![]() I am not sure if the author is setting him up for a series-level character arc. I have read a few characters like him in other books, but where the others won me over eventually, this didn’t occur with Lukas. He behaves like an entitled, spoilt brat for most of the story, and this is quite off-putting. I liked almost every aspect of the story except for Lukas. Had we lived through these events with the characters, I think the tragedies at the end would have had me reaching for the tissues instead of closing the book and moving on to my next read. A lot of events that occurred off-page would have served readers better if they had been described in the book rather than summarized in dialogue or internal reflection. Tragedies beset all three main characters, and the conclusions to each of their stories should have been a gut punch, but I shrugged off each ending and flipped the page. Yet although all the ingredients for a GREAT novel were there, in the end they weren’t quite mixed together well enough, and the book ended up only as a good novel-hence my disappointment.įor me, the bottom line is, although I liked the characters, none of their relationships were developed well enough that the tragedies at the end really hit hard. Ayla was a winner of a character-very easy to root for-and I felt an immediate fondness for Raymond and his commitment to seeing all his people safely to Palestine, and I particularly enjoyed the depiction of the travails of the pilgrimage itself. It engaged me right away, and in contrast to several teammates, I liked Lukas, particularly his obvious love for his family and concern for their welfare. I wanted to love this book and I ended up only liking it, which was in itself a disappointment. The romance plotline didn’t work for everyone on the team, and some thought the conclusion could have been strengthened by some additional character development. Many books covering a journey can grow tedious, but Rowntree did a terrific job laying out the many conflicts on and off the battlefield, keeping us engaged. The pacing also easily held our attention. Although some team members thought Lukas was too entitled to be likeable, we all enjoyed rooting for Ayla and Raymond. On the whole, we admired Rowntree’s characterizations. The story contains plenty of supernatural elements-including possession, clairvoyance, and full-on sorcery, but some reviewers still thought the amount of magic ran a bit thin for a fantasy novel. The journey was filled with vivid depictions of battles, politicking, and the despair stirred by all the hardships of the road. The rich historical details were impressive in this novel and Rowntree does an outstanding job bringing the ordeals of the first Crusade to full, vibrant life. Nevertheless, as the pair travel with the Crusaders, their regard for each other grows, even while they continue to hide secrets from each other. Lukas is a member of a mysterious group of Christian mystics known as the Watchers, while Ayla, a Muslim, struggles with the ethical dilemmas that come with serving a lord intent on destroying her people while trying to fulfill an oath to avenge her father’s death. Giles, a French nobleman leading his people to Palestine so they can retake the city of Jerusalem for Christendom. Lukas teams up with a young woman named Ayla, and the pair join the entourage of Raymond St. This historical fantasy begins with a unique spin on the time travel trope-instead of a modern-day person being sucked back in time, a disrupted spell hurls a Seventh Century patrician youth named Lukas 400 years into the future, into the middle of the first Crusade. ![]() Only if his enemies from the past don’t catch him.Īnd only as long as Ayla never finds out who he really is. If Lukas succeeds in his quest, he’ll undo the invasion and change the course of history. ![]() Before then, she must avenge her father’s murder-or risk losing her soul.ĭesperate to find their way home, Lukas and Ayla join the seven armies marching east to liberate Jerusalem. And Lukas is hurled across the centuries to a future where his worst nightmares have come true…Ĭonstantinople, 1097: Ayla may be a heretic beggar, but she knows one thing for sure: six months from now, she will die. Syria, 636: As heretic invaders circle Jerusalem, young Lukas Bessarion vows to defend his people.
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