Behold the Dawn

by K.M. Weiland

Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forever. But when a mysterious crippled monk demands Annan help him find justice for the transgressions of sixteen years ago, Annan is forced to leave the tourneys and join the Third Crusade.

Wounded in battle and hunted by enemies on every side, he rescues an English noblewoman from an infidel prison camp and flees to Constantinople. But, try as he might, he cannot elude the past. Amidst the pain and grief of a war he doesn’t even believe in, he is forced at last to face long-hidden secrets and sins and to bare his soul to the mercy of a God he thought he had abandoned years ago.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally published author of acclaimed writing guides such as Structuring Your Novel, Creating Character Arcs, and Writing Archetypal Character Arcs. She writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Reviews

[Madelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often you find a book that has a message that shouts out to you. That from the beginning you can sympathize with, understand, and feel a part of. A character who's real, makes mistakes, but you love all the more. One you pity, but are proud of. And when you close the book for the last time, you look around and feel as if you've lost something. One you can't wait to finish, but dread as it nears the end. Behold the Dawn captured my heart, and it has yet to let it go.

I stayed up late through the night in anxious to finish this spectacular novel. K. M. Weiland has multiple books, as well as an established blog, devoted to 'helping writers become authors'. From the first few pages, it's evident Miss Weiland is well qualified for the position of teaching this. Not only is there a thrilling and intriguing story obscured in secrets, but the prose is beyond compare. I've said this before, but that plays the largest part in my rating. The eloquence of this medieval tale is unmatched by any historical fiction I've read, to date.

So let's get down to business. Here're a few of the multiple reasons I've died inwardly over and over again because of this book:
-logic and reasoning
So many times I find myself cringing and frustrated by the actions and decisions of characters, even wondering at points if they're completely sane. Quite on the contrary, however, was Behold the Dawn. While I still disagreed at points with the decisions Marcus and a few other characters made, I could still understand their point of view, and see the logic behind it.
character development
-​This comes up right alongside writing style, as an element I rate on. Can I, by the end of a single book, place a character in a random position and know exactly how they would respond based on the meticulous (but enjoyable) descriptions given in a said novel? I believe Katie aces this. And, on another note, I couldn't be more thrilled with her personality choices. From the protagonist, Marcus, to his love interest who drives the story, to his lighthearted and humorous indentured servant who is guaranteed to make you laugh.
the ending
​ -Everything was wrapped up, resolved, and answered. I feel that that was specifically important since this was a stand alone novel. It begins with so many questions, it's surprising to find that at the end you have relatively few left. You discover that all through the story she's been answering the suspicions, you just didn't realize it.
-killing people
​You​'re probably laughing, but I'm completely serious. Some authors are scared to kill off the main characters or even the minor roles. It can become very evident, and very, very annoying. K. M. Weiland keeps it realistic with the deaths while pulling all the while at your already threadbare heartstrings.
-emotions
​As you've most likely already gathered, the emotions are so raw and daunting. You feel as if you're there, one of them, feeling the pain and the hurts they feel. Because she's not scared of killing people, the pain is real. So, beware, before you start this, it will kill you. ​

Now, enough with the praise, although I could go on. I do have just a few critiques:
the beginning
​In the first few chapters, I'll admit, I was completely lost. The names, dates, places, historic events, and people groups... It was just a lot to take in, and my head was a whirlwind. But, I persevered, and eventually caught the hang of it.
​the secret
​Earlier I praised how the secrets were brought to light and resolved, and that they wereIt may sound confusing, but throughout the novel you know something is a secret... but you're not sure what the secret is. The name 'St. Dunstan' is thrown around quite a bit, but you have no idea what happened there. It would be appropriate, in my opinion, to give a minor background story beforehand (even as a prolog), while still keeping the mystery intact.

So, that wraps it up! In all, I'd rank this as my favorite historical fiction novel. And guess what? K. M. Weiland will be appearing on my blog, Literary Cafe, with a guest post, this Friday! Sign up for our newsletter to keep updated with all our guest posts!

See the full review here: http://literarycafe.weebly.com/home/b... ​

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

{April 2023 Reread}

Well.

*clears throat*

I wondered how this book would hold up, five years later. See, I first read this back in the heyday of my blogging experience – a time when I was so eager to enjoy the stories my friends enjoyed that I’d sometimes trick myself into believing that I enjoyed them more than I actually did. I already knew, going into this reread, that Behold the Dawn had been a casualty of this sweet but misguided phenomenon, because I remembered that even as I was writing the original review, I felt that I may have been overstating my enthusiasm a touch.

I knew, for instance, that I’d skimmed a fair bit of the book because the pacing dragged and the overall plot conflict was frankly pretty boring to me (but I hadn’t mentioned that in my original review because I was caught up in the elements I did like and the thrill of bonding over a new story with close friends). I knew that my last experience with Weiland’s writing (reading Storming last year) had been less than stellar. However, I also knew that there were some things I had genuinely enjoyed about the story, and likely would again, so all in all, I headed into the reread with an open mind.

And I wasn’t wholly betrayed by the experience – the book isn’t a dreadful one. As I said, the main plot conflict doesn’t compel me, personally, but others’ mileage may vary. The writing is frequently overwrought, but it has its decent moments. And, despite the novel of a complaint that you're about to read regarding the romance, there were still some genuinely sweet and touching moments between Marcus and Mairead.

However, I did come away from this second read with plenty of complaints. The antagonists, for instance, are cartoonishly wicked – stopping just short of rubbing their hands together with villainous glee. The narrative's commentary on the ethics of the Crusades, while brief, is also troublingly ambivalent. And what on earth is up with Weiland’s apparent penchant for Super Ultra Dramatic Heroes? Every other sentence, Marcus goes full, “this coffee is black, LikE mY sOuL” and it gets really old really fast. I get that he has legitimate trauma and guilt over the past, but honestly, people. Subtlety? Never heard of her.

Unquestionably, though, my biggest concern with this story is one that, funnily enough, I did bring up in my original review: the fade-to-black scene between Marcus and Mairead at about the sixty percent mark.

*cracks knuckles*

Kids, this doesn’t work. But before I get into all the reasons why it doesn’t work, let’s start with some backstory (trigger warning for sexual assault):

Marcus (the MC) and Mairead (the love interest) first meet when Mairead’s husband, William, is dying. William was an old friend and mentor of Marcus’s. We learn that William had married Mairead to protect her after she was raped and impregnated by one of the villains of the piece, Hugh de Guerrant. (The child died the day after he was born.) The couple had fled to the Holy Land, which is where they connect with Marcus. William asks Marcus to marry Mairead after his death, since Hugh is still pursuing her and she needs the protection of a husband’s name as she travels to the convent she plans to enter after William’s death. Marcus agrees. He and Mairead enter a totally platonic marriage of convenience that is only supposed to last for the twenty-day journey to the convent.

Of course, we all know what’s going to happen next: they’re going to fall in ✨lurve✨ and the platonic marriage of convenience will no longer be quite so platonic or convenient. That’s all fine – whatever – I don’t care. Nothing wrong with the marriage of convenience trope as such, and I actually like Marcus and Mairead as a couple well enough. They have potential, at least.

But then – a little over halfway through the book – we come to the problem scene. For context, Marcus has briefly left Mairead under the protection of one of his trusted friends while he goes off to do . . . something. I can’t remember and I don’t care enough to go back and ferret out the specifics – something to do with the main plot conflict, which involves vengeful monks and corrupt bishops and secret identities and ✨Past Trauma✨ and all that jazz. (It’s not as interesting as it sounds, I’m sorry to say.) Anyway, Marcus and Mairead split up temporarily. He thinks she’s going to be safe at his friend’s castle, but then, while Marcus is gone, his friend leaves the castle on some errand or other, and Hugh de Guerrant winds up storming it and almost recapturing Mairead. She barely gets away and somehow manages to find Marcus, who’s spending the night in some random inn. Their relationship has been ✨developing✨ this whole time, Marcus is experiencing Stirrings™ while at the inn, and then in comes Mairead, wide-eyed and trembling and vulnerable and all the other things that are apparently irresistibly aphrodisiacal to Big, Strong, Manly Men like Marcus.

And . . . they have sex. (Of course, this being a Good Christian Novel, we don’t actually see them have sex, but we see the beginnings, and that’s quite enough.)

Listen, I . . . I genuinely don’t understand why Weiland thought this scene was a good or romantic idea. Mairead has just escaped from a near-rape experience – at the hands of a man who already raped her once. She and Annan have become friendlier in the past weeks, yes, but they have had no real romantic interaction prior to this moment, despite their mutual secret pinings. So why on earth did Weiland think that we as readers should be enthused about a sex scene happening with absolutely no believable build-up, a mere few hours after all of Mairead’s unspeakable sexual trauma has just been resurrected in such a terrifying way?

Moreover, as if the poor timing wasn’t bad enough, this reread revealed details that concerned me in terms of Mairead’s ability to fully consent. The whole thing starts with Marcus kissing her, and Weiland notes that though it startles Mairead, she doesn’t resist or exhibit fear. But like? That’s not even remotely sufficient proof of consent, given these particular circumstances? (It’s fight, flight, or freeze, people!!!) Especially since Mairead begins to voice concerns which Marcus dismisses before they proceed? Granted, those concerns consist of her feeling that she’s “unworthy” to have sex with Marcus because she’s been “defiled” by Hugh’s violence – a notion which Marcus obviously refutes. But still. Even though Weiland clearly implies that Mairead is a fully consenting partner, it rubs me much the wrong way.

Was Weiland trying to rehabilitate the experience of sex for Mairead? Is that what she was attempting to accomplish with this? If so, why did she feel the need to include a specific incident instead of simply leaving it to the reader’s imagination to deduce that Mairead would eventually be able to engage in a fulfilling, consensual sex life with Marcus once they decided that their marriage would be “for real”?

Also, not to get myopic about Christian sexual ethics, BUT: if neither Marcus nor Mairead had any real sincerity in conducting the marriage ceremony/speaking whatever vows couples spoke at medieval weddings – if both of them expected their association as husband and wife to end as soon as they reached the convent – if both of them fully intended to annul their marriage, in practice if not in law – then can we say that they were actually, truly married in the sight of God and therefore “cleared” to do the deed? If the marriage was essentially a technicality, a pretense to deter their enemies – was it truly “marriage” in God’s eyes? And would consummation of the marriage spiritually legitimize it? You can come to your own conclusions, of course, but for myself, I say “nay.”

So, all in all – no. I don’t love Behold the Dawn. But I’m going to keep my original review posted anyway, for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a time capsule of sorts, and it triggers many warm and fuzzy memories of happy times gone by when we were all so enthused about fangirling over our favorite stories together. 🥰

2.5 stars

{Original February 2018 Review}

OKAY THIS WAS A REALLY GREAT BOOK, FAM?!

Like, I'm Having Feelings. And I Have a Feeling I won't stop Having Feelings for awhile, because I Have a Feeling it'll take me a few days to process this book.

I mean . . . the story is so intense for such a long time, and that meant that *I* was rather tense while reading it. It almost seemed to twist up my insides a little bit. But . . . it was really good??

Wow. I feel like . . . I don't really know what to say? Before I read it -- just going by the synopsis and the things I'd heard from the dear frens who recommended it to me (thanks, frens) -- I anticipated it being "like Robin Hood and Ivanhoe but with, like, GOD," and that was honestly how it turned out to be! Which made me happy. ;)

I'm usually a little bit wary of modern authors trying to write in "old-fashioned" styles, but somehow this worked?? (I mean, I thought "nay" and "aye" were used a bit too much, but "that's a minor thing.") (Also, the vocabulary is amazing. I had to look up words. :-P)

Okay, but I do need to talk about one thing. So . . . you know the scene where Mairead (the names are so A++ in this book, btw) and Marek have fled Stephen's castle and they find Annan? And then Mairead and Annan have their "moment of truth"? Well, that was an amazing love scene, BUT it was kind of open-ended, and then some of the things that were said afterwards sort of made it seem like they actually spent the night together spent the night together, if you know what I mean. And that didn't seem quite right? I mean, they were married, yes -- in name -- but especially given what Mairead had gone through, it seemed inappropriate/unrealistic in terms of timing? But that's just my opinion, and maybe I misinterpreted that whole incident anyway.

ANYWAY. This was a really, really, really good book. I know this wasn't much of a review, but . . . like I said, I feel like I'm still processing? Because THERE'S A LOT TO PROCESS. (I mean, the relationship between Marcus and Mairead alone . . . )

AND ALSO THE TITLE AND COVER ARE BOTH VERY GOOD.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite an adventurous read. That's an understatement. If you didn't read any of the updates I made throughout the book they went like this:

"WHAAAAAT?!????!!? *strangled sob*"
"OHMYWORDOHMYWORDOHMYWORD!!! THE FEELINGS!!! I think my heart died and then revived again between this update and my last one."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo"
*GASPS*

So yes, it was quite exciting. :) The story was set during the time of the Crusades, and the main character was Scottish, so I had a feeling from the beginning that I would love it just from those two factors. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with my favorite time period AND the main character from one of my favorite countries.
I wasn't disappointed. Not only was it typically full of nail-biting action like most of this author's books, but I admired her ability to keep the story historically accurate (something that a lot of historical fiction fails at). It was an amazing story of redemption and the amazing mercy of our God despite all the mistakes humans make.

Of course, all books have their problems...I would say the biggest thing I noticed in this particular book (I mean, the occasional typo hardly counts) was the excessive amount of killing. Yes, some killing had to be done due to the fact that it WAS set during a crusade, but I think some of the stabbings and throwing people over the sides of buildings and running people over with horses was unnecessary.
Also, there is mention of priests fathering illegitimate children and the girl character was defiled in her past by one of the villains.

But. All that said, it was a fantastic book. However, due to the above cons, I would recommend this story for any gender 16+ (or according to parental suggestion).

*I wanted to add how much I appreciated how feminine the girl characters in this story were. Even though they are obviously strong in their own way, they weren't constantly put in the middle of the battlefield. More often than not, they were BEING PROTECTED by men not PROTECTING THEMSELVES. It was a refreshing break from the typical action stories that involve women characters.

[English · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the book left me with mixed feelings. It was undeniably well-written with vivid and evocative descriptions and realistic and exhilarating battle scenes- at least at the beginning. Towards the end the kidnappings or attempted kidnappings), attacks, narrow escapes, rescues and almost inevitable accompanying fight scenes seemed to become a little repetitive, predictable and dare I say, overdone or over reliant on action?
Also, the apparently invincibility of the hero Marcus Annan and his servant Marek seemed to stretch credibility- with the former able survive numerous wounds, to fight with broken bones or other injuries, and the latter surviving being thrown off a balcony- all of when other characters are killed with far less (Was really that easy to cut through chain mail?)
Another scene in which one of the villains broke into a castle guarded by precisely one man at the main gate seemed decidedly implausible Seriously, I doubt a castle in the Middle of potentially hostile territory would have been so poorly defended, or so easy to break into twice and destroy with only a few men.

The hero Marcus Annan could be a frustrating character. His actions were sometimes inconsistent or hardtop work out- wanting to be rid of the monk Gethin one minute then riding off to save him shortly after. Also, the characterization of a Crusader cum pilgrim with religious doubts is perhaps not the most original, as similar protagonists can be found in other books and movies. Like them, Annan’s skepticism, apparent bias against the Crusaders, and some of his other beliefs and attitudes seemed rather too modern.

There were also a number of historical issues- the most notable being the depiction of events that took place after the capture of the city of Acre in 1191- the controversial order given by Richard the Lionheart to massacre 2700 Muslim prisoners. In the novel it is made out that Richard gave this order after only a few days when Saladin hadn’t produced the sum of money demanded as part of the negotiated terms of surrender- and he is made out to be the bad one for having broken his oath to Saladin to deliver the prisoners and acting dishonourably. Yet in reality, Richard made no oath to Saladin, and the impetus was on him to fulfill the terms of surrender, who acted just as duplicitously as Richard by playing for time, trying to change the terms, and draw the Crusaders into battle.
Also, over 30 days elapsed, the agreed deadline for fulfilling the terms of surrender, before the order was given. Finally, it is claimed that women and children were among those massacred, when this is not mentioned in any contemporary sources, and at least two modern historians have asserted those slain consisted entirely of fighting men. Admittedly, the origin of this inaccurate depiction was in the sources the author used, not she herself, but given the capacity of historical fiction to influence people’s perception of history, it bears mention. One other inaccuracy was ironed out towards the end, and further historical details suggested a good amount of research.

I also seriously do wonder whether the leading characters would have been allowed to get away with murdering or plotting to murder, their fellow nobles, or the rape of a noblewoman, right under the king’s nose- so to speak. Medieval nobles were generally quite assertive in defence of their rights- to the point that they even rebelled against Kings who abused their power. So I certainly think the nobles would have acted to defend themselves against the villains of this story, or complained to the King
My final complaint was some of the language such as repeated use of the nineteenth century nautical slang term ‘bucko’. I think this and other phrases might have been used because they sounded ‘British’ but I’m a Brit, and I’d never heard of it.

Overall Behold the Dawn was a worthwhile - and I might say somewhat compulsive read, and was certainly an engaging story with solid Christian and well-presented Christian themes of redemption and forgiveness , but d required perhaps more suspension of disbelief then I like. On the other hand I probably would read it again.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, it's taken me a long time to write this review. Partly because I've been busy, but partly because--I'm still not sure how to review this book. But it's been over a week, so I'm jumping in and doing it anyway. Here goes...

Confession #1--I really liked this book! Confession #2--I still cannot figure out why!!! It was definitely very well-written, but good writing doesn't make or break a book for me, and this one had several elements that usually are not my favorite, so I'm seriously at a loss to explain what it was that made me enjoy it so much.

Characters: Tortured, not-so-heroic heroes who have given up hope of redemption are not my favorite archetype. But somehow Annan was written in such a way that I hadn't given up hope for him, and I just kept begging him to turn and accept forgiveness and redemption. Mairead was a bit hard to get to know at first, but I ended up liking her as well. And Marek! Definitely my favorite, although again, I can't pinpoint why. I just know I felt surprisingly disappointed when he disappeared from the scene, and I kept hoping he would turn up again, however improbable it seemed. I was also impressed at the depth of layers found even in the minor characters. With the exception of some of the villains, just about everyone was drawn in shades of gray instead of black and white. And while I love my true-blue heroes, I really appreciated the depth shown here.

Setting: Absolutely stellar! There was just about nothing in the descriptions, the writing style, the dialogue, or anything else to pull me out of the medieval world that was so carefully crafted here. In fact, in almost every case, my reaction to something unexpected was "I didn't realize that..." instead of "that doesn't sound right...". That, my friends is extremely high praise! My one historical nitpick--the terms "knight" and "man-at-arms" seemed to be used interchangeably, which doesn't fit with other historical books I've read. But aside from that, nothing that felt out of place.

Plot: Good gracious! Kept me on the edge of my seat for just about the whole book. Guessing, suspecting, wondering, hoping--and even though parts of the ending weren't what I wanted (or usually like), I didn't end the book disappointed and sad. Again, that's huge, and again, I can't explain why...

A quick note on content--there was quite a bit of violence involved, but not more than I've seen in other stories with similar settings, and it wasn't written graphically. Also, the sexual content involved in some characters' backstories was handled with a light enough touch that I felt like my eyes were being turned away from it instead of toward it, which is unusual for me with this kind of content, but which I very much appreciated.

The more that I think about it, maybe the fact that I can't point to any specific thing and say "that's why I liked it" is the biggest compliment I can give this author. Somehow, K.M. Weiland managed to take a bunch of bits and pieces that I wouldn't have liked on their own and make them into a whole that I really enjoyed. I'm not sure what kind of talent that takes, but it's got to be high praise! :D

4.5 stars

Content--violence, including wounds and deaths (not graphic); mentions of crimes committed by a priest, including murder and illegitimate children; mentions of a woman having been raped and her resulting fear of men (handled lightly); veiled references to intimacy between a married couple; mentions of cursing (no words); various saints' names used as exclamations; one or two questionable uses of God's name; references to various practices and abuses within the Catholic church; a few misunderstandings regarding men's treatment of women

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my. I am totally astounded at this book. Having only read one other historical fiction book set during the Crusades that I wasn't impressed with, I wasn't sure what to expect with this. From what I've seen of this author I hoped it would be good and it was. More than that, it was amazing.

The characters were full of depth and so real. Annan, struggling with his past, is a tourneyer only to appease his conscience. Then there is Mairead, a countess wife, her fear and need of safety found in the man Annan. And Marek. He made me smile and laugh and added that spice of humor that the story needed.

There is a lot of fighting in this book which some readers might find disturbing. There is mention of a woman having a child out of wedlock, but never is detailed and I appreciated that. The romance is sweet and just right for my taste.

The evil men were portrayed quite well. Hatred and power is shown in their lives. Although the end is victorious, it made me sad how useless those people spent their lives. I was very surprised at something toward the end.

I was able to follow the story relatively well. Sometimes I was confused with who was who, but it wasn't enough to ruin the story-line for me at all. The redemption message is wonderful. Annan could not defeat evil on his own. He needed God.

The author has written a fabulous book,and I will be reading it again in the future.

[kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

should probably just leave well enough alone but i'm still so angry at this book two whole stink'in years later and every time i read my original review i hyperventilate a little because it is much too generous and does NOT reflect my true feelings towards this book.
.
i really don't want to say much, just need to get some rage out of my system.
so, here goes:
tHiS bOok iS aWfUL
- a shining example of why i don't trust christian fiction and have a strong bias against it.
- the romance/marriage/OR WHATEVER IT IS SUPPOSED BE is just awful and convoluted and toxic. so many red flags...just SO MANY.
- why did they even get together? i think the girl was a little stupid but even i don't think she deserved Mr. Jerk, because he was not respectful or safe or nice and i hope she ran far, far away.
- and save me from those gag-worthy descriptions of the bro obsessing over the girl's hair and neck and her creepy teeth every other PAGE it's not remotely cute LIKE WUT??? please no. excuse me i think i just threw up in my mouth.
- and the ending was not satisfactory. AT ALL.
.
because i feel like a rude little human now, i am going to say that the setting was cool and i liked merek and there was a lot of potential for this book (kinda).
.
maybe i just wasn't the target audience for this book. ???
.
why did i read this?
well, besides the fact that there is a stupid part of my brain that loves reading bad christian fiction for the jolly of it, i had read something else by this author and it was amazing and also the book was free so WHY NOT???
so many reasons WHY NOT TO, apparently, but it's all in the past now so i'm going to move on with my life.
.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-moving, enthralling novel of the Third Crusade. A tourneyer, Marcus Annan, is convinced to join the Crusade by a mysterious crippled monk from Annan's past. There is much fighting but the main story is that of Annan's guilt for his actions sixteen years previously, his self-forgiveness and redemption. As one character says, and I'm paraphrasing: Each new dawn brings with it a new beginning with the new day.

I figured out part of Annan's past early on, but I wish the rest had been explained earlier in a clearer form rather than in bits and pieces. What exactly happened at St. Dunstan's monastery that affected Annan's and the monk's lives? The complete explanation was not given until near the end of the novel. I disliked Annan's sidekick, Marek; I felt he was impertinent and a complainer. I saw no humor in him, but yes, he did fill a niche in the story. I liked the neatness with which the story was wound up.

Highly recommended.

[Hope]

Setting this down for a while. I'll probably try this again when I'm not so busy.

[Rich Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and riveting historical fiction

Get ready for a novel by KM Weiland that will grab you and hold on until you turn the last of its captivating pages.

Behold the Dawn opens in the year 1192 when Crusaders under King Richard I battled Saladin's Muslim forces in the Holy Land in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem. At the same time, Marcus Annan engaged in deadly mock battle as a Tourneyer. Annan, "...fought today for the same reason he always fought: it was the only thing his life had left him fit for." Under threat of excommunication, tourney participants such as Annan continued to ply their trade. After a day of dealing death, he's troubled by the sight of a faceless monk, a face hidden within the shadow of a cowl. By the time the spark of recognition brought flashes of hidden memories from 16 years past, the monk disappeared. Annan collected his spoils and ransom from battle while a chain of unfolding events propelled him from Bari, Italy to the fields of battle in the Holy Land.

Annan and his sidekick Peregrine Marek, a Scottish lad indentured to his service, would face deadly challenges from former comrades at arms in addition to threats from avowed enemies. A onetime believer in Christianity, Annan now felt his soul beyond hope; a conscience seared from a life running away from a nightmare called St. Dunstan. Gethin the monk, also known as the Baptist, raged against the Church, the Pope, the Holy War and especially against Roderic the Bishop. These words resurrected memories of the tragic day as he had tried to forget all those years.

During an encounter with Roderic and men at arms allied with him, Annan agrees to kill a former colleague by the name of Matthias, but refuses to kill William, Earl of Keaton his former mentor, his wife Lady Mairead, and the Baptist. By doing so, events are set in motion that take Annan and Marek to the Holy Land.

Not long after landing on the beaches of Acre, Annan and Marek found themselves in the heat of battle, tasting victory as Crusader catapults breached the walls of Acre. Just when the battle appeared to be won, Saladin's cavalry breached the flanks of Christian fighters. Annan took an arrow from a Saracen volley as it passed through his mail shirt. A Moslem blade disemboweled Annan's mount. Annan fell, the world around him faded. When Annan woke, he found himself in a prison camp in the care of Knights Hospitalers and in the presence of Lady Mairead the Countess of Keaton, wife of William of Keaton. Annan is one of 2,500 prisoners. Eventually, Annan gained an audience with William after making a plea to Mairead. During that meeting, a dying William made a daunting request, a request to escort Mairead from the Holy Land to a convent in Orleans, France.

Annan accepts the request that will lead to a series of attacks on Annan and Mairead. The story progresses through a series of narrow escapes. Enemies abound. Friends die. Mystery compels constant diligence. Mairead, a deeply religious Christian, prays for Annan, not for his life only but that he accept God's redemption. While doing so, barriers she had placed between them, fade. Her persistence causes him to question his lack of faith. Maybe there is hope after all.

KM Weiland thoroughly researched the period then used her amazing gift of expression and talents of turning the right phrase and delivering memorable quotes. Readers become part of the field of battle, experience thrilling suspense, and visualize colorful tapestries as she paints poetic word pictures of earth, sky and sea. I've read and enjoyed other novels and short stories by KM Weiland and have a new favorite in Behold the Dawn.

Don't miss this fascinating read!

[Effrosyni Moschoudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An action-packed medieval romance

I am not a fan of this genre but this author came highly recommended by a friend so when I got a chance to acquire a copy of this book in return for a review, I seized the opportunity. I was impressed by the representation of the era and I believe the author did a great job there and obviously had to do a lot of research. Although K.M. Weiland has undoubtedly great writing skills (especially where descriptions and character development are concerned), I found some elements in this book were quite weak. The language for one; although I wouldn't expect it to be original for this era (for who would be able to read and comprehend it anyway even if the author could speak it!) there were some words that struck me as odd, such as Annan calling his servant 'Boyo' or 'Bucko". I also have the impression that 'Boyo' is a Welsh word while Annan is Scottish.

The romance came across as quite soppy, in the style of a Harlequin romance which is okay if you are a fan of the genre but I didn't expect the relevant clichés in a historical novel. I did enjoy the camaraderie between Annan and his delightful servant, Marek who was by far the most likeable character in the book. Annan is clearly a man tortured by guilt over the sins of his past but I didn't manage to relate to him much. The object of his desire, Lady Mairead, was very likeable but the romance developed in a predictable way, without any surprises. Also, I found the many references to her lip getting stuck between her teeth quite annoying and if anything, not a sight I'd expect from a Lady.

Summing up, a good read, especially for those who enjoy medieval adventures. Maybe this is because it's not my genre but other than the fun conversations between Annan and Marek, I found nothing else there that I deem memorable. Quite frankly, the mystery behind The Baptist and what happened in the past with the Bishop left me totally uninterested throughout.

I doubt I'll try delving into another medieval adventure written by this author because of the aforementioned faults that personally put me off with this one. However, as K.M. Weiland struck me as a remarkable writer in many other respects, I will probably try another of her books sometime that depicts a different era and really hope to write a better review next time round.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent but frustrating read, because too many questions were left unanswered.

While well written and reasonably enjoyable, my main issue with this book was lack of both full
disclosure and background story. The driving force for the events in this book is suppose to be the wrongdoing that occurred at St Dunstan Abbey, yet, with the exception of occasional sentence here and there and the obvious impact it had on all the characters, not even once we are fully told what had actually happened in the Abbey. Yes, we are told that there was rebellion against Rhoderic’s hypocrisy, the there was torture and the bloodshed, but the actual event that spiraled 3 main characters on to the pass their life took is never fully described or depicted – it is all hearsay. Every time something like " You know what happened" came up, I was ready to shout :"Yes, THEY know, but I don't! Tell me, tell me exactly what happened then so I can understand better why things are happening now" And neither there is Hugh’s and Mariead background history – again, what is Mariead’s background, how did she meet Hugh and what led to his obsession – even after -finishing the book I am none the wiser and in all honesty cannot say:”Yes, it have been shown/told/explained what happened in the past and I can truly understand what shaped and drove them" And for me that is where the book failed to raise from "decent" to "really good"

[Lucia M · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I wasn't sure at first - I put the book down for a good while because I didn't really connect to Annan or the plot conflict, which felt quite political and confusing. However I'm glad I stuck at it because that ending was SMASHING. I gasped out loud at a twist *no spoilers but I've you've read it you'll know what I mean 😱🤐* for the first time in quite a while, and the author has my absolute respect for how she pulled it off. 4.5 stars :P

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a major history nerd, so historical fiction is right up my alley. My favorite book is "Pearl Maiden" by Sir Rider Haggard, an author who wrote historical fiction that is both riveting and deep.

I mention Haggard, because "Behold the Dawn" very quickly brought his medieval book "The Brethren" to mind. Coming from me, considering BTD to be similar to one of his works is a huge compliment to Weiland.

The setting to BTD felt gritty and authentic. It was hot, sweaty, dusty, and bloody. I did occasionally have a hard time picturing the landscape, but the characters were often on the move, thus leading to ever-changing landscape.

The characters; such a fantastic cast of characters. Some grew more than others over the story (I fell in love with the sidekick), while others were consistent, providing a balance and steadiness that kept the others in line. The protagonists were appropriately human, they felt fear, anger, hurt, betrayal, guilt, etc. You felt what the characters felt very deeply.

The villains! Aha! One of the only things that can make a good set of protagonists even better is an equally well-written cast of villains. Weiland did a masterful job at this. I shivered and despised these villains more than I do for most writers. Well done!

This book was wonderfully lengthy, I appreciate it when a writer values their readers enough to give a very long book. There is just a depth of entering into the story that cannot happen in shorter titles. Also, there were moments in this book that could have been handled with far less class, but thankfully, Weiland is a classy writer. I appreciated the way she handled a few subjects with dignity and grace.

My one critique of this book was that during the fighting scenes, I was often confused as to who was standing where, and how the action went down. I had to reread those scenes and play them through in my mind. It is not a major hindrance however, and everything else was well done.

At one point in this book, Weiland put in a "plot twist" of sorts that angered and saddened me deeply. I took to social media to complain, and like the mature adult that I am, I took a break from reading the book. Before, I mentioned how much BTD reminded me of Sir Rider Haggard's "The Brethren". Amusingly enough, the same thing happened to me years ago when I read TB. I was convinced something terrible had happened. In agony, I threw the book down and began to cry. I had invested far too much of my soul into that story to see it end so. My brother picked up the source of my sorrow and read a few pages past where I had stopped. "Keep reading." He said. I did, and sheepishly discovered that all was in fact well, and I had merely thrown in the towel too early. I bring this story up, because I literally did the exact same thing with Behold the Dawn. That "plot twist" that left me outraged? Aha, ha, ahem....keep reading.

A satisfying ending, should Weiland ever do a follow-up book featuring the same characters, or perhaps starring the sidekick (I'm rooting for Option 2), I will eagerly devour it. I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, sweet romances, and redemption.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little wary of reading this book, because I really, really, really wanted to like it--and when you go to read a book you really, really, really want to like, or have high hopes for, there's always a nagging fear that it won't measure up to your preconceptions and hopes. I'd never read anything by this author before (excepting some excerpts from her books), so I didn't have the assurance that, hey, she's written good books before, so she's probably done it again (not that that's always a surety...I've read plenty of books I didn't like by authors whose previous books I'd loved). So, due to all that, my feelings going into the reading of this were, at best, ambiguous.

Behold the Dawn exceeded my expectations.

The characters were brilliant (I loved Marcus Annan and Lady Mairead; Marek was bloomin' awesome; and all the other main-ish characters were intriguing--sometimes frighteningly so). The plot was exciting and absorbing. I remember when I was on page 36, it felt like I should've been on page 70 or 80 due to how much had already happened--but the action never felt rushed; the pacing was just right. And, best of all, there was a crazy (and I mean that in the best way possible) plot twist at the end which I did not see coming at all (though in retrospect all the hints were there, craftily hidden within the conflict) and which made me want to flip right back to the beginning and read the whole thing over again.

And that doesn't happen too often with me.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward to reading this novel since I was first introduced to KM Weiland’s excellent and practical writing advice. Weiland has made a study of her craft, particularly when it comes to structuring and building one’s novel. Her approach is craftsmanlike���here are the rules, and here’s how they apply. In reading this novel and Weiland’s more recently-published fantasy Dreamlander, I’ve been reminded just how very far a disciplined and craftsmanlike approach to art can take us, if we’re willing to do the work.

Behold the Dawn tells the story of Marcus Annan, a knight infamous for his prowess in the interdicted blood sport of tourneying. When an encounter with a ghost from his past sends Annan to the Holy Land in search of an old benefactor, he doesn’t expect old enemies, new betrayals, or the dangerous responsibility of escorting a terrified woman all the way back to France. As past and present collide in a storm of blood and fire, will Annan find a future worth living for?

Or will the darkness of his past swallow him and everything he loves?

I enjoyed this book. Again, as I expect in anything KM Weiland writes, there’s a high level of technical expertise on show here in the plotting and character development. It’s an earlier work than Dreamlander, which in this case means that the writing style is a little rougher and the drama tips unresistingly over into melodrama at every chance.

Behold the Dawn is also heavier on the romance than Dreamlander is. I actually really liked how she handled it: not so heavy on the physical/emotional tension that I felt I had to go and scrub my imagination, but very compelling, tender, and believable. I actually also liked the characterisation better than in Dreamlander as well. KM Weiland does fantastic manly men, and even the hero’s smartalec sidekick, who I regarded with a jaundiced eye at the beginning, had a nicely rounded character arc from comic relief into someone I could respect.

I haven’t done a lot of research on the Crusades at this point, but while I appreciated Weiland’s more or less balanced viewpoint, I found it a little unbelievable—not in accord with the medieval mindset—that characters of that period would dismiss Crusading, or give it up as easily as one character does in defecting from the side of villainry to the side of niceness. I also felt that the historical setting was a little underused.

And while I was never absolutely certain, I correctly guessed the big plot twist. A friend of mine didn’t, so you may not either ;).

To conclude, this was a fun little book full of adventure and romance. Weiland has definitely grown as an author since this attempt, and I’m looking forward to seeing her continue to improve in the future.

[Mae of Scotland · Rating 2 out of 5]

It rare I give a book a low rating - particularly as I have found this author’s writing books so helpful in my own novel writing endeavours - however this book is full of all the sins a writer should not make. Repetitive plot - getting kidnapped from the same place twice is just lazy writing. The fact all anyone does is ride around the holy land getting chased or stabbed.

I had to really push through to read the first few chapters which were confusing and distracting noise. This saga of travels could have been avoid with a little plot planning and an interesting historical story set in the crusades. And the first five chapter were distraction and nothing to do with the plot! But plot overall was just boring… even though there was a good twist lurking in the pages, which I saw coming from the start but written better this could have been a jaw-dropping finale

The characters unendearing and half the time, I just wished someone would run them through to keep them dead. Spoiler! An editor should chop half this book away and look at developing some more interesting loops of the plot.

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have read one of this author’s nonfiction books, this was my first of her fiction books, and my feelings are conflicted.

My favourite part of the book was Annan’s sidekick, Marek. His banter with Annan and his hilarious escapades were just the best.

The writing style was easy to follow, but the plot line and time era weren’t really my cup of tea. Some of the fight scenes were a bit long for my liking, and I found myself starting to skim them. The marriage of convenience trope isn’t my favourite. I have enjoyed some books with this trope, but I wasn’t crazy about it in this book. Not the fault of the author; just my personal preference. :)

In terms of the romance, it was clean but parts were a bit more detailed and intense than I like personally. There some detailed kissing, and it’s clear a married couple had physical relations off-screen.

It’s been a little bit since I finished the book, but from what I recall, it had a lovely message, which is always wonderful!

[Clarissa Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first K.M. Weiland book! I really liked this book....Marcus Annan is an absolute kick butt and I identify with Mairead so much. I do have a couple things that bothered me (like the romance being underdeveloped imo) but the plot twist at the end......MY WORD! Like how??? It makes so much sense, but you don't see it coming at all! Also, kudos to Weiland at writing a beautiful redemption story without shoving God down your throat.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how much this was going to grab me at the beginning, but once I got into it, I found it hard to put down. The medieval world feels very real, and once Mairead entered the story, I felt as though she brought an extra dimension to it.
This is a skilfully written tale by an author who knows her period.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story, however I was confused a lot in the beginning, leading me to be confused whenever she threw a plot twist later on. Still, though: AMAZING.

[Josiah DeGraaf]

Disclaimer: I have been provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was first introduced to Weiland through her writing blog, and, soon after, through her books on writing. Given this, having profited a lot from her blog and her books, I was very interested to see how her own advice on writing translated into her actual writing.

The result? An enjoyable read that had a lot of good parts in it, but not one without its faults.

Set within the context of the Third Crusade, Behold the Dawn is a story about a powerful yet conflicted knight who is fighting with Richard's army against the Saracens. When captured by the Saracen army and thrown in prison, the knight (Annan) meets a nobleman and his wife. With the nobleman on the point of death, worried for those who will be pursuing his beautiful wife, the nobleman convinces Annan to legally marry his wife (Mairead) in order to protect her while Annan brings her to a convent. The nobleman then proceeds to die, and the two escape from the camp into the wilderness.

The relationship between Annan and Mairead is awkward, and it's very unclear throughout the book what it's exactly supposed to be. Weiland does an excellent job portraying the awkwardness felt by both the characters early on, but that awkwardness soon dissipates as the two move into a romance (surprise! =P). As they soon become husband and wife in much more than just in name, this raises some moral questions as it was never quite clear at the start if they were actually married or not. (Technically they were in order to protect her with his name, but in reality the book was vague on how far it was supposed to go.) And while I don't expect (or necessarily want) characters to act perfectly, I was hoping to have some hint from Weiland about how moral their actions were in this forced marriage-romantic situation. And, unfortunately, the book didn't offer up much with regards to that.

Apart from that, the book also suffered from some standard problems of stories set in a medieval time period, with both an unrealistically powerful hero (towards the end of the book, there were several points when he should have been severely injured, but somehow was able to keep on fighting) and a confused sense of geography (different places seemed to geographically be very close at some points in the book, and very far at other points).

Looking on the positive side, though, the book handles the mystery concerning different character's past pretty well, slowly building it up to a powerful and shocking conclusion. In addition, the story's theme was rather nicely done as well. One of the story topics that Weiland has blogged about the most is on how to do a story's theme well, and I was pleased to see that the theme works out really well in her writing as well. The way that she handled the story within the greater context of the Third Crusade was also really well done in her ability to craft a very personal story against a larger historical backdrop.

Overall, I felt like the story fumbled a bit with a contrived romance position, but makes up for a lot of it with an excellent conclusion that tied up a lot of loose strings into a dramatic climax with a strong moral point.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good).

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold the Dawn is an incredibly satisfying read: when all is said and done, and the last page has been checked behind to see if there's more, the soul feels satisfied, well-filled. No lingering regrets that the story should have gone different. That said, there is only one thing that some people might take too much to heart. I am not the first, and shall probably not be the last, to say that the language employed for the dialogue is strangely modern and incongruous with the 12th century setting. But in Weiland's defense, I must say that it lent an interesting and not distasteful flavor to the story, and also that dialogue which falls short of the historical setting and wallows in triteness is a disgrace to the story. One can conceivably weary of hearing American's attempt conversation in English accents. Jane Austen set her novels in her own familiar time and had no need to study the forgotten vernacular of centuries ago in order to twist it to a modern story. Of course, it can be done well, and has in fact, but it is interesting that Weiland chose to not experiment with that dimension in her story. The dialogue is straightforward and flows with the story, with a word here and there that sticks out a bit.

So much for criticism. What we really wanted to know is why it is worth reading. Why does it satisfy? There is a deep need in us for things to be made right; lives to be fixed, pain to be healed, this world to be renewed. Stories, the right kind of stories, show us our sinfulness, but they also let us see through the pain to the glory beyond, the glory that is our redemption and everything that redemption means for us, for heaven and earth and hell. The best stories are stories of redemption, pictures of God's grace, analogies of the already-not-yet-ness of the world. There is a song by the Trans Siberian Orchestra that has the line, "tell me how many times can this story be told, after all of these years it should all sound so old, but it somehow rings true in the back of my mind, as I search for a dream that words can no longer define." As many times as the sun comes up, there is another redemption story. In the midst of a world where things go unbelievably wrong, there is another story that plays out to the end, and the curtain falls with the words whispered, "it's all right". Now that is unbelievable, and satisfying. How many times and how many ways can the Story be told? As often and as diverse as poor forgetful sinners need it.

Behold the Dawn has a masterfully planned and delightfully "original" plot; there are no annoying inconsistencies or triteness. The humor plays into the romance, the romance plays into the suspense, and through it all runs the power of word images, and the power of redemption.

[Kimia Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ends Strong
This is not a story of the Crusades. This is not even really the story of a Crusader. Events of the Third Crusade create a backdrop for the tale, and the varying landscape of the medieval Middle East creates its atmosphere. But if you're looking for a detailed history of the actual campaigns and historical figures of the time, try G. A. Henty.
In part, "Behold the Dawn" is the romance of two unlikely newlyweds, thrown together amid extenuating circumstances. The couple's interactions, and the way their personalities repel, reflect, and meld together, weaves into the greater theme of the book, which is as old as humanity, sin, and God.
Ultimately, this is the story of a sinner's pursuit of grace (or rather, grace's pursuit of him). We find a world-weary knight, so mired in his past wrong actions and his own depression that it takes a physical ghost from his past, in the form of a crazy-eyed monk, to spur him on to different things…perhaps to climbing out of the mire and finding the God who was waiting for him all along.
Ms Weiland's great strength is her tactile prose: the way she puts your hand into the stiff leather glove of a knight or makes you smell the reek of a thousand Crusader's tents in the Palestinian desert before air conditioning. Whatever you think of her stance on the Crusades (her treatment of Richard the Lionheart is less than affectionate), she gives you the chance to heft any number of period weapons in your mind's hand and walk alongside the characters on their dusty way to death, or glory, or revenge, or love, or something else.
A few cautions: I am more sensitive than most about sexual content. This book contains nothing explicit, but there were references to implied actions that I was unprepared for when I first opened this book, and I wanted to pass on the caution. There is also a fair amount of medieval violence and fighting, but I have less of a problem with that. Nevertheless, it's something to be aware of before you pick up this book.
In full disclosure, I received a free copy of "Behold" from StoryCartel in exchange for a review. That said, I did honestly enjoy this book. It was not exactly what I expected, but once I gave the initially self-pitying main character a chance, his developing selflessness, the engrossing world, the exciting battle scenes, and the energetic sidekick combined to make this an engaging read, worth the effort.

[Clare S-B · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Deepen your characters and you’ll also deepen your conflict and your theme" ~K.M. Weiland
She has certainly followed her own advice in this book it is just amazing.

This is a book I have always wanted to read, but I did not realize that this books was one of those books until I started reading. The story is set during the Kings Crusade but gives a very different view than most historical fiction, well any other crusade story I have read. I did have high expectations though -having listened to K.M. Weiland's writing advice for a long time- the book certainly lived up to them. It was so page turning (even though I only have it on kindle.) And the themes of the story were spectacular, the struggles deep. The message it sends of being able to find forgiveness, for anything, and beginning anew was painted so vividly. So while the story is quite dark it is true and has a heart of Gold inside.

I followed the characters through epic battles, where everyone got hurt (and stayed hurt), especially the hero; yay for realism! Slowly I found more out about dark pasts, secrets, and plots withing plots. Secrets were held back just enough to make me doubt, but not so much to drive me mad like some other books. And there were really cool twists and turns.

The characters were all so complex. Merak was just lovable, and the other two MCs were both so complex, with hidden secrets and dark past, hopes and dreams. And the bad guys were also complex and confusing and ahh they all just are real! I felt like I could see into the souls of these characters, and I felt for them so much. Every character had a good motivation and reason for what they did.

There was also a romance too but I liked how everything in that was handled and it added so, so much to the plot as well. The characters are all adults so while I would recommend this book to everyone I think it would be best for ages 17+

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right off the bat I'm going to say if you want to read a light book before bedtime, don't pick this one up. You won't be able to put it down and it WILL keep you up.
I was unfamiliar with this author so I had no idea what to expect, but I liked the cover, and I usually enjoy early church/early historical novels, so I picked it up.
Also, let me say, K.M. Weiland can write! Granted the language styles weren't historically accurate, but I appreciated it nonetheless because I didn't have to wade through indestinguishable wording, nor translate things in my mind. It totally worked for me.
So...plot — where to begin...
Marcus Annan made a living, if you can call it that, by competing in tourneys — jousting, fighting to death, etc. The church had outlawed them by this time, but because, through incidents in his past he considered himself irredeemable, the church decree didn't matter.
Along comes someone from his past (a heretic monk) who reminds Annan of his awful childhood, and tries to set him on a path of revenge for what many suffered at the hand of another so-called man of God.
But his bond-servant tries to convince him that if he only joins the Crusades, his past life, his irredeemable life, will be expunged by the Catholic Church. So they head off to Jerusalem. Most of the way there he is captured by the Turks. While under capture he comes in contact with the wife of a friend from his past, one of the few people he trusted.
His friend is dying, and he gives Annan a responsibility to take his soon-to-be widow to a certain convent where she will be safe from evil men who are after her.
The rest of the book is one thing after another to save her, himself, his bond-servant, and basically just to stay alive, meanwhile trying to get away from the monk who seeks revenge against the bishop/murderer/whoremonger.
Whew!
Sound exciting? Well, it is!!
Good stuff I recommend!

[Adam Collings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold the Dawn is a historical novel set during the crusades. It is the story of Marcus Annan, whose life is consumed soley by the bloodthirsty (and morally dubious) sport of tourneying. We learn very quickly that there is much more to this man than we realise. He has a dark past that he has been running from for a very long time. On the surface, Marcus seems a very unlikely hero for this story, and yet as the reader you immediately bond with him, you root for him and want to find out more about him.

The story takes Marcus to the Holy Land where he must begin to confront his past. Against the backdrop of the historic battles, Marcus's embarks on a journey, as he promises to escort a recently widowed noblewoman to a convent in France where she will be safe from the enemeies that are seeking her life.

There is a lot about this story that could have descended into cliche. We have the hero with a mysterious past, the faithful side-kick, the female lead who becomes a potential love interest, and the hypocritical bishop who serves as one of the primary villains - and yet there is no cliche in site. Everything is fresh. K.M. Weiland makes this distant time and place come alive in a very real way. The characters are well-rounded and fascinating.

Woven into all of this is a theme of redemption and grace. Marcus's journey is one where he must learn to accept forgiveness, and move on from the past he thinks he must hide from.

It is fitting that this story takes place during the crusades. Ultimately, the sins and mistakes that Marcus is hiding from are similar to those mistakes being made by the crusaders. In a time of great hypocrisy and evil, Marcus learns what it truly means to call oneself a 'Christian'.

[Gillian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a hundred percent sure why but the movie Kingdom of Heaven about the crusades is one of my all time favorites, so when I saw Behold the Dawn and learned the time period and premise (a master tourneyer is drawn by the sins of his past to the Holy Land during the Third Crusade) I knew I had to read it!

And read it, I did, for hours on end. There may have been a few nights (er, early mornings) where I didn't set it down until the light on my clock reminded me that t'was already 3:00 AM.

Weiland weaves a memorable tale in a writing style that is exquisite, but not pretentious. The tone and cadence of both narration and dialogue fits the time period without being so archaic as to be unintelligible to the uninitiated.

Characters such as Marcus Annan, Lady Mairead, Merak (loveable Merak!), and Gethin were all so unique and interesting that I probably would have read the book had they all been simply vacationing together on the beach. Probably. Thankfully, Weiland didn't put that to the test. :)

Instead, she provided a story full of plot twists, secrets, and enough battles to sate my hunger for adventure. Not only that, but the fighting in the battles was refreshingly realistic - instead of the usual stylized action you find in most fantasy or medieval novels - with believable consequences and injuries that don't simply disappear on the next page, as well as horses and riding that felt true to life.

All in all, Behold the Dawn is an incredible epic medieval adventure that I highly recommend! It's one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time, just to enjoy the full experience all over again.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to begin this review by saying that I stayed up ‘til 1:00 in the morning to finish this book the day after I got it. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a very long time.


Behold the Dawn by K. M. Weiland is set during the third Crusade. If that doesn’t ring a bell, this is when Robin Hood and Ivanhoe were saving England from Prince John. Here is the books description from the website you can order the book from (go here also to see the trailer).

Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forever. But when a mysterious crippled monk demands Annan help him find justice for the transgressions of sixteen years ago, Annan is forced to leave the tourneys and join the Third Crusade.


Wounded in battle and hunted by enemies on every side, he rescues an English noblewoman from an infidel prison camp and flees to Constantinople. But, try as he might, he cannot elude the past. Amidst the pain and grief of a war he doesn’t even believe in, he is forced at last to face long-hidden secrets and sins and to bare his soul to the mercy of a God he thought he had abandoned years ago.
The sins of a bishop.

The vengeance of a monk.

The secrets of a knight.

This book had an extremely relevant and powerful message and an ending that will leave you gasping for air. Some elements make this unsuitable for young children however I think that ages 13 and up can read it, with parents’ permission of course.

Order it today!

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what was going to happen with this book. I really respect K.M. Weiland for her writing-advice books and blog ... she's taught me things that have made me a better writer and given me a deeper understanding of noveling in general.

And you know what? She puts all her knowledge into practice!

Behold the Dawn was a really incredible book. I loved the characters, plot, setting, and theme. They all went so well together!

I only had two problems.

I didn't like was how Annan seemed practically invincible. He can get wounded all day and barely anything seems to happen, and no one can beat him. Also, he seems to be able to break in and out of castles against impossible odds. Mmkay? I thought he never actually did any official battling?

The other thing was that what happened at St. Dunstan's is always alluded to but never explained which was aggravating. It appears that Mairead was involved in it somehow, too, but we never know how. Very frustrating.

Aside from that, I really loved the book. Everything about Annan and Mairead's romance was amazing, and the bad guys were so bad, and ... it was just awesome. :)

This is a Goodreads- and Amazon-only review.

~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews