First published 2011
Richard Plantagenet takes the English throne after his father Henry's death, but coronation ceremonies hold little appeal. The Holy Land calls to him. Richard abandons his new kingdom almost immediately to lead the Third Crusade against Saladin's forces. In the desert battlefields of Outremer, Christian armies fracture into competing factions even as they face the formidable Saracen military machine. Richard must navigate treacherous alliances with fellow crusader kings while commanding brutal sieges and desperate cavalry charges. Meanwhile, across the Mediterranean, his youngest brother John schemes to seize the crown for himself. Richard fights two wars simultaneously: one against Saladin's armies in Palestine, another against his own brother's ambitions in England. The fate of Jerusalem hangs in the balance, but so does Richard's throne. Penman captures the impossible choice facing a king torn between his crusading oath and his duty to his realm.
Genres: historical, historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, sibling-rivalry
Setting: England, Holy Land, Outremer, Palestine
Period: Third Crusade
594 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence