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Crusader #1

The Crusader

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Along the ancient Pilgrim Trail traveled by countless crusaders from Europe to The Holy Land, Dr. Rory Osgrove is in charge of her first archaeological dig.

A Biblical Archaeologist by degree, her target is a holy relic of unimaginable power. But what she discovers instead is the tomb of a long-buried Crusader, one of the thousands who came to this desert land in search of glory and riches. Deterred from her original goal, Rory is fascinated by the English knight and the journal buried with him. Reading the pages of the ancient diary, she comes to know a man of power and honor, entrusted by Richard the Lionheart with a mission of astonishing importance.

Sir Kieran Hage was no ordinary Crusader and, as Rory discovers, nor is he really dead. Eight hundred years later, Kieran’s mission must be completed, but there is an ancient evil that follows him and is still determined to see him fail. Now Rory begins the adventure of a lifetime, where time has no meaning, where honor is strength, and where only true love endures.

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First published January 1, 2001

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About the author

Kathryn Le Veque

324 books2,086 followers
Juggernaut Indie author Kathryn Le Veque is a 'tour de force' in publishing.

Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.

Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.

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5 stars
484 (59%)
4 stars
195 (23%)
3 stars
84 (10%)
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36 (4%)
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18 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
546 reviews130 followers
May 18, 2018
A wonderful story and very strong characters. Kathryn Le Veque is truly wonderful at bringing out such engrossing stories and characters you really don't want the book to end.
32 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2017
Proof reading is a thing. For a reason. The author should have done it, several times.
Profile Image for Tracy DeNeal.
380 reviews19 followers
June 19, 2018
Kieran and Rory

Wow! I loved this story.

I had read so much about the two Kierans and due to my love of Kieran Hage #2, I was quite curious about the original Kieran Hage.

I do not believe that I will pause in my reading. I am moving on to Kingdom Come. This book was so good. The plotting was original. I love a fish out of water tale. The subtlety in which the changes in the modern world were introduced was magnificent.

There was lots of laughter for me in the banter and it was balanced with some truly frightening suspense. I'd never encountered an evil family attorney quite like the one presented in this story. Yikes.

If you like a time travel fantasy story that bends the space time continuum, you will love this story. I know that I did!
363 reviews8 followers
January 26, 2022
The blurb just below the title really tells you all you need to know about the plot of the book.

I had the chance to meet the author at a reader/writer retreat and before the event I tried to read as much as I could from the authors I had not already read. She was so very gracious. I've been a big fan since the summer before that retreat (2019.) 'Crusader' is my favorite book of hers and having just reread it I can say the heightened tension between the archeologists, the frustration of not finding what they set out to find, the shock of discovering something far more significant (to some) over what they did find, and the utter horrifying loss of having the find taken away from them....all the emotions that come then and for the rest of the story were right there with me the second time around. My stomach flipping, my anger rousing, my tears falling. Gosh this is an emotional ride. The most romantic chase/escape/on-the-run story I've ever read.

Per earlier reviews: I believe the author must have gone back and edited this story thoroughly because I did not run into any of the editing errors those reviewers from '15 & '16 reported.

At points along the story arc most of the main characters have their not so likeable actions and reactions. Thank goodness for that. Really, one perfect character was enough. The Hero was as about as wonderful as I could ever want. But the characters that had their little (BIG) snits made some very lovely turn-arounds. Oh, the villains didn't turn around.... The ending is so heart wrenching. But the epilogue is so wonderfully, beautifully, twisty. On my permanent reread shelf. Reading book #2 next.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,082 reviews43 followers
January 15, 2016
I recommend the book. It was a free read from Bookbub. I am not fond of historical romance or historical fantasy which this book definitely was. There was enough historical fiction to keep it readable. Caution: explicit sexual content in spades may offend some readers, including me. There was simply no need for the author to write about the number of times 800 year old Kieran flipped 30 something Rory. Caution: errors in grammar made me mad at the book and the author. She could have done a final read through and have caught ALL of the flagrant errors in spelling and word misuse.

Archeologist Rory was on a dig for Biblical artifacts, especially the Crown of Thorns that was pushed on Christ's head when he was crucified. She found the 800 year old man, who had been suspended in time, to lead her to the crown's resting place. Since no one other than Rory and Kieran believed in this instance of time suspension, they were not taken seriously as anything but thieves. There were several sub plots that could have been developed, and I think the author missed some golden apples in failing to do so.

Despite the atrocious spelling and failure to develop the plot, I kept reading. The book had some redeeming qualities which I hope the author will fully develop in the next book of the Crusade series.

Thank you, Ms. Le Veque, for a good read.
Profile Image for Cintia Aleixo.
224 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2016
I was so excited to read this book, it was responsable for my new kindle, since it wasn't avalailable at Kobo store in my country...and I must say it....oh whah a deception...even for me (english being not my natural language), there was so many mistakes. This girl, what a spoiled brat, she just cries, uses her sex appeal to seduces her coworkers and lots of time os lots in applying and describing her make up. Kieran was more likeable and his actions at least makes some sense. Definitelly I will not continue in this series.

Eu estava super entusiasmada pra ler este livro, ate acabei comprando um kindle novo, ja que ele nao estava disponivel na kobo livr cultura. Mas cara....que mega decepção, essa heroina so faz seduzir seus colegas, em meio a discursos sobre sua competencia, que no fim me parece quase nula. E qto as cenas de amor, se resumem aos gritos e aos vizinhos de quarto constrangidos e depois se perde mais tempo descrevendo o contorno labial e todos os quilos de maquiagem aplicados a seguir. O Kieran pelo menos tem atitudes um pouco mais logicas com o seu historico. Nao pretendo continuar essa serie e pra ser sincera, nao sei nem se vou ler alguma outra coisa dessa autora
Profile Image for Star Montgomery.
55 reviews10 followers
February 16, 2015
Exciting, Suspenseful, Riveting & Passionate.

Author Kathryn Le Veque has the most amazing talent of weaving in and out of history, adding creative and passionate characters and with a spellbinding effect, delivery a one of a kind story that leaves you breathless.
The Crusader is so much more than a romantic time travel. It is an exciting quest of a team of Archaeologist to locate a holy relic. A modern day woman, Dr. Rory Osgrove and an ancient Crusader. Sir Kieran Hage discover love and passion so true, it defies logic and time. This is a fast paced, thrilling and completely captivating adventure that pulls you into a world of discovery, intrigue and romance. I was captivated from the beginning, wrapped up in suspense and carried away into this creative, riveting story. Another epic adventure by the extremely talented Author, Kathryn Le Veque.
A must read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and capture your heart.
208 reviews
August 18, 2017
Although I enjoyed the tale, there were times when I was very annoyed with Rory (the heroine). She seemed petulant and not as intelligent as she claimed/was assumed to be, being a Biblical Archaeologist. Given, of course, that this appears to have been her first dig, I should suppose that she might be a bit overwhelmed with what she thought she was looking for versus what she found, but I found some of her reactions a bit over the top. I certainly liked the twist of Sir Kieran, and how difficult it was for everyone to accept his appearance as it happened. I like Ms. Le Veque's writing style, but I did see some major grammatical errors which took away from the flow of the book at times - editing should have caught those issues, I believe. I finished the book and read the follow up - Kingdom Come. A good read.
Profile Image for Kathleen Ruggio.
365 reviews3 followers
March 7, 2015
Awesome Imagination

Kathryn LeVeque is one of my most favorite writers. Her great imagination and writing skills are never disappointing. This story about the quest for the crown of Christ was truly creative. The love between Kieran and Rory was tied to the discovering of this most precious archeological find. A very good read. The editing was a little distracting so I hope that is corrected. Most readers will enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Venetia Green.
Author 4 books27 followers
March 26, 2024
I have a hunch that Kathryn Le Veque has been on at least one archaeological dig. For the most part, I really enjoyed the early part of this book: it's set in an archaeological dig in modern Israel and the host of little details Le Veque provides make it quite engrossing and believable. She got a few things wrong--the crusader knight's journal would not have been written in English but Norman French or Latin, and, when the dormant knight awoke, he'd be incomprehensible to a speaker of modern English even if he did speak Middle English and not Anglo-French. Worse, a vital passage in the journal reads: "Forgive me Lord Jesus that my mission in Thou's Name hath been thwarted". Ouch. The phrase is repeated more than once. Even translated into English, this should be "Thy Name". Please.

I also enjoyed the plot, for the most part. A unique take on a time-travel romance, and one that seemed destined to end in tragedy for a while. It really kept me turning the pages towards the end. So the plotting is solid, but the writing? Oh dear. Please employ a reliable editor. Some of the frequent typos were quite hilarious. For example, to remove the crusader's dormant body from the grave, one archaeologist "designed a fairly simply wench system". Not a "winch", a genuine "wench", and a "fairly simply" one too. Gave me a chuckle.

But it was the even more frequent clumsy phrasing that really got to me. E.g. "Suddenly, as if a fire had been lit, her eyes bulged to the point of exploding". Firey and exploding eyes. That sounds painful.

Finally, I'm rather tired of the old trope of medieval = barbaric. This knight, apparently good friends with King Richard the Lionheart, eats like a wild beast:
"watching him eat was a real education in medieval manners ... [the archaeologist] watched Kieran literally inhale the ham steak, chow down on the fries, and then ... he belched loudly and called the barmaid 'wench' when ordering more food."
He also does not know how to use a comb. No, medieval knights did not have barbarous table manners as a rule. Please, dear author, refresh your stereotypes with some genuine research.
Profile Image for Patty.
29 reviews
January 23, 2024
Call me so very impressed

I really enjoyed this book. This book was the first that I have read, written by Kathryn Le Veque. I have had it on my TBR list for some time and finally read it. I am so happy that I gave it a chance. The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept me hanging on for the adventure throughout and to the end. I was very impressed with the historical facts woven into the well thought out fictional story. The characters captured my heart immediately and I am in love with sir Kyrian. I was so happy with the twist at the end that I find myself filled with excitement to read the next adventure. I have read a few time-travel stories before but found them too complicated and perhaps not as well written. Kathryn is a fantastic writer. The story was easy to imagine the I was right there with the characters and going through it all right along with them, experiencing every sight, sound and smell. I even imagined I could feel the extreme heat of the desert with dust on my skin. I have already gotten the next book loaded to my Kindle and plan to read the previously written books and the other series Kathryn has written.
Profile Image for Shaly.
1,198 reviews
September 24, 2018
This was an incredible journey! I felt Rory's pain at the loss of her precious find! This was definitely an engaging, page turning read. It was an exhilarating and stressful ride, just praying fervently that Rory and Kieran complete this eight hundred year quest, I couldn't put the book down!

Of course I would have enjoyed it much more had Rory not been a big ass fucking baby! A thirty something old woman probe to tantrums when she didn't get her way does not a good female lead make. She was selfish and manipulative! She had no problems using her looks and other's feelings towards her to get her way, she always knew what she was doing which made it worse. She wasn't a bad person, was actually very sweet and was very protective of her area of study, but her tantrums were just so frustrating..ughhhhh!

Overall I really did enjoy the read and loved the ending even more! I was very happy with it..it was very beautiful and everyone gets their HEA which was really nice!
40 reviews
April 20, 2018
Another Amazing Book by Kathryn Le Veque

I have done several reviews on Ms. Le Veque's books and I haven't read one that is less than a Five Star. What a gift of story she has.

From the first page of this book, you will not be able to put it down. You are taken from 1192 to 1996. You'll be taken on a Roller coaster ride of emotion. Towards the end you will not be able to control the tears, then you will be experiencing twist and turns that you would never have suspected.

Where many of the books that I have read so far, The de Wolfe Pack series, those books were character rich, this book deals with about 14 characters, easy to follow, a True Love story. The historical journey you will be taken on is nothing short of amazing.

Another must read by Kathryn. Now, I'm off to read Kingdom Come.
1 review
April 21, 2018
This is another amazing book by Kathryn Le Veque. I have done several reviews on Ms. Le Veque’s books and I haven’t read one that is less than a 5 star rating. What a gift of story she has.

From the first page of this book you will not be able to put it down. You are taken from 1192 to 1996. You’ll be taken on a Roller coaster ride of emotion. Towards the end you will not be able to control the tears, then you will be experiencing twists and turns that you would never have expected.

Where many of the books that I have read so far, The de Wolfe Pack Series, those books were character rich, The Crusader deals with about 14 characters, easy to follow, a True Love Story. The historical journey you will be taken on is nothing short of amazing. Another must read by Kathryn. Now, I’m off to read, Kingdom Come, the next book in this series.

Profile Image for Sandra Norris.
37 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2018
The crusaders series

This is a great read and you will fall in love with Rory and Sir Hage. They say home is where your heart is and it is true for them since they met 800 years in her time and traveled800 years in his time just to fulfill a promise he swore to his king and country and being an honorable knight. They had to travel in this time and at times it was funny to see Sir Hage to try to figure out what a light bulb was. To flee his arch nemesis, Simon, and to deliver the crown of thrones for peace in his time. This book will keep you glued to it to the very end. You can’t miss with this book if you like medieval and some time travel. It is well written and I loved it that I’ll miss Sir Hage and Elizabeth which by the way is the name Sir Hage gave to Rory. Happing reading!
September 13, 2018
So, I almost never do this but I had to DNF this story. I gave it a fair shot. On my Nook it is 320 pages and I am on 244 but I just can't anymore. It had promise but it is just taking too long, I mean the two main characters didn't really "meet" until over 100 pages into the story. Everything is just too dragged out and I know there is a 2nd book so I can only imagine how much more this is going to drag. And I am just not really feeling the connection. To be fair the book is well written and the back story has some interesting parts but this one is just not for me.
Profile Image for Tammy Coleman lancaster.
62 reviews
December 2, 2023
WOW just WOW!!!

Is This in anyway Unclear! I know I'm not the only one to have noticed her signature line! LOL 😆 She's never predictable and always causes me to need tissues! I'm once again in awe of her! Thank you for writing so many books for me to feast on! I'm a 58 year old retired grandmother of 40 grandchildren and Reading is not only hobby it's also My only way of going on adventure! It's also My pain management! thanks again for This going above and beyond My imagination!
Profile Image for Christina Adams.
284 reviews
February 15, 2019
I was actually shocked that we didn't see Richard the Lionheart or the De Lohr brothers, in Rise of the Defender they specifically mentioned the disappearance of Sir Keiran Hage and how it affected Christopher De Lohr. According to the Guide book none of these characters appear in the Crusader or in Kingdom Come.
I liked the story, but I will admit that Rory is not one of my favorite heroines. I did like the story of Rory and Kieran, but again she is not one of my favorite heroines.
59 reviews
August 19, 2019
I loved the Crusader series very much. I loved the charachters, the pace, the storyline. The time difference is presented very well. The only issue I had that it seems that Le Veque is not familiar wirh the middle east issue: there is no way that Syrian will work in Acre (ISRAEL).
I read dozen of books by Le Veque, and the 2 Crusader books are my favorites. Very highly recommended!!!
Profile Image for Sylvia Laurel.
157 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2021
Best Book Ever

This is a beautiful love story that is fantastic. Full of suspense and romance. I have never cried so much at the end of a story. Best book ever in my humble opinion and I have read over 90% of total books of medical romance written by this author. Can't wait to read Book 2 of the Crusader series.
Profile Image for Judy Lea.
92 reviews
February 7, 2022
Headline

I wish I could give this book five stars but every time I saw the lord's name in vain it wanted me to scream and vomit. Jesus Christ is my savior he suffered terrible anguish unmercifully on cross for you and for me that we might be saved and be able to go to heaven. Please if you're going to write another book refrain from such vulgarity!
80 reviews
July 17, 2023
Another LeVeque gem!

Time travel and resolution of all possible freak out outcomes are masterfully managed in this saga. Iv was so afraid Kieran World be captured and used as a “lab rat” and that Rory/Libby would be destroyed by Corbin aka Simon the evil! No problem! Masterful plot and epic characters!
Profile Image for Desiree Derouen.
158 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2023
Totally lost in it

I sometimes worry about these kinds. Can be overly confusing or have that been there sone that kinda ebb & flow. Very cute. Zero cheesiness. I love the way she concluded the story.!! Ahh ahh ahhhhaaaa No spoilers her. Guess you’ll just have to read it too!!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! HAPPY FANTASTICAL READING!!
Profile Image for John Gannon.
83 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2025
DNF.

A good premise, but I just could not get past the poor language use. Stuff a rudimentary word processor would flag. Where was the quality control?

The audiobook narration manages to butcher a load of pronunciations also.

I know it’s merely a scaffold to support a romance, but the archeological process is complete bollocks too. (Pardon my own poor language…)
Profile Image for Margaret.
3,213 reviews33 followers
March 7, 2019
First in the series.
Love through time.
This book could stand alone, but I really don't think the love story is complete unless you continue with the next book KINGDOM COME. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIES.
Profile Image for Pamela aka Scottieluvr.
198 reviews2 followers
April 18, 2019
Big Bad Shhlut 2019 Reading Challenge - Prompt 11

WOW! This fun, engaging period historical-contemporary simmers with suspense and adventure. The characters true, captivating and strong. The romance is smooth but sultry, and the writing was superb.
343 reviews6 followers
August 23, 2019
Timeless Romance

This book held my attention from beginning to end. In fact, it is so romantic that I bought the sequel when I finished this episode. Because there are sexual scenes, this book should be read by a mature audience.
48 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2019
This story keeps you enthralled. You want to reach on and help them! It is a beautiful love story that spans two different lifetimes. And if you like it - I sure did - you will quickly read the sequel, Kingdom Come!
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