows restless and the reader finds himself wondering if keeping the peace in such an environment is possible.

Robyn Young's first novel blew me away and ignited a renewed interest in the history of the Middle East shared by Christians, Jews and Muslims. I was interested to see if she was able to repeat that performance in her sequel. I was certainly not disappointed. She is careful to maintain historical accuracy while at the same time bringing her characters to life in a brilliant manner. I was mesmerized by the brutal emotion found in this book, much in the same way I was with the first book. Young takes you by the hand and leads you through the human tragedy of the crusades, giving you a taste of history through the eyes of both Christians and Muslims in a never-before-seen manner. I am more than pleased, and I eagerly anticipate the third installment.

I suppose that I'm looking at this read from a different perspective than the rest of the reviewers- When I read historical fiction I'm looking for more than a period and a place, I want some novel/educational perspective on actual historical events, not a yarn that purports to be historical while fabricating everything but the time period. OK, there are some nice scenes, descriptions of historical places, dress, smells, etc that are well-researched and crafted, but the overall plot (the mysterious society within the already mysterious Templars) was just plain silly. Characters are 2-dimensional and born along, summarily killed, or dismissed by arbitrary plot twists and ridiculous convenience.

I very nearly tossed this one in the goodwill pile when the series antagonist manages to (once again) sway the opinion of the series heroine on FUNDAMENTAL relationship issues in the space of 1 page. However, despite serious character weaknesses, Young does a decent job of drawing the reader in for pure entertainment (hence 2 stars).

For folks who want a period fictional account of the later Crusades this is a fun light read but this is NOT for the fan of historically accurate fiction

This is the second book in the series that started with Brethren, and the third book now announced as "Fall of the Templars" will be forthcoming next month...and I can't wait!
The way in which this historical novel portrays everyday life during the times of the last Crusade, from both points of view: Christian and Mamluk, is enlightened. Will Campbell's double life (or should we say triple!) makes for a most entertaining s well as historically helpful resource, as this obscure period is unveiled, through his eyes.
I particularly enjoyed viewing the Templars through the eyes of a knight who has not detached himself from the every-day problems that a man in his day and age would have had. Will accepts his humanity and tries to reconcile it with his crusading life as well as he might.
Although historically speaking, there were many artistic licenses in the timeline of the major events that are depicted in this novel, the main ideas do seem to follow logically, and the problems and solutions presented by these fictional characters are entirely plausible, rendering thus a nicely narrated, easy to follow literary work. This is a very enjoyable read, for those history buffs like myself out there!
You will enjoy this book and the well built characters that the author creates, and at the end... you will want to know what becomes of Will Campbell and his on-going mission .
Onto the next book, pparently re-named: Fall of the Templars.
Can't wait to get my hands on it!

i have just got it and started reading it... It's in great shap...i would buy again from them...
i got it on time...

these are three outstanding novels composed by robyn wright, linked together in such a skillful manner as listed above that they read as one masterful literary effort. of course, since the novels when treated as one and are the authors first effort, begs the question how can she make a literary leap over this high literary bar? by the way i purchased these three novels from amazon as they are my first choice on any book search

This book is a 2nd in trilogy about Scottish knight Will Cambell who devoted his life to Templar's Order and the seceret society within the order. It's a tad better than 1st installment (4 stars) and takes place in the Holy Land almost in entirety. There are battles, war campaigns, politics, secret missions and a bit of romance which is not as bad as in the 1st part and as a matter of fact plays an important part in the dramatic fabric of the book. Highly recommended.

In "Crusade", Robyn Young takes the reader across vaste spaces where legendery empires battled for control of the Holy Land. Legendery and historical, backed by detailed research, but not out of date the novel leaps from the page because Robyn's fresh, modern language and descriptions of multicultural cities resonate with modern experience of the world village. Through the concerns of her vividly drawn characters, she focuses on the tangled web of international relations and seeks to make sense of efforts for peace.

Will Campbell, the mature hero drawn from "The Brethren", his mentors and associates from the Amini Templi, the Jewish quarter and within the ranks of the Mamlukes, desparately seek peaceful co-existence in the face of a power struggle between religions that reverberates today. Though the characters are hindered by distance and difficulties of communication, the writer's skill in moving the narrative from viewpoint to viewpoit in diverse famous citadels creates fast paced, visual action that left me thrilled by the scope of the narrative.

Sadness and disillusionment arise from the interface of major characters caught up in these events to their own danger and disadvantage adding another layer of realism to the book.

I recommend "Crusade" to readers who seek to understand conflict, at whatever level: personal, cultural and international. For all those who were fascinated by "The Da Vinci Code" or any other work dealing with the Grail, this novel builds awareness of the background to these popular conspiracies. Indeed, for all who enjoy an epic read with the promise of more to follow Robyn Young's "Crusade" is a good choice