Sword Brethren

by Jon Byrne

Bound by faith. Forged in battle. Haunted by doubt.

1242: Wounded at the Battle on the Ice, English knight Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Intrigued by his captive, Alexander orders his scholar to record Richard’s life story.

Richard’s chronicle begins in 1203, when betrayal shatters his training for knighthood and forces him to flee England. In Lübeck, he finds work with a ruthless salt merchant and becomes entangled in an illicit affair – until scandal and violence drive him onward once more.

Seeking purpose, Richard joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, a militant order bent on bringing Christendom to the pagan Baltic. In the harsh outpost of Riga, he faces not only enemy tribes beyond the walls, but suspicion, ambition, and betrayal within – while grappling with doubts that threaten his faith.

When a vast pagan army threatens to overwhelm the commandery, Richard must choose what kind of man – and believer – he will become.

Sword Brethren is Book One of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction, Medieval

416 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2024

About the author

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack. He has studied the medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive personal library and a particular interest in the often-overlooked Northern Crusades.

Sword Brethren is Book One of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.

Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This medieval fiction on the Northern Crusades was a great read, filled with vengeance, adventure, danger, forbidden love and friendship.

When I look back on my time with the Teutonic Knights and the Swordbrothers beforehand, it is the friends and comrades that have come and gone over the years that stand out for me: their courage, their heroism and their humour. That of course, and the battles. Always the battles.

[ Contains some spoilers ]

PLOT SUMMARY
In 1242, Richard Fitz Simon is taken prisoner by Prince Alexander Nevsky of Russia after being wounded on the battlefield. Alexander allows Richard to write an account about his life to send to his son so he understands his legacy and hopefully bring the family to justice concerning Richard’s past. Alexander has his scholar, a stubborn Irishman Fergus, to transcribe and translate so he has a copy.

We are taken back to the past, to 1203, where 14-year-old Richard’s father Lord Rodger, Baron of Cranham, receives a letter from their relatives. His brother, Richard’s uncle, Gilbert and his wife and son are coming to stay as they no longer have a home. Unfortunately, his father dies under suspicious circumstances – and Richard believes Gilbert is behind it. When there is an attempt on his life, Richard is forced to flee England for Lübeck with his father’s steward, Wilhelm. He vows to one day get his revenge.

They live with Wilhelm’s brother, salt merchant Eberhard. Richard falls in love with Eberhard’s daughter, Elsebeth but she is promised to Richard’s new employer Henkel, a cruel abusive monster of a man. When Elsebeth is abused and falls pregnant with Richard’s child, trouble stirs. Richard once again has to flee and he decides to join the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (also known as the Sword Bretherin) as they embark on a crusade to convert the pagans in the Baltic to Christianity. But the enemy is not only on the other side, for there are those amongst the ranks who would see him killed too.

OVERALL OPINIONS
I have long been a fan of medieval novels, particularly with the likes of Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, so it was natural I should pick this up. I like that it is told from a dual timeline, switching between an older Richard in 1242 recounting his story thus far, to a teenage Richard from 1203-05 fleeing from one country to another seeking retribution (though we spend the most time in Richard’s past).

Byrne has intricately woven a great tale combining real history with fiction with intriguing characters, decent pacing and oftentimes marvellous descriptions. It is clear he has put a lot of thought and effort into this, down to the last detail, which should not be ignored!

I have included a few examples where similes are used effectively:

The man’s gaze was as cold as a winter’s blizzard.

And:

My heart was beating in my chest like the blacksmith’s hammer that I heard from the workshop.

The best description was this:

It was the way he slyly watched everyone when he thought no one was looking, reminding me of the way a fox or wolf would watch its prey. I wondered if he was a thief and was glad I had nothing worth stealing apart from my sword. If he ever tried to take that I would be happy to give it to him – blade first.

My personal favourite quote:

Love is not something of which most warrior monks have any experience, but I am convinced that it was real. Now I am old, but I can still remember every detail of her – the way she laughed and the habit she had of tugging at her hair as she brushed it from her face. In the subsequent weeks, I found it hard to get her out of my mind. She would haunt my dreams, haunt my waking moments, jumping into my head at the most inappropriate times.

At first, I was not aware this was the first book in the trilogy, so I had expected a faster pace. By the time I was 80% of the way through the book, I realised there would be more to come because I knew all the issues could not be resolved. This is quite fitting, seeing as 40 years on he still feels unsatisfied because he still hasn’t exacted his revenge. I am looking forward to the rest!

I actually have never heard of the Northern Crusades before, having only ever known books that cover the Crusades to the Holy Lands. Indeed, Byrne writes a Historical Note at the back of the book where he explains in excellent details about the Baltic Crusades, where he himself admits that this piece of history is overlooked. This is therefore a wonderful resource of information and I learned much on the subject. I think this story is unique because of this, and it is excellent that Byrne chose to cover this period of history and draw attention to it.

Actual characters from history are here: King John, Wenno von Rohrbach, Theoderich von Treyden and Prince Alexander Nevsky. The Livonian Brothers of the Sword, also known as the Swordbrothers or Sword Brethren (where we get our story title) did exist.

<< Positives >>
🠚 A story about the Northern Crusades which are not covered nearly as much as the Holy Land Crusades.
🠚 Excellent descriptions and plot!
🠚 I was especially impressed with the name choices, as their meanings are clever and tell you something about the character. Some examples include: Richard (named after Richard the Lionheart) means “strong in rule” or “brave”, at this moment it is an ironic name but he intends to reclaim what was his and rule it. Henkel means “handle” or “grip”, the latter meaning is rather fitting considering his brute strength and abusive manner. Ąžuolas which means “oak tree”, alluding to the size and strength of the man. Rudolph means “famous wolf”, rather suitable as he is the most renown not only for his deeds but his temper (like a wolf, he can really lash out). His horse’s name Rabe means “raven” which tells you its colour.

<< Negatives >>
I cannot find much fault with its narrative.
🠚It should be clearer it was part of a trilogy.
🠚Although there were some moments I did not like, I knew they served the purpose of propelling the story on. Two such examples are the mistreatment of women and animals. I was rather shocked at the suddenness of what happened to the shepherd girl, but I understood it was to emphasise how much of a monster Henkel was. Same with Rudolph’s warhorse, it is used to illustrate Rudolph’s renowned cruelty.
🠚I thought the abuse and killing of dogs was repetitive and unnecessary.
🠚I was hoping there would be more to Richard and Elsebeth’s storyline. She becomes stubborn and refuses to run away which, while I see it from the practical point of view that wouldn’t be much of a life at all on the run, causes a lot of consequences but also makes her character somewhat cold and it feels like all his efforts to protect her are not appreciated.
🠚I can also understand if some people are uneasy about the ages of these two but it should be remembered that times were different back then and therefore would have been considered normal ages.
🠚The only thing is there are a lot of characters to remember as they come and go, but it should be straightforward to keep up with.

CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Richard꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Poor, poor Richard Fitz Simon. He cannot seem to catch a break! One misfortune after the next, with the occasional massive catastrophe.
🠚They say to keep your enemy closer – but he has them too close for comfort haha! He has enemies in England, he has enemies in Lübeck, he has enemies in Livonia.
🠚He endures time and time again judgement of being a foreigner, a Lord and a boy. He questions his faith because of his mistreatment. There are times he loses his temper and finds it difficult to control. There are times I dislike him because of his arrogance but that makes him all the more realistic. He is a naïve young man, who loses everything he has ever known, and keeps losing people he cares about. This all makes him a very complex, realistic character who is explored exceptionally well.
🠚I am glad he still has Otto and has developed a friendship with fellow members of the Order. I love the fact that he defends women at every opportunity. In an age like that, that would have been rare.

My name is Richard Fitz Simon and this is my story. It is the truth, as God is my witness, although if I am honest, I think the Almighty gave up on me many years ago.

FAV QUOTES
• At my venerable age, death should come as a welcome relief and I almost felt ready to succumb to it – to give up my fight and drift into the hallowed afterlife. Almost, but not quite. I was not yet ready to die. There was still too much to be done. There was still my vengeance to be had. A vengeance that stretched back to my youth.
• I have always had an affinity with animals, and dogs in particular. Now I am an old man, I think I actually prefer dogs to most people. In my opinion, they are easier to manage and more loyal.
• Some men do bad things and many more men allow bad things to happen without doing what they know to be right. I was *that* man that day.
• Did I really want to go inside and help celebrate the marriage of the woman I loved to the man I hated?
• ‘if you fail to control your temperament it will lead to nothing good. It could very well destroy the both of us.’
• If I thought I had problems before, now they were only beginning. I had killed a man, and if caught I would die.
• Give me an enemy with a sword any day. How could you fight the sea?
• Now, I was heading for a country I had never even heard of only a month before, off to fight for the God I questioned daily in my head.
• Most of the other passengers kept their distance, wary after what had happened in Lübeck, but I felt their eyes on me when they thought I wasn’t looking. Let them look. I had done no wrong and had nothing to hide.
• Theodoric always seemed to have the uncanny habit of being right, as if the Lord personally confided the future to him.
• My heart beat quicker in my chest at the prospect of a battle. In the years since, this sensation has become as common as cold on a lonely night’s vigil, but at the time it was new. And I relished it. There was nothing like the thought that soon my life would be in the balance – dependent on God’s grace and my own skill at arms.
• No one can predict the future or know what will happen, nor the fate that awaits them, and we are ever fools to think otherwise.
• ‘Better an enemy in front than a knife in the back from a friend behind.’
• It was a story worthy of the bards and jongleurs, fit for any lord’s great hall. It was hard to believe it was true. On my journey to this point I may have lost everything that had been dear to me, but my life had also taken on a new meaning.
• ‘Honour,’ I said. ‘You wouldn’t understand it. Honour is everything. Honour is more important than life. If you live without honour you might as well be dead.’

══════════ ⋆★⋆ ══════════

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Jon Byrne and Reedsy for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.

[Matt Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Full of surprises and not predictable in the least. Jon is a natural storyteller - he always was (yes, I'm his brother) and I was hooked from the very start.
He clearly did a lot of prep and he pays much attention to accurate detail. I strongly recommend this book - you won't be disappointed. The follow up is equally good as well but you'll have to wait for that! Matt Byrne

[David Shanholtzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy a good history-based fictional account if it does not stray from the realities and timeframe of the story. The author did not disappoint in this area. Within the first few chapters, I understand that the reader should expect an expansive and developing saga to unfold in which his fictional characters, based on historical records and people, come to life, sharing with the reader the harsh realities and challenges that face persons of different social and religious classes. The author uses mostly first-person narrative for the key character, a warrior of high social standing who, through brute force, has his life altered and takes on another life and persona. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. That said, I can't wait for the continuing saga of the lead character in the next novel.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I first heard about Sword Brethren, I was keen to read it. I love gripping historical adventures, and this one did not disappoint. The unusual setting of the Baltic Crusades – generally overlooked against the better-known crusades in the Holy Land – is a bonus.

The novel is mainly told in retrospect. When ageing warrior, Richard Fitz Simon, is gravely injured during battle, he wakes in an Orthodox monastery where he is being cared for by two monks. His recovery is slow, as the wound became infected. His waking days are filled with boredom, as no one appears to understand his German or Latin, never mind Norman French or English.

So when Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod – the man whose army defeated Richard's order – visits him, he's uncertain of what that signifies. Apparently, fellow captives were released for handsome payoffs, but Richard is not German, even though he fought with a Germanic order. He's English.

Intrigued, Alexander allows Richard to write down his life story, to be sent to Richard’s son, but to have it translated to Russian too, so he could understand it as well. Alexander's scribe, an Irishman named Fergus, bears a grudge against the Normans whom he accused of cruelties against the Irish. Reluctantly, he writes down Richard's story, frequently interspersed by their spats.

Richard's story begins when he is 13, living at Cranham castle with his lord father and younger sister, Alice. But when his father's sister-in-law and nephew, Richard's cousin Walter, arrive, trouble starts to brew. And when his uncle Gilbert – who'd lost all his lands in Normandy thanks to King John's catastrophic failures – arrives unexpectedly, his father sends Richard and his German steward Wilhelm, a former merchant, with the title deeds of his lands to be kept safe at a monastery.

They are attacked on their return, but Richard doesn't think much of it. Outlaws roam the forests, after all. But when he gets back to the manor, events unravel quickly, and Richard is forced to flee. William helps him to safety, but Gilbert's men are always on their tail.

Will Richard reach safety? And will he be able to exact revenge on his traitorous uncle? Read the novel to find out!

Sword Brethren is the kind of novel you simply can't put down. It's fast pace keeps you hooked, as you wonder what could possibly go wrong next. And plenty of things do go wrong for poor Richard!

Young Richard is full of bluster of youth. Having received not only a thorough education, he is also weapon-trained, which helps him when he gets into tricky situations, most of the time. A typical lord's son, with a touch of arrogance and sense of superiority, he soon discovers the other side of the coin. But he's not reluctant to take on menial tasks, however ghastly, to survive, and for a roof over his head. His thirst for revenge keeps him going, but as the months pass, he understands there is very little he could do without funds. It's a sobering realisation.

The older Richard still has his temper, as his spats with Fergus show. He hasn't lost any of his fire, but he is older and, perhaps, wiser...

Sword Brethren is a thrilling ride across medieval England, to the Holy Roman Empire, and beyond. You get a true sense of the cultural and administrative differences, which I found enlightening. The characters – good and bad – are realistic, and not clichéd. And both types exist wherever Richard goes, regardless of culture, language, or creed.

The fast pace has you turning the pages, as events follow events, and the clever plot keeps you engaged throughout. There's not one boring minute, which is rare for a book of this length. Poor Richard is put through the paces, and as he follows his path, reluctantly, he begins to accept the inevitable. For the time being!

I'm looking forward to the next book in this brilliant new series. I can highly recommend Sword Brethren to readers who love medieval adventures, historical coming-of-age stories, and those who enjoy novels set in unusual locations.

[Linnea Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Teutonic Knight, Richard Fitz Simon wakes up as a prisoner of war recovering from a serious battle wound at an enemy monastery. He captures the interest of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod when he spoke the Norman-French tongue in a fevered wave of dizziness. The enemy prince tasks his impertinent Irish scribe to translate Richard life's journey into the Russian language.

Sword Brethren by Jon Byrne is a gripping, coming-of-age medieval tale told from the perspective of a middle-aged Crusader that begins the story when he is a fourteen-year-old boy living in his father's castle in England. Training to be a knight, Richard is charged with secretly depositing the deeds and titles of his father's properties at a distant monastery for safekeeping. Upon his return, Richard discovers his uncle has murdered his father and taken the castle and surrounding lands as his own. To escape death, Richard flees with his father's German steward, first to London and then to Lübeck. He must learn German and adapt to the rigors of working for a treacherous merchant to survive. His life is again threatened when the ramifications of his illicit affair with the merchant's daughter comes to light. He must make a difficult decision to join the Livonian Brothers of the Sword just as they embark on a crusade to convert the pagans of the eastern Baltic to Christianity. 

Sword Brethren is a page-turning adventure of an impetuous and brash young man who has lost everything but has the wit and courage to survive. Author Jon Byne has masterfully crafted an engaging epic tale told in the first person viewpoint of a middle-age knight with insight on how his youthful decisions impacted his life. It is a rare that a historical adventure has both action-packed scenes yet captures the essence of its characters. The prologue immediately drew me into the story and kept me turning the pages to discover why a noble born in England would fight in a Catholic-sanctioned military order, primarily composed of men from northern Germany. Under what circumstance would Richard, a warrior monk, sire a son?

After a brief background in the beginning chapters, the plot propels into fast-paced action full of tension at every turn. There are cinematic scenes in which Richard barely escapes with his life only to be pulled into another dire situation. The action keeps the readers' hearts in their throats. Richard often react impulsively with deadly purpose in his youth, but his heart is in the right place. It is a captivating story of a young man determined to survive and to find meaning in his life after great loss. In his quest to avenge his father and to regain his heritage, he also finds love and deep friendships.

Sword Brethren is a promising start to The Northern Crusader Chronicles for which I'll keep my eye on future books by John Byrne. I highly recommend this compelling medieval action/adventure for its heartfelt epic tale of a young English noble catapulted as a Teutonic Knight into the lesser-known Crusades in the Baltic regions 

[Liudmila Brus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who lives in Estonia and was thrilled by Ivanhoe (Walter Scott) and The Black Arrow (R.L. Stevenson) as a teenager, I could not miss this historical adventure novel, which focuses on the Northern Crusades.

Unlike the Crusades to the Holy Land, the Northern Crusades seem to receive less attention from fiction authors. So imagine my awe when I saw the book announcement on social media.

The story is told by Richard Fitz Simon, an old English-born member of the Livonian Order, who came to force Christianity upon the Baltic pagans (the last surviving large group in Europe). In the Battle on Ice (lake called Peipsi in Estonian or Chudskoye in Russian), he was badly wounded and taken prisoner by Novgorod troops led by the young and ambitious Prince Alexander. While recovering from his wounds at Yuriev Monastery in the Novgorod Republic, Richard is compelled to recount his life story, which is written down by Alexander’s scribe. The scribe, Fergus, is an Irishman who despises Englishmen with all his soul.

Richard is a flawed character, and as we see him as a young man, he sometimes makes utterly poor decisions. More than once, I asked myself why I should empathize with someone who invaded another’s country, but his honesty, audacity, and loyalty to his friends won my heart.

We see how the young Richard Fitz Simon fell victim to treason and had to flee his domain, Cranham, in England. We follow him on his dangerous journey through the raging seas to France, then to Germany, and finally to the Crusaders’ outpost in Riga. The novel is packed with intrigue and action. However, I also enjoyed the slower passages that immerse us in medieval society and Richard’s thoughts and feelings. Jon Byrne takes us to medieval London, Bremen, and Lübeck. We follow Richard to the gloomy Baltic Sea, with its ferocious Oesel pirates, and witness the “veche” in Novgorod. I loved the descriptions: they are detailed but not overly lengthy.

Fortunately, Sword Brethren is the first installment in a series, so we’ll see more of Richard’s adventures in the future. I’m eagerly looking forward to the second book.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Fitz Simmons is a young lad who has just lost everything. After he narrowly defends himself against some highwaymen he arrives home to find that his father has accidentally died in a hunting accident and his uncle is taking over. But why did Uncle bring a small army with him? Richard and his father's German steward take off for London in hopes of telling the King about this outrageous perfidy, but the King is Mr. Outrageous Perfidy himself, John. Chased by murderous men, Richard takes a desperate chance and finds himself in the Holy Roman Empire, in service to a prominent merchant -- but this is only the first step on a path that will lead to Richard into becoming a warrior of renoun, telling his story to a scribe in Prince Nevsky's court. This was an ARC sent to me via Booksirens, and it seems quite promising: although featuring a teenage main character, it's not the kind of family-friendly medieval adventure that Wayne Grant delivers in his Broken Bow series, which has a very similar plot. This is much more graphic and edgy, and takes readers into an area not often seen in medieval historical fiction -- eastern Europe during the Northern or Baltic crusades. The main character is quite sympathetic, a lad with the strength and valor of a man twice his age, quick to defend those in peril, even if saddled with a temper. Frequently, his sense of righteousness and honor gives him into violent trouble. My only issue with the book is Richard's irreligiosity, which is out of place given the setting, and especially given that he's serving in a holy order. Although I had some quibbles with it, I enjoyed Sword Brethren and will be continuing in the series as the author creates it.

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise intrigued me. Much has been written about the Crusades to Outremer, France, Constantinople and Spain, but very little has been dedicated to what is referred to as the Northern Crusades - the Christianisation of the Baltic by the Teutonic Knights and their kindred orders.

This fictional work is told in hindsight, narrated by our protagonist Richard, a Norman from England, who has found his way into one of the most conclusive battles of the 13th Century against the legendary Alexander Nevsky. How did he end up there is the crux of the narrative, as it is told in flashback by the aged and war weary Richard. His story begins with events in England and the reasons for his departure and eventual arrival in Lubeck. With a far from settled life, Richard is bound for Riga with the Sword Brethren.

Whilst the pace slowed in some places, I was overall engaged with the narrative (I did read it in one sitting), so much so that it had me reaching for my copy of Eric Christiansen's "The Northern Crusades" and flicking back to see that, yes, the Sword Brethren did actually exist! The Sword Brethren, however, were not the only Order battling away in the Baltic - there were many fingers in the pie, sometimes working together, oft times at odds with each other. It is a truly fascinating period of history, and one I am glad to see brought into the mainstream readership.

Looking forward to the continuation of Richard's narrative as the series progresses.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent a free arc copy of the second book in this series but decided to read this one first so I had a full grasp of the storyline. This actually covers the less well known crusades that took place in the Baltic region in the 1200s - the Northern crusades. although a bit bogged down with details in places this was quite an interesting read and has opened me up to a new period for historical fiction. The book is narrated in hindsight by our main protagonist Richard, who is relaying his life story to an interpreter working for the famous Alexander Nevsky, in order to have his record of his life sent on to his son back in England. The story jumps between his sessions with Alexander’s scribe and his childhood in England and then arrival as a fugitive in Lubeck. Whilst I found the pacing a bit slow for my tastes and it took me longer to read than I would have liked because of how impressively detailed and descriptive it is, I found myself quite invested in the narrative and interested in finding out more about this period of history. The author has done an impressive amount of research and this shows in the way the crusader world really comes to life on the page. It has a bit of a lacklustre ending but that’s because it’s obviously very geared up to leading straight onto book two so I am looking forward to getting stuck into that one soon as well.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! I have read hundreds of historical fiction books and many set in the crusades of the Levant, but I am ashamed to say that I knew nothing about the northern crusades. I found the subject fascinating and the book well written and engaging. Plenty of action, insight, and period detail without being tedious on any front. Well done! This book is a "to be continued", so be aware, but I think like me, if you love a good adventure set in a real place in time, you will be happy to read this great story and look forward to the " continuing ".

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brian Lobodzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, enjoyable and easily read novel about deceit, survival, love and warfare mostly set in an area of Central and Eastern Europe rarely covered by authors. The strict delineation of the feudal system, the power of the Catholic church and the precarious hold that most people had on life in the Medieval period come over clearly as we follow the career of a young teenager cheated out of his inheritance and forced to flee. His ordeal as an impoverished refugee and an apprentice Crusader knight lead the reader on an interesting journey of which I hope this novel is only the beginning of the saga.

I received an Arc copy but the views are my own.

[Carol Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing book about the crusades in the Baltic region. Found the book to be extremely interesting as this was not an area of history I was familiar with. The turmoil of the time period, the treachery of family and trying to find your own way in it makes for an interesting backdrop for the story. The knight is a compelling character who sought revenge against his family and his story of service as a knight make for a very good read. Well thought out, wonderful story line and very fast paced. A great book to curl up with! I received a free copy to read from The Niche Reader.

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story with enough historical accuracy to keep it "real".

The story is compelling and tells the story from start to finish in a captivating way.

Solid character development and a well organized storyline kept me wanting to turn the next page. The author did a great job of creating scenes from history that were realistic and felt authentic.

This engaging story opened a window on a time and place you may not be as familiar from and made it wholly entertaining.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go deep back into the time of the crusades.

The writing was superb. Everything from the setting and imagery and authenticity of the history to the flow and the timing of the suspense was well done.

The characters are real and very well developed, they make it easy for you as the reader to be drawn into.

This story draws you in little by little, but never lets up. It's a fast paced read with plenty going on.

[RjS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing- this is not a topic/location I knew much about so I found it all very interesting. The novel gave the reassuring impression of being well researched but this wasn’t intrusive or disruptive to the gripping story being told.

I found the characters and events engaging and there was a great sense of time and place.

I’m really looking forward to the sequel!

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction with some research to back up the history and fiction to keep it interesting with plenty of tension and action. The flips back and forth through time are well delineated. The ending seemed a bit abrupt even considering there is a sequel to follow it up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book and look forward to the rest of the series.

The book builds a solid foundation for the time, place, and characters and future adventures.

There is a lot of worthy information in the novel. If you are a fan of the time and history you will really enjoy the fictional depiction.

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a series that encourages thought and is incredibly well-balanced.

We get real history, characters who have real weaknesses, make real mistakes, and have real successes. It makes them feel authentic and easier to get behind.

This book slowed down at times while being accurate and definitely also picked up at times.

A must read for medieval history readers.

[Emily Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of historical fiction that slowly draws you in and then refuses to let go. Byrne’s writing is calm and confident, allowing the medieval setting to unfold naturally rather than overwhelming the reader with detail. The framing of Richard telling his life story as a prisoner was a smart narrative choice and worked very well.

[Avery Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how human this novel felt. Richard Fitz Simon makes mistakes, compromises, and often chooses survival over honor and that honesty gives the story real depth. Nothing feels romanticized here, especially not war or religious devotion.
The relationships within the brotherhood are tense and layered, filled with unspoken rivalries and quiet judgment.

[Owen Hayes]

Sword Brethren is a dark and reflective take on medieval life, one that focuses more on consequence than glory. The historical backdrop feels carefully researched, yet never distracting. Byrne integrates trade, politics, and religion seamlessly into the narrative. Richard’s doubts about his faith felt especially realistic.

[David McGinty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sword Brethren by Jon Byrne offers a fresh look at the Northern Crusades brought to life through complex, relatable characters—especially Richard Fitz Simon. The mix of personal struggle and historical action kept me hooked. Highly recommended for fans of character-driven historical fiction!

[Juha Saarela]

The book potreys a vivid picture of 13th century in Europe. Richard, a noble boy who becomes a fugitive and ends up a knight in order of Sword Brethren, tells jos story in his own voice. I liked this book!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic adventure which I couldn’t put down. Please hurry up with the next one!
So much incidental detail about the period is casually thrown in - the research must have taken years! You can see and smell this book.