Book Review

I was asked by my sister Jane (The maple Syrup Mob) to do a book review. My choice is a trilogy by Robyn Young as seen below.

The author was born in Oxford, (of Inspector Morse and Lewis fame), Brethren is her first novel and also made the Sunday times bestseller list.

Set in the year 1260AD it is the story of William Campbell of the Knights Templars.

A quick history lesson in case you are not familiar with the story of the Templar's. The Order of the Knights Templar was a military and religious brotherhood that dominated medieval Europe for nearly 200 years until it was suppressed in the early 1300s. They were also responsible for introducing banking to Europe.

The Brethren follows a young Will Campbell in his quest to become a Knight Templar and the rise of a Mamluk warrior, Baybars. The story is a tale of the Crusades from both the East and West points of view and how, through strength of personalities and character they both rise through the ranks to meet the challenges they face in the clash of civilizations known in the West as the Crusades.

I was impressed with this book, besides giving me a history lesson it took me into an unknown world, plenty of action and intrigue and an electrical atmosphere, a book to be read in the quietest place you can find so you can be taken back to world so very different from your own. Reading this book made me seek out the next so I could follow Will as he becomes a member of the secret brotherhood within the Templars known as the Brethren. As an uneasy truce falls between the Christian and Muslim forces in the holy land, a web of deceit and destruction takes hold of The Eastern world taking it to disastrous conflict. Turning the last page in Brethren you know that you have to read the last book in the trilogy as soon as you can to follow the final story as the Templars and the Christian empire in the Holy Land lies in ruins and Will decides whether to stay with the Templars or break his vows again, and fight for his own peace and final destiny.

Do not be put off by the fact that this is a trilogy, the pace is quick and the atmosphere is electric, a must for those seeking action, history and in the end a man of conscience. I hope you take the time to read them and enjoy them as much as I did.