Behold the Dawn by K.M. Weiland

Nov 03, 2015 Madelyn rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: 17+

Shelves: christian-fiction

It's not often you find a book that has a message that shouts out to you. That from the beginning you can sympathize with, understand, and feel a part of. A character who's real, makes mistakes, but you love all the more. One you pity, but are proud of. And when you close the book for the last time, you look around and feel as if you've lost something. One you can't wait to finish, but dread as it nears the end. Behold the Dawn captured my heart, and it has yet to let it go.

I stayed up late thr ...more

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Feb 09, 2019 Angie Thompson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-my-books-digital, y-cfd-2019-tbr-marathon, y-cfd-2019-ereader

Okay, it's taken me a long time to write this review. Partly because I've been busy, but partly because--I'm still not sure how to review this book. But it's been over a week, so I'm jumping in and doing it anyway. Here goes...

Confession #1--I really liked this book! Confession #2--I still cannot figure out why!!! It was definitely very well-written, but good writing doesn't make or break a book for me, and this one had several elements that usually are not my favorite, so I'm seriously at a los Okay, it's taken me a long time to write this review. Partly because I've been busy, but partly because--I'm still not sure how to review this book. But it's been over a week, so I'm jumping in and doing it anyway. Here goes...

Confession #1--I really liked this book! Confession #2--I still cannot figure out why!!! It was definitely very well-written, but good writing doesn't make or break a book for me, and this one had several elements that usually are not my favorite, so I'm seriously at a loss to explain what it was that made me enjoy it so much.

Characters: Tortured, not-so-heroic heroes who have given up hope of redemption are not my favorite archetype. But somehow Annan was written in such a way that I hadn't given up hope for him, and I just kept begging him to turn and accept forgiveness and redemption. Mairead was a bit hard to get to know at first, but I ended up liking her as well. And Marek! Definitely my favorite, although again, I can't pinpoint why. I just know I felt surprisingly disappointed when he disappeared from the scene, and I kept hoping he would turn up again, however improbable it seemed. I was also impressed at the depth of layers found even in the minor characters. With the exception of some of the villains, just about everyone was drawn in shades of gray instead of black and white. And while I love my true-blue heroes, I really appreciated the depth shown here.

Setting: Absolutely stellar! There was just about nothing in the descriptions, the writing style, the dialogue, or anything else to pull me out of the medieval world that was so carefully crafted here. In fact, in almost every case, my reaction to something unexpected was "I didn't realize that..." instead of "that doesn't sound right...". That, my friends is extremely high praise! My one historical nitpick--the terms "knight" and "man-at-arms" seemed to be used interchangeably, which doesn't fit with other historical books I've read. But aside from that, nothing that felt out of place.

Plot: Good gracious! Kept me on the edge of my seat for just about the whole book. Guessing, suspecting, wondering, hoping--and even though parts of the ending weren't what I wanted (or usually like), I didn't end the book disappointed and sad. Again, that's huge, and again, I can't explain why...

A quick note on content--there was quite a bit of violence involved, but not more than I've seen in other stories with similar settings, and it wasn't written graphically. Also, the sexual content involved in some characters' backstories was handled with a light enough touch that I felt like my eyes were being turned away from it instead of toward it, which is unusual for me with this kind of content, but which I very much appreciated.

The more that I think about it, maybe the fact that I can't point to any specific thing and say "that's why I liked it" is the biggest compliment I can give this author. Somehow, K.M. Weiland managed to take a bunch of bits and pieces that I wouldn't have liked on their own and make them into a whole that I really enjoyed. I'm not sure what kind of talent that takes, but it's got to be high praise! :D

4.5 stars

Content--violence, including wounds and deaths (not graphic); mentions of crimes committed by a priest, including murder and illegitimate children; mentions of a woman having been raped and her resulting fear of men (handled lightly); veiled references to intimacy between a married couple; mentions of cursing (no words); various saints' names used as exclamations; one or two questionable uses of God's name; references to various practices and abuses within the Catholic church; a few misunderstandings regarding men's treatment of women ...more

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Apr 17, 2017 Kate Willis marked it as unfinished

I hesitate to write reviews of books I have not finished, because you never know if the book really does turn out to be amazing without finishing it. So please be sure to read some positive reviews as well! This is just my personal opinion of the book.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 27, 2015 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: teens

Shelves: historical, suspense, wish-list, mid-teens-15-16, favorites

Oh my. I am totally astounded at this book. Having only read one other historical fiction book set during the Crusades that I wasn't impressed with, I wasn't sure what to expect with this. From what I've seen of this author I hoped it would be good and it was. More than that, it was amazing.

The characters were full of depth and so real. Annan, struggling with his past, is a tourneyer only to appease his conscience. Then there is Mairead, a countess wife, her fear and need of safety found in the ...more

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Sep 02, 2013 English rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-historical-fiction, crusades, high-medieval-1066-1250

Overall, the book left me with mixed feelings. It was undeniably well-written with vivid and evocative descriptions and realistic and exhilarating battle scenes- at least at the beginning. Towards the end the kidnappings or attempted kidnappings), attacks, narrow escapes, rescues and almost inevitable accompanying fight scenes seemed to become a little repetitive, predictable and dare I say, overdone or over reliant on action?
Also, the apparently invincibility of the hero Marcus Annan and his s Overall, the book left me with mixed feelings. It was undeniably well-written with vivid and evocative descriptions and realistic and exhilarating battle scenes- at least at the beginning. Towards the end the kidnappings or attempted kidnappings), attacks, narrow escapes, rescues and almost inevitable accompanying fight scenes seemed to become a little repetitive, predictable and dare I say, overdone or over reliant on action?
Also, the apparently invincibility of the hero Marcus Annan and his servant Marek seemed to stretch credibility- with the former able survive numerous wounds, to fight with broken bones or other injuries, and the latter surviving being thrown off a balcony- all of when other characters are killed with far less (Was really that easy to cut through chain mail?)
Another scene in which one of the villains broke into a castle guarded by precisely one man at the main gate seemed decidedly implausible Seriously, I doubt a castle in the Middle of potentially hostile territory would have been so poorly defended, or so easy to break into twice and destroy with only a few men.

The hero Marcus Annan could be a frustrating character. His actions were sometimes inconsistent or hardtop work out- wanting to be rid of the monk Gethin one minute then riding off to save him shortly after. Also, the characterization of a Crusader cum pilgrim with religious doubts is perhaps not the most original, as similar protagonists can be found in other books and movies. Like them, Annan’s skepticism, apparent bias against the Crusaders, and some of his other beliefs and attitudes seemed rather too modern.

There were also a number of historical issues- the most notable being the depiction of events that took place after the capture of the city of Acre in 1191- the controversial order given by Richard the Lionheart to massacre 2700 Muslim prisoners. In the novel it is made out that Richard gave this order after only a few days when Saladin hadn’t produced the sum of money demanded as part of the negotiated terms of surrender- and he is made out to be the bad one for having broken his oath to Saladin to deliver the prisoners and acting dishonourably. Yet in reality, Richard made no oath to Saladin, and the impetus was on him to fulfill the terms of surrender, who acted just as duplicitously as Richard by playing for time, trying to change the terms, and draw the Crusaders into battle.
Also, over 30 days elapsed, the agreed deadline for fulfilling the terms of surrender, before the order was given. Finally, it is claimed that women and children were among those massacred, when this is not mentioned in any contemporary sources, and at least two modern historians have asserted those slain consisted entirely of fighting men. Admittedly, the origin of this inaccurate depiction was in the sources the author used, not she herself, but given the capacity of historical fiction to influence people’s perception of history, it bears mention. One other inaccuracy was ironed out towards the end, and further historical details suggested a good amount of research.

I also seriously do wonder whether the leading characters would have been allowed to get away with murdering or plotting to murder, their fellow nobles, or the rape of a noblewoman, right under the king’s nose- so to speak. Medieval nobles were generally quite assertive in defence of their rights- to the point that they even rebelled against Kings who abused their power. So I certainly think the nobles would have acted to defend themselves against the villains of this story, or complained to the King
My final complaint was some of the language such as repeated use of the nineteenth century nautical slang term ‘bucko’. I think this and other phrases might have been used because they sounded ‘British’ but I’m a Brit, and I’d never heard of it.

Overall Behold the Dawn was a worthwhile - and I might say somewhat compulsive read, and was certainly an engaging story with solid Christian and well-presented Christian themes of redemption and forgiveness , but d required perhaps more suspension of disbelief then I like. On the other hand I probably would read it again.
...more

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Oct 07, 2014 Jane rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-books, crusades, middle-ages, reviewed

Fast-moving, enthralling novel of the Third Crusade. A tourneyer, Marcus Annan, is convinced to join the Crusade by a mysterious crippled monk from Annan's past. There is much fighting but the main story is that of Annan's guilt for his actions sixteen years previously, his self-forgiveness and redemption. As one character says, and I'm paraphrasing: Each new dawn brings with it a new beginning with the new day.

I figured out part of Annan's past early on, but I wish the rest had been explained e ...more

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Feb 08, 2018 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction

OKAY THIS WAS A REALLY GREAT BOOK, FAM?!

Like, I'm Having Feelings. And I Have a Feeling I won't stop Having Feelings for awhile, because I Have a Feeling it'll take me a few days to process this book.

I mean . . . the story is so intense for such a long time, and that meant that *I* was rather tense while reading it. It almost seemed to twist up my insides a little bit. But . . . it was really good??

Wow. I feel like . . . I don't really know what to say? Before I read it -- just going by the syno OKAY THIS WAS A REALLY GREAT BOOK, FAM?!

Like, I'm Having Feelings. And I Have a Feeling I won't stop Having Feelings for awhile, because I Have a Feeling it'll take me a few days to process this book.

I mean . . . the story is so intense for such a long time, and that meant that *I* was rather tense while reading it. It almost seemed to twist up my insides a little bit. But . . . it was really good??

Wow. I feel like . . . I don't really know what to say? Before I read it -- just going by the synopsis and the things I'd heard from the dear frens who recommended it to me (thanks, frens) -- I anticipated it being "like Robin Hood and Ivanhoe but with, like, GOD," and that was honestly how it turned out to be! Which made me happy. ;)

I'm usually a little bit wary of modern authors trying to write in "old-fashioned" styles, but somehow this worked?? (I mean, I thought "nay" and "aye" were used a bit too much, but "that's a minor thing.") (Also, the vocabulary is amazing. I had to look up words. :-P)

Okay, but I do need to talk about one thing. (view spoiler)

ANYWAY. This was a really, really, really good book. I know this wasn't much of a review, but . . . like I said, I feel like I'm still processing? Because THERE'S A LOT TO PROCESS. (I mean, the relationship between Marcus and Mairead alone . . . )

AND ALSO THE TITLE AND COVER ARE BOTH VERY GOOD. ...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Rich Weatherly rated it it was amazing

Compelling and riveting historical fiction

Get ready for a novel by KM Weiland that will grab you and hold on until you turn the last of its captivating pages.

Behold the Dawn opens in the year 1192 when Crusaders under King Richard I battled Saladin's Muslim forces in the Holy Land in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem. At the same time, Marcus Annan engaged in deadly mock battle as a Tourneyer. Annan, "...fought today for the same reason he always fought: it was the only thing his life had left h Compelling and riveting historical fiction

Get ready for a novel by KM Weiland that will grab you and hold on until you turn the last of its captivating pages.

Behold the Dawn opens in the year 1192 when Crusaders under King Richard I battled Saladin's Muslim forces in the Holy Land in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem. At the same time, Marcus Annan engaged in deadly mock battle as a Tourneyer. Annan, "...fought today for the same reason he always fought: it was the only thing his life had left him fit for." Under threat of excommunication, tourney participants such as Annan continued to ply their trade. After a day of dealing death, he's troubled by the sight of a faceless monk, a face hidden within the shadow of a cowl. By the time the spark of recognition brought flashes of hidden memories from 16 years past, the monk disappeared. Annan collected his spoils and ransom from battle while a chain of unfolding events propelled him from Bari, Italy to the fields of battle in the Holy Land.

Annan and his sidekick Peregrine Marek, a Scottish lad indentured to his service, would face deadly challenges from former comrades at arms in addition to threats from avowed enemies. A onetime believer in Christianity, Annan now felt his soul beyond hope; a conscience seared from a life running away from a nightmare called St. Dunstan. Gethin the monk, also known as the Baptist, raged against the Church, the Pope, the Holy War and especially against Roderic the Bishop. These words resurrected memories of the tragic day as he had tried to forget all those years.

During an encounter with Roderic and men at arms allied with him, Annan agrees to kill a former colleague by the name of Matthias, but refuses to kill William, Earl of Keaton his former mentor, his wife Lady Mairead, and the Baptist. By doing so, events are set in motion that take Annan and Marek to the Holy Land.

Not long after landing on the beaches of Acre, Annan and Marek found themselves in the heat of battle, tasting victory as Crusader catapults breached the walls of Acre. Just when the battle appeared to be won, Saladin's cavalry breached the flanks of Christian fighters. Annan took an arrow from a Saracen volley as it passed through his mail shirt. A Moslem blade disemboweled Annan's mount. Annan fell, the world around him faded. When Annan woke, he found himself in a prison camp in the care of Knights Hospitalers and in the presence of Lady Mairead the Countess of Keaton, wife of William of Keaton. Annan is one of 2,500 prisoners. Eventually, Annan gained an audience with William after making a plea to Mairead. During that meeting, a dying William made a daunting request, a request to escort Mairead from the Holy Land to a convent in Orleans, France.

Annan accepts the request that will lead to a series of attacks on Annan and Mairead. The story progresses through a series of narrow escapes. Enemies abound. Friends die. Mystery compels constant diligence. Mairead, a deeply religious Christian, prays for Annan, not for his life only but that he accept God's redemption. While doing so, barriers she had placed between them, fade. Her persistence causes him to question his lack of faith. Maybe there is hope after all.

KM Weiland thoroughly researched the period then used her amazing gift of expression and talents of turning the right phrase and delivering memorable quotes. Readers become part of the field of battle, experience thrilling suspense, and visualize colorful tapestries as she paints poetic word pictures of earth, sky and sea. I've read and enjoyed other novels and short stories by KM Weiland and have a new favorite in Behold the Dawn.

Don't miss this fascinating read! ...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Sandi Ady rated it liked it

Shelves: christian-fiction, fiction, book-club-books

I was so excited to read this based on other reviews I read... and was disappointed. Please note, I majored in Pre-Modern European History, so I was totally stoked for the subject matter. But it was SO hard to get into, I had to push myself through the first quarter of the book or so. By the time it started to pick up, I was already losing interest. But it did pick up, and became much more exciting. This is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2... it did improve a bit. I managed to finish it. Met u ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Hope added it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

Setting this down for a while. I'll probably try this again when I'm not so busy.

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Dec 20, 2016 Rebekah rated it it was amazing

This book was quite an adventurous read. That's an understatement. If you didn't read any of the updates I made throughout the book they went like this:

"WHAAAAAT?!????!!? *strangled sob*"
"OHMYWORDOHMYWORDOHMYWORD!!! THE FEELINGS!!! I think my heart died and then revived again between this update and my last one."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo"
*GASPS*

So yes, it was quite exciting. :) The story was set during the time of the Crusades, and the main character was Scottish, so I had a feeling from the begin This book was quite an adventurous read. That's an understatement. If you didn't read any of the updates I made throughout the book they went like this:

"WHAAAAAT?!????!!? *strangled sob*"
"OHMYWORDOHMYWORDOHMYWORD!!! THE FEELINGS!!! I think my heart died and then revived again between this update and my last one."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo"
*GASPS*

So yes, it was quite exciting. :) The story was set during the time of the Crusades, and the main character was Scottish, so I had a feeling from the beginning that I would love it just from those two factors. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with my favorite time period AND the main character from one of my favorite countries.
I wasn't disappointed. Not only was it typically full of nail-biting action like most of this author's books, but I admired her ability to keep the story historically accurate (something that a lot of historical fiction fails at). It was an amazing story of redemption and the amazing mercy of our God despite all the mistakes humans make.

Of course, all books have their problems...I would say the biggest thing I noticed in this particular book (I mean, the occasional typo hardly counts) was the excessive amount of killing. Yes, some killing had to be done due to the fact that it WAS set during a crusade, but I think some of the stabbings and throwing people over the sides of buildings and running people over with horses was unnecessary.
Also, there is mention of priests fathering illegitimate children and the girl character was defiled in her past by one of the villains.

But. All that said, it was a fantastic book. However, due to the above cons, I would recommend this story for any gender 16+ (or according to parental suggestion).

*I wanted to add how much I appreciated how feminine the girl characters in this story were. Even though they are obviously strong in their own way, they weren't constantly put in the middle of the battlefield. More often than not, they were BEING PROTECTED by men not PROTECTING THEMSELVES. It was a refreshing break from the typical action stories that involve women characters. ...more

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Apr 15, 2016 Grace rated it it was amazing

I am a major history nerd, so historical fiction is right up my alley. My favorite book is "Pearl Maiden" by Sir Rider Haggard, an author who wrote historical fiction that is both riveting and deep.

I mention Haggard, because "Behold the Dawn" very quickly brought his medieval book "The Brethren" to mind. Coming from me, considering BTD to be similar to one of his works is a huge compliment to Weiland.

The setting to BTD felt gritty and authentic. It was hot, sweaty, dusty, and bloody. I did occa I am a major history nerd, so historical fiction is right up my alley. My favorite book is "Pearl Maiden" by Sir Rider Haggard, an author who wrote historical fiction that is both riveting and deep.

I mention Haggard, because "Behold the Dawn" very quickly brought his medieval book "The Brethren" to mind. Coming from me, considering BTD to be similar to one of his works is a huge compliment to Weiland.

The setting to BTD felt gritty and authentic. It was hot, sweaty, dusty, and bloody. I did occasionally have a hard time picturing the landscape, but the characters were often on the move, thus leading to ever-changing landscape.

The characters; such a fantastic cast of characters. Some grew more than others over the story (I fell in love with the sidekick), while others were consistent, providing a balance and steadiness that kept the others in line. The protagonists were appropriately human, they felt fear, anger, hurt, betrayal, guilt, etc. You felt what the characters felt very deeply.

The villains! Aha! One of the only things that can make a good set of protagonists even better is an equally well-written cast of villains. Weiland did a masterful job at this. I shivered and despised these villains more than I do for most writers. Well done!

This book was wonderfully lengthy, I appreciate it when a writer values their readers enough to give a very long book. There is just a depth of entering into the story that cannot happen in shorter titles. Also, there were moments in this book that could have been handled with far less class, but thankfully, Weiland is a classy writer. I appreciated the way she handled a few subjects with dignity and grace.

My one critique of this book was that during the fighting scenes, I was often confused as to who was standing where, and how the action went down. I had to reread those scenes and play them through in my mind. It is not a major hindrance however, and everything else was well done.

At one point in this book, Weiland put in a "plot twist" of sorts that angered and saddened me deeply. I took to social media to complain, and like the mature adult that I am, I took a break from reading the book. Before, I mentioned how much BTD reminded me of Sir Rider Haggard's "The Brethren". Amusingly enough, the same thing happened to me years ago when I read TB. I was convinced something terrible had happened. In agony, I threw the book down and began to cry. I had invested far too much of my soul into that story to see it end so. My brother picked up the source of my sorrow and read a few pages past where I had stopped. "Keep reading." He said. I did, and sheepishly discovered that all was in fact well, and I had merely thrown in the towel too early. I bring this story up, because I literally did the exact same thing with Behold the Dawn. That "plot twist" that left me outraged? Aha, ha, ahem....keep reading.

A satisfying ending, should Weiland ever do a follow-up book featuring the same characters, or perhaps starring the sidekick (I'm rooting for Option 2), I will eagerly devour it. I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, sweet romances, and redemption. ...more

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Sep 18, 2014 Effrosyni Moschoudi rated it liked it

An action-packed medieval romance

I am not a fan of this genre but this author came highly recommended by a friend so when I got a chance to acquire a copy of this book in return for a review, I seized the opportunity. I was impressed by the representation of the era and I believe the author did a great job there and obviously had to do a lot of research. Although K.M. Weiland has undoubtedly great writing skills (especially where descriptions and character development are concerned), I found som An action-packed medieval romance

I am not a fan of this genre but this author came highly recommended by a friend so when I got a chance to acquire a copy of this book in return for a review, I seized the opportunity. I was impressed by the representation of the era and I believe the author did a great job there and obviously had to do a lot of research. Although K.M. Weiland has undoubtedly great writing skills (especially where descriptions and character development are concerned), I found some elements in this book were quite weak. The language for one; although I wouldn't expect it to be original for this era (for who would be able to read and comprehend it anyway even if the author could speak it!) there were some words that struck me as odd, such as Annan calling his servant 'Boyo' or 'Bucko". I also have the impression that 'Boyo' is a Welsh word while Annan is Scottish.

The romance came across as quite soppy, in the style of a Harlequin romance which is okay if you are a fan of the genre but I didn't expect the relevant clichés in a historical novel. I did enjoy the camaraderie between Annan and his delightful servant, Marek who was by far the most likeable character in the book. Annan is clearly a man tortured by guilt over the sins of his past but I didn't manage to relate to him much. The object of his desire, Lady Mairead, was very likeable but the romance developed in a predictable way, without any surprises. Also, I found the many references to her lip getting stuck between her teeth quite annoying and if anything, not a sight I'd expect from a Lady.

Summing up, a good read, especially for those who enjoy medieval adventures. Maybe this is because it's not my genre but other than the fun conversations between Annan and Marek, I found nothing else there that I deem memorable. Quite frankly, the mystery behind The Baptist and what happened in the past with the Bishop left me totally uninterested throughout.

I doubt I'll try delving into another medieval adventure written by this author because of the aforementioned faults that personally put me off with this one. However, as K.M. Weiland struck me as a remarkable writer in many other respects, I will probably try another of her books sometime that depicts a different era and really hope to write a better review next time round.

...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Brenna H. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, genre-christian-fiction, era-medieval, genre-historical, favorites

I was a little wary of reading this book, because I really, really, really wanted to like it--and when you go to read a book you really, really, really want to like, or have high hopes for, there's always a nagging fear that it won't measure up to your preconceptions and hopes. I'd never read anything by this author before (excepting some excerpts from her books), so I didn't have the assurance that, hey, she's written good books before, so she's probably done it again (not that that's always a ...more

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Sep 30, 2014 Suzannah rated it liked it

I’ve been looking forward to reading this novel since I was first introduced to KM Weiland’s excellent and practical writing advice. Weiland has made a study of her craft, particularly when it comes to structuring and building one’s novel. Her approach is craftsmanlike—here are the rules, and here’s how they apply. In reading this novel and Weiland’s more recently-published fantasy Dreamlander, I’ve been reminded just how very far a disciplined and craftsmanlike approach to art can take us, if w I’ve been looking forward to reading this novel since I was first introduced to KM Weiland’s excellent and practical writing advice. Weiland has made a study of her craft, particularly when it comes to structuring and building one’s novel. Her approach is craftsmanlike—here are the rules, and here’s how they apply. In reading this novel and Weiland’s more recently-published fantasy Dreamlander, I’ve been reminded just how very far a disciplined and craftsmanlike approach to art can take us, if we’re willing to do the work.

Behold the Dawn tells the story of Marcus Annan, a knight infamous for his prowess in the interdicted blood sport of tourneying. When an encounter with a ghost from his past sends Annan to the Holy Land in search of an old benefactor, he doesn’t expect old enemies, new betrayals, or the dangerous responsibility of escorting a terrified woman all the way back to France. As past and present collide in a storm of blood and fire, will Annan find a future worth living for?

Or will the darkness of his past swallow him and everything he loves?

I enjoyed this book. Again, as I expect in anything KM Weiland writes, there’s a high level of technical expertise on show here in the plotting and character development. It’s an earlier work than Dreamlander, which in this case means that the writing style is a little rougher and the drama tips unresistingly over into melodrama at every chance.

Behold the Dawn is also heavier on the romance than Dreamlander is. I actually really liked how she handled it: not so heavy on the physical/emotional tension that I felt I had to go and scrub my imagination, but very compelling, tender, and believable. I actually also liked the characterisation better than in Dreamlander as well. KM Weiland does fantastic manly men, and even the hero’s smartalec sidekick, who I regarded with a jaundiced eye at the beginning, had a nicely rounded character arc from comic relief into someone I could respect.

I haven’t done a lot of research on the Crusades at this point, but while I appreciated Weiland’s more or less balanced viewpoint, I found it a little unbelievable—not in accord with the medieval mindset—that characters of that period would dismiss Crusading, or give it up as easily as one character does in defecting from the side of villainry to the side of niceness. I also felt that the historical setting was a little underused.

And while I was never absolutely certain, I correctly guessed the big plot twist. A friend of mine didn’t, so you may not either ;).

To conclude, this was a fun little book full of adventure and romance. Weiland has definitely grown as an author since this attempt, and I’m looking forward to seeing her continue to improve in the future.
...more

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Nov 21, 2015 Katrina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Decent but frustrating read, because too many questions were left unanswered.

While well written and reasonably enjoyable, my main issue with this book was lack of both full
disclosure and background story. The driving force for the events in this book is suppose to be the wrongdoing that occurred at St Dunstan Abbey, yet, with the exception of occasional sentence here and there and the obvious impact it had on all the characters, not even once we are fully told what had actually happened in the ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 ClarissaJoy rated it really liked it

My first K.M. Weiland book! I really liked this book....Marcus Annan is an absolute kick butt and I identify with Mairead so much. I do have a couple things that bothered me (like the romance being underdeveloped imo) but the plot twist at the end......MY WORD! Like how??? It makes so much sense, but you don't see it coming at all! Also, kudos to Weiland at writing a beautiful redemption story without shoving God down your throat.

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Dec 05, 2018 Loretta rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

I wasn't sure how much this was going to grab me at the beginning, but once I got into it, I found it hard to put down. The medieval world feels very real, and once Mairead entered the story, I felt as though she brought an extra dimension to it.
This is a skilfully written tale by an author who knows her period.

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Nov 07, 2017 Josie rated it really liked it

Shelves: digital-books-i-own, fiction

Another great story, however I was confused a lot in the beginning, leading me to be confused whenever she threw a plot twist later on. Still, though: AMAZING.

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Oct 18, 2014 Josiah rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, general-fiction

Disclaimer: I have been provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was first introduced to Weiland through her writing blog, and, soon after, through her books on writing. Given this, having profited a lot from her blog and her books, I was very interested to see how her own advice on writing translated into her actual writing.

The result? An enjoyable read that had a lot of good parts in it, but not one without its faults.

Set within the context of the Third Crusade Disclaimer: I have been provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was first introduced to Weiland through her writing blog, and, soon after, through her books on writing. Given this, having profited a lot from her blog and her books, I was very interested to see how her own advice on writing translated into her actual writing.

The result? An enjoyable read that had a lot of good parts in it, but not one without its faults.

Set within the context of the Third Crusade, Behold the Dawn is a story about a powerful yet conflicted knight who is fighting with Richard's army against the Saracens. When captured by the Saracen army and thrown in prison, the knight (Annan) meets a nobleman and his wife. With the nobleman on the point of death, worried for those who will be pursuing his beautiful wife, the nobleman convinces Annan to legally marry his wife (Mairead) in order to protect her while Annan brings her to a convent. The nobleman then proceeds to die, and the two escape from the camp into the wilderness.

The relationship between Annan and Mairead is awkward, and it's very unclear throughout the book what it's exactly supposed to be. Weiland does an excellent job portraying the awkwardness felt by both the characters early on, but that awkwardness soon dissipates as the two move into a romance (surprise! =P). As they soon become husband and wife in much more than just in name, this raises some moral questions as it was never quite clear at the start if they were actually married or not. (Technically they were in order to protect her with his name, but in reality the book was vague on how far it was supposed to go.) And while I don't expect (or necessarily want) characters to act perfectly, I was hoping to have some hint from Weiland about how moral their actions were in this forced marriage-romantic situation. And, unfortunately, the book didn't offer up much with regards to that.

Apart from that, the book also suffered from some standard problems of stories set in a medieval time period, with both an unrealistically powerful hero (towards the end of the book, there were several points when he should have been severely injured, but somehow was able to keep on fighting) and a confused sense of geography (different places seemed to geographically be very close at some points in the book, and very far at other points).

Looking on the positive side, though, the book handles the mystery concerning different character's past pretty well, slowly building it up to a powerful and shocking conclusion. In addition, the story's theme was rather nicely done as well. One of the story topics that Weiland has blogged about the most is on how to do a story's theme well, and I was pleased to see that the theme works out really well in her writing as well. The way that she handled the story within the greater context of the Third Crusade was also really well done in her ability to craft a very personal story against a larger historical backdrop.

Overall, I felt like the story fumbled a bit with a contrived romance position, but makes up for a lot of it with an excellent conclusion that tied up a lot of loose strings into a dramatic climax with a strong moral point.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good). ...more

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Jan 03, 2014 Joy rated it it was amazing

Behold the Dawn is an incredibly satisfying read: when all is said and done, and the last page has been checked behind to see if there's more, the soul feels satisfied, well-filled. No lingering regrets that the story should have gone different. That said, there is only one thing that some people might take too much to heart. I am not the first, and shall probably not be the last, to say that the language employed for the dialogue is strangely modern and incongruous with the 12th century setting Behold the Dawn is an incredibly satisfying read: when all is said and done, and the last page has been checked behind to see if there's more, the soul feels satisfied, well-filled. No lingering regrets that the story should have gone different. That said, there is only one thing that some people might take too much to heart. I am not the first, and shall probably not be the last, to say that the language employed for the dialogue is strangely modern and incongruous with the 12th century setting. But in Weiland's defense, I must say that it lent an interesting and not distasteful flavor to the story, and also that dialogue which falls short of the historical setting and wallows in triteness is a disgrace to the story. One can conceivably weary of hearing American's attempt conversation in English accents. Jane Austen set her novels in her own familiar time and had no need to study the forgotten vernacular of centuries ago in order to twist it to a modern story. Of course, it can be done well, and has in fact, but it is interesting that Weiland chose to not experiment with that dimension in her story. The dialogue is straightforward and flows with the story, with a word here and there that sticks out a bit.

So much for criticism. What we really wanted to know is why it is worth reading. Why does it satisfy? There is a deep need in us for things to be made right; lives to be fixed, pain to be healed, this world to be renewed. Stories, the right kind of stories, show us our sinfulness, but they also let us see through the pain to the glory beyond, the glory that is our redemption and everything that redemption means for us, for heaven and earth and hell. The best stories are stories of redemption, pictures of God's grace, analogies of the already-not-yet-ness of the world. There is a song by the Trans Siberian Orchestra that has the line, "tell me how many times can this story be told, after all of these years it should all sound so old, but it somehow rings true in the back of my mind, as I search for a dream that words can no longer define." As many times as the sun comes up, there is another redemption story. In the midst of a world where things go unbelievably wrong, there is another story that plays out to the end, and the curtain falls with the words whispered, "it's all right". Now that is unbelievable, and satisfying. How many times and how many ways can the Story be told? As often and as diverse as poor forgetful sinners need it.

Behold the Dawn has a masterfully planned and delightfully "original" plot; there are no annoying inconsistencies or triteness. The humor plays into the romance, the romance plays into the suspense, and through it all runs the power of word images, and the power of redemption. ...more

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Sep 15, 2014 Kimia Wood rated it really liked it

Ends Strong
This is not a story of the Crusades. This is not even really the story of a Crusader. Events of the Third Crusade create a backdrop for the tale, and the varying landscape of the medieval Middle East creates its atmosphere. But if you're looking for a detailed history of the actual campaigns and historical figures of the time, try G. A. Henty.
In part, "Behold the Dawn" is the romance of two unlikely newlyweds, thrown together amid extenuating circumstances. The couple's interactions, Ends Strong
This is not a story of the Crusades. This is not even really the story of a Crusader. Events of the Third Crusade create a backdrop for the tale, and the varying landscape of the medieval Middle East creates its atmosphere. But if you're looking for a detailed history of the actual campaigns and historical figures of the time, try G. A. Henty.
In part, "Behold the Dawn" is the romance of two unlikely newlyweds, thrown together amid extenuating circumstances. The couple's interactions, and the way their personalities repel, reflect, and meld together, weaves into the greater theme of the book, which is as old as humanity, sin, and God.
Ultimately, this is the story of a sinner's pursuit of grace (or rather, grace's pursuit of him). We find a world-weary knight, so mired in his past wrong actions and his own depression that it takes a physical ghost from his past, in the form of a crazy-eyed monk, to spur him on to different things…perhaps to climbing out of the mire and finding the God who was waiting for him all along.
Ms Weiland's great strength is her tactile prose: the way she puts your hand into the stiff leather glove of a knight or makes you smell the reek of a thousand Crusader's tents in the Palestinian desert before air conditioning. Whatever you think of her stance on the Crusades (her treatment of Richard the Lionheart is less than affectionate), she gives you the chance to heft any number of period weapons in your mind's hand and walk alongside the characters on their dusty way to death, or glory, or revenge, or love, or something else.
A few cautions: I am more sensitive than most about sexual content. This book contains nothing explicit, but there were references to implied actions that I was unprepared for when I first opened this book, and I wanted to pass on the caution. There is also a fair amount of medieval violence and fighting, but I have less of a problem with that. Nevertheless, it's something to be aware of before you pick up this book.
In full disclosure, I received a free copy of "Behold" from StoryCartel in exchange for a review. That said, I did honestly enjoy this book. It was not exactly what I expected, but once I gave the initially self-pitying main character a chance, his developing selflessness, the engrossing world, the exciting battle scenes, and the energetic sidekick combined to make this an engaging read, worth the effort. ...more

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May 22, 2016 Clare Farrelly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-necessary-to-living, christian-fiction

"Deepen your characters and you’ll also deepen your conflict and your theme" ~K.M. Weiland
She has certainly followed her own advice in this book it is just amazing.

This is a book I have always wanted to read, but I did not realize that this books was one of those books until I started reading. The story is set during the Kings Crusade but gives a very different view than most historical fiction, well any other crusade story I have read. I did have high expectations though -having listened to K. ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Joleen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: revenge, evil, crusades, tourneys, templar-knights

Right off the bat I'm going to say if you want to read a light book before bedtime, don't pick this one up. You won't be able to put it down and it WILL keep you up.
I was unfamiliar with this author so I had no idea what to expect, but I liked the cover, and I usually enjoy early church/early historical novels, so I picked it up.
Also, let me say, K.M. Weiland can write! Granted the language styles weren't historically accurate, but I appreciated it nonetheless because I didn't have to wade throu ...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Adam Collings rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, historical

Behold the Dawn is a historical novel set during the crusades. It is the story of Marcus Annan, whose life is consumed soley by the bloodthirsty (and morally dubious) sport of tourneying. We learn very quickly that there is much more to this man than we realise. He has a dark past that he has been running from for a very long time. On the surface, Marcus seems a very unlikely hero for this story, and yet as the reader you immediately bond with him, you root for him and want to find out more abou ...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Gillian Bronte Adams rated it it was amazing

I'm not a hundred percent sure why but the movie Kingdom of Heaven about the crusades is one of my all time favorites, so when I saw Behold the Dawn and learned the time period and premise (a master tourneyer is drawn by the sins of his past to the Holy Land during the Third Crusade) I knew I had to read it!

And read it, I did, for hours on end. There may have been a few nights (er, early mornings) where I didn't set it down until the light on my clock reminded me that t'was already 3:00 AM.

Weila ...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, amazing-covers, homeschool-author

I have to begin this review by saying that I stayed up ‘til 1:00 in the morning to finish this book the day after I got it. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a very long time.

Behold the Dawn by K. M. Weiland is set during the third Crusade. If that doesn’t ring a bell, this is when Robin Hood and Ivanhoe were saving England from Prince John. Here is the books description from the website you can order the book from (go here also to see the trailer).

Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his pro ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Bill Tillman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: britian, book-for-review, christian-speculative, romance, ya, fantasy, fiction, apologetics, culture, arthurian

What a joy it is to have a tale where you can keep track of all the characters!

The sins of a bishop.

The vengeance of a monk.

The secrets of a knight.

A knight—fighting in the condemned tourneys.

A monk—preaching reform and heresy.

A bishop—running from a lifetime of darkness.

The fear of a Lady.

An unrepentant street urchin

A mysterious ghost; Matthias of Claidmore.

Unspeakable secrets chase them to the Crusade in the Holy Land. But when the swelling tide of vengeance sweeps through their shattered li ...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Pegg rated it really liked it

I tried reading this book awhile ago and couldn't get hooked. My son read it and told me to try again, it was worth it. He was right (but don't tell him I said so!). It does start very slow, I was well into the seventh chapter before I found myself hooked into the story. It finishes much stronger and contains a good love story in the midst. I liked the feel and cadence to the story in the second half, it was less wordy and more lyrical, which lends itself well to the medieval theme of the story ...more

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Sep 19, 2014 S.V. Farnsworth rated it really liked it

I enjoyed reading this Christian-centric, clean, historical fiction set during the Crusades. It is well written, engaging, and well paced. It isn't cookie cutter fiction. The hook at the beginning got me invested, but I secretly hoped the plot wouldn't be so transparent and it wasn't. I was delighted to be surprised. Happy reading.

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