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The Last Crusader Kingdom: Dawn of a Dynasty in Twelfth-Century Cyprus
BRAG Medallion Honoree
FINALIST, Book Excellence Award for HISTORICAL FICTION 2018
John d'Ibelin, son of the legendary Balian, will one day defy the most powerful monarch on earth. But first he must survive his apprenticeship as squire to a man determined to build a kingdom on an island ravaged by rebellion. The Greek insurgents have already driven the Knights Templar from the island, and now stand poised to destroy Richard the Lionheart's legacy to the Holy a crusader foothold on the island of Cyprus.
FINALIST, Book Excellence Award for HISTORICAL FICTION 2018
John d'Ibelin, son of the legendary Balian, will one day defy the most powerful monarch on earth. But first he must survive his apprenticeship as squire to a man determined to build a kingdom on an island ravaged by rebellion. The Greek insurgents have already driven the Knights Templar from the island, and now stand poised to destroy Richard the Lionheart's legacy to the Holy a crusader foothold on the island of Cyprus.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
412 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2017
9 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Helena P. Schrader
38 books146 followersDr. Helena P. Schrader is a highly acclaimed author with a remarkable portfolio of six critically acclaimed non-fiction history books and twenty historical novels. A testament to her storytelling prowess, twelve of her novels have earned one or more prestigious literary awards, with three titles achieving Amazon best-selling status.
Helena's deep historical insight stems from her PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, where her ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler earned her doctorate. Her rich experiences also include a distinguished career as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.
Her expertise spans critical historical periods and subjects, including:
Aviation
The Second World War
Ancient Sparta
The Crusader States
Award Highlights:
Helena's dedication to historical accuracy and compelling narratives has been recognized with numerous accolades:
"Cold Peace" Won the Independent Press Award for Political Thrillers 2024 and was "Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company
"Moral Fibre" won GOLD in the Global Book Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction 2024
"Where Eagles Never Flew" won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021
"Envoy of Jerusalem": Book Excellence Award for Best Biography 2017.
As the highly respected Feathered Quill Reviews noted: "Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!”
For a comprehensive list of awards and more information, please visit her author website.
Helena's deep historical insight stems from her PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, where her ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler earned her doctorate. Her rich experiences also include a distinguished career as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.
Her expertise spans critical historical periods and subjects, including:
Aviation
The Second World War
Ancient Sparta
The Crusader States
Award Highlights:
Helena's dedication to historical accuracy and compelling narratives has been recognized with numerous accolades:
"Cold Peace" Won the Independent Press Award for Political Thrillers 2024 and was "Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company
"Moral Fibre" won GOLD in the Global Book Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction 2024
"Where Eagles Never Flew" won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021
"Envoy of Jerusalem": Book Excellence Award for Best Biography 2017.
As the highly respected Feathered Quill Reviews noted: "Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!”
For a comprehensive list of awards and more information, please visit her author website.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 3, 2017
Fantastic historical novel. I read all three books of the previous trilogy in a row. This sequel is just as good. Helena manages to stay faithful to the historical events while creating a thriller and immersing her readers to medieval Cyprus during the crusader era.
May 23, 2020
The Last Crusader Kingdom is a worthy conclusion to the story of Balian d'Ibelin while setting the tone for the story of his heir, John d'Ibelin. I already plan on reading the next novels as I had a tremendous pleasure reading Knight of Jerusalem, Defender of Jerusalem, Envoy of Jerusalem, and The Last Crusader Kingdom. In my eyes, Schrader has established herself as a reference for historical novels about the Crusades. In this last entry (spoilers ahead, be warned), the reader is taken to Cyprus and discovers a new world that offers hope to the survivors of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Guy de Lusignan, disastrous king of Jerusalem, finally meets his end and the reader cannot help but feel pity for a man that was more stupid than evil. Yet, sometimes the former is worse than the latter. Disastrous king of Jerusalem, his short rule over Cyprus was another failure. However, his death opens an opportunity for his brother, Aimery to claim the kingdom of Cyprus. The latter will be assisted by Balian in his endeavour. Pirates, rebellion, kidnapping, blackmail, diplomacy. The obstacles are numerous. Yet, nothing will stop the rise of Aimery de Lusignan and, at his side, Balian's. Once again, the story is compelling and the author makes it a priority to be as close to real facts as possible. The book ends with a touching statement in regards to the Ibelin family, one that says it all about the fascination that many people have today about this name. I look forward to continuing the story with John d'Ibelin!
September 11, 2017
The Last Crusader Kingdom opens in March of 1193, with the island principality of Cyprus under the rule of the disgraced former King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan, now suffering the symptoms of his final illness, and whose means of dealing with his Greek Orthodox subjects have already proven brutal, incompetent, and miserably ineffective. Concurrently, Guy's older brother Aimery, by way of the cutthroat politics of post-Third Crusade Outremer, has been forced to relinquish the post of Constable of Jerusalem. With Aimery's means of support taken, and his life possibly in danger, he is easily persuaded by Balian of Ibelin to take his family and flee to Cyprus.
From the immediate and chilling reality of the prologue, The Last Crusader Kingdom takes a fast yet comfortable pace, which gives this rich and complex story freedom to develop without losing sight of the excellence of detail and characterizations. The crusader hero Balian and the veteran knight and civil servant Aimery, both aging and abruptly displaced aristocrats, are notably portrayed as men whose noble character, steadfast courage, and sound judgment sharply contrast with the dissolute Guy and the rapacious factions which have made Cyprus a place rent by civil strife and relentless warfare.
Faithful to her methods, Dr. Schrader avoids politically-correct modernist clichés with female characters; instead, from the dowager queen Maria Comnena to the lowliest servant, allows them to exist in the context of their times and stand on their own strengths and weaknesses, while never diminishing their presence and the importance of their roles or relegating them to the background.
The show-stealer appears in Balian's son and squire to Aimery, John of Ibelin, whose progress from a youth finding his own identity in the shadow of powerful and famous men to maturity, knighthood, and responsibilities testing of a man far older emerges as a principal theme as well as an irresistibly charming and intimate coming-of-age story.
In history, Aimery of Lusignan was the founder of a dynasty of Kings of Cyprus who would effectively rule for nearly two hundred years. Though primary records provide at best an abstract of Lusignan's rise to royalty and subsequent successes, in The Last Crusader Kingdom, Schrader, with her distinctive synthesis of accomplished literary polish and meticulous scholarship, has taken these sources and run with them to create a captivating tale which at once takes its place among her outstanding works of historical fiction and provides a soundly-constructed platform inviting academic exploration.
The Last Crusader Kingdom stands firmly on its own significant merits, as a worthy conclusion to Schrader's Jerusalem trilogy, or if she chooses to continue with the stories of the Lusignan and Ibelin families, as a remarkable beginning of a new series. Five Stars, highly recommended!
From the immediate and chilling reality of the prologue, The Last Crusader Kingdom takes a fast yet comfortable pace, which gives this rich and complex story freedom to develop without losing sight of the excellence of detail and characterizations. The crusader hero Balian and the veteran knight and civil servant Aimery, both aging and abruptly displaced aristocrats, are notably portrayed as men whose noble character, steadfast courage, and sound judgment sharply contrast with the dissolute Guy and the rapacious factions which have made Cyprus a place rent by civil strife and relentless warfare.
Faithful to her methods, Dr. Schrader avoids politically-correct modernist clichés with female characters; instead, from the dowager queen Maria Comnena to the lowliest servant, allows them to exist in the context of their times and stand on their own strengths and weaknesses, while never diminishing their presence and the importance of their roles or relegating them to the background.
The show-stealer appears in Balian's son and squire to Aimery, John of Ibelin, whose progress from a youth finding his own identity in the shadow of powerful and famous men to maturity, knighthood, and responsibilities testing of a man far older emerges as a principal theme as well as an irresistibly charming and intimate coming-of-age story.
In history, Aimery of Lusignan was the founder of a dynasty of Kings of Cyprus who would effectively rule for nearly two hundred years. Though primary records provide at best an abstract of Lusignan's rise to royalty and subsequent successes, in The Last Crusader Kingdom, Schrader, with her distinctive synthesis of accomplished literary polish and meticulous scholarship, has taken these sources and run with them to create a captivating tale which at once takes its place among her outstanding works of historical fiction and provides a soundly-constructed platform inviting academic exploration.
The Last Crusader Kingdom stands firmly on its own significant merits, as a worthy conclusion to Schrader's Jerusalem trilogy, or if she chooses to continue with the stories of the Lusignan and Ibelin families, as a remarkable beginning of a new series. Five Stars, highly recommended!
November 13, 2017
We are proud to announce that THE LAST CRUSADER KINGDOM: Dawn of a Dynasty in Twelfth-Century Cyprus by Helena P. Schrader is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
April 25, 2018
I'm still a bit new at reading historical fiction. I prefer historical fiction with more history, and this fit the bill. The author brought characters from nearly a millennium ago to life. The women and the men. The rich and the poor. Rich details of daily life.
Aside from a few movies and general history, I am less familiar with the Crusades, so this filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge base too. The aristocracy was all real. I especially loved the parenting details and seeing the characters grow over the years. Oh, land and sea and kingdoms and castles and barons and woodcraft and stonemasons. Pirates and smugglers and Viking sailors. So much in this book. The first 50 pages were a little stiffer and academic but by the time I got to page 100 I knew I could finish the book. I even want to know more, several of the characters die in the same year in 7 years from the end of the book! Off to wikipedia I go!
The central focus is John d'Ibelin, a town west of Jerusalem near modern Tel-Aviv. The book covers 1193 to 1197. Apparently this is a continuation of an earlier series, so maybe I will look for that.
Aside from a few movies and general history, I am less familiar with the Crusades, so this filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge base too. The aristocracy was all real. I especially loved the parenting details and seeing the characters grow over the years. Oh, land and sea and kingdoms and castles and barons and woodcraft and stonemasons. Pirates and smugglers and Viking sailors. So much in this book. The first 50 pages were a little stiffer and academic but by the time I got to page 100 I knew I could finish the book. I even want to know more, several of the characters die in the same year in 7 years from the end of the book! Off to wikipedia I go!
The central focus is John d'Ibelin, a town west of Jerusalem near modern Tel-Aviv. The book covers 1193 to 1197. Apparently this is a continuation of an earlier series, so maybe I will look for that.
February 26, 2022
Do you enjoy great history writing, and/or this period? Buy this book, and all the authors other work. You’ll not be disappointed.
Ms S has entertained me supremely this last few weeks with a great collection of books. If you are a serious reader of historical fiction (based on fact), I cannot emphasise enough how good this writing is.
The details and descriptions are both engrossing and compelling, and as far as I can tell, fairly accurate to the real history that went on.
Obviously, there is a lot of artists licence employed, however you cannot fail to enjoy this.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book and all her others as excellent reading material. You may have read a host of other authors who have written about this period in history, some are good but many write with much inaccuracy; this author is the most accurate I’ve read yet.
Ms S has entertained me supremely this last few weeks with a great collection of books. If you are a serious reader of historical fiction (based on fact), I cannot emphasise enough how good this writing is.
The details and descriptions are both engrossing and compelling, and as far as I can tell, fairly accurate to the real history that went on.
Obviously, there is a lot of artists licence employed, however you cannot fail to enjoy this.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book and all her others as excellent reading material. You may have read a host of other authors who have written about this period in history, some are good but many write with much inaccuracy; this author is the most accurate I’ve read yet.
February 9, 2020
Knights, swords, pirates, Vikings, olives, princesses, kings, prostitutes, bishops, wine, castles, beggars, galleys, monks, aqueducts - there is a lot of that in the Medieval setting of this book, taking place in the Middle East and Cyprus of Crusades period.
Somewhat plain and predictable characters - but overall, it is an entertaining and educating historical drama. The PhD in History of the author helps to convey historical accurateness of the novel's background. I actually learnt quite a lot about the period of Crusades in the Middle East and the history of Medieval Cyprus thanks to this book.
Somewhat plain and predictable characters - but overall, it is an entertaining and educating historical drama. The PhD in History of the author helps to convey historical accurateness of the novel's background. I actually learnt quite a lot about the period of Crusades in the Middle East and the history of Medieval Cyprus thanks to this book.
December 8, 2017
Outstanding conclusion to an outstanding series
Bringing to an end the story of Balian D'Ibielin, The Last Crusader Kingdom is a riveting read. I am disappointed only in the fact that this is the last book! I have enjoyed the series very much and if you watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven, or have any interest in the Crusader kingdoms, please do yourself a favor and treat yourself to reading this series.
Ms Schrader has created and given life to historical figures, she has maintained the flavor and mores of the day, and brought an engaging and terrible time to life.
Bringing to an end the story of Balian D'Ibielin, The Last Crusader Kingdom is a riveting read. I am disappointed only in the fact that this is the last book! I have enjoyed the series very much and if you watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven, or have any interest in the Crusader kingdoms, please do yourself a favor and treat yourself to reading this series.
Ms Schrader has created and given life to historical figures, she has maintained the flavor and mores of the day, and brought an engaging and terrible time to life.
November 3, 2017
Ended too soon
I’ve read and enjoyed the Defender of Jerusalem series. I’m glad the author is continuing to write about the d’Ibelin family. Historical novels can seem dry but, Schrader has a knack for making the characters relatable to us in the modern day without taking away from the reality of the times and politics she’s writing about.
I’ve read and enjoyed the Defender of Jerusalem series. I’m glad the author is continuing to write about the d’Ibelin family. Historical novels can seem dry but, Schrader has a knack for making the characters relatable to us in the modern day without taking away from the reality of the times and politics she’s writing about.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews