Review: Engaging historical
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2013
I hadn't known much about the Fourth Crusade before I read this book, but I'd read and seen lots about the Third Crusade, the one with Richard the Lionheart. This book takes place not much later than that but I didn't know a lot about the era. It's a fascinating, absorbing read that doesn't turn into a history lesson, but you do learn some things as you go along, which is how it should be in a fictional account.Like any novel, the story can stand or fall on its characters and here the author has done a wonderful job. While descriptions are sparse, you are still left with a good sense of time and place. Ruggiero is our main hero and the story is as much about his coming of age as it is about the plot. Concentrating on one character so much helped make the story much more real and engaging.We go from Ruggiero's childhood to his time at the monastery, to his part in the Crusade, almost like the book is a snapshot of his life. There were some modern ideas and words such as cafeteria for where the monks ate - it should have been refectory - that didn't seem to go quite so well (would Eastern martial arts be known to the Western world then?), but nothing that detracted too much from the book. Although there is some violence in the book, it is not glorified and you can't very well write a book about a crusade without violence, that wouldn't have seemed very realistic. A very enjoyable read.Complimentary copy supplied by author for purposes of review.