The Crusader

A vivid historical novel set during the late 13th century with the seventh and final crusade to prise the Holy Land and Jerusalem out of the hand of the Infidel. This is the story of that bloody crusade as experienced by a young Spanish nobleman, Francisco de Montcada. The tale is told by a wily and ambitious Cistercian monk, Brother Lucas, a former friend. Francisco has returned from the Levant a total wreck, to be placed under the Inquisition in order to exorcise his soul, while Brother Lucas nurtures his body. Thus we learn Francisco's tale of how he took up the Cross in order to redeem his brother's memory. It is a tale of horror and bloodshed - a brutal enterprise perpetrated in the name of Christ. A strange and powerful story.