A well-written historical novel, focusing on the fascinating character of William Marshal. Chadwick writes well and gives us intriguing insights into this period of history.

Goodness me, this book was a struggle.
William the Marshall is quite possibly my favourite historical fiction character. I have loved all of the previous books about William, but whether this book didn't work for me because it is about his death or because it recounts his journey to the Holy Land during the period of the Crusades (not my favourite time period), I have had to force myself to finish his story.
I can't deny the research that must have gone into this novel but for me, the first fifty per cent of the novel didn't quite work, although it was worth persevering for the ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my review copy. I am truly sorry it has taken me so long to read the book!

In her latest novel, Templar Silks, Elizabeth Chadwick returns to the hero of her earlier books The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion: William Marshal, knight, soldier, statesman and adviser to kings of England. Unlike those other two books, which took us right through William’s life and career, from youth to death, Templar Silks concentrates on one specific episode – William’s journey to the Holy Land – which was mentioned only briefly in The Greatest Knight.

The novel opens in April 1219 with William on his deathbed, surrounded by family and friends at his home in England, Caversham Manor. Before he dies, he asks his squire to bring him the silk burial shrouds he was given by the Templars in the Holy Land thirty years ago. As he waits the arrival of the silks, he looks back on the long-ago adventure that shaped the rest of his life.

In 1183, William was in the service of Henry II’s eldest son, known as the Young King. In need of money to pay his soldiers, the Young King gives orders to raid the shrine of Rocamadour, but falls ill with dysentery shortly afterwards. Aware of the sacrilege he has committed, his dying wish is for William to atone for his sins by taking his cloak to Jerusalem and placing it on Christ’s tomb. Still unmarried at this point and free from the greater responsibilities he will hold in later life, William is happy to undertake the pilgrimage, but the journey proves to be even more eventful and dramatic than he had expected.

William spent three years on his pilgrimage but historians know very little about what actually happened during this period of his life. This allows Elizabeth Chadwick to use her imagination to create William’s story – and with her own knowledge of the medieval world and the political situation in 12th century Jerusalem, she is able to make his actions feel plausible and realistic.

William is accompanied on his journey by a small party of fellow knights and squires, two Templar Knights who act as guides, and his younger brother Ancel. There is no historical evidence that Ancel took part in the pilgrimage – in fact, he is barely mentioned in historical records at all – but the relationship between the brothers was one of my favourite aspects of the book. Ancel and William are very different people, with Ancel depicted as more sensitive, more cautious, and not as quick to learn when it comes to fighting, jousting and other knightly pursuits. There are times when they become frustrated with each other, but the love and loyalty between them is always plain to see.

And William needs all the loyal friends he can find if he is going to survive this difficult mission. After a traumatic experience in Constantinople, he and his men arrive in Jerusalem to find this most holy of cities approaching a moment of crisis. King Baldwin is dying of leprosy and his nephew, his only heir, is too young to rule. Baldwin’s brother-in-law, Guy de Lusignan, is the next most logical contender, but Guy has many rivals and Jerusalem desperately needs strong, united leadership to deal with the threat of Saladin. William has more reason than most to dislike Guy, who was responsible for his uncle’s death several years earlier, but choosing to support another claimant could lead him into even more danger.

Due to the nature of the story, the setting and the focus on politics and the military, most of the main characters in this particular novel are male, but there is one female character who has a large role to play during William’s time in Jerusalem. She is Paschia de Riveri, the beautiful concubine of the Patriarch Heraclius. It is never very clear what Paschia’s motives are or how she truly feels, but as William became more entangled in her schemes, I couldn’t help thinking that it would all end unhappily for him – while hoping, for his sake, that I was wrong.

I enjoyed Templar Silks, with all of its adventure and intrigue, but it does feel a bit different from Elizabeth Chadwick’s other recent novels such as her Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy and Lady of the English, which are more biographical and cover much longer time periods. It seems that Chadwick is not ready to leave the Marshals behind just yet; her next novel, The Irish Princess, is going to be about the parents of William’s wife, Isabelle de Clare.

On his deathbed, surrounded by his family, William Marshall looks back on a particular time in his life where everything changed. In the service of Harry, the Young King, William has been fighting against Henry II but as funds run low Young Henry decides to raid the shrine of Rocamadour in order to pay his mercenaries. Sticken by dysentery Henry believes this is God's punishment for his sins and his dying wish to ask William to take his cloak on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As William dies he remembers the events of the year he spent on pilgrimage, his love and betrayal and his promise to join the order of the Knights Templar to atone for his sins.

Chadwick writes high quality historical fiction with a more romantic twist than most. This has gained her legions of fans and, although I sometimes find her prose a little too 'chocolate box', I cannot help but admire the research and passion in her works. Here Chadwick returns to the story of William Marshall which she began in 'The Greatest Knight' however this novel is a slight aside as it is mainly fiction. The fact that William Marshall went to the Holy Land in the early 1180s after the death of the Young King is not in dispute, his adventures there are not recorded and so Chadwick has made free with her imagination. She weaves known events in with fiction so the politics about the illness and death of King Baldwin of Jerusalem, which are copiously recorded, are used to place William. This is great storytelling and another excellent tale from Chadwick.

A great end to a brilliant series.
The book centres on William Marshal a knight in the 12th century. It finishes the stories of his life that started in The Greatest Knight.
In this book he is on his death bed and is remembering his past when he travelled to the holy land.The book seamlessly changes from his exploits in Jerusalem filled with beautiful descriptions of the life out there and the confines if his chamber where he is lying in his bed dying.
A very intersecting and enjoyable end to what has been a brilliant series of books about the life of who is thought to be one of the greatest knights ever!

Elizabeth’s fictional account of this is superb – exciting, romantic, dangerous and packed with ruthless, conniving courtiers and William’s old adversary Guy de Lusignan (previously responsible for the murder of his uncle in England). William sets out for Jerusalem with his colleagues and brother Ancel after the untimely death of his master, Henry II’s son ‘Harry’. He made an oath to place Harry’s robe on the tomb of Christ at the Holy Sepulchre in an effort to expiate their terrible sins of sacking the shrine at Rocamadour, France to pay Harry’s troops and debts (while fighting his own father, but that’s another story!)

He arrives in Jerusalem at a critical time - Baldwin the King is dying (young) of leprosy, with no clear adult successor. William is put into a position of relative importance, being a former member of Henry II’s court and Marshall to his son. The Patriarch and Senior representatives of the Templars and Hospitallers prepare to go to ask the Kings of France and England if they will take the reins of Regency until Baldwin’s son can take over. William has to tread a fine line between the remaining 2 factions – those supporting Raymond of Tripoli (who seems the most eligible and sensible) and others supporting his enemy, the irresponsible and immoral Guy de Lusignan, (husband of Baldwin’s sister Sybilla and stepfather of her son). This fine balance is further complicated by an extremely inadvisable romantic entanglement, which costs William dearly.

Elizabeth Chadwick chronicles these years with a plausible, flowing story – putting the mediaeval religious beliefs firmly in the forefront of her characters’ motivations. I loved it, I did get a bit impatient with Paschia but understood her plight; against her Uncle’s command over her life, she was powerless.

The sections dealing with William’s passing and his peaceful and patient acceptance of that, having thoroughly made his preparations, made very hard reading for me. Tales of his strength, ardour and honour are what we’re all used to and what I want to hear about! But who wouldn’t wish him a peaceful and honourable ending? Thanks, Elizabeth!

SO happy to be back in the world of William Marshall. I've been a huge fan of Elizabeth's work for almost ten years now and this book is another rich, exciting, emotional read.