Reviews for Crusade

The average rating for Crusade based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-04 00:00:00 Andrew Free The author definitely hooked me on this series. Some of my interest was based in the time period- my lack of knowledge of it made this sort of a historical discovery for me. I appreciate a writer that does their homework, cites sources and stays mostly faithful to the history of the era while still developing a solid plot and characters. The story follows the main characters Will, Garin, and Elwen into adulthood. The challenges Will faces while balancing his romantic relationship with Elwen and his knighthood in the Knights Templar makes for a good subplot that revolves around the main conflict- the crusades and the various factions that either want to end the conflict or continue it for various, often self centered, reasons. The author's description of the philosophy of the Knights Templar may not be strictly historical, but it makes for good reading and establishes the verisimilitude effectively. Had she not established this effectively and plausibly, I would've found the wandering and straying of a Templar like Will a bit too difficult to believe. I liked the juxtaposition of the three religions- Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The author did a good job of showing each perspective in a realistic and respectful manner while not pulling any punches in an attempt to maintain political correctness. The brutality and violence is authentic and at times predominant. Even more interesting are the philosophical contradictions and struggles that exist within the characters. Overall this book seemed to pick up the pace compared to the first one. A tremendous amount of loose ends are tied up in this book and character death is commonplace. I can't help but finish the trilogy now. 4.5 stars

Review # 2 was written on 2009-11-23 00:00:00 Elijah Seeker I said I'd give the first novel in this series 4.5 stars if I could. I'd give this one 2.5. Please note, however, that it seems I'm in the minority on this; most of the professional reviews I've read and most of the amateur reviews on Amazon take the opposite position. It seems that most reader think this was the superior novel. I couldn't disagree more. Young still alternates between the Mamluks and the Templars, and this dual sided story telling is still brilliant. She is still exceptionally knowledgeable and finds easy ways to portray information to her reader. The strengths, then, remain. But Crusade has far more flaws. To begin, one of the primary antagonists, whose name I will not reveal for it would ruin parts of the first novel, is horribly developed. He acts with nothing but blind vengeance at multiple points, vengeance that never dulls no matter how many years pass. In so having a horrifically villainous character, Young only serves to herofy Will even more, a fact that I find troubling. Extremes are rare in the real world, and I strongly believe they should be rare in fiction as well. Another flaw in Crusade is pacing. Parts move too fast and parts move too slowly. Some parts are skipped over entirely and relayed only in exposition. Finally, the end really troubles me. While technically still related to the last Crusade the rest of the novel focuses on, I thought the novel's concluding section felt like an entirely different book. I also thought the supposed emotional pay off that finished the novel was thoroughly unsatisfying. I will still read the third installment, but I hope it emulates Brethren instead of this one.