Everyone has heard of the Crusades, but many people are not aware that there was more than one (I certainly wasn't.) This novel begins during the First Crusade and follows Tancred, a young man trying to escape from and atone for his past by engaging in a holy war. Through this novel, we follow Tancred on his journey through Italy to Constantinople and all of the dangers, perils, battles, and intrigue on the way. Tancred truly believes in the cause, however he soon finds it difficult to know who to trust and which rules to follow.

Before reading this novel, I really was only acquainted with the Third Crusade and the part Richard the Lionheart played in it. It is very obvious right off the bat that Lortz did her research and probably is as familiar with the Crusades (all of them)as she is with the back of her hand. This novel is full of historical facts and anecdotes as well as a very realistic setting that allows Lortz's historical prowess to show. Tancred was an interesting character, however I wish that there had been more character development throughout the book. I would have loved to know a bit more about him and seen him mature, but since this is the first in a trilogy, he will probably mature a bit throughout the series. While this novel is full of battles, it wasn't over done with gore. The battles were well described but it didn't feel as though I was wading through a river of blood to see what was going on. Overall, this book had everything from war to romance and the writing was really well done. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series to see what happens next.

*Please note, I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.