The Crusader

by Michael Alexander Eisner

A knight possessed by demons, an ambitious monk skilled in exorcism, and a bloody Crusade that ends in a terrible siege lie at the heart of Michael Alexander Eisner’s action-packed medieval adventure of Christian warriors and Muslim infidels in the Holy Land.

Francisco de Montcada, the young Spanish heir to a vast family fortune, returns from the Crusades a gaunt shell of a man, rendered speechless by the horrors he has witnessed. As his friend Brother Lucas draws out his story, Francisco relates a gripping tale of fierce battles, cruel betrayals, and religious zealots. A first-rate novel of disquieting contemporary relevance, The Crusader captures with impressive style and historical authenticity the ghastly deeds men pursue in the name of God.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novels, War, Medieval, Religion, American

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 1999

About the author

Michael Eisner is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School. After college he worked in a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodia border, and was in Chile during the transition from Pinochet's rule to democracy. An expert in international law, he worked on the Middle East peace process as a lawyer for the U.S. State Department. It was during a trip to Syria that he visited the massive medieval fortress Krak des Chevaliers, whose fall to Islam in 1271 signalled the end of the two-hundred-year existence of the crusader states. Inspired, he began writing his first work of fiction: the novel The Crusader. Michael Eisner lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Aunque hay Cruzadas, hay más intrigas cortesanas, nobles y eclesiásticas.-

Género. Novela histórica.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro El hombre de las cruzadas (publicación original: The Crusader, 2001) veremos cómo el hermano Lluc de Santes Creus comienza su encargo de llevar a cabo el exorcismo del caballero Francesc de Moncada, a quien conoció años antes y con quien compartió vida en el monasterio durante tres años, que ahora ha vuelto de Tierra Santa irreconocible y tan alterado que podría estar poseído tras su experiencia en las Cruzadas.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a grim novel, much more concerned with how war ruins lives than with adventure or guts & glory. When you see that the author was involved in the Middle East peace process you nod as if you knew. He doesn’t use outright anachronism to draw an analogy between those times and these. But you can sense the present and you wonder how far we’ve come.

I took to our mains straight away. I cared about them. Francisco won’t lie down for an injustice, but he never thinks he’s active enough, either. He has a cruel life, and has seen things to stagger faith in God and man. He’s the crusader of the title, who comes home a casualty of war: insane, or in the church’s terms, possessed. The talking cure wasn’t unknown in earlier centuries; at any rate, one exorcist has had success with it, and rescues Francisco from the church’s more hands-on methods. So we listen to his story.

We get Francisco’s story from his own lips, and otherwise we have the record of the Cistercian who executes his cure. He’s a toad and you watch his hypocrisy at work as he convinces himself: this causes a few laughs at the irony. But he doesn’t always choose the dark side and that leaves you with suspense – since Francisco is in his hands.

What Francisco witnessed on crusade has sent him into mental withdrawal: atrocity; feuds whereby his captain, Uncle Ramon to his troops (you might want to call him uncle too) is dispatched by his own side; a year in a dungeon where people behave like an exaggerated crazy-mirror of what they are in the free world above.

Francisco wasn’t made to be a novice – he spends his late teens in a Cistercian abbey – and he wasn’t made to be a soldier: he goes to the crusades on behalf of his dead brother. Even though he’s from a high noble family his life is brutish, nasty and too short. He finds no consolation in God, who capsized his brave brother’s crusader ship within Francisco’s sight – he scarcely got off shore. Against this negativity, there are good people for him to love and live for; his cousin, less introspective than Francisco, more your soldier; his cousin’s sister who also lives with death and understands Francisco; Uncle Ramon.

The writing: well above average, I thought. Then again I thought it misfired, even frequently. Make of that what you can.

[Natasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical novel of religion, war, and politics set in 13th century Spain and the Holy Land, The Crusader takes on complex themes like killing in the name of the Lord, and ambition and greed within the Church. My big complaint with the book was that the ending sizzled out. It almost felt as if the author got tired of writing it and decided just to report on important happenings instead of fleshing them out. If you are a fan of the Crusades, however, you will find this an entertaining.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Michael Alexander Eisner saw the cover copy on this paperback edition of The Crusader, he must have grimaced because it refers to a protagonist who leaves “Spain” in the 13th century. Naturally, the Iberian Peninsula of the 13th century was no more a country called “Spain” than the European Community is a country called “Europe” or the “Holy Roman Empire” was “Roman.” Iberia, as is well-presented in The Crusader, was a loose alliance of so-called Christian kingdoms and, at that point in time, there wasn’t even a dominant “Spanish” dialect. Eisner is quite correct to portray this because his “heroes” from Aragon and Barcelona do not speak the dialect of Castile that we generally associate with “Spanish.”

The Crusader is a story framed by a unique type of exorcism. It is not the type of exorcism associated with this era where the victim is usually “saved” by being forced to face a righteous death. Rather, it is a type of exorcism more closely associated with the client-centered therapy of the late 20th century. Instead of calling it counseling (where the counselor asks questions to help the counselee solve her or his own problems), it is called confession (where, in this case, the confessor is trying to help the parishioner map out her/his own soul). I enjoyed this structure, particularly because the interludes and interruptions where the reader is allowed inside the head of the confessor/exorcist allow glimpses of the very human (dare we say “carnal”) desires that can even fill the mind of a so-called godly person. No, don’t mistake me and think that this is yet another discourse on priestly sexual abuse. It doesn’t deal with sexual issues with regard to the confessor, but it deals very much with ambition, self-interest, compromise, and doubt—important aspects for everyone.

Another very welcome aspect of The Crusader was the fact that it demonstrated how that the history as told by the victor may actually be a convenient alibi for horrible atrocities or as a cover-up for compromise and cowardice. Readers looking for the equivalent of an action-movie will be disappointed in the lack of action/combat sequences in this narrative, but I can assert that the ones the author chose to describe are vivid (at times, gory) and necessary in terms of helping us understand the nature of war and what it does to those who participate in it. I found myself particularly fascinated by the taking of the Castle of Toron (in what is now Lebanon) and the detailed sortie against a catapult during the siege at Krak des Chevaliers. All of these were particularly well-done.

Finally, I feel like the author did a great job of balancing blame for atrocities on both sides. I was fascinated by the heart-breaking story of the Templars who negotiated in good faith with the Muslims who, in turn, slaughtered the caravan [This is not part of the main story, so I’m not counting this as a spoiler.], even as I was horrified at the alleged Christian commander who slaughtered women and children with no remorse, long after the battle was over. Throughout the book, the gritty and realistic feeling was that I was there as a sickened observer in many of the “Crusader” battles I had only read summaries of in the history texts. This book will be highly recommended to my history students when we cover Medieval Iberia.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somber book and its bleakness not easily forgotten, this novel was a story of the 8th Crusade. Young Spanish nobleman Francisco de Montcada has been sent to a monastery for exorcism of demons -- we might call his condition PTSD today. He had been broken in spirit by his horrendous experiences as a knight of the Order of Calatrava in the Holy Land. He finally narrates his story to a monk, Brother Lucas. He decides to take the cross in reparation for his brother, who, on the way to the Crusades himself, was drowned; Francisco really doesn't have the personality of a soldier but goes anyway. He and his cousin, Andres, fight together in the Levant. There are exciting battles, one won by the Crusaders then the fall of Krak des Chevaliers and capture by the Muslims. But the thrust of the story is of Francesco's fragile hold to life through the ugliness of war and his time of imprisonment in an obliette. Brother Lucas has gotten him to talk through his experiences and feelings. A thoughtful anti-war novel; one can almost parallel it to today's events; the author was involved in Near East Peace negotiations in our time. The history was somewhat manipulated to create a good story with many anachronisms, but the author made his point. I do wish he had included an Author's note.

Highly recommended.

[Miroslav · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an okay book, but there is much better historical fiction available out there. The middle part of the book contains several long, almost documentary sequences - and the pacing (that is already very slow) turns almost to a crawl. While historical research is important for books like this one, the way the author presents the historical facts is also important - and several scenes were turning into history textbook at one point. There are also problems with the structure - some of Francisco's flashbacks are too long and the narrator, as a character seems a bit underutilized to me. Also, I would not mind seeing a bit more tension, because the atmosphere is a bit flat. The final duel with the villain seems out of place (the bad-guy talk becomes ridiculous at one point).
The overall tone, the story idea, the setting and the gradual transformation of the narrator and his beliefs are things that I liked. It's a decent historical fiction, but that's all.

[Suzanne Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading a good historical fiction novel on occasion. But this one is da BOMB!

It's well-researched historical fiction without being stereotypical historical fiction. You know what I mean. The long pages of precise details, the lengthy descriptions of costumes and ballrooms, either written for male audiences with swashbuckling blood-and-guts-loving heroes or for female audiences whose prime reason for reading is the steamy romance. I prefer the first, detest the second, but really LOVE a good historical fiction that lets me forget it's historical fiction and just lets me become immersed in the story.

This is one of those.

Excellent!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"An adventure story", claim the blurbs on the back cover, "a swashbuckling tale". I beg to differ. Though there may be adventure and swashbuckling, this is a tale of soul searching, so any readers expecting a medieval adventure tale will find themselves disappointed.

The book itself is presented as the diary of a monk, written while rescuing a knight possessed by demons through exorcism. It opens vividly with the monk visiting the knight and then delves into the past, back when, then teenagers, monk and knight had been colleagues, even friends. Afterwards the book proceeds to clarify how, after knight and monk follow their different paths, the monk precociously grows into positions of greater authority and enters the meanders of exorcism.

At this point, I can say that the monk is well portrayed throughout the book, including his unfaltering devotion side by side with the growth of his ambition, his sense of what he can and should have, while at the same time maintaining a naïveté which blinds him to the unwholesome corruption that plagues the real world, outside his monastery.

And then the knight starts his narrative, which takes several days.

At the beginning, the narrative is interrupted by passages in italics where the monk denotes actions happening before him and his immediate thoughts to the tale. Soon, though, the monk is heard only in between their sessions, leaving the knight's narrative uninterrupted. Occasionally, too occasionally, the knight talks directly to the monk.

The character of the knight is presented faultlessly, just as the evolution of his emotional burdens, or demons. However, I found the writing style less than faultless. First of all, the sentence structure is very similar: the author favours short, simple sentences that transmit a sense of restrain and coldness which fit in with the monk's point of view but not the knight's, whose narrative paints dark, bloody, emotionally scarring situations. The atrocities - precisely because the knight-narrator sees them as atrocities - lose some of its emotional impact when the language is so carefully measured and crafted into a steady and rational, rather than emotional, rhythm. One cannot feel all the anger, repulse and frustration that we're told are there.

I also believe that the knight's narrative would have benefitted from a greater presence of the monk. Not that the monk should have had a greater presence with italic passages, such as in the beginning, but the knight ought to have spoken directly at the monk more often, resorting to more rhetorical questions (because he does use them, but only occasionally). I am certain the strength of his narrative would have been greater, since the few rhetorical questions tended to underline the knight's grief.

Still on the point of style, I found the dialogues a bit stifled: they were rather short, the names (brother X, brother Y) often repeated, and the speech usually followed by 'he said'. I would have preferred a greater variety in reporting verbs to spice up the reading.

I felt the ending was a bit lukewarm. The final confrontation between the knight and the man behind his demons was believable, unavoidable and even necessary, but there was also a nod towards Hollywoodesque film endings that kept me from fully enjoying it. Fortunately, the book didn't end there and offered an epilogue which painted a fuller picture of the monk: and this ending satisfied me immensely since it was a realistically happy ending for him, with the culmination of his efforts to unite devotion to God and ambition.

As for historical accuracy, it seemed accurate enough, aside one mention of seconds (during a military exercise where the instructor counts the seconds the trainees take) and the constant insistence on having a noble maiden going about her father's estate and travelling beyind it without any type of escort (except later on for her brother) or even a female company (apparently she was the only woman in the castle, not even having a governess, former nanny, or a maid-in-waiting).

In conclusion, I awarded the book four stars because I could feel the mentality of a bygone era far better than in other novels, and if not for the unemotional style and the solitary noble lady I would have surely given it five stars.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel of contradictions.

There are the holy and the unholy.

There are courageous heroes and cowardly dogs.

There are men of honor and men who lack honor.

Here's the premise. Francisco returns from the Crusades a broken man. He had endured the extreme violence of medeival combat and finally spent time in a Muslim prison. Tortured and starved, when he is finally ransomed he refuses to speak to anyone-- Obviously suffering from what we call today Post Traumatic Stress syndrome.. Battle Fatigue. but in this old world mentality this means he has become demon possessed and will die outside of grace and therefore be denied access into heaven. An exorcist is called upon, but the wealthy father asks that his case be dealt with by another priest with a different approach-- one that doesn't use Fire and torture to drive out the demonic influence.

For years, Brother Lucas has been learning at the feet of an older and more experienced priest. His approach to exorcism is much more like modern day psychotherapy. After more than a month, Francisco begins to speak and tell his story. His story is harrowing and at times terrifying. At other times it is heart-rending...

Francisco tells his story in increments and finally we hear the horrifying secret that has tormented him. In between segments, Brother Lucas is tormented by his own selfish desire for advancement in the church, and some doctrinal issues. He becomes reflective on his own attitudes.

One minor problem I had was the reference to "leaks" regarding people sharing information that was supposed to be kept secret. I could be wrong, but that seemed like a more modern reference to me.

Other than that, I felt tha tthe author did an excellent job of exploring the mindset and mixed reasons why a young noble would go on a crusade to begin with. The author seemed very well-versed in ancient combat and siege methods... This was a great novel with a compelling story.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very good story. The flow of narration is intriguing and balanced, the characters believable, the language is good. The book still keeps me thinking of those times, with hardships of travel, with the absurdity and brutality of war.
I’d recommend it, the more if you are into the things medieval.

[Célia Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais do que uma história sobre batalhas, guerras, conquistas, traições, violência, morte e perda, é uma história sobre laços familiares e de amizade, nos melhores e piores momentos da vida. Retrata a luta com os fantasmas e monstros que vivem em cada uma das personagens, a descoberta do caminho a seguir, a importância do perdão e a luta pelos valores em que acreditam. Recomendo esta leitura!

[Ivor Armistead · Rating 4 out of 5]

First class historic fiction set in the 13th century. Two young men whose very different lives are, nevertheless, interconnected. One is a Cistercian monk the other a Spanish nobleman and crusader who end up saving each other. Well written, fast paced and thought provoking. A worthy combination!

[Graculus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another bookswap experience, because I'm not really a big reader of 'straight' historical fiction. However the the fact that our protagonists are Spanish crusaders added to a degree of interest in reading this book.

The Crusader is about two men, the ambitious low-born cleric Brother Lucas and Francisco de Montcada, heir to a massive estate. The two men first meet when Francisco is sent for his education to the monastery where Lucas has grown up. After Francisco leaves, he becomes a crusader in one of the orders of knights, and it's on his return to Spain that the two men cross paths again, as Francisco is meant to be possessed. It's Lucas' job to heal him, in order that the church can get its hands on a massive financial payment from Francisco's grateful father.

First off, I should probably say that the fact this book is all told in the first person is always going to be an issue for me. Having been to some of the places the book talks about, there's certainly an element of the local atmosphere about The Crusader, but sadly Eisner very much telegraphs the shock-horror revelation he has planned and it therefore loses much of its impact.

[Helena Schrader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a melancholy, not to say morbid book. While well written with unusual characters, I found myself just wanting to get it over with. The construction of the novel, a monk recording a "confession," has many intriguing advantages, but knowing from the start that the hero returned from the crusade a wreck suffering from "demons" made me dread reading the next chapter. I knew there was bound to be even worse to come. In retrospect, I also found the vilain too evil.

That said, this book does make you think, and the narrators are excellently drawn. This book even has a spark of genius in it. It is more than just a story, more than adventure or romance or mystery. It was definitely a Spanish book -- albeit other readers have pointed out some serious anachronisms. Nevertheless, I could see, hear and smell Spain in the pages, and readers who have an affinity to Spanish culture may like it better than I.

Yet it was too unremittingly depressing to satisfy me as a reader. Maybe I've just been lucky, but my experience of life is of shadow -- and light, of ugliness and beauty, and of good as well as evil. The light, the beauty and the good gets too little space in this book.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spellbinding story narrated by a well-meaning monk who's often blinded by his own self-centered ambition & blind loyalty to a corrupt church whose corruption he is blind to. More heroic are the knight who goes off to fight in the Crusades to redeem his older brother who perished when his ship bound for the Crusades sunk just off the coast of Spain, and the beautiful, smart lady who awaits his return. Much of the story is told in the form of a confession by the knight to the monk as a means of exorcising the knight's demons. In that sense, it's reminiscent of Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow, though not as rich in characters or in theological or human depth & insight.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction varies in its quality. Some are just plain good stories in a historical context, some are so detailed and intelligent that the reader actually learns a great deal, while others are so well written they are a joy to read. This book combined all three qualities. I don't know who this author is (seems like a one-off book), but whoever he is, he is brilliant.

[Rossrn Nunamaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crusader is Michael Alexander Eisner's first work of fiction. It is indicated as historical-fiction, set in the mid to late 1200s and ranging from the Iberian Peninsula to the Holy Land and back.

This book was marketed as an, "action-packed medieval adventure of Christian warriors and Muslim infidels in the Holy Land." It was far from that for me, and I can't blame the author for the actions of his marketing team.

To me this book was all about the human condition. Of course you could say that about many books, but this one addressed many topics throughout the story and came across as the focus for me.

I'm going to try to generally address this as I don't want to have to hide this review for spoilers.

Brother Lucas is an orphan, who believes his father was a nobleman who had him out of wedlock and left him with the church, specifically Santes Creus where he becomes a favorite of Abbot Pedro. Throughout the story, Lucas struggles with doing what is right, which often is opposed to what he needs to do to rise in the ranks of the church in order to gain status.

He does advance through the ranks and is given a major test. His success will give the church a large financial reward and he will become a Bishop. His task is to exorcise the demons of Francisco de Montcada without any physical harm coming to Francisco.

Francisco's father is the wealthiest land-owner in the region and he has offered the church 1/3 of his estate in exchange for his son being exorcised in a manner that does not kill him.

Francisco's demons potentially come from many sources. His brother committed to the Cross to fight in the Crusades, but his ship sunk as it departed the harbor drowning all on board. Francisco spent time at Santes Creus where he first met Lucas and later joined the Crusades himself in the hope of redeeming his brother so he could enter Heaven and not be trapped in Purgatory. His time in the Levant was spent with his cousin Andres, who was also at Santes Creus with him. The two engage in two battles and are imprisoned by the infidels for a period of time.

The story is told by both Brother Lucas and Francisco. Brother Lucas includes his own commentary, but also writes the confession of Francisco as he attempts to draw out the demons in him by having him retell his story and listening to scripture. He does this over a period of more than five months.

Throughout the story the characters deal with contradictions, conflict - both internal and physical, and while Francisco questions and challenges what he believes to be right, Lucas tries to support the church despite the atrocities it commits in the name of God.

The reader finds that the actions of the Crusaders and the Infidels are not different from one another and each justifies its actions in the name of God.

Possibly the most poignant period addressing the human condition comes in the prison. Initially, a lawless, ruthless world comprised of groups of countrymen who bond together to protect one another and attack weaker groups for food and anything of value, the entrance of new prisoners tip the scales heavily in favor of one group who imposes rule and taxes the other groups. They create an economy for survival.

All of this as well as their means of being ransomed questions many aspects of the human condition.

Two other major characters are Isabel, Andres sister, and Don Fernando, an utterly immoral noble from the same region and who is in the Crusade with Francisco and Andres.l

While Fernando is immoral and constantly plotting and planning to ensure he one day becomes King, Isabel is a kind and empathetic character who is a key part to the early and later parts of the story.

I really liked the way Eisner focused on these aspects and created a story that made the reader think, instead of simply turning the page and jumping from one action scene to another.

If there was a half star I'd give this 3.5 stars, but couldn't get give it a 4 as I think the ending could have been stronger. It wasn't bad, just not great.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I'm really glad that I read it. I have an incurable interest in religious studies. I hate "holy" wars! There's nothing holy about them. It's mostly a false narrative when I dissect the reasons for them. They go against all things holy. I almost gave up on this book because I was afraid that the author would choose sides in the war between the Christians and the Muslims. Thankfully he did not. He remained neutral. He showed how both sides were right and how both sides were wrong. Both factions killed indiscriminately and both sides prayed to their gods for success in battle all the while forgetting to take into account that even though each god had a different name their "separate" gods are one and the same God who has no name. We, humans, are so egocentric. God doesn't play favorites. He loves us all and he doesn't want us to murder each other in His name (whatever that is). Anyway, I loved this book and I would recommend it to any student of any religion. It's a cautionary tale.

[Randhir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tremendous book and I'm re-reading it after 15 years. Still kept me engrossed. Francisco de Montcada a noble from one of the leading families of Spain goes on a crusade to the Levant along with his cousin Andres. He's also under depression as his elder brother had drowned some years earlier while on board a ship preparing to go to the Levant. The Crusade is lead by Fernando, the bastard son of the King, a perfect villain. The two are part of the Knights of the Calatrava, lead by the larger than life figure of Ramon. The Author builds up the atmosphere and authenticity unerringly. While it's a swashbuckling yarn, it goes deeper into feelings, the concepts of right and wrong. There are two other characters Isabel, Andres' sister and the love of Francisco, and Father Lucas of of the Cistercian Order, who gets to know Francisco well and tries to drive out his demons. I recommend the book highly. After you read it, it will still remain in your memory

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character, Francisco, is the crusader of the title and due to his experiences being exorcised in a monestry, home in Spain. The early story is based around the monestry and between Francisco's confession features.
The monestry aspect was drawn out and rather dull, in my opinion. Francisco's story, whilst on crusade in the Levant was much better and took a different slant to just a knight's tale of adventure, showing the less positive side of crusading and how reality probably looked at the time.
THe monestry angle and Brother Lucas pulled the score down for me.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It started out well with the promise of a slow reveal mystery, but overall felt very grim (religious hypocrisy, systemic abuse, torture, pride, greed, violence of war) and yet two-dimensional (the protagonists are largely heroic stereotypes) and distant (two frame narratives is one too many). I'm not sure how I feel about the sudden twist-ish ending, but at least Brother Lucas is redeemed.

[Rushabh Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story spans out perfectly well and it falls under one of those "difficult to put down" category of books. Mind you, the story is indeed grim. There might be parts where you'd wish to fast-forward the plot but the war parts are beautifully described by the author.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction read with complex characters. The story builds to a crescendo holding the reader's attention throughout with vivid storytelling. Very believable, which I feel is important for this genre.
Mild cursing, gruesome images and violence put this beyond tween readers.

[Javi Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

En pleno conflicto de las cruzadas dos primos se encaminan hacia tierra santa para purgar sus pecados matando sarracenos. Un libro que narra estos episodios históricos de manera verídica y cruel, la búsqueda de la salvación mediante el sacrificio. Un buen libro pero más bien corto.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book thinking it was a reread of another I read years ago. evidently I was wrong. this book is good, entertaining and full of violence. a good read all around. I am still trying to figure out what that other book is.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Well told.

[Tichina Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written story about the victims of war - those who perished and those left to live out their days in the shadow of atrocity.

[Woorden Van Juul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een heftig verhaal. Meeslepend

[Macx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at the time period told through an very good novel.

[Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente novela en cuanto a descripción de ambientes y psicología de personajes. Tienes escenas cinematográficas inolvidables, especialmente en los capítulos finales. La investigación histórica y narración del contexto temporal, emociones y sentimientos, son inmejorables. Una vez que entras en el "tempo" de la novela te trasladas a los escenarios que describe sea un monasterio sea un campo de batalla. Es una pena que, según entiendo, Eisner no tenga otras obras de narrativa.