Knight of the Cross

The Forest Lord #1.1

by Steven A. McKay

The Knights Hospitaller battle ancient evil in medieval Rhodes as mysterious disappearances and insane devil-worshippers threaten to turn the entire island into a bloodbath...

When three Hospitallers go missing from a local village outraged Grand Master Foulques de Villaret sends the English knight Sir Richard-at-Lee and his trusted sergeant-at-arms Jacob to discover their fate. Met with resistance from frightened locals and rumours of a blasphemous sect performing unspeakable rites beneath the village Sir Richard must overcome not only the devil-worshippers but the faceless, unstoppable demon that stalks his dreams.

Fans of the best-selling Forest Lord books "Wolf's Head" and "The Wolf and the Raven" will enjoy this spin-off novella that sees the much-loved English knight up against a foe that threatens not just his life and his sanity, but God himself!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Novella, Action

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2014

About the author

I was born in 1977, near Glasgow in Scotland and live in Old Kilpatrick with my wife and two young children. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree I decided to follow my life-long ambition and write a novel. The Forest Lord series now has four novels, and various short spin-off tales.

My new book "The Heathen Horde" is the first in a brand series following Alfred the Great. It comes out on October 26 2023 so please check it out and pre-order if you can!

I play guitar and write all my books while listening to extreme metal.
In 2022 I started a podcast with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy. You can subscribe to Rock, Paper, Swords! on all the usual podcast outlets and also find the audio on Youtube every fortnight.

Reviews

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and pleasant read. This novella is set in Rhodes and features some characters from McKay's Forest Lord. There are no spoilers for the series and the tale opens with a Lovecraft quote. I like a bit of the supernatural in historical fiction!

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another first for me as I have never reviewed a short story and found it a bit more difficult to do than for a full length novel. This story is a bit of a departure from the author's two excellent novels about Robin Hood as the subject is The Knights Hospitaller and has an element of fantasy as well though it does feature Sir Richard-at-Lee who does appear in Wolf's Head and The Wolf and the Raven. It takes place on the island of Rhodes and concerns the mysterious disappearance of many people on the island including some of the Hospitaller personnel. It seems that an ancient evil has arisen, the god Dagon and he requires sacrifices of the most heinous kind. Sir Richard is charged with the task of searching out what is causing the disappearances. I found the story to be very entertaining and the action/plot twists to be exciting and well written. The scenes involving the rites of the evil Dagon to be as grisly as one would hope and the fears of those involved in the rooting out of this cult to be very real and thus makes for an excellent tale. 5 stars.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this novella, McKay takes the opportunity to give his readers a closer look at two of his Forest Lord series characters, Templar knights Richard and Stephen. He also treats us to something a little bit different with a healthy dose of dark supernatural fantasy blended into their backstory. Since I usually stick to historical fiction, this story was an exciting sampling of something a little bit different that still appealed to my love of all things medieval.

Something strange is occurring on the island of Rhodes when we meet Richard-at-Lee, who is a familiar character if you have read Wolf's Head and it's sequels. The investigation of the disappearance of two fellow Templars leads him to discoveries that he could not have anticipated. As one of Christ's warriors, Richard is quite familiar with spiritual warfare and the power of demons but never thought to face these dark forces in quite this way.

A quick read that sets up Richard and Stephen for their adventures in England, Knight of the Cross will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction or dark fantasy.

[Andrew Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not really one for the supernatural, nor for that matter short stories/novellas, so when Steven McKay asked me to review his latest work (a novella with significant supernatural thread) I was initially more than a wee bit hesitant. I had read both of Steven’s novels (Wolf’s Head; The Wolf and the Raven), of course, and found them to be absolutely cracking works of historical fiction. Still…. In any case, I took the plunge and agreed to give it a read. Am I happy I did so. Once I cracked the metaphorical cover (I read it on my tablet), I found that I simply couldn’t put it down. Not only does Steven’s novella feature one of my favourite HistFic characters (Sir Richard-at-Lee, a supporting character from Steven’s Forest Lord series) fighting for one of my favourite military orders (the Hospitallers), against some of my most detested villains (generically speaking, several evil archetypes appear in the story), but it also absolutely transported me into a world in which the natural encounters and intersects with the supernatural in ways that are at the same time both plausible/realistic and just plain “spooky”. The novella – by turns a mystery and an adventure story – is also incredibly suspenseful, pulling this reader at least along for a cover-to-cover, single-sitting marathon read. No spoilers here, but suffice it to say that there are some very satisfying plot twists in the work and the ending was definitely not what I would have predicted – very satisfying, but (for me at least) quite unexpected. And, of course, this being a work of Steven McKay, the fight scenes are unflinchingly bloody and unrelentingly adrenaline-inducing. Bottom line: I can’t recommend this short work strongly enough. I came to this story a fan of Steven McKay but indifferent to both shorter stories and tales of the supernatural. After a thoroughly enjoyable read, I remain a fan of Steven’s; now, however, I’m also inclined to read a bit more supernatural fiction and a few more short stories/novellas. Might even give writing in these genres a go myself. And if I ever do, Steven’s work will certainly set the bar. I think that’s pretty high praise.

[Richard Eyres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased Wolf's Head by mistake. Instead of returning it to Audible, I listened to it. It was good enough for me to get the next one. The Wolf and the Raven is much better than the first and we got to know a couple of characters more deeply - Richard and Steven.

This novella is before the two books and concentrates on Richards time in Rhodes. He is introduced to Steven while investigating an issue. This investigation leads to heretics and they must be over come (I am purposely being vague here).

The narration was done by Nick Ellsworth - who also did the main novels - which is great continuity. For a short story, this kept the pace, action and story going to the end. It does have more fantasy elements than the novels, but i did not feel that these killed the world-building.

From a mistakenly purchased book - to a current favourite. Nice work.

[Robert Southworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story set in Rhodes 1309 AD and centreing mainly on two Knights of the Hospitalars at least initially anyway. This is an interesting little short story or novella which ever you want to call it. Based at the aftermath of the invasion of Rhodes strange happenings take place. The main protaganist Sir Richard-at- Lee is sent to discover the reason. Thats the last of the spoilers....Its a well written story, which the characters come to life which is no mean feat in a novella. You get a grasp of time in which they are living though in truth i would have perhaps liked a little more.Lots and lots pf positives which i will let the reader find out, my only slight criticism would be in places the story seemed rushed which in some ways made the book seem like a giant prologue for a bigger novel on the way. Thats said, its a cracking read and hopefully the author will delight us with a larger novel.
I have read the authors other tales Wolf's Head and The Wolf and the Raven which are excellent and though this isnt quite to that standard it was still a worthy read.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable entry from Steven McKay!

The novella takes a look into an incident earlier in the lives of two supporting characters from McKay's "Forest Lord" series, and instead of just giving us more of the same (not that there would be much wrong with that), he gives us something completely different, and all the better for it.

This is a tale of Lovecraftian horror, and it delivers on the thrills expected of that genre. I won't get into spoilers here, but I saw one of the main twists coming a little too early to be surprised when it came, but the overall story is good medieval horror/action.

The end of the story ties it in nicely with the "Forest Lord" series, and that makes it a neat little prequel to the overarching universe McKay has created, which now has more in it (the supernatural aspect) than was dreamt of in Robin Hood's philosophy...

[James Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all stevens work I had been eagerly anticipating this and I wasn't disappointed fantastic story telling a insight into the characters of which 2 you will be familiar with from stevens previous work although it is a short story it is brought together nicely and definitely leaves you wanting more this for me is another 5 star read and I look forward to what we will be treated to next.

[Lennie Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a free audible version of this book from the author! Yay for Email newsletters! Thanks, Steven! I loved it, so I'm sharing my honest review on Goodreads, Amazon, and on my blog.

I loved it!

This was such a fun book. :D Historical Fiction meets Supernatural Mystery, and I loved it. :D I really enjoyed following Richard on his investigation. Demons, kidnappers, religious fanatics, and a creepy scarecrow. Fun stuff!

I really liked Richard, and the story was wonderfully creepy and mysterious. Especially when Richard was sleeping/dreaming. That was my favorite part of the story, I think. I also really, really liked the author's note at the end of the book, when we learn a bit about the inspiration for the demon and a bit of the historical stuff. Like how the Grand Master was a real person. Neat!

I can't wait to read the rest of Steven's books. I read the first forest lord book forever ago. I remember that I liked it, but I don't remember much else. I need to re-read and review it. I highly recommend Knight of the Cross to historical fiction fans.

Listen to the audible book if you can. :D <3 It's great, and the narrator did a really good job. :)

[Matthew Harffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following on from my recent review of another audio book, I was lucky enough to get the offer to receive a review copy of Steven A. McKay's latest work, the novella "Knight of the Cross" that is now available as an audio book on Audible.

I am a fan of fantasy and horror, as well as historical fiction, and I'm pretty sure my tastes are similar to McKay's. This novella blends perfectly a believable historical setting with elements of classic fantasy stories and Lovecraftian horror. I will admit to having played a lot of role playing games back in the day (and I mean the games with dice and pencils and paper, not the PC games called RPGs) and this novella almost felt like an adventure from Dungeons & Dragons.

An ancient evil stalking a village. Mysterious disappearances. A terrifying subterranean cult. And a couple of adventurous knights sent to investigate.

The story speeds along at the pace of a galloping destrier. It is relentless, exhilarating and just spooky enough.

McKay handles the occult references well, leaving a lot to the reader's imagination as the novella hurtles towards its horrific conclusion.

My verdict?

A fabulous, rich, action-filled story that manages to pack an epic punch into a novella-sized story.

Narrator

Nick Ellsworth reads with conviction and verve. He has a voice that sounds at home intoning the grave events that take place on the island of Rhodes in Knight of the Cross. His deep voice reminded me a little of Richard Burton at times, which is praise indeed.

Experience

I've used Audible a couple of times now, and the experience has always been smooth and easy.

Overall score

5 out of 5 stars

http://www.matthewharffy.com

[Robin Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
This book for me has been one of those really enjoyable moments in books, reviewing and all that goes with this side of the publishing industry. Steven (crazy man that he is..well he is Scottish) asked me to test read this novella very early on, I hope I had some impact on his final product its things like that which bring publishing to life for me.
I like a few other reviewers of this tale don't normally do supernatural books, but i don't mind short stories / novellas, particularly if they form part of a series (hint hint Mr McKay). Stevens other two books have been very well written forays into the world of Historical Fiction... so his readers would be expecting something good, something accomplished.

Steven's novella features one of his side characters from his Forest Lord series (Sir Richard-at-Lee), set earlier in his life, before his return the England, fighting for the military orders (the Hospitallers), set in Rhodes, on a mission seemingly of little importance, Richard soon finds himself fighting enemies that seem beyond mortal, and downright evil.

The novella is a splendid mix of Historical fiction, mystery story, action, adventure, conspiracy and supernatural. At 68 pages it's a fast read, but feels longer, in that it sucks you into the tale very quickly. So prepare for the twists the turns, the blood and the gore, this is a McKay book after all and a very good one.

(Parm)

[Bianca Zimmermeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mein Kommentar zu „Knight of the Cross“ von Steven A. McKay.

Rhodos, 1309. Nach dem Verschwinden mehrerer Templer wird der Ritter Richard-at-Lee ausgesandt, um die Vorfälle zu untersuchen. In einem kleinen Dorf erfährt er, dass dort ebenfalls Einwohner entführt wurden. Es wird behauptet, dass Dämonen für diese Taten verantwortlich seien...

Die Figur des Templers Richard-at-Lee ist mir bereits aus der Forest-Lord-Reihe des Autors bekannt. In dieser Novelle bekommt er seinen verdienten Soloauftritt. Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm und flüssig zu lesen. Die Handlung schreitet zügig und spannend voran. Der Autor versteht es, eine mysteriös/angenehm gruselige Stimmung zu schaffen. Insgesamt ein stimmiger Abenteuerroman im historischen Gewand, den ich gerne weiter empfehle. Ich vergebe 5 Kreuze (statt Sterne). Nur zur Sicherheit … so, von wegen Dämonen ...

[Neal Aplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good tale from Steve McKay. Interesting supernatural element to the story. No spoilers from me, but has a good twist at the end and has a rather somewhat ambiguous supernatural conclusion. I said to Steve I didn't just want to 'kiss his butt' and tell him it was good without giving some sort of constructive criticism or suggestion etc, but after going over the book again, nothing really jumped out at me! So I guess I am going to have to be a brown nose and say I thought this short story was brill! If I wrote this I would be very pleased! Top marks from me!

[Frederick L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Steven A McKay's book, "Knight of the Cross" and found it to be an excellent read. Being somewhat familiar with Rhodes and some of the medieval history of the area, he carried it through. Having read his two other books, I find that he knows his subject matter and brings it to life not only in this book but also "Wolf's Head" and "The Wolf and the Raven". I highly recommend his work to those of you who have a great interest in historical novels of England, Ireland and Scotland. Looking forward to more of his work...... Fred Clark

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little fantasy novella was full of computer generated errors. It may be that the author has by now corrected the errors. How did I come to a four star decision? I read through the errors without becoming disenchanted with the book or the author. The story of demon power plowed under by the guys wearing white hats was not only fun to read, but it showed that man is destined to look for goodness and redemption in other men.

Thank you, Mr. McKay, for a good read.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't be more pleased.....a prequel to Wolf's Head and a supernatural tale as well! As usual, great stuff from Steven McKay. Sir Richard is a wonderful character and the telling of how he teams up with Stephen is well appreciated from this reader. This is a stand alone novella but if you've had the pleasure of reading Wolf's Head it will make this tale that much more satisfying.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Steven, giving a pre-Robin Hood take on some of the characters. A little bit far fetched with the demons but I couldn't put it down so it can't have been that bad!

Really looking forward to the next in the Forest Lord series - it's books like these that make me wish I could write!

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable entry from Steven McKay!

The novella takes a look into an incident earlier in the lives of two supporting characters from McKay's "Forest Lord" series, and instead of just giving us more of the same (not that there would be much wrong with that), he gives us something completely different, and all the better for it.

This is a tale of Lovecraftian horror, and it delivers on the thrills expected of that genre. I won't get into spoilers here, but I saw one of the main twists coming a little too early to be surprised when it came, but the overall story is good medieval horror/action.

The end of the story ties it in nicely with the "Forest Lord" series, and that makes it a neat little prequel to the overarching universe McKay has created, which now has more in it (the supernatural aspect) than was dreamt of in Robin Hood's philosophy...

As this is a review of the audiobook, I will take a moment to praise Nick Ellsworth's narration. Excellent job.

[Richard West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short novella follow-up to "Wolf's Head," this features one of the major characters in the Robin Hood saga, Richard-at-Lee, and a rather fantastic, fantasy-type adventure on Rhodes. Call it an ancient evil if you must, but the main purpose is to help flesh out the character of Richard in the Robin Hood series. It does do that, but I'm just not into fantasy all that much and as a result, was glad the book is only 92 pages long. Having said that, it's on to "The Wolf and the Raven" in the Robin Hood saga.

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Enjoyed this short story. I would like to read more I these 2 characters. Reading this also brought back bad memories of a time when I woke from a dead sleep with someone too if me. I couldn't move, couldn't scream. It was so hard to breath with his weight on top of me. Oh yes I know who it was, an he had been dead for months. He had made my life hell for yrs. I was afraid to be alone at night.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1309 Rhodes. Sir Richard-at-Lee and his Sergeant-at-arms Jacob of the Knights Hospitaller are sent by Grand Master Foulques de Villaret to investigate the dispappearance of three of their order from the village of Sgourou. But they are faced with a battle with an ancient evil.
An enjoyable and well-written historical story

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable short read featuring the exposing of devil worship on medieval Rhodes when the
Hospitallers take over, and of course, they have to solve the mystery of what is happening and eradicate the cult. It flows long nicely and does not have a complicated story, just what you want in a short read on a rainy afternoon.

[Elsa Carrion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking for a read that fit into one of the challenges I participated in. Definitely a read for someone that doesn't like to read romance. No romance in this one, not one kiss, holding hands or googlly eyes. LOL

It was a quick read, pretty good, just wished I had the picture of what the king saw at the end.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. "When three Hospitallers go missing from a local village outraged Grand Master Foulques de Villaret sends the English knight Sir Richard-at-Lee and his trusted sergeant-at-arms Jacob to discover their fate" Twisted evil killing people.

[Steve Criscuoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read

Was searching for items related to the Knights Hospitaller on amazon when I found this book. I've always enjoyed fictional stories in factual settings and this one didn't disappoint.

[Dilys Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant novella giving an insight into two of the characters from Steven's Forest Lord series. It kept me enthralled from start to finish and I loved the history, mystery and supernatural. Oh and the nod to his tastes in music!

[Jim Galford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not impressed by this story. Set among the middle ages, the story is very contrived and lacks intrigue or even interest.

[Richard Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I have read the Forest Lord series before I read this book. This book is very well written and I couldn't put it down. I encourage everyone to read this novella.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was really addicting. loved it.

[Jerry Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange Story

Not much of a plot but that's understandable in such a short story. The characters seem true to the story. The descriptions are well-written.