After ascending to the throne Richard Plantagenet spends some time restoring his country. However he has sworn an oath to go on crusade to the Holy Land alongside his liege lord and frenzy Philippe of France. Alongside Richard travels his loyal knight Rufus (the Irishman, Ferdia) who is sworn to Richard and also to fighting the infidel as penance for a murder he has committed. Travelling through Sicily and Cyprus, nothing can prepare them for the heat and travail against Saladin, the great leader of their enemy.
Kane is really hitting his stride with this book in which known history is intertwined with the fictional life of Ferdia. As Kane acknowledges, the breadth and depth of writing on the crusade is huge making research easy to come by. Here the facts are relayed accurately with the fiction wound neatly through it and with a strong sense of storytelling that makes this an enthralling read at many levels. ( )