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Road from the West (Chronicles of Tancred #1)

by Rosanne E. Lortz (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 30 ratings · 17 reviews

Haunted by guilt from the past and nightmares of the future, a young Norman named Tancred takes the cross and vows to be the first to free Jerusalem from the infidels. As he journeys to the Holy Land, he braves vast deserts, mortal famine, and the ever-present ambushes of the enemy Turks—but the greatest danger of all is deciding which of the Crusader lords to trust. A mys...more

Paperback, 374 pages

Published July 6th 2011 by Madison Street Publishing

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Sep 08, 2011 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: era-medieval, historical-figure-fictionalized, historicals

Beginning in 1096, this novel covers the very start of the Pope Urban's First Crusade (the subsequent two novels will play out the rest of it, presumably). Written in a straight-forward manner, Lortz follows the exploits of the young nobleman Tancred, nephew of Bohemond of Taranto.

The characters, sadly, were flat, and I felt very little connection with any of them, including our hero Tancred. Despite having a lightning bolt revelation about his role as a Christian soldier at the beginning of th...more Beginning in 1096, this novel covers the very start of the Pope Urban's First Crusade (the subsequent two novels will play out the rest of it, presumably). Written in a straight-forward manner, Lortz follows the exploits of the young nobleman Tancred, nephew of Bohemond of Taranto.

The characters, sadly, were flat, and I felt very little connection with any of them, including our hero Tancred. Despite having a lightning bolt revelation about his role as a Christian soldier at the beginning of the novel, his development seemed to halt after the first thirty pages. His zest for fighting is clear and we get plenty of that, but his mental state, his feelings about himself or the Crusades, his faith, his friendships, none are considered or explored in anyway that compelled me to care about him or the Crusades. Lortz created two female characters but both felt a bit throwaway and underdeveloped as well.

This book suffers from being too accurate. (I can't believe I'm saying that!) Lortz literally recounts (it felt) every skirmish that occurred historically, but the scenes lacked a frisson of tension and the thrill of daring strategy. To be honest, I started to dread each new city the crusaders arrived at for there would be another siege. While each episode might be differentiated by a quirky historical detail - a betrayal here, a hilarious interlude there - this novel felt interminably long in that sense and the usual payoff, an arc of change in a character, didn't materialize.

One thing that jolted me out of the story was Lortz's use of very specific idioms and phrases that seemed inaccurate or out-of-place in the story. For example, a character says someone 'doesn't give a fig' about something while another utters 'by my troth'; a quick search indicates these phrases both came about in the 1500s. Later, we get 'there's the rub' (16th century) and 'gist' (17th century). Granted, the entire novel is written in Modern English but something about these well-known words and phrases struck me as anachronistic.

Otherwise, I found Lortz's writing quite readable and she doesn't bog the narrative down in lots of explication (no long descriptions of war machines or how to saddle a horse, etc.). There's promise of a great historical novel here and I'm interested in seeing how Tancred's story unfolds. The Author's Note promises that one of the female characters gets more coverage in the second book, which makes me happy. If you're in the market for a new historical trilogy that is detailed without being overwhelming, give this book a try.(less)

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Sep 02, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-c, arc, historical-fiction, middle-east, crusades

When you think of the Crusades you typically think of Richard I, but there were several other Crusades as well. In The Chronicles of Tancred series by Rosanne E. Lortz we follow the titular character of Tancred through the adventures and triumphs of the First Crusade. We follow our band of characters from Italy through Constantinople and, by the end of book 1, on to Antioch. The First Crusade was not merely just a quest to bring the Holy City back into the fold, but to recapture and take back ma...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Sandra Olshaski rated it 3 of 5 stars

Road From the West: Book 1 of the Chronicles of Tancred by Rosanne E. Lortz (Rated:C)
ISBN: 978-0-9836719-0-9
Madison Street Publishing
Published: September 5, 2011
Trade Paperback, 349 pages

This is the first book in a trilogy that deals with the First Crusade circa 1095 C.E. It is historical fiction.

The main character is Tancred, a young Norman marquis whose conscience bothers him. He witnesses a dying soldier kissing a cross and experiences nightmares of death, destruction and a priest who appear...more Road From the West: Book 1 of the Chronicles of Tancred by Rosanne E. Lortz (Rated:C)
ISBN: 978-0-9836719-0-9
Madison Street Publishing
Published: September 5, 2011
Trade Paperback, 349 pages

This is the first book in a trilogy that deals with the First Crusade circa 1095 C.E. It is historical fiction.

The main character is Tancred, a young Norman marquis whose conscience bothers him. He witnesses a dying soldier kissing a cross and experiences nightmares of death, destruction and a priest who appears to condemn him. He vows to never again shed Christian blood and travels to Rome to get spiritual guidance from Pope Urban. The pope urges him to go on crusade to Jerusalem by saying “there is a way to sin by the sword and there is a way to use it rightly……you will become holy through this journey…..do you think that a man who suffers the perils of the ocean, the deserts of Asia, and the swords of the Saracens (read “infidels or Moslems”) will find his suit rejected in the Day of Judgment?” Tancred believes that he can expiate his past sins by killing Moslems and that the pope can grant him absolution from his sins. He thus begins his journey from the west to recapture Jerusalem for the “Christians.”

I learned a number of facts while reading this novel, among which are the following: knights were not the only respondents to the call to take the cross. There were “unofficial crusaders”, too, as unarmed and defenseless peasants with wives and children in tow attempted to walk the crusader path, only to be brutally killed; the purpose of going on crusade was at times more temporal than spiritual as some knights were intent on gratifying their lust for power and wealth by defeating cities of the East and assuming the title of king over them; a bishop was the official leader of the crusader force, and finally, the novel reinforces the culpability of the church. After conquering Antioch Tancred commands that 70 heads of defeated infidels be cut off and piled in front of the bishop’s tent. “This is the firstfruits of our conquest of Antioch and it would be sin to withhold from the Church her tithe, “says Tancred.

The author is an intelligent storyteller and is surprisingly familiar with cities such as Nicaea, Tarsus and Antioch, almost forgotten names of the past. She describes them with authority, no doubt as a result of considerable research on her part.

This is a longish novel that may appeal to historical fiction fans who are interested in the remote and bloody period of human history that was the First Crusade.

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Oct 07, 2011 Siobian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2011

Everyone has heard of the Crusades, but many people are not aware that there was more than one (I certainly wasn't.) This novel begins during the First Crusade and follows Tancred, a young man trying to escape from and atone for his past by engaging in a holy war. Through this novel, we follow Tancred on his journey through Italy to Constantinople and all of the dangers, perils, battles, and intrigue on the way. Tancred truly believes in the cause, however he soon finds it difficult to know who...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

The Crusades were militarized efforts to reclaim Jerusalem for the Christians, given support and credence by the Pope. However, while some men fervently believed in the cause, others were out of make the most of the battles for themselves. Tancred went to see the Pope and Pope Urban told him that his sins would be washed clean if he went on the Crusades. Mind you, Tancred had committed the sin of murder and yet the Holy Father was telling him it was okay to go out and kill more people - this tim...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this book of the First Crusade we meet a young, impulsive Marquis by the name of Tancred. He is fighting with his uncle, Bohemund when he realizes that he is killing fellow Christians for mercenary reasons and this does not sit will with him. He impulsively leaves that battlefield and heads to Rome to see Pope Urban. There the Pope convinces him to "take the Cross" and head out to save Jerusalem from the infidel. Tancred returns to tell his Uncle of his decision only to find that Bohemund has...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Title: Road From The West
Author: Rosanne E. Lortz
Pages: 349
Publication Date: 2011
Version: Paperback (received in a giveaway ARC at goodreads.com)

My Review:
What to say about Road From The West; I will start with saying this was not a book that I sat down with and couldn’t wait to read on in. It wasn’t necessarily the book itself, it just turned out to not be the type of book I thought I would like. I am glad I read it for something different in my reading palate, but I had a hard time reading it...more Title: Road From The West
Author: Rosanne E. Lortz
Pages: 349
Publication Date: 2011
Version: Paperback (received in a giveaway ARC at goodreads.com)

My Review:
What to say about Road From The West; I will start with saying this was not a book that I sat down with and couldn’t wait to read on in. It wasn’t necessarily the book itself, it just turned out to not be the type of book I thought I would like. I am glad I read it for something different in my reading palate, but I had a hard time reading it. I found myself starting and finishing other books along with this one, just so I could get through it. The plot in this book is a good one and I can see how it will no doubt be a good trilogy set when the other two books follow it. I think what I found hardest about this book was the language. It was set in the Crusade time period and the language reflects that. The language is very reflective of the time period this book is set in, so the author did an amazing job with that, I personally just found it hard to read and wrap my mind around at times because of that.

A young Norman Knight, Tancred, basically gains a conscience in the beginning of this book. He starts feeling guilty for killing Christians that have really done nothing to him except try to be on the land of his family. Tancred decides to go and ask the Pope of the land to tell him what to do to make up for the sins he has done all his life of killing Christians. The Pope tells Tancred that he must vow loyalty to him and religion and go to the Holy Land to fight for it’s freedom. Tancred’s uncle, who is like a father to him, is NOT happy at all about this. However after a turn of events all the knights of all the lands are fighting for the same thing, the freedom and saving of the Holy Land. Only some of them see this as only a personal gain, where as others (like Tancred) view it as a true Christian battle that is being done for the good of the Holy Land. The rest of the book goes on to tell about the journey Tancred and all the knights go on to get to the Holy Land battle. Along the way they face many hurdles. They face many decisions about what to do and why to do it, trying to find food for them and the men that follow them, and battling others that don’t want them to get to the Holy Land.

I think this book was well written and had a great plot, it just was not a type of book that I, personally, found easy to dive into. Due to this I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
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Sep 20, 2011 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, historical-fiction

The Crusade was a Pope and Catholic sanctioned Christian takeover of Jerusalem. This book is the first in a trilogy that covers the first Crusade. Tancred, a young warrior, is told by Pope Urban if he fights in the Crusade, all of Tancred's sins will be absolved. Tancred really doesn't like playing by the rules but he wants to make his previous troubles go away.

I had never read any fictional books about the Crusade. I thought it was really interesting to see the Crusade from the perspective of t...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, crusades

It is obvious from the beginning of this book that Rosanne Lortz loves history. She brought to life the Crusades, but not the "popular" Third Crusade with Richard Coeur de Lion, but instead, starts at the beginning with the First Crusade. This rare treat gives the reader a look at the beginning and the reasons many joined to fight, and because of extensive research that is apparent, also allows the reader to become familiar with Godfrey of Bouillon, Peter the Hermit, and of course main character...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having not read much about the Crusades in either a fiction or a nonfiction context, I wasn't completely sure what to expect from Road from the West. When I think of the Crusades, my brain conjures image of Richard I, Prince John, the Robin Hood legends and, most recently, Eleanor of Aquitane and her first husband, King Louis of France.

In Road from the West, the first book in the new Chronicles of Tancred series by Rosanne E. Lortz, readers are introduced to Tancred, an interesting and seemingl...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Michelle/ The True Book Addict rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-tour-books, owned, read-in-2011

I am so pleased that I keep discovering historical fiction authors who really know how to tell a story. Rosanne Lortz has taken the Crusades, which I have to admit I know little about, aside from Richard the Lionheart, and has written a well-researched and captivating account. I'm not much for battle scenes, but she succeeded in adding just enough to show the harsh reality of war and the mettle it took for these men to fight as they did. While many of the men in the story joined the Crusades for...more I am so pleased that I keep discovering historical fiction authors who really know how to tell a story. Rosanne Lortz has taken the Crusades, which I have to admit I know little about, aside from Richard the Lionheart, and has written a well-researched and captivating account. I'm not much for battle scenes, but she succeeded in adding just enough to show the harsh reality of war and the mettle it took for these men to fight as they did. While many of the men in the story joined the Crusades for personal gain, for many it was a deeply religious experience. A quest to prove their fealty to their Lord and Church. The main character, Tancred, was one of the latter group.

Tancred is a very likable character. It may seem cliche, but I really enjoy characters that have a purpose, a mission to do good, and a character who has principles and honor. Tancred loses his taste for killing in the name of a liege lord, that is, the killing of Christians. He seems to have no qualms in killing Turks or 'Mussulmen' (I'm assuming the name of the time for Muslims?) because they are infidels who have denounced Christianity. Killing is killing, right? But we must remember the time period, when war was common and many wars were fought in the name of the Church. Despite what we might view as hypocrisy, Tancred is a noble man who refuses to swear allegiance to any state, but the Church.

In her author's note, Lortz informs that all the characters are true historical personages, with the exception of a few supporting characters. She has breathed life into history. Something that I continue to stress that is the importance of historical fiction. An engaging book such as this is one that will spark an interest in learning more about the Crusades, even in the most lay of persons. A planned trilogy, with subsequent books with Tancred as protagonist, the second and third books are Flower of the Desert and Prince of the East, set to release in 2012 and 2013. I, for one, cannot wait to read about the further adventures of Tancred.(less)

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Sep 09, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

Road from the West is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the adventures of Tancred, a young Norman knight who joins the First Crusade. He seems to have been a rather unusual crusader, motivated more by his ideals than by desire for plunder on the way. That seems unusual because most of the other Crusader lords portrayed in Tancred's travels were motivated more by politics, power, and riches. Even Tancred's uncle, Bohemond, was more interested in finding ways to gain riches and power from...more Road from the West is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the adventures of Tancred, a young Norman knight who joins the First Crusade. He seems to have been a rather unusual crusader, motivated more by his ideals than by desire for plunder on the way. That seems unusual because most of the other Crusader lords portrayed in Tancred's travels were motivated more by politics, power, and riches. Even Tancred's uncle, Bohemond, was more interested in finding ways to gain riches and power from their actions than in the ultimate goal of freeing Jerusalem.

I can certainly see why Ms. Lortz was drawn to these people and this time period. There are unexpectedly unique people who participated in the First Crusade, and exploring their stories through historical fiction is an enjoyable way to be introduced to them. There were times early on in the novel when I thought it read almost like non-fiction in reporting the travels of the Crusaders. Additionally, emotion is not dwelled on for very long, even when Tancred loses people very close to him. I would have liked to get into the characters' heads more, which would have helped me to feel more invested in their journey and their successes or failures.

Tancred's story is very much a journey and the locations and geography definitely play an important part in his tale. Ms. Lortz clearly did an excellent job in researching the historical places that the Crusaders encountered, as well as the rulers who controlled those locations. I don't know a lot about the Crusades, much less about the First Crusade specifically, but I feel like I've learned a lot through this book about the main participants in the Crusade and the politics involved in Crusaders' decisions to participate.

Despite feeling a little disconnected from the main characters at first, by the end I had started to feel more invested in them and their stories. I definitely would like to continue reading about Tancred's adventures, and since this book only takes us part-way on the Crusaders' journey to Jerusalem, I am looking forward to picking up the next book in the series. There are too many questions still left to be answered: Will Tancred make it to Jerusalem? Will Alexandra win his heart? Will Bohemond gain the riches and power he is after? I must find out what happens!(less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Laura Hartness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

While I do enjoy historical fiction, in the past I have not been attracted to the period of the Crusades. As a Christian I’m not very proud of that era in our history. With Road from the West, I hoped that Rosanne Lortz’s vision for this period would be informative, accurate, yet still entertaining. My actual knowledge of the subject is minimal, and while I wanted to learn more about it, I was looking for more than just a textbook in ancient Christian church history.

Fortunately, Lortz has succee...more While I do enjoy historical fiction, in the past I have not been attracted to the period of the Crusades. As a Christian I’m not very proud of that era in our history. With Road from the West, I hoped that Rosanne Lortz’s vision for this period would be informative, accurate, yet still entertaining. My actual knowledge of the subject is minimal, and while I wanted to learn more about it, I was looking for more than just a textbook in ancient Christian church history.

Fortunately, Lortz has succeeded in all of these areas. Her research and knowledge of the period are evident, as the details in her writing seem true to history, and easily transport the reader back in time almost 1,000 years. The story is interesting, and while there were a few moments that were a little dry, the plot kept moving well. She deftly ended many chapters in a way that made me want to read “just one more”.

Tancred is an interesting character. He’s a young, flawed martial leader, driven to redeem himself by serving the Church in the first Crusade. Through righteous acts and his goal of conquering Jerusalem for the Christian church, he feels he can atone for sins of the past. He’s incredibly loyal, only swearing fealty if he knows he can keep that commitment and if that promise doesn’t violate his allegiance to another. Tancred is particularly tied to the Catholic church in Rome and refuses to also swear a loyalty oath to the Byzantine Emperor Alexius, for example. Driven to see his cause through, he’ll go against friends and family to do what needs to be done. And despite his young age, he’s a wise and intelligent leader to the men and women who serve him and are under his care.

While Road from the West is certainly about the many battles along Tancred’s road to Jerusalem, it isn’t overly bloody. There are mentions of beheadings and other acts of war, but Lortz keeps the details at bay as much as can be expected given the subject matter. There is a surprising lack of coarse language, and in this particular title there’s really no sexual content. Rosanne could have easily used this novel as a soapbox regarding the issue of inappropriate “righteous” behavior on the part of the crusading Christians, but she doesn’t do that. The crusaders’ choices aren’t glossed over—they’re presented as historical facts, and Lortz seems to keep her opinions out of the dialogue and other fictionalized content within the narrative.

When I reached the end of Road to the West, I not only felt like I learned a thing or two about the first Crusade, Tancred the marquis and the religious/political goings on of the era, but I also enjoyed a good story. Rosanna Lortz has two more titles to come in the Chronicles of Tancred trilogy, and if they’re anything like this first segment, they’ll definitely be worth my time. Book One is a great start to an informative, entertaining series.(less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Emma by: ehc16e@yahoo.com

Shelves: received-from-publisher-author, historical-fiction

The Middle Ages is by far my most favorite period in history, and I enjoy very much medieval historical fiction. So it was really a treat to be invited on this wonderful Virtual Book Tour.

Though I read a lot on later Crusades, I knew almost nothing on the first one, which is the setting of this new series, and especially of this first volume. I think the author did a fantastic job at retelling the historical setting and what happened with lots of accuracy – I read since a few things on this crus...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Lobug rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, kindle

It was ok. Different from the common Christian historical fiction- yet the character development left something to be desired. For that reason, I can't rate it above 3 stars. Without the character development, it was rather dry.

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Nov 17, 2011 Holly P rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, europe-other

3.5 http://bippityboppitybook.blogspot.co...

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Feb 06, 2012 Shani rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned

I'm not quite sure why I haven't finished this one. Must've gotten distracted.

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Feb 25, 2012 Terry marked it as to-read

Free on kindle today 2/25/12

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About Rosanne E. Lortz

Rosanne E. Lortz "Rose" is a medieval enthusiast, a book addict, a mom to two twin boys, and a native of Portland, Oregon. She graduated from New St. Andrews College in 2005 with a B. A. in Liberal Arts and Culture and worked as a high school teacher for several years teaching classes in English, history, literature, and music. She and her husband David Spears were blessed with twin boys, Adam and...more

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Road from the West (Chronicles of Tancred #1)

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