The Templar Knight

The Crusades Trilogy #2

by Jan Guillou

A knight in the Holy Land.
A woman in the frozen north.
A war that kept them apart . . .

The second volume in the internationally bestselling trilogy begun with The Road to Jerusalem—the critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman)

Exiled to the Holy Land for two decades, Arn Magnusson has risen in the ranks of the Knights Templar, serving as master of the order's Gaza fortress. Among the last bastion of God's holy warriors determined to save Jerusalem from the Muslims, Arn has cultivated a shrewd understanding of his enemy. Known as Al-Ghouti among the Saracens—Saladin and his Muslim followers—he is renowned as a man of compassion, strength, and faith.

Yet neither time nor distance can lessen the pain of separation from his beloved Cecilia. Confined to a cloister back home in western Götaland, Arn's betrothed is a pawn in a war between clans vying for control of the crown. Yearning for him and their newborn son, who is being raised by relatives, Cecilia must also endure the cruelties of a vindictive abbess from a rival clan.

When an accident of fate brings together Arn and Saladin, a friendship is forged that will alter the course of the Templar knight's life, and the history of Jerusalem itself. After the bloody Battle of Hattin, Arn finally becomes a free man. But the road home is long and treacherous, and he is uneasy about the fate that awaits him and uncertain whether his betrothed still lives.

Broadening the scope of Arn's epic path to redemption, The Templar Knight continues the story of the founding of a nation—and of the warrior and the love that made it possible.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Swedish Literature, Medieval, Adventure, Novels

480 pages, Hardcover

Published May 4, 2010

About the author

Jan Oscar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (born 17 January 1944) is a Swedish author and journalist. Among his books are a series of spy fiction novels about a spy named Carl Hamilton, and a trilogy of historical fiction novels about a Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson. He is the owner of one of the largest publishing companies in Sweden, Piratförlaget, together with Liza Marklund and his common-law wife, publisher Ann-Marie Skarp.

Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist. In 1973, he and co-reporter Peter Bratt exposed a secret intelligence organization in Sweden, Informationsbyrån (IB). He is still active within journalism as a column writer for the Swedish evening tabloid Aftonbladet.

In October 2009, it was revealed that Guillou had been recruited by the KGB in 1967. The exposure of his activities came after the tabloid Expressen requested the release of documents from the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) and published information from the Säpo files along with information gained through interviews with former KGB Colonel Oleg Gordievsky about Guillou's case. The records showed that Guillou's involvement with the KGB continued for five years, until 1972.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saladin & Arn & Richard the Heartless


🛡️ ⚔️ The storytelling is extraordinary 🛡️⚔️

The hero is Saladin. A great man. His fellow hero is Arn Magnusson. A great fictional man.

There are many villains in this piece, most of them so-called Christians, but the ultimate villain, in this retelling and in history itself, is Richard the Heartless.

Yes, Richard the Heartless, Butcher of Acre. No lion heart. On the contrary, a slaughterer of the helpless.

A powerful book, a resonant narration.

It’s because of this series, and the series by Scott Rezer, that I’m now reading the Koran, waiting for The Ottoman Centuries to arrive in the mail, and seeking out a good biography of Saladin. And I’ve become more aware that God, however you may conceive God to be (or reject such a belief), a true God must be a God of mercy, or God is no God at all.

This book, #2 in the series, is a tour de force of beauty, truth, friendship and inclusivity. Exactly my heart too.

❤️☪️✝️✡️❤️

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible reading. Book 2 of 3 books. Arn de Gotha, excommunicated from the church. He becomes a knight templar. Now all his battle training is used: swords, horsemanship, natural thinking courage - but mostly his faith and ability to strategise.
This book shows Arn in the Holy Land, for the 20 years old his penance. He becomes Master of the great Gaza stronghold. He meets and becomes with Saladin. Arn who already speaks Latin and French; masters Arabic.
Unputdownable. The prose is so good I easily pictured and felt every action.

[Tahani Shihab · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية فارس المعبد ـ الكاتب يان غِيو


“عندما تستلُّ سيفَك لا تُفكّر في مَنْ ستقتُله، وإنما فكّرْ في مَنْ ستنقذُ حياتَه!”

ملحمة رائعة عن مدينة القدس والصراع الأبدي لإحتلالها كونها مهد الرسالات السماوية حيث استهل الكاتب أو المترجم في أول صفحة بآية قرآنية من سورة الإسراء: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
﴿ سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ المَسْجِدِ الحَرَامِ إِلَى المَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ ﴾

يسرد الكاتب قصة “فارس هيكل الرب”آرن دي غوثيا” الملقب بالقوطي لدى العرب ذلك الراهب الفارس الشهم الذي أنقذ حياة خصم المسيحيين صلاح الدين الأيوبي وأخيه فخرُ والأمير موسى من براثن موت مُحتم بعد أن حاصرهم ستّة لصوص من قطّاع الطرق مما جعل صلاح الدين يشعر بنبل ذلك الفارس الذي يتقن اللغة العربية ويحاجج صلاح الدين بآيات قرآنية، فعقد معه ميثاق صداقة عرفاناً بالجميل الذي اسداه له.

بطل القصة “آرن دي غوثيا” الذي حُكم عليه بالخدمة في جيش الرب المقدّس لمدة عشرين عاماً تكفيراً عن ذنب اقترفه مع حبيبته “سيسيليا” والتي أُدينت أيضاً وحكم عليها بدخول الدير وهي حبلى لمدة عشرين عاماً تكفيراً عن ذنبها الذي اقترفته مع حبيبها “آرن” قبل الزواج به فتم الفراق بينهما بحكم قاسي، حينها أقسم “آرن” أن يصمد أمام المحن والحروب وأنه سوف يعود لحبيبته ساعياً بعد إنتهاء مدّة تكفير الذنوب.

تتناول الرواية مواضيع شتّى عن الحروب الصليبيّة بين المسيحيين والمسلمين، إنتصار المسيحيين في معركة “مونجيسارد" بقيادة الفارس آرن، وإنتصار صلاح الدين الأيوبي في معركة “حطين" … فساد الرهبان والملوك والدسائس التي تُحاك في وسظ الظلام، ظلام الكهنوت وظلام النفس البشرية المفعمة بالشرّ وحُب السلطة، كذلك تتناول الرواية الصراع الأبدي بين الخير والشر، الإيمان والعقل وشرف الإلتزام بالوفاء والعهد بين الدّ الخصوم.

تعجبت من سر إبتعاد الكاتب عن كتابة دور اليهود في المعارك الصليبية آنذاك بالرغم أن الديانة اليهودية هي الأقدم في مدينة القدس .!

لا تملك نفسك إلّا أن تتعاطف مع بطل الرواية الراهب “آرن” الذي يتسائل بعد قرب إنتهاء العشرين عاماً الذي قضاها في خدمة جيش الرب المقدّس عن لغز ومغزى هذا العقاب لذي أنزله عليه الرب.

رواية جميلة وتاريخ يجب أن يُقرأ ولو على سبيل الرواية بالرغم أن بعض من شخوص الرواية غير حقيقية فقط من مخيلة الكاتب.


مقتطف من الرواية ..

“عندما تستلُّ سيفَك لا تُفكّر في مَنْ ستقتُله، وإنما فكّرْ في مَنْ ستنقذُ حياتَه!”

“إنّ الرغبة في الإنتقام واحدةٌ من أقوى ما يتوقُ إليه الكائنُ البشري. فهكذا جُبل المسيحيون والمسلمون على السواء. ولعلّ الأمر كذلك عند اليهود أيضاً. وأوّلُ حجّةٍ نواجه بها هذه الجَبَلة القولُ إنّه خيرٌ لنا أنْ نسلك سلوكاً أنبلَ من سلوك العدوّ الذي أبدى كُفراً وتجديفاً. لكنّ آذان من يظمؤون إلى الإنتقام لن تستسيغ مثلَ هذه الحجّة. أمّا الحجةُ الثانية فقد سمعتُها على لسان أحد المسيحيين، الكونت ريمون، مثلما سمعتُها من أحد المسلمين ألا وهو يوسف، وهي أنّ الحرب لن تتوقَف ما دامت المدينة المقدّسة لا تفتح أبوابَهَا أمام كلّ الحجّاج، بمن فيهم اليهود. لكنّ آذان من يظمؤون للإنتقام لن تستسيغ مثلَ هذه الحجّة أيضاً، لأنهم يرغبون في سفك الدماء فلا يُبالون بما هو آتٍ في قادم الأيّام.”

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primo appassionante romanzo di una saga ambientata storicamente al tempo delle crociate nelle fredde terre della Scandinavia: inappuntabile la precisione storica, ben dosati i colpi di scena che mantengono alta tensione narrativa: Arn Folkesson, la cui vita, fin da bambino é stata promessa a Dio dai suoi genitori, viene mandato in Terra Santa a combattere i Mori come cavaliere templare, lasciando in patria la ragazza che ama...

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book # 2 is a better read. The story goes back an forth between Arn an Cecilia the two main characters. There is alot more action cause Arn is fighting a war with a man named Saladin who he becomes friends with. The story shows you the stupidity of the leaders that Arn has to deal with. All the power an lies the assassination, Arn is the only one that walks away.
Now Cecilia is locked up with a mean ass Nunn who will do anything to torture her. Who locks her in a hole an is whipped, cause of the the clan she comes from. She makes a few friends alone the way an they begin to keep each other safe. I wouldn't mind putting this Nunn in hole myself. Now Arn an Cecilia are free after 20 years. Will they find each other???? Very good read

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Templar Knight" continues the story of Arn Magnusson, now a Knight Templar serving near Jerusalem; he is the Master of the garrison of Gaza. He is aided by his sub-ordinate and Sergeant, Armond De Gasgogne who is close to becoming a Knight himself.

The book alternates between the perspective of Arn and his bethrohed, Cecelia Algotsdotter who is confined in Varnhem, a convent in Sweden. Cecelia suffers harsh treatment at the hands of the Abbess Rikisa, who is loyal to the Sverker clan. A clan which is at war with the Erik and Folkung clans that Cecilia Algotsdotter is on the side of.

This novel starts off much more quickly than the first, and I found Arn's storyline in the Middle East thoroughly engaging from beginning to end. I initially felt as though Cecilia's chapters dragged on a little too long at times and served as nothing but an information dump but soon her story unraveled and I was able to appreciate her Point of view chapters.

To me, what really makes the novel special is the “bromance” between Arn and Saladin who are technically enemies. These two matched each other in wits, spiritual knowledge and battlefield tactics. all that divided them was the fact that Saladin was a Muslim who believed in the Holy Koran and Arn Magnusson was a Christian who swore an oath to die for The True Faith in his eyes.

I also really enjoyed reading about the inner-workings of the power structure in Jerusalem. More specifically the struggle for control over the Christian fortresses between the secular and religious order rulers. The secular rulers from Europe brought their lavish, gaudy and immoral lifestyle to Jerusalem, the holiest city in the world. This created tension between them and the strict, disciplined Holy Orders who ruled the fortresses in the Middle East, particularly The Hospiteller knights and Knights Templar.

The pace of the novel is just right and sets up the next and final book of the trilogy perfectly. I gave “The Road to Jerusalem” 4 stars but really was more 3.5 stars. This book, though, deserves a true 4 star rating

[Fatma📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

فارس المعبد: تراتيل الدّم والوفاء في ظلال السيوف

تُستأنف الحكاية وكأنها ترتيلٌ منسيّ، ينقشُ أثره في ذاكرة القارئ، فترتجف الروح حين تُقلب الصفحات. نُقلَت الأحداث إلى الأرض التي كانت مهوى أفئدة الرسل، حيث لا ينام التاريخ ولا تغيب السماء عن أرضها: فلسطين، غزة، القدس، حصون الفرنجة، والحدود الملتهبة بين الشرق والغرب.

تتوهج شخصية “آرن” كمنارةٍ أُلقي بها في خضم بحر من النار. لم يعد ذاك الشاب الذي هرب إلى الأديرة خوفًا من خطيئة أو طمعًا بالخلاص، بل صار فارسًا يُلقن معاني الرجولة من خلال الشرف، والنبل، والانضباط الأخلاقي. لقد نُفي إلى الشرق عقابًا على حب، فصار بطلاً في أرضٍ لا تعرفه، واكتسب مهاراتٍ جعلته قائدًا لحصن غزة، وندًّا في ساحةٍ تجمع سيوف الفرنجة بسهام الفاطميين.

أما القائد المسلم صلاح الدين، فقد جاء حضوره في الرواية لا كمجرد شخصية ثانوية، بل كحالة نورانية تتجسد في رجلٍ حَمل سيفًا لا للبطش، بل ليصنع ميثاقًا جديدًا بين السماء والأرض. حواره مع “آرن” كان نُقطة التقاء بين حضارتين، ليس على صعيد الحرب، بل على مستوى الرؤية: كيف يكون الدين مصدر سلام، لا وقودًا لنيرانٍ لا تُطفأ؟

أما سيسيليا، فبين جدران الدير الباردة، عاشت عشرين عامًا من العذاب الصامت. لم تكن السنين فقط عقوبةً على حبها لـ “آرن”، بل كانت رحلة نحو الاعتراف الداخلي، نحو النضوج، نحو إعادة بناء الذات داخل خرابٍ روحيّ مفروض عليها قسرًا من سلطة لا تغفر.

السرد في هذا الجزء أكثر نضجًا، أكثر حكمة. الكاتب لا يروي فحسب، بل يزرع الحيرة في أرض العقل. يجعل القارئ يقف عند كل قرار، ويتساءل: من هو العدو؟ من هو البطل؟ أيُّ العقائد أقرب إلى الرحمة، وأيها اختطفت من أصحابها لتُصبح أداة قتال؟

الأحداث تمضي كقطارٍ يسير فوق جسرٍ بين جبلين:
• أحدهما هو جبل الدم، حيث تتكاثر المعارك، وتُسكب الأرواح على رمال الحروب.
• والآخر جبل القدر، حيث يُصاغ الإنسان من ��ديد، ويُختبر قلبه أمام سُلطان المصير.

تأخذنا الرواية في تداخل زمنيّ ومكانيّ ساحر، حيث تتقاطع مسارات النفي مع مسارات الخلاص. الغرب يحمل صليبه، والشرق يحمل نبوءته. وبين هذين العالمين، يقف “آرن” كجسرٍ من لحمٍ وضمير، يبحث عن هويته، عن حقيقته، عن مكانٍ لا يكون فيه غريبًا.

النهاية لم تأتِ بعد، لكن رائحة الأقدار بدأت تُنذر بانقلاب قادم.
وربما، في الجزء الثالث، تُكتب الرسالة الأخيرة.

[Nada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Za početak ne treba vam mjesec dana da pročitate ovu knjigu. I nisam ju čitala mjesec dana. Na kraju sam ju pročitala za par dana ali sam se borila sa generalnom odbojnošću prema čitanju (što mi se u zadnje vrijeme češće događa). Ali to je već moj problem. U stvari mislim da mi je ova knjiga pomogla da se vratim nazad čitanju.

Nezgodno je biti srednja knjiga u trilogiji, niti započinješ priču niti ju završavaš a moraš funkcionirati i kao zasebna cjelina (bar ja mislim da bi tako trilogije trebale funkcionirati). Ova knjiga uspješno ispunjava tu ulogu.

Pratimo sve glavne junake dok se nose s posljedicama svojih odluka i akcija. Osobno su mi posebno bila zanimljiva dva aspekta. Jedan je pokoravanje zapovjedima u vojnoj hjerarhiji. Čak i ako vam je apsoluto jasno da su odluke pogrešne, donesene na temelju proizvoljnih (emotivnih?) a ne racionalnih činjenica i da će rezultirati velikim gubitcima života. Što je to u ljudskom biću što ga tjera da ipak izvršava takve zapovjedi? I sjetim se izgovora nacista "Samo smo slijedili zapovjedi". Mislim da je apsolutno jasno zašto u vojsku novačiš mlade ljude - one koji puno lakše slijede zapovjedi bez propitkivanja. S druge strane koliko možeš propitkivati zapovjedi u ratnom okruženju? Ne znam, mislim da nema jednostavnog odgovora.

Drugi apsekt je percepcija Saladina kao plemenitog "nevjernika" u križarski ratovima. I činjenica da je on vjerojatno bio predložak za stvaranje kulture plemenitih vitezova koji dolaze nakon njega u Europskoj literaturi i mitologiji (Kralj Artur, Lancelot, Percival, Roland, etc.). Kao i utjecaj povratnika iz Prekomorja nakon gubitka teritorija na arapskom poluotoku sa znanjima i vještinama stečenima u razmjeni sa Saracenima na postanak renesanse u Europi.

I za kraj, nažalost zbog trenutnih događanja u tom dijelu svijeta ova knjiga se čini još životnijom (da ni nakon 800 godina nismo uspjeli naći zajednički jezik).

[Michael Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big improvement from the first novel, for one we actually spend most of our time in the middle east! Arn's character has developed from the naive boy to a worldly battle hardened man from the get go, and I'm glad for this.

I've read differing points of view about some of the events that took place in this novel, but with something that happened so long ago, that's to be expected. The author definitely did his research, and I particularly liked the way he wrote Saladin(the most interesting historical figure from the crusades for me).

Cecilia's parts were a bit dry but did paint a vivid picture of cloistered life. I did find myself in a rush to finish her parts to get back to Arn's story. It's not that these parts weren't interesting; it's just that I find the fall of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade a good deal more interesting than life in a monastery.

The conversations Arn had with Saladin and other historical figures of the time made the novel, and the battle scenes were well written and well depicted. I do wish more time was spent on the Third Crusade, because I think the drama that caused that crusade to fail was interesting in it's own way.

[mohab samir · Rating 5 out of 5]

أول ما يجب ذكره فى إطراء هذه الرواية التى بلا شك تستحق أكثر من هذا الإطراء البسيط التعبير الذى سأقدمه .هو أن هذه الرواية لا بد أن تتخذ كمرجع ادبى لتصوير الحياة فى الشرق فى فترة الحروب الصليبية . فالقارىء يجد فيها حياة السكان الأصليين من العرب فى ظل الحكم الصليبى الذى استمر قرابة المائة عام . فترى أعمالهم وما يفرض عليهم من ضرائب وما يعيشونه من إضطراب وقلق إندلاع الحرب على مدنهم وإن كانت حروبا لتحرير بلادهم ويجد حياة المغتصبين الصليبيين بداية من المهاجرين من الغرب للحياة هناك وأغلبهم من التجار . إلى الفرسان من الرهبان الإسبتاريين أو فرسان هيكل الرب ورجال الدين الذين كانوا موكلين من البابا فى روما بالإشراف الدينى على الحملة المقدسة . حتى صاروا هم من أكبر المتحكمين فى مصير هذه البلاد . والملوك والأمراء الإقطاعيين من حكام المدن والقلاع المحتلة .
كما تظهر فى بساطة متناهية أسباب قيام الحروب الصليبية وأسباب فشلها فى إطار روائى شيق فتجد طمع الملوك والباباوات فى كنوز الشرق إلى جانب الرغبة فى السيطرة على الطرق التجارية إلى جانب فتح اسواق تجارية جديدة فى الشرق كغنائم طمع فيها الصليبيون كأهداف لتلك الحملة ثم تجد تطور الفساد بين رجال الدين والحكم فى هذه المستعمرات ثم حلول لعنة التفرق ونشر الدسائس بين الحكام ورجال الدين وطائفتى الرهبان المسيطرين فى هذا الإقليم فما هى إلا أعوام قليلة تلت بدء تلك الأحداث حتى كانت القدس بين يدى صلاح الدين الذى تراه بعيون ثاقبة من خلال هذه الرواية وتجد وتفاصيل أخرى كثيرة توضح كثيرا سمات هذا العصر وأسباب أحداثه السياسية ونتائجها
خلافاً لذلك الإطراء للجانب الروائى التاريخى فهى رواية رائعة على المستوى الأدبى سواء كإستخدامات لغوية أو تسلسل الأحداث وإطار روائى مجمل . ولا نغفل إطراء الترجمة الدقيقة الخالية من التعقيدات اللغوية .
غير أن أحداث الرواية كقصة منفصلة عن باقى العوامل الأدبية شيقة للغاية وتستحق أن تقرأ ولو من هذا المنظور وحده فقصة آرن ماغنسون بطل الرواية تستحق الإطلاع والتأمل .
والكاتب لا يجد من الصعوبة أن يجعل فى كل صفحة من صفحاتها عاملا لتشويق القارىء لما سيتلو وهو دائماً يُشبع هذا النهم فالأحداث كثيرة ومثيرة ومنطقية وتبقى المتعة الكبرى فى أنها تدور فى إطار تاريخى .

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating historical and fictional work! I really enjoyed learning about life in the 1100's in the convents and monesteries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland and in particular with this book, the life of the crusaders in the holy land. The way the author weaves his story of the main character Arn around all of the pivotal events and politics of that day both in Jerusalem and Europe is amazing. He makes the characters so compelling that as you are reading about Arn's life in the holy land you don't want him to stop to skip to Arn's love, Cecilia's world in the convent in western Gotaland. But it only to takes a few pages of convent life to get you hooked on Cecilia's story and soon he switches back to Arn and so on...
I felt very frustrated at the injustices that all women of this era faced, from the noble women on down the class system. I've even wondered if the slave women didn't have a better life in some ways. The first book in the series discusses more of the life of the slaves.
With any of the characters that had any good in them, I was impressed with their devotion to prayer. It did rule all of the christians lives in that era, but some were devoted because they chose to, wanted to and their faith grew stronger through each trial.
I'm looking forward to the third book in this trilogy.

[El Bibliófilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comentarios en video: https://youtu.be/3NBycbl6IUU

Cruzadas: Lucha en Tierra Santa y la política de la religión.
En esta segunda parte se intercalan las historias de Arn en Tierra Santa y la estadía de Cecilia en el monasterio, lo cual hace que la historia se dinamice y se entiendan los contextos políticos en ambas partes. Nos cuenta la historia de la pérdida de Tierra Santa en manos de Saladino, ensalzando valores, y criticando el pobre manejo político de los cristianos en Jerusalem, nos ermite conocer a Balduino, los maestres del temple y otros actores políticos. También en la dinámica del poder en el norte, nos cuenta cómo se van sucediendo los reyes de las casas Sverker y Erik. Es entretenido y me gustan las críticas y dilemas que plantea.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

La seconda parte della quadrilogia del templare è ancora più bella della precedente: ambientata tra Terrasanta e Vastergotland, (antica Svezia) continua a narrare in maniera avvincente le avventure di Arn Magnusson, templare in Palestina al tempo delle crociate e della sua donna Cecilia Rose relegata in un convento in patria, sottoposta alle crudeltà della badessa Rikissa.

[Miel García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó el nombre del protagonista que es el caballero templario ARN.
Es una historia bastante agradable interesante intrigante y nutritiva respecto a este tema de las cruzadas los musulmanes Jerusalén y obviamente de los caballeros templarios....
Si te gusta este tipo de historias recomienda ampliamente este libro.
Además que en prime video está la película con el mismo nombre del protagonista. 💯👌🏻

[Ahmed Al-Emadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

لأول مرة أشعر أن لو كان لي يوماً أن أكتب قصة أو رواية لما اختلفت أحداثها و أفكارها عن هذه...

سياق هذا الجزء مختلف قليلاً عن الجزء الأول، الطريق إلى القدس، لذلك كان الحماس لقراءتها مختلفاً. الأحداث هنا أبسط وأقل تشابكاً لكن التفاصيل الإنسانية أعمق بكثير ...

بانتظار أجزاءها القادمة...

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I said, I didn't like the way our hero ended up in Jerusalem, but once our lad arrived there, I didn't have to keep complaining. Of course, when we get there, we make a leap in time and meet him at a stage where he is a great warrior who is respected and appreciated by friends and enemies - including Saladin himself - and is at the center of all the dramatic developments that eventually led to the loss of Jerusalem. I would like the writer to show us his evolution from a simple soldier to such an important factor in the evolution of war, but perhaps this is not as important as the fact that he is presented as one of the few crusaders who had eliminated prejudice about Muslims, were trying to learn about their culture, and they had the idea that they should try their best to keep the peace. Of course in this tough time when religious fanaticism was dominating and people were seeing the world in an almost apocalyptic way, any rationalization effort fell in deaf ears and culminating in the fateful decisions that led to the almost total defeat of the crusaders. The author describes all of these events and our hero's involvement in them in a very nice way, though he does not avoid exaggerations, puts us at the heart of developments and the major battles and conveys the climate of the era in a very interesting way, trying to make us understand what was going through the thoughts of the people of the time.

However, these are not the only things that concern us in this book, back in Sweden, the beloved of our hero has many difficult years as the walls of the monastery cannot protect her from the political processes of her country, and members of the other side manage to make her life even more difficult, but fortunately, she still finds the friendship that can help her endure, and this is what our author describes in some of the most moving pages of the book. These political processes eventually come out in her favor as her own side gains power and imposes peace and this somewhat eases her burden but with the heavy punishment remaining in place it cannot be satisfied, despite her successes in various areas. More emotional this part, with the author a little too exaggerated, creating characters that look like a caricature of evil and that in many places spoiled the good impression. But more generally, the author manages to put us in this case in a nice way in the climate of the time and region, continuing the very good work he did in the first book.

More generally, it is a book that continues the narration of the story in a very interesting way, with the author following the known historical events and putting our hero in them in an imaginative way that does not alter the story to such an extent and this appreciated it a lot. But, on the other hand, I didn't feel that this second part was going one step further, escalating the interest, creating, on one hand, an epic feeling and on the other the feeling of a loved one's absence and of long wait, but I imagine that they can be attributed to the author's choice of a quieter and simpler narrative than the most common historical novels. The certain is that this is another very good book that will satisfy those who are looking for historical novels with substance.

Όπως είχα πει δεν μου άρεσε ο τρόπος που ήρωας μας κατέληξε στην Ιερουσαλήμ αλλά από τη στιγμή που το παλικάρι μας έφτασε εκεί σώο και αβλαβές δεν χρειάζεται να συνεχίσω να παραπονιέμαι. Βέβαια φτάνοντας εκεί κάνουμε ένα άλμα στο χρόνο και τον συναντάμε σε μία φάση που είναι ένας σπουδαίος πολεμιστής που τον σέβονται και τον εκτιμούν φίλοι και εχθροί - ανάμεσά τους και ο ίδιος ο Σαλαντίν - και βρίσκεται στο επίκεντρο όλων των δραματικών εξελίξεων που οδήγησαν τελικά στην απώλεια της Ιερουσαλήμ. Θα ήθελα ο συγγραφέας να μας παρουσίαζε την εξέλιξη από έναν απλό στρατιώτη σε έναν τόσο σημαντικό παράγοντα για την εξέλιξη του πολέμου αλλά ίσως αυτό δεν έχει τόση σημασία όσο το γεγονός ότι παρουσιάζεται ως ένας από τους λίγους σταυροφόρους που είχαν αποβάλει τις προκαταλήψεις για τους μουσουλμάνους, προσπαθούσαν να μάθουν για τον πολιτισμό τους και είχαν την ιδέα ότι έπρεπε να προσπαθήσουν με κάθε τρόπο για τη διατήρηση της ειρήνης. Φυσικά σε αυτήν την σκληρή εποχή που ο θρησκευτικός φανατισμός κυριαρχούσε και oi άνθρωποι έβλεπαν τον κόσμο με έναν τρόπο σχεδόν αποκαλυπτικό οποιαδήποτε προσπάθεια εκλογίκευσης έπεφτε στο κενό και το αποκορύφωμα ήταν οι μοιραίες αποφάσεις που οδήγησαν στη σχεδόν ολοκληρωτική ήττα των σταυροφόρων. Ο συγγραφέας περιγράφει όλα αυτά τα γεγονότα και την συμμετοχή του ήρωα μας σε αυτά με έναν πολύ ωραίο τρόπο, αν και δεν αποφεύγει τις υπερβολές, μας βάζει στην καρδιά των εξελίξεων και των σημαντικότερων μαχών και μεταφέρει το κλίμα της εποχής με έναν πολύ ενδιαφέρον τρόπο, προσπαθώντας να μας κάνει να καταλάβουμε τι περνούσε από τις σκέψεις των ανθρώπων της εποχής.

Αυτά, όμως, δεν είναι τα μόνα πράγματα που μας απασχολούν σε αυτό το βιβλίο, πίσω στην Σουηδία η αγαπημένη του ήρωα μας έχει να περάσει πολλά χρόνια γεμάτα δυσκολίες καθώς τα τείχη του Μοναστηριού δεν μπορούν να την προστατέψουν από τις πολιτικές διεργασίες της χώρας της και τα μέλη της αντίπαλης πλευράς καταφέρνουν να της κάνουν τη ζωή ακόμα πιο δύσκολη αλλά ευτυχώς ακόμα και εκεί βρίσκει την φιλία που την κάνει να αντέξει και αυτό ο συγγραφέας μας το περιγράφει σε μερικές από τις πιο συγκινητικές σελίδες του βιβλίου. Αυτές οι πολιτικές διεργασίες τελικά βγαίνουν υπέρ της καθώς η δική της πλευρά κερδίζει την εξουσία και επιβάλλει την ειρήνη και αυτό ελαφρύνει κάπως τα βάρη της αλλά με την βαριά τιμωρία να παραμένει στη θέση της δεν μπορεί να είναι ικανοποιημένη, παρά τις επιτυχίες της σε διάφορους τομείς. Περισσότερο συναισθηματικό αυτό το μέρος, με τον συγγραφέα ίσως να γίνετε λίγο υπερβολικός, δημιουργώντας χαρακτήρες που μοιάζουν με καρικατούρα του κακού και αυτό σε αρκετά σημεία χαλούσε την καλή εντύπωση. Γενικότερα όμως ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να μας βάλει και σε αυτή την περίπτωση με έναν ωραίο τρόπο στο κλίμα της εποχής και της περιοχής, συνεχίζοντας την πολύ καλή δουλειά που έκανε στο πρώτο βιβλίο.

Γενικότερα πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο που συνεχίζει με έναν πολύ ενδιαφέρον τρόπο την αφήγηση της ιστορίας, με το συγγραφέα να ακολουθεί τα γνωστά ιστορικά γεγονότα και να βάζει μέσα σε αυτά τον ήρωα μας με έναν ευφάνταστο τρόπο που δεν αλλοιώνει σε τόσο μεγάλο βαθμό την ιστορία και αυτό το τελευταίο το εκτιμώ ιδιαίτερα. Από την άλλη, όμως, δεν ένιωσα ότι σε αυτό το δεύτερο μέρος πηγαίνει τα πράγματα ένα βήμα παραπέρα, κλιμακώνοντας το ενδιαφέρον, δημιουργώντας από τη μία ένα επικό συναίσθημα και από την άλλη την αίσθηση της απουσίας του αγαπημένου προσώπου και της μεγάλης αναμονής αλλά αυτά φαντάζομαι ότι μπορούν να αποδοθούν στην επιλογή του συγγραφέα για μία πιο ήσυχη και απλή αφήγηση από τα πιο συνηθισμένα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα. Το βέβαιο είναι ότι πρόκειται για ένα ακόμα πολύ καλό βιβλίο που θα ικανοποιήσει και αυτό αυτούς που ψάχνουν για ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα με ουσία.

[Mar LP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is absolutely beautiful and captivating! I couldn’t put the book down. I enjoyed this book so much I’m left speechless.
Once again I seem to have fallen in love with the character dynamics, the scenery, the historical timeline, the portrayal of love in all its forms, kinship and the most unexpected yet beautiful friendships… it is just amazing!
One of the most wonderful stories of all time ❤️

[Homer reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

E' sempre piacevole tuffarsi in avventure medievali dove l'azione, le battaglie, la violenza gratuita e il disprezzo per la vita umana sono un tratto distintivo, almeno nelle storie e leggende che si raccontano, di questa epoca; un po' mi dispiace non averne fatto parte...sarei voluto nascere anche vichingo, però niente da fare, ma non perdo la speranza.
Comunque mi aspettavo un po' di azione in più!!! Il testo l'ho trovato piacevole perché sembrava potesse esplodere in qualche battaglia epica, ma niente.

Anno 1150, protagonista Arn, figlio del nobile Magnus Folkesson. Prima che nascesse sua madre Sigrid
ha una visione: vede un giovane cavaliere con le insegne da crociato mentre la voce dello Spirito Santo le consiglia di donare ai monaci cistercensi la sua tenuta di Varnhem: questo atto sarà visto poi come il segno della provvidenza che renderà Arn colui che deve essere.
In seguito ad una caduta di Arn, Magnuss e Sigrid promettono all'altissimo di donarglielo se lo avesse salvato: qualche tempo dopo Arn si ritrova tra i monaci cistercensi, nel monastero che hanno costruito nel luogo donato da Sigrid.
Arn conoscerà padre Henri, uomo dalla spiritualità aperta e preoccupato per la libertà del ragazzo. Tra i monaci incontrerà anche Guilbert, templare rinchiuso lì per un tempo di penitenza; da lui Arn imparerà l'uso della spada, dell'arco, inizierà a cavalcare e a comprendere l'arte della battaglia. Da questo padre Henri riconosce che Arn ha una vocazione lontano da quel luogo e lo rimanda a casa perché possa conoscere il mondo, ma la sua innocenza ed inesperienza gli procureranno una serie di difficoltà.
La storia va avanti tra trame politiche, tentativi di matrimoni di opportunità poi qualche affondo e qualche duello, niente altro.
Arn si innamorerà di Cecilia, ma per colpa di Katrina (sorella stronza) saranno costretti ad allontanarsi: Cecilia sarà rinchiusa in un monastero di suore con tendenze al sequestro e allo sfruttamento di persona, Arn partirà per le crociate.
Nota positiva è che la birra è la bevanda base: ho già detto che un po' mi dispiace non aver fatto parte di quest'epoca?

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale. I liked the way the male and female story lines whent back and forth. I also enjoyed the character development and especially Celcelia Blanca's personality. Although, I do think it's clear the book was written by a man and not a mom. I am not sure how Celcelia rosa could pass any day with out feelings of horrible lose for the child taken from her. Nthe reunion is well done, but in think more time should have been spent on her feelings of loss for the child and just longing for Arn.

As for the scenes in the holy land, I liked Arn's relationship with Saladin. While reading this book, I was listening to series of lectures on the crusades which helped place the book within the historical context of the period. This helped em when reading the book b/c I could focus on the storyline and less of the history,

One element I would have enjoyed more of was a further developed sense of place. I feltas if the passages on the nunnery were good when it came to that in terms of the cold, stoic atmosphere. But I wanted more from the descriptions of the middle east.

I do plan on reading the third one, but I am not in any major hurry to do so.

[ines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel continues to follow Arn during his 20 year service in the Order of the Templar knights and Cecilias' stay in the convent Gudhem. Even though it's the second book in the trilogy, I think it also works as a standalone novel.
I love how the characters and the story develops. You can see that the writer did a really good job not just with research of the historical period but also how he made the story progress and develop. Through Arn we get to see both sides of the Crusades, the Christian and Muslim, and also a little bit of the Jewish side which I find very interesting. We learn why they fight this war and moreover, Arns' feelings about it and how he treats his friends and enemies. From Cecilias' POV we see her suffering and, eventually, rise at the convent Gudhem, her friendship with the future queen also named Cecilia and the political intrigue. This book made me care for the characters and what will happen to them, and in my mind only a good book can do that. There are so many themes of religion, what's right and wrong, friendship etc.
Overall, I think it's a very good book and would definitely recommend it to fellow readers.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit worried about the pace of the first book in the series. It plodded along at times, and despite the title, Arn never made it to Jerusalem.

This book, however, definitely met and exceeded my expectations. The pacing is far better. Years have passed before the start of this book, and many years pass through the course of it. We're only provided with the most important points, with brief interludes of history to help explain the scenario.

Perhaps more important than the actual Templar Knight in the title, is the role of Cecilia. I was a bit upset to find that entire chapters were devoted to her, but quickly changed my mind. Guillou did an admirable job of making me care about this character and her own struggles with her penance.

After the first book, I was somewhat ambivalent about completing the series, but this book changed my mind. I'm eager to see what happens in book 3.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Arn Magnusson, Templar Knight, and Cecilia Rosa, convent resident
SERIES: #2 of 3
RATING: 4.0
WHY: I received this book for review and thought for sure that it would not be my cup of tea, as I am not really in to historicals. After I read it for a while, I realized that it wasn't even crime fiction; but by then, I was involved in the book. The second book in a trilogy, the focus shifts from Cecilia Rosa who is serving a 20-year penance in a convent for being an unwed mother, under an evil and cruel abbess. The main focus is on Arn Magnusson, her betrothed, who is serving 20 years in the Templar Knights and serves first as fortress master in Gaza and then Jerusalem. A bit overlong and could have edited out some of the segments. Overall, a good book. This was originally written in Swedish and has an amazingly excellent translation which made it very accessible.

[Margarita Bulgakova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na tatinu preporuku uhvatila sam se u koštac s Guillouovom trilogijom - prvi dio („Put u Jeruzalem“) pročitala sam krajem prošle godine, a na red je došao i drugi dio. Problem je u tome što me povijesna fikcija u trenutku čitanja nije zanimala pretjerano, ali kako volim čitati raznovrsno i usput nešto naučiti, odlučila sam posvetiti vrijeme i križarskim ratovima.

„Vitez templar“ uglavnom mi je bio dosadnjikav, tek negdje pred kraj me je knjiga privukla. Što ja znam, te silne borbe, hrpa likova i prostora s kojima se ni na koji način ne mogu povezati niti mi je stalo do njih pa onda veličanje glavnog lika u nebesa... skoro sve je bilo dosta daleko od onoga što mi se sviđa. Doduše, svidio mi se stav koji pripovjedač zastupa pa zato ocjena više nego što sam planirala.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Älskar perspektiverna!! Hela tankesättet kring korståg och Jerusalem vänds in och ut och istället för att de kristna är de goda och saracenerna är onda så skriver Jan Guillou om båda som jämlikar, eller om muslimerna som till och med bättre utvecklade, mer civiliserade och inte lika blodlystna som korsfararna. Slutet är nog det bästa, eftersom Guds skäl till att sända Arn till Jerusalem uppenbars bara på sista sidan! Rekommenderar boken till alla som interesserar sig för korståg och spännande perspektiv på historien.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be an interesting and thought-provoking account of the Crusades. Guillou's discussions and interaction between Arn, the Knight Templar, and Saladin offer interesting insight into the struggle between Islam and Christianity that continues today.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great middle book in the series, as the action takes us to the actual crusades in Jerusalem and surrounding areas.
Good background on the history and why the second crusade was lost by the Christians.

[Wombat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intro
(Not sure this counts for Fantasy Bingo... but since the main character Arn is practically a saint who learns everything faster than anyone.. he counts as a magical creature....)
OK, time to turn off the snark.
So this book is about a fictional hero - Arn - who was sentenced to serve for 20 years as a Templar for the crime of sleeping with his girlfriend Cecilia before they were married - and being seduced by her sister as well (Thats mainly from book 1, but it gets touched upon in this one too).
The book focused mainly on Arn and his time in the Holy Land as a ranking Templar Knight in the war against the Saracens, but there were the occassional bits which turned to the life of Cecilia Rosa who was stuck in a nunnery for 20 years (also punished for the crime of sleeping with Arn before they were married....)
Sorry to say, but this is the first book where I have seen BOTH a Mary Sue and Gary Stu character in full force... So many other characters were constantly expressing surprise at how holy, intelligent, kind, beautiful, skillful, educated, etc, etc, etc the two (Arn and Cecilia) were... And they are constantly more moral and righteous than everyone around them.

Characters
Arn Magnusson is the Templar Knight - Il Ghouti to the Saracens. He is the platonic ideal of the "paladin". Faithful, Loyal, supremely educated and skilful, kind & compassionate to all. We meet him as he "accidentally" saves Saladin (yes, that famous one) from bandits on the road. He then sits down to a meal with these "unfaithful" and makes a great impression and becomes friends with Saladin - and able to both speak fluent arabic and quote from the Koran....
He is consistently shown as the best swordsman and rider, feared by the Saracens, and able to pull of military miracles through his "clever" tactics. He is also practically the only man trying to find a peaceful solution to the war. During the book he is raised to the position of "Master of Jerusalem", the second most powerful Templar in the Holy Land... and is waiting out his 20 years of service until he can return home to his beloved.
Cecilia Rosa is the long suffering girlfriend of Arn, who is serving the same 20 year sentence, but as a lay-member of a cloister in Gotaland. She is beautiful, sings perfectly, able to bear all the abuse from a evil abbess without once becoming bitter/angry. She "rises" from a young innocent girl, introduces the idea of creating finely made clothing to sell so that the abbey can make more money, learns how to be an accountant and run the abbey better than anyone else, and makes friends with the future queen..
Cecilia Blanca is another "punished" girl who joins the abbey. She is the future wife of a clan-leader among the Goths. She is one of two members of the currently weaker clan (both the Celcilias) and everyone is against them. She is irreligious and a constant troublemaker, but becomes the best friend of Rosa. When her betrothed wins the clan-war and becomes King, she is rescued and becomes Queen and continues to help Rosa however she can.
There are a number of other characters... Ulfhildr (a clanless girl who becomes friends with the Cecilias), the Evil Abbess, a plethora of incompetent priests and warriors, Saladin, and a host of debauched, cruel, and plain idiotic christian Kings, Lords, and soldiers... Basically they all seem to exist to show how perfect Arn and Cecilia are...

Plot/Setting
The Abbey of Gudhem in Götaland - A cold place in scandinavia which slowly gains wealth thanks to the ideas of Cecilia to produce fine clothing... Also the war-torn lands around full of barbaric men and conniving women...
The Holy Lands, dry, desert, full of Bedoins, educated Muslims, ignorant and cruel christians, and debauched Frankish lords.

Pacing/tone
I think the author doesn't like christianity... Actually, the theme of "long suffering smart people vs the world of ignorant idiots in power" fills this book. Its not a bad theme, just the whole thing is as subtle as a bag of bricks to the head. There was literally only one character (the original Templar Grand Master) who was actually nice - every other leader, and most soldiers, were egotistical, debauched, conniving, ignorant evil bastards. It is as if GRR Martin made everyone like Joffrey except for Ned Stark...

Writing Style
OK, here I need to calm down. As this is a translation I need to give a little break. The story of Cecilia was actually interesting when it appeared. The life of 10th century nuns actually was interesting (somehow). The telling of events of Götaland actually kept me enthralled. Such a pity there were so few of them. This felt like a "game of thrones"-lite following along with the story of Sansa: Cecilia stuck as almost a pawn in other peoples' political plans.
But the story of Arn was, for the most part, just terribly written. It seemed like the author was determined to "Tell, not Show". There were hundred of pages of "Lord X went and gather his army for a raid on City Y. Then over the next years he ruled it with an iron fist. His wife was sleeping with the Bishop and they then assassinated Lord X and became Kings." - that level of detail (or lack of) for hundreds of pages...
I literally cried in frustration.

You'd like this if : umm... no. Can't think of a reason to actually like this book. If you want to read something about the crusades you may as well go look up wikipedia - it has a better narrative...
OK, if you want to read about politics in a nunnery you might get a kick out of Cecilia's story... but the "Mary Sue"-ish plot does get a little on the nose at times.

Other Thoughts
I am really upset at this book. The first book - The Road to Jerusalem was actually pretty good, but that concentrated on the inter-clan rivalry in Götaland, the love story between Arn and Cecilia, and the conflict of religion and politics.
Nearly all of that was thrown away to give what amounted to a long wiki-article on the crusades, with a few set pieces of Arn behaving better than everyone and surrounded by idiot christians and educated Saracens.. (seriously.. not a single crude saracen soldier, or one bent on revenge, anything?)
There is no chance that I will read anything else by this author... sorry.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot, but your mileage may vary. Guillou slyly inserts Our Hero, Arn Magnusson de Gothia, into basically every battle and significant event in the two decades prior to October 2nd, 1187. I have yet to find any names of any of the Templar Order's fortress masters in my copy of William of Tyre, so there you are with a handy historical blank space for Arn to flourish. The events follow William's account pretty closely, and certainly his insistence that Outremer was doomed to fall as God's judgment for the sins and foolishness of its leaders is mirrored here in Guillou's fictionalized account.

There certainly is a lot packed in here as we read the story of the latter half of Arn's twenty-year penance. Indeed, when we consider that fully half the book is devoted to his beloved, Cecilia, and her own twenty years of penance as a lay sister in the West Gotaland convent of Gudhem.

The dual narratives are a study in contrasts. Arn's is sprawling, masculine, far-travelled, concerned with war but searching for peace with one's foes as one's allies run further astray. Cecilia's is confined, feminine, highly localized, set in a place of ostensible peace but driving increasingly towards conflict - with others, with oneself, with the Cistercian Rule, with how to live with freedom after more of a life spent in confinement than out of it. Arn is the idealist, devoted, ready to die for a greater cause but increasingly worried that faith without reason and insight will fall into the unthinking fanaticism and idiotic bloodlust he increasingly sees around him on the eve of the Latin Kingdom's fall. Cecilia is a pragmatist, ever looking for opportunities for rebellion against a vengeful and self-serving abbess who comes to be eerily similar to the worst of the fools Arn must suffer in Palestine. She struggles with guilt at her penchant for disobedience (which she is arguably forced into) and seeks for ways to serve God faithfully, but at the end of the day she is more self-protecting and morally flexible than Arn.

Cecilia, surprisingly, confronts the more disturbing evil - Arn witnesses enough dull-witted fanatics and conscience-less selfishness to drown the spirits of a half a dozen saints, but Cecilia must face a truly vicious evil that knows exactly what it's doing and commits an entire adult life and Christian vocation to see it through. Her final confrontation with Mother Rikissa (and Rikissa's first feigned confession) are truly disturbing, the intended kindness and grace of the penitential act perverted into active deception and evil. Dante Aligheri would nod approvingly, if in distaste. Complex fraud, indeed.

This book's primary weakness is related to its great strength - Guillou's copious historical research. In an effort to keep things relatively in line with the known histories, cover twenty years, and simultaneously not bog down the narrative/bloat this out by multiple volumes, our author tends to tell a lot more than he shows, especially in Arn's side of the story. The narrator alone handles some of the biggest beats, such as Arn's participation in the punishing Christian defeat at the Horns of Hattin. Ridley Scott likewise chose to avoid showing Hattin in "Kingdom of Heaven", but I feel this book missed out on more by skipping most of the battle. I admire Arn Magnusson a lot more as a warrior, a leader, and a Christian than Ridley Scott's version of Balian d'Ibelin (who was no slouch at the first two), and I would have dearly liked to see him in his greatest hour of testing in both body and spirit. Cecilia's story is much more intimate; we stay with her much more closely, and the narrator must content themselves with some foreshadowing.

As always, I love Jan Guillou's refusal to follow after his literary peers in excoriating medieval Catholicism. Arn, Cecilia, and many others are real, complex people who love God and struggle against their own sinful natures without blaming their Creator and charging off into materialistic self-determining atheism at the first sign of trial and storm. Our leads suffer much, but they hang on. Islam and Judaism are given respect and dignity as well.

Recommended, especially if your taste is like mine. On to the third and final volume.

[Sebastian Sampallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Knight Templar is the second book in the Crusades trilogy (in Sweden called the Arn-trilogy), and was in my opinion a strong sequel. As compared with the first book in the series, The Knight Templar contained more action and war. Its pacing felt better, as we had already gotten to know the characters and the "world" in the first book.

The Knight Templar is told from two different perspectives, and we get to follow both Arn Magnusson during his adventures in the Holy Land, as well as Cecilia during her penance in the monastery of Gudhem. I found both of the stories equally intriguing; Arn's story contained more action/war, whilst Cecilia waged a war of her own kind in the monastery which however relied more upon her wit and schemes than physical force. The two story lines felt well balanced, and interweaved in the book in a way which had no adverse impact on the pacing.

I have thus far liked Guillou's language in all of his books that I've read. This was also the case in The Knight Templar. I especially liked the poetic/philosophical way in which Arn's dialogue is written, and I truly enjoyed the dialogue between Arn and Saladin. It was intriguing to learn more about the crusades and the war that was waged between Christians and Muslims. As always is the case with Guillou, the book felt very well-researched and historically accurate (although I am perhaps not the right person to make that judgment, since I am ignorant about that historical epoch).

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the second book, I must say, I was quite impressed by how good this work stands, as a part of a trilogy or as standalone title. The plot jumps in years and we have an opportunity to see all those young people (we've met in the last book) grow. This chapter has two parallel stories, set on the opposite sides of the known world, with various cultural, political, religious and theological events revolving around main characters. We are introduced to many historical figures of that time and it is in this conversation, which our main protagonist has with them, where it lies the beauty of this novel. A chance for people to see the situation and standings from a different point of view. Nothing is so simple, as it may seems. The events that transpires will put these people on a strange path, as well as facing hard challenges, while contemplating the choices they make. What are they forced to give up and what is higher good and for whom? All that awaits you in this marvelous work, as the journey continues into the next title.