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Crusade (Brethren Trilogy) (Brethren Trilogy) | 
 enlarge | Author: Robyn Young
Publisher: Hodder Paperback
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy Used: £1.21
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Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1895
Media: Paperback
Pages: 650
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.9
ISBN: 0340839740
EAN: 9780340839744
ASIN: 0340839740
Publication Date: February 7, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Patchy Characterisation May 24, 2008
Mr. Warren M. Fisher (East Grinstead, West Sussex United Kingdom)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
A passable read, but less than compelling. The books biggest fault (aside from a penchant for Christian baiting and pro-Islam) is the lead characters. Young's villains and many supporting players are interestingly drawn (esp. Garin), but her hero and heroine are so sacharine and wholesome, I fell the urge to vomit just to purge myself.
The tale has its moments, but like the first in the series, is deeply flawed.
 Fantastic! May 9, 2008
A. Harsono (Sunbury, UK)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have to say, this is much better than the first book. While the focus was more on the Christian side in Brethren, Crusade was much more balanced on both sides. Readers (myself included) are taken into the political chaos that was the Temple and the inner circle of the Mamluk bigwigs. I am myself quite familiar historically with the fall of Acre and it was pleasant to see Robyn weaving fact and fiction beautifully such that the story plot flows without any problems. Bring on Requiem!
A strong novel bu rather long............ May 5, 2008
Mr. Thomas Thatcher (Salisbury, UK)
For what it's worth, I thought that Brethren, the first in this yet-to-be-completed trilogy, was very good - the characters had depth, the storyline had credibility, it was a page-turner (never a bad thing if one has had to endure the hideous gloom of Thomas Hardy in one's youth) and the lovely Miss Young writes excellent and well-constructed English. It was a fine effort from one so young and also showed evidence of a great deal of careful historical research to root the novel in a bed of basic fact.
Unusually for me, I actually sought out Crusade with real eagerness and settled down on a particularly wet and horrible weekend (which also featured much Gordon Brown on the tele - that's how bad a weekend it was) to enjoy it. Enjoy it I did, but with some reservations and it seems unkind to criticise adversely because Miss Young has achieved a great deal. Here, again for what it's worth, are some of my reservations:
1. The novel is about 150 pages too long. There is no doubt that the author wanted to cram in as much as possible and build the book up to a cracking ending - but there are long passages where not a lot happens, and more by circumstance than by style, they plod.
2. The characters have become a little formulaic. The Sultan's evil advisor never talks, he hisses. Will's girlfriend is such an unspeakable drip that one is surprised she hasn't dissolved by the 4th chapter. The wronged friend who betrays his old mate and yet comes good at the end is tiresome. Yet I have to say that once again Robyn's depiction of life in Acre during the Crusades is good - hot, miserable, disease-ridden and run through with finance and the intrigues that always follow war and conflict. As J B Priestly said, "Sex, money and food cross all borders."
3. Robyn Young's writing is efficient but no so vibrant as in the first book.
All that said, I shall seek out the final chapter and no doubt read it with pleasure. Whenever I have tried to write a novel I have run out of ideas by page three so I have no right to judge Miss Young. I do hope, though, that she is economical with the story and with the various plots. She is a fascinating writer and I have no doubt at all that her books over the years will become more and more interesting. To her great credit, nowhere does she affect to be writing history and one is aware that this is a real novel.
A sensible and well-thought out novel, but not so available as Brethren. Nonetheless, far, far better than a holiday potboiler.
Excellent sequel March 19, 2008
Dr. S. S. Kamal (London)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book even though historical off, It does well to paint the vivid dark history of the crusades. I like how the author shows how very hard peace is to maintain amidst the beast of human nature that craves greed , wealth and violence, not to mention politically corrupt. It can be reflected in modern times, the same struggle, with the peace keepers losing. A repeating theme. This is better than brethren.
my critism was the black stone idea. good imaginative fiction yes, i would wonder what muslim hard-liners would take of it, I assume dismiss the notion as ridiculous.
Also the romance love triangle, Garin, Elwyn and Will. the book could have easily done without that, there was enough here without the "menage a trois".
I really liked this book, keep it up Robyn! More plot less love triangles.
Despite all of its horrors, war can still be a very lucrative endeavor December 2, 2007
John Washburn
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
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 would also recommend reading The Fates by Tino Georgiou, if you haven't already. A truly superb novel.
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