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Brethren

(Brethren Trilogy #1)

Robyn Young (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 3,831 ratings · 233 reviews

Brethren: An Epic Adventure of the Knights Templar

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Hardcover, 496 pages

Published July 20th 2006 by Dutton (first published January 1st 2006)

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· 3,831 ratings · 233 reviews

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Sep 04, 2017 Gary rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Since the Knights Templar is a subject I know very little about, and have an interest in, this book appealed to me. The author has a good reputation for historical fact within the fiction so I thought it would be reliable. It definitely had a strong historical context.
The plot follows a boy named William who is a sergeant that hopes to become a knight. The story is complicated by his love interest, Elwen, and the vows of knighthood which preclude romantic involvement or marriage.
    The story
Since the Knights Templar is a subject I know very little about, and have an interest in, this book appealed to me. The author has a good reputation for historical fact within the fiction so I thought it would be reliable. It definitely had a strong historical context.
The plot follows a boy named William who is a sergeant that hopes to become a knight. The story is complicated by his love interest, Elwen, and the vows of knighthood which preclude romantic involvement or marriage.
    The story follows Will and his friend Garin as they progress through the world of the Crusades. It shifts at times to the Saracen perspective and follows the ruthless Baybars. I found the conflict and themes interesting in light of many of our modern day struggles and conflicts both around the world and within our own borders here in America between Islam and Christianity.
    When the story slows down and focuses on specific characters and their individual situations, such as William the would be knight or Baybars the would be conqueror, it grabbed my attention. At times it seemed to skim the surface of events in order to move the story forward, even taking large leaps of time forward and aging characters while summarizing situations. For large scale stories I know this is often a necessity- it’s just not my favorite type of story. The author does make it work in this case; however, I still felt it took a time to pull me back into the plot.
The occasional fast forward style seemed to create space between the world of the characters and the one I live in which reduced the immersive feel of the read for me. Immersiveness is what I really enjoy when I read. Reading is my temporary entry into another world within my mind that allows me a complete escape from the world around me- at least when I find a good author.
This author definitely does do that at times- maybe it is the limitations of the genre that force the situational detachment I felt, or maybe it was just me. She does manage to pull me back in time and time again, sometimes quickly and sometimes not for a few dozen pages.
The ending left me wondering what will happen to both the individual characters as well as the groups and organizations that are involved in the story. There is treachery, murder, savagery and a little bit of mayhem now and again interspersed at various intervals. Nothing really intense or overwhelming- there is just enough to remind the reader that the world the characters live in is unpredictable and violent. I struggled with rating it 3 stars or 4, but settled on 4 because ultimately I did like it and I want to stick with it.
...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Terri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, europe-fiction, middle-east-fiction

It has taken me a long time to read book one in this Brethren trilogy. Which is unusual for me, seeing as Robyn Young is one of my favourite authors and I loved her Insurrection trilogy and I really enjoyed book one, Sons of the Blood, in her new trilogy, New World Rising.

I think I avoided Brethren for so many years because of regular comments from fellow readers on it being more romance based than the trilogies mentioned above. Having now read Brethren, I am surprised that people say this. I di It has taken me a long time to read book one in this Brethren trilogy. Which is unusual for me, seeing as Robyn Young is one of my favourite authors and I loved her Insurrection trilogy and I really enjoyed book one, Sons of the Blood, in her new trilogy, New World Rising.

I think I avoided Brethren for so many years because of regular comments from fellow readers on it being more romance based than the trilogies mentioned above. Having now read Brethren, I am surprised that people say this. I did not find it romance heavy at all. Not to the stage where it would put off a reader who does not enjoy romance. There is a relationship between two young characters that develops into something stronger as they grow up, but I never found it ‘romancy’ nor melodramatic.

It took me a while to get into the read due to maybe a third of the book being consumed by characters as children and young adults. Now this, of course, is personal taste. It is neither a negative about the book or a fatal story wrecker, it is just that, no matter how much I like or love the author’s work, I never like hanging around in the child or young adult phases and I felt Brethren dwelled there too long. I prefer stories set around adults; doing adult things, viewing life through an adult’s eyes, talking in adult voices.

This is not going to be my favourite Young novel, I mean, how can this strong debut ever compare to the beauty of the Insurrection trilogy? It just cannot, for the simple fact that it is indeed a debut. By a younger Robyn Young. With Insurrection, the author was older, wiser, more experienced as a writer. She had obviously learned a lot about herself. Learned how she wanted to write and in what voice her stories should be told. Brethren is Robyn Young in training wheels. She was not quite ready for aerial flips, tyre grabs and tailwhips.

Still, it is a decent, solid read. It had its moments where I maybe didn’t want to pick it up, and then it had its moments where I could not wait to pick it up.

With a tale split between the Templars in the west and the Mamluks in the east, and then the coming together of both medieval super powers, it is drawn out as a very detailed and intelligently done plot with sub plot aplenty.

It had a lot of promise and I look forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy, Crusade and Requiem. I’ve heard good things about them both and I will try to slot them into my reading schedule this year or early next year. ...more

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Jun 27, 2013 Beorn rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction

This could and should have been so much better. All the necessary elements seem to be there for a great memorable story only for it to disappoint and frustrate far more than invigorate or appeal. To use an analogy, imagine having all the right ingredients for a delicious cake, mix them together, bake and getting an undercooked barely edible biscuit instead.
The author manages the notable feat of taking five hundred long pages to achieve less than what others have in two-thirds as many pages. Youn ...more

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May 12, 2018 Lubna rated it liked it

Brethern was a good book. I don't particularly find it amusing to read historical fiction books but I loved this book because actual events from history are also included. I loved the writing, it did not bore me one single bit even though it was detailed. Despite the fact that it's been written by a Christian author, the events are actually accurate and I did not see -for the most part- any bias, which really amused me. I even went as far as comparing the events to my own historical references a ...more

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May 01, 2012 S.J.A. Turney rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Brethren as I hadn't read a synopsis beforehand. Sometimes I find that adds to the book as it means I go into it with an open mind. Also, given my very rigid list of books to read, Brethren sneaked in by simply being "I quite fancy a read of that" as I walked past the bookshelf. That, for me, is quite rare. All I knew was that it involved the Knights Templar and the crusades.

I was fascinated, then, to discover that the book is not simply an 'us-and-them' I wasn't really sure what to expect from Brethren as I hadn't read a synopsis beforehand. Sometimes I find that adds to the book as it means I go into it with an open mind. Also, given my very rigid list of books to read, Brethren sneaked in by simply being "I quite fancy a read of that" as I walked past the bookshelf. That, for me, is quite rare. All I knew was that it involved the Knights Templar and the crusades.

I was fascinated, then, to discover that the book is not simply an 'us-and-them' Templars and Muslim thing. It also falls blessedly short of the almost inevitable (these days) Dan-Browning of the Templars. There is a tendency now to see them as a mystical, secretive, barely-Christian bunch with demon worship etc. Since I personally believe that they were likely mostly good-hearted and pious men who also happened to be shrewd business managers, the whole 'creepy' thing just annoys me.

Robyn has built up, instead, a secret sect within the Templars, using the mysteries surrounding the order and its eventual fall, to create secrets within secrets while still avoiding the pit-trap of Templar weirdness and demon worship. The Templars in Brethren are like an onion, layers within layers, and (as you would expect) it is only toward the end of the book when you start to get a glimpse of what is at the heart of this sect. I was most pleased to find that what could have been said demon worship, weirdness and even supernatural guff was, instead, exactly what I've always thought could have been the case: a deep level of understanding and acceptance that goes far beyond the simple Christian message.

I will try to give nothing away. Some reviews I've seen on the book say that the writing style is rigid and slow, the book too protracted and the characters a little wooden. I found the writing to be easy enough and flow well, myself. I suspect the style eases into the second book. It is, after all, a debut, and any writer's style only settles with a second book, but I had no issue with the style.

I did find some of the characters' traits a little obvious or expected. I wouldn't say they were wooden or one-dimensional or anything like that, but one of the other reviewers said they are a tad under-developed and I can see where they have come up with this decision. I assume, though, that this is a facet of this being the first book in a trilogy and that the characters will continue to grow and deepen.

I did find the book a long one to go at, I have to say, not that it was a problem. I enjoyed every page of the story.

I will certainly be reading the rest of the series. ...more

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Apr 18, 2012 C.W. rated it really liked it

BRETHREN, the first entry in Robyn Young's acclaimed epic trilogy about the travails of a young man on the path to becoming a Templar knight during the disastrous end of the Crusades, is full of interesting details and twisting plot-lines. Will Campbell, the hero of the story, is a youth damaged by a tragic event which has torn his family apart. As he struggles to gain his knighthood in the Templar Order, where he's been assigned by his father, who's taken Templar vows and left for service in th BRETHREN, the first entry in Robyn Young's acclaimed epic trilogy about the travails of a young man on the path to becoming a Templar knight during the disastrous end of the Crusades, is full of interesting details and twisting plot-lines. Will Campbell, the hero of the story, is a youth damaged by a tragic event which has torn his family apart. As he struggles to gain his knighthood in the Templar Order, where he's been assigned by his father, who's taken Templar vows and left for service in the besieged Holy Land, Will befriends a fellow knight-in-training, Gavin, as well as a mysterious young woman named Elwen. These fateful friendships, combined with a stolen secret book and the raging vengeance of the Mamluk sultan, Baybars, who has determined to wrest all Christian holdings in Palestine, begin as separate plot threads that are slowly woven into a story that is part-thriller and part-historical adventure, and, despite its daunting length, quite entertaining.

Though its "Da Vinci Code" blurbs advertise the book's mass-commercial appeal, in truth there is little similarity between Brown's ubiquitous contemporary novel and Ms Young's meticulously researched account of the final years of the Crusades as seen through both Christian and Muslim eyes. The ploy of the secret book drives the plot far less than the historical events surrounding it, and while the story is male-focused (Young knows how to write a battle scene), there is plenty here to interest readers of both sexes. Her portrayal of Baybars, in particular, is mesmerizing; from the star-shaped defect in the sultan's eye to his intense drive to avenge his race, he captures our awe and even empathy in spite of his savagery. Other characters are equally well drawn, including some memorable walk-ons from a suave, predatory Prince Edward, son of Henry III, and the crotchety, sage old priest who holds the secret of the Brethren. There is even a tantalizing hint of controversy in the stable groom Simon's unrequited friendship with Will.

Being the first of three books, BRETHREN leaves us hanging, and eager to start the second installment, CRUSADE. ...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Ursula rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The historical research done by this author is obvious in the story and she should be given credit for doing a great job on it however, I just could not connect with the characters. The main character was too weak and the conversations between him and his other teenage friends sounded more like modern day teenagers. While most of the chapters started with beautiful description of the landscape etc., sometimes they just seem out of place. It was like a mix match of scenery and characters. This wa ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Laura Tenfingers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, britain, europe, crusades, middle-east, 1000-1300-high-middle-ages

Brethren is a good read about the Templars during their decline in Outremer from around 1267 to 1272 and about the Mamluks who were rising in turn.

The main overarching story of Outremer and Christians vs Muslims is told from the perspective of both camps, which I enjoyed. It was well laid out and had well developed characters. We spend time in France, England and Outremer and learn a fair bit about life as a Knight and what was going on at the time.

There were also a few storylines embedded in th ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 Paul Bennett rated it it was amazing

Sometimes I bemoan the fact that I have too many books to read which means that it takes me a while to get to them all. I bought Brethren months ago but only recently did it rise to the top of my to be read pile. Once I started reading it I was chagrined that I hadn’t read it sooner. This is one terrific tale of the 13th century and the turmoil between East and West, between Christian and Muslim and between the various knight orders especially of the Templars and Hospitallers. It seems that ever Sometimes I bemoan the fact that I have too many books to read which means that it takes me a while to get to them all. I bought Brethren months ago but only recently did it rise to the top of my to be read pile. Once I started reading it I was chagrined that I hadn’t read it sooner. This is one terrific tale of the 13th century and the turmoil between East and West, between Christian and Muslim and between the various knight orders especially of the Templars and Hospitallers. It seems that everyone wants to bring the Templars down and they all go to great lengths to pursue that agenda. The author has put together what I think is a microcosm of what secular and religious powers are at their worst and has wrapped that up in a drama filled, emotionally tense story. The characters are all too human, some are even, well let’s say subhuman and the plot and twists are sublime. Now that I have the first book under my belt I will for sure be tackling the rest of the series with great anticipation. 5 stars.

About the author:

Robyn Young was born in Oxford and grew up in the Midlands and a fishing village in Devon, during which time she won awards for poetry and edited a regular page in a regional newspaper. After hitchhiking to Brighton at 19, she worked as a festival organiser, a music promoter and a financial advisor. She wrote two novels before gaining a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Sussex.

Her first published novel, BRETHREN, went straight into the Sunday Times top ten, where it remained for five weeks, becoming the bestselling hardback debut of the year. It entered the New York Times top twenty on publication in the US and was named book of the year by German newspaper Bild. Her second novel, CRUSADE, reached number 2 and REQUIEM completed the trilogy. In 2007, Robyn was named one of Waterstone’s twenty-five ‘authors of the future’, judged by a panel of one hundred industry insiders who were asked to nominate the authors they believed would contribute the greatest body of work over the next quarter century.

The inspiration for Robyn’s new bestselling trilogy, which began in 2010 with INSURRECTION and continued in 2012 with RENEGADE, was inspired by a research trip to Scotland and is based on the life of Robert Bruce. The third novel, KINGDOM, will be published in 2014 in the month of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.

Alongside writing novels, Robyn has collaborated on a WWII screenplay. Her novels have been published in 22 countries in 19 languages and together have sold almost 2 million copies. ...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Ellie rated it it was ok

Set in period between the Seventh and Ninth Crusades, Brethren purports to tell the story if the Crusades from both the East's and the West's points of view. The West's version is told through the tale of Will, training to follow in his father's footsteps as a Knight in the Order of the Templar, while the East's view is depicted through the tale of Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, Baybars.

The Templars, as usual the subject of speculation and rumours of secret societies, are here given a secret Order with Set in period between the Seventh and Ninth Crusades, Brethren purports to tell the story if the Crusades from both the East's and the West's points of view. The West's version is told through the tale of Will, training to follow in his father's footsteps as a Knight in the Order of the Templar, while the East's view is depicted through the tale of Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, Baybars.

The Templars, as usual the subject of speculation and rumours of secret societies, are here given a secret Order within and Order, the Brethren of the title, who's existence, and the existence of the while Templar order, is threatened by the theft of a book, the recovery of which is behind the main plot lines in the book.

The premise is a good idea imperfectly executed. The story itself feels overlong; when the 'hero' gets into yet another scrape, it begins to feel unnecessary, the plot being held back rather than moved forward. Having said that, there also appear to be sudden halts in narrative, tales half-told then rushed to a conclusion by moving the time of several months at the turn of a page and recounting events in the meantime in a few paragraphs; leaving me feeling short-changed. Perhaps it is not that the book is overly long, but the decisions regarding what should be left in and what taken out were poorly made.

Adding to the feeling of unnecessary length are frequent passages of superfluous detail. It is important to set a scene, and sometimes Young does this beautifully, but at others, her words do not add anything to the scene. Again, poor editing decisions.

I also had difficulty relating to the lead character. I feel he is poorly drawn, his motivation not fully explored, making his actions at time seem odd. Other Westerners are similarly hollow, almost caricature, with thought and feeling eluded to but never fully explored - Simon the groom is a prime example.

The one character who did have substance was Baybars. It is unfortunate that the balance of the book is favoured towards the West, as I would have liked to have read more of this character. Perhaps he gets more airtime in the later books in this trilogy ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Miriam rated it did not like it

As the author is a creative writing teacher I was expecting more. (Didn't Dutton assign her an editor?)

I (almost) always finish any book I start reading. This story of 475 pages only paid out in the LAST SEVEN PAGES. The premise is intriguing: two stories told alternating between the Crusaders point of view and the point of view of Baybars, the Mameluke slave who became sultan and a great general. I was pulling for the Saracens. All the Crusaders and the English King Henry and his son, Edward, ...more

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Jul 20, 2017 Terence M ;-) rated it did not like it

Shelves: abandon-dnf

Audiobook - 21:31 hours - Narrated By Christopher Scott
I listened to about 20% of this gory novel of fiction before chucking it on the DNF shelf.

My profile clearly exposes my attitude towards all religions - I identify as a Secular Humanist - and try as I might, I can find no joy or entertainment from listening to or reading about the horrors that Christians and Muslims inflicted upon their own kind, and each other, and innocent secular citizens, in the name of the same God, in the times of the ...more

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Oct 10, 2014 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites-read-in-2014

An intriguing read about a period I know very little about - the Last Crusade of the 1260s and 70s.

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Apr 14, 2012 Elaine rated it really liked it

Ayan Jalut The Pools of Goliath-The Battle of Ain Jalut , the "Spring of Goliath") took place on 3 September 1260 between Mamluks and the Mongols in the southeastern Galilee, in the Jezreel Valley, north of Jerusalem The battle marked the high-water point of Mongol conquests, and was the first time a Mongol advance had ever been permanently beaten back in direct combat on the battlefield

Mamluk- slave warriors of Egypt , from Syria

Genghis Khan Mongol's-- founder died 1227
Mongols invaded Syria in ...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

The crusades are not a period of history I know an awful lot about but it was refreshing to hear a story from both sides rather than just the western Christians. The only thing that bugged me was the descriptions of eyes. One woman is said to have violet eyes and this is used a lot in fan fiction to denote that this woman is not like other women but honestly, have you ever seen someone with purple eyes?

I found this book interesting and I may check out the next instalment in the series.

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Jan 27, 2020 Paul rated it liked it

I struggled between 3 and 4 stars.
I liked the book very much; didn't love it.
Lots of intrigue and inter-personal stuff.
Not as much action as I would have liked.
I will finish the trilogy. ...more

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May 31, 2020 Tove R. rated it really liked it

Set in the 13th century during the Crusades. The first book in a trilogy. Two men on opposite sides will have their destinies tied together. Will, a young knight, ends up in a lot of trouble looking for the Book of the Grail. Baybars, a former slave, wants to take down the crusaders with his army. It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed the story and the characters.

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Mar 15, 2017 Diane Smoak rated it really liked it

Interesting tale of the Knights Templar saga, with enough historical details to make it believable. I enjoyed it enough to start the second book in the trilogy.

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Nov 23, 2009 Josh rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys history

Recommended to Josh by: I found it online

The Brethren Trilogy is historical fiction, covering the Knights Templar and the last crusade. All three books have been published, but I am waiting to read the third one; I don't want to purchase the hardcover edition, especially since the paperback form will be released in January.

This, the first, was far superior to the second, though neither were precisely bad. The series is centered on a young sergeant hoping to someday be a templar. His name is Will Campbell and he is from a low born fami The Brethren Trilogy is historical fiction, covering the Knights Templar and the last crusade. All three books have been published, but I am waiting to read the third one; I don't want to purchase the hardcover edition, especially since the paperback form will be released in January.

This, the first, was far superior to the second, though neither were precisely bad. The series is centered on a young sergeant hoping to someday be a templar. His name is Will Campbell and he is from a low born family, whose father has only recently become a templar. In his adolescence, which is his age early in the series, Will is rebellious and wild, a trait that to some extent stays with him as he matures into an adult. He soon becomes embroiled in a hunt for a mysterious book that could theoretically prove politically disastrous to a small sect within the Knights Templar, if not the Templars as a whole. What makes the novels memorable, however, is simply this: the templars are not the only story Young tells us. She also tells us of Baybars Bundukdari, a general in the Mamluk army that has taken control of much of the middle east. Former slaves, the Mamluks rebelled and now rule the region, and Baybars is one of the key figures in their army.

There are several traits that make Brethren a memorable novel, some of which also apply to Crusade, and others of which don't. First, Will and those he knows (including close friends Garin De Lyons and Simon) are compelling child characters who have a certain depth, an innocence and ignorance that fits their age, and understandable motivations. By the end of the series these children become middle aged adults (Will is nearly forty at the close of Crusade), and their maturation is beautifully handled and easily accepted. Moreover, Young's depth of knowledge concering the era, the crusades, the Templars, the Mamluks, politics and so forth is overwhelming and obvious; I am now reading historical fiction precisely because I want to learn as I'm entertained, and Young does not disappoint. But with all of those strengths in mind, two traits make this first novel truly memorable. First, Young mixes fictional and historical figures so well that there were many times I wondered if a fictitious character had actually lived and acted in the ways Young portrayed them. Moreover, the historical characters, including Baybars, are characterized believably and judiciously, based on available information about them. The second and more significant reason the novel is worth reading is that Young seamlessly alternates between two enemies' perspectives without villainizing or herofying anyone. Baybars can be cold, malicious and ruthless, but he is can also be gentle, honorable and deeply loyal. One could probably say all of the same things about Will. Young, in other words, takes a truly objective perspective and in so doing crafts a believable tale.

So what is wrong with the novel? Truthfully, the first one doesn't have many flaws. It could be paced better (the end feels rushed and some of the beginning feels too slow). Many of the minor characters, whether Mamluks or Templars, blend into each other so that they all feel like more or less one person with different names. Even the main characters could be developed a bit better, but Young masterfully characterizes the period while delivering a compelling tale about the horrors of war, the nature of nationalism and the consequences (good or bad) of ambition. If I could, I'd give Brethren 4.5 stars. ...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Paula Lofting rated it liked it · review of another edition

Will Campbell has to serve as an apprentice to a foul-tempered Templar priest before he can achieve his dream of knighthood amongst the fierce Templars, God's Warrior monks. For longer than he should have, Will was forced to remain a sergeant in the service of Everard, a man of dangerous secrets. Amir Baybars has dragged himself out of slavery to become his people's leader, driven by an unquenchable desire to rid his land of the European invaders. As the story builds to a crescendo, the two men' ...more

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May 03, 2009 Maya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

It didn't take me long to read the first part of the Brethren Trilogy called Brethren. You can always tell when I like a book very much because I tend to start reading and not stop until its finished or I fall asleep.

Besides the story which is all about the coming of age of two very powerful people, and the side story which is about the mystery of a missing book, and the Knights Templars; the book has a lot to recommend it.

The historical detail that the author put into the book was amazing. She ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Billy rated it it was amazing

Excellent Historical Fiction. I can't wait for the follow-up!,

Robyn Young has shown true greatness in this, her first novel.
The story, which surrounds the Crusades and all that relates; the Templar Knights (and their counterparts of the time; Hospitallers and Teutonics), the Mongols, the Sultan Baybars, Kings Richard the Lionheart & Henry III and Prince Edward of England, Louis IX of France.
The story encompasses the crusades from the viewpoint of both the christians and the muslims and firmly gi ...more

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May 21, 2016 David rated it it was amazing

Wow! This book is subtitled "An Epic Adventure" and it is indeed that! Young Will Campbell is training to be a Templar knight when he becomes involved in intrigue and conspiracy. Prince Edward has one agenda, the Templars have another, and there is yet another circle within the Templars that have yet another. Wheels within wheels within wheels. While it does not rise to Game of Thrones type machinations, it is very, very, good intrigue with plenty of violence and leaving out the gratuitous sex. ...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Ben rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I have just re read this (debut) book and the beginning of the trilogy.

Full of incredible detail and many keenly made points/ observations on the nature of the times both past and the parallels that can be drawn with modern events/ attitudes.

It's a brilliant read and is full of well written characters, what proves this more than anything is that really not a lot happens, yet it still holds your attention.

When I say not a lot happens, this is obviously not true, it's full of friendships & loves g ...more

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May 05, 2011 Elspeth Cooper rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

This book has been lying on my bedside table now for about a year, and the bookmark hasn't moved from page 121 in all that time.

I struggled to get into it. Her research, from what I could tell, is thorough and detailed, and she sets a scene well, but hand on heart I could not make myself care about any of the characters, so they all seemed to blend together. Something was off with the pacing too. Perhaps I didn't give it a fair chance, as at the time I was only able to read in short bursts, but ...more

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Nov 20, 2008 Deirdre rated it liked it

Shelves: fromlibrary

This is the story of Will Campbell a reluctant Knight Templar, his friendship and love and his growth from a boy to a man. Will is a Templar because his father decided he should be, he lives with the guilt of having accidentally killed his sister and that his father didn't speak to him for years.

It's also the story of Baybars and his fight to rise his life from Malmuk slave to ruler. Ruthless he pursues the expulsion of Christians from the lands he regards as his with ruthlessness.

It's interesti ...more

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Apr 11, 2010 Anne rated it really liked it

This book is mainly the story of young Will Campbell, who comes from scotland to England to study to be a Templar knight. it follows him from his early teens until his twenties where he finds himself in the Holy Land fighting a Saracen army led by Baybars, a legendary leader. he is also searching for his estranged father, who had taken the cross and gone to the Holy Land. Rich in history of the period, this book is the first in a series.

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Aug 21, 2016 Richard Eyres rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook_2016

I was a little uncertain if i would like this book. I do like the Crusades, but i have never really read anything serious from this era in Historical Fiction.
There were some areas that i was not fully fond of, and sometimes the skipping in time caught me out (mainly due to being an audiobook, rather than reading - i missed the dates occasionally).
I will continue with this series for sure - once i have cut my to be read pile a little.

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Mar 11, 2017 Pramodya rated it it was amazing

OMG THIS SERIES. WHY THE FUCK IS IT NOT POPULAR?
My most favourite genre is historical fiction. and I LOOOVE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR era. I can't believe this is her debute series. like WTF! The amount of sheer research that has been done is simply amazing. We go on a long journey with the main character from him being 11 years old to when he's 75. This book is written so beautifully. I don't have the words! I cannot recommend it enough!!!! ...more

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Apr 03, 2008 Dawn rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

The first book in a planed trilogy follows William Campbell of the Templar Knights as he searches for a missing book. The most interesting aspect of the book is the fact that the author uses two distinct voices to tell the story; eastern and western.

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About Robyn Young

Robyn Young

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Robyn Young lives in Hove, and is the author of BRETHREN, the first novel in a trilogy set in the world of the Crusades. The author of numerous poems and short stories published in magazines and anthologies, Robyn has a Masters in Creative Writing with distinction from the University of Sussex. She teaches creative writing part-time in Brighton.