A sweeping tale of Richard the Lionheart's time in the Holy Land,
Fast-paced historical fiction with an impressive attention to detail. I loved Ben Kane's Lionheart and yet Crusader is even better. It bodes well for book no. 3 in the series which promises to be just as good an adventure.
Crusader is a fabulous, engaging book, following the steps of Richard I's journey to the Holy land, with his sojourns in Sicily and Cyprus providing the opening salvoes to a novel of non-stop action.
The battles are beautifully choreographed, with the narrator Rufus, a knight in Richard's mesnie, drawing the reader into the action, so that they can see, hear and feel every strike of the blade or flight of an arrow.
The characters are fulsome, deep and provide a wonderful, colourful contrast with the action. Ben Kane has blended the historical character with his fictional ones so that it is almost impossible to discern the fictional characters - they slot into the story perfectly and provide the perfect foils to the real historical characters.
This is, in short, a marvellous book that you will be reading long into the night...

After ascending to the throne Richard Plantagenet spends some time restoring his country. However he has sworn an oath to go on crusade to the Holy Land alongside his liege lord and frenzy Philippe of France. Alongside Richard travels his loyal knight Rufus (the Irishman, Ferdia) who is sworn to Richard and also to fighting the infidel as penance for a murder he has committed. Travelling through Sicily and Cyprus, nothing can prepare them for the heat and travail against Saladin, the great leader of their enemy.
Kane is really hitting his stride with this book in which known history is intertwined with the fictional life of Ferdia. As Kane acknowledges, the breadth and depth of writing on the crusade is huge making research easy to come by. Here the facts are relayed accurately with the fiction wound neatly through it and with a strong sense of storytelling that makes this an enthralling read at many levels.

I loved the historical background and period details. The story's momentum continues up to the end and the vivid descriptions transport you right into the battles and sounds and smells of camp life. Highly recommended reading.

This is a gripping and fascinating historical fiction, well researched and realistic.
We are not spared the brutality of the time but we also met fascinating and well written characters.
I loved this story and can't wait for the next.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Dnf through no fault of the book itself.

Overall, it was engaging and well written. The plot didn't go too slow or too fast, it was just right.

Unfortunately, I hadn't read any other books in the series which probably contributed to my not go finishing it. Though, it was easy enough to understand so someone starting with this book shouldn't have any trouble getting into..

It's a good book - just not for me, I would recommend it.

In reviewing Lionheart last year, I said that it might have been the best thing Ben Kane had written. Turns out I was wrong. Crusader might just be the best thing Kane has written.

What a book. From the first page to the last, Crusader is an absolute tour de force of an historical novel.

The action is gripping, and it doesn’t let off. Kane takes on a brutal journey that follows King Richard’s tumultuous first year in the Holy Land. Every battle scene is heart in mouth stuff, yet at the same time, the writing is so damned good that he manages to draw out a whole host of emotional responses from the reader.

The relationships between Richard, Rufus and the kings mesnie feel realistic and true, and add to the realism of the world the author creates.

A brilliant book, I really cant wait for King to be released next year.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion for the eArc of this book. Crusader is the 2nd installment of Ben Kane's Lionheart trilogy. When I was offered this book to read I was only part way through book one and was quite anxious that I'd find it too hard to jump straight into book two. Netgalley's feedback ratio stress made the choice easy though! A testament to Kane is that you can actually pick up Crusader fresh and read it as a standalone. It helps obviously that the story matter is so well known! Kane is one of my current favourite authors. His novels on Rome are unparalleled and stand as some of my favourite books ever. If you are a fan of Bernard Cornwell or Giles Kristian then you know what sort of story you'll be getting. A fast paced plot with great character development and meticulous research done.
The story is brtual in parts and rarely gives you a chance to catch your breath. I love how the story is told through the eyes of the Irish man Ferdia rather than Richard himself as it gives Kane a bit more room to work with.
I'm very reticent to give away much plot but if you're a fan of The Crusades, Ben Kane or just we'll told historical fiction, I would implore you to pick up this book, support the author and let the publisher know that we need more books like this :)

Finally crowned king of England, Richard the Lionheart has set his affairs in order, in regards to who will run the kingdom when he is away on crusade to take back Jerusalem.
In this second instalment we see the journey through the eyes of Rufus, Richard’s most loyal knight.
With more than one king on crusade, a decision must be made on who will sit on Jerusalem’s throne, but only if they can overcome the odds and defeat Saladin.
This is the ultimate battle to take back the Holy Land, and Richard must have the heart of a lion to prevail.
Another masterpiece by the ever brilliant Ben Kane. He has the knack of capturing a time period perfectly. A novel that has it all, from politics to intrigue to romance to war. This is historical fiction at its very finest and a book I highly recommend. Outstanding.

The second in Ben Kane’s Lionheart trilogy. Historical fiction at its best, as we would expect.
No guesses as to what “Crusader” might be about, it covers Richard the Lionheart from 1189 to 1192 and the third crusade to the “Holy Lands”. The history is presented with a fictional character, Ferdia, as one of the King’s close aides and Knights. Due to the “presence” of “Sir Ferdia” we get to see and hear events from his close perspective. Richard was a complex and “full on” character, brave, impetuous, quick to anger and keen for battle. You sense he was less outraged about the “barbarians” in the Holy Lands than seeking the opportunity to enjoy the opportunity for battle.
This was not a crusade that went well, things were delayed as the politics of alliances came into play and on arrival terrible conditions and a cunning enemy in Saladin did not ease the cause. And both sides were guilty of shocking brutality.
The character of Ferdia helps punt things along and he provides a diversion for the times when the historical elements slow down a bit.
Richard is perceived as one of our greatest Kings, born in England but was basically French (Aquitaine) and spent little time in England. And he only reigned for ten years.
Thanks to NetGalley for an early view of this.

Crusader is a stunning historical epic. A historical epic that has riveting battle scenes, rip-roaring thumping action combined with the stories of legendary rulers and kings in a brutal yet one of the most famous eras of warfare. The Crusades. Ben Kane has done an outstanding job on the prose, the writing, the background, and the historical research. In many ways, the world of the Third Crusade comes alive. This is when Richard the Lionheart, King of England and ruler of many dukedoms, lead the third Crusade to take Jerusalem and defeat the Saracens, although the actual name, in reality, would be the Ayyubid Caliphate. The Third Crusade needs no actual spoilers: it was a legendary contest of two legendary rulers, Richard the Lionheart and Salah ad-Din (Or in our words which we know, he would be known as Saladin) trying to negotiate while trying to simultaneously attack each other. Brutality in this period is evident, and there is not much one can do about it but read on.

Ben Kane noted that many of the events in the book if you begin to study the Third Crusade, make for a Hollywood movie. There was one particular scene in history where Richard the Lionheart rode ahead to the Ayyubid encampment and shouted for anyone to challenge him. Ben Kane has produced this scene in such cinematic glory I have to commend him. He’s done a fabulous job on the historical research and the fruits of it are showing themselves when the world comes alive. Every character, major or minor, historical or not feels like a real world. Fantasy writers can take a cue from the worldbuilding because Ben Kane’s historical sources were plenty. Every three sources he found came from Christian sources, and every two came from Muslim sources of that time. Most of the events that happened in the Third Crusade were crazy. Things that would only belong in a Hollywood movie script. But it did happen as much as Ben Kane admitted.

This novel covers many historical events, and this is where I think the distinctions between the English and the French nobility begin to emerge along with the continuation of a rivalry where the English and French don’t trust each other. The French, according to the English viewpoint, was haughty and arrogant. To the French, the English under Richard the Lionheart went around looting and pillaging Sicily, Cyprus, and Acre. There is so much historical accuracy in this novel it oozes with it. I am impressed. This is a book that could easily have been a movie or a TV series. I enjoyed this. With regards to the criticism, some scenes did drag on, and I liked many of the characters which are too innumerable to name. Though I do say that Ferdia is having the time of his life in this novel along with Rhys. They are engaged in so many conflicts, so many battles, so many wars, it’s hilarious to think that the Third Crusade was bascially a gigantic boxing match. A lot of it could have been prevented. But of course, both Richard and Saladin faced domestic struggles in their courts which prevented them from fully facing each other in battle. Their rivalry reminded me of Hannibal and Scipio for that matter. And more or less, this is a book focused on Richard the Lionheart as much as it is focused on Ferdia acting as part of Richard’s retinue. You begin to see that Richard the Lionheart was a legendary King, a man that was born to be a legend. He is equal to Alexander, Achillies, Ceasar, Augustus in terms of wit, cunning, and strategy. His opponent, Saladin was equal to many of the great Generals of the Parthian Empire and many legendary Kings of his time. They were both larger than life, and I say this. Put Richard the Lionheart in any period, and he would have had men of many nations serving him. He was that charismatic.

The writing is fantastic. This is a stunning historical epic that you need to read. I would go into more detail but I think I’ll let the book do that for you. To produce such an amazing piece of work, to fully realize it, is astounding. I am in awe and this is a book you need to buy and read.

I have submitted my review on Amazon and Waterstones as well

This is the second in a series and it steps up a gear from the first book, which was already a good read. From the very start we are into the action! The writing is effective and the pacing is really well managed - I think that is the book's real strength. But you probably already know this is what Kane does - don't worry, you’ll love this!

As you will remember from the first book, King Richard and his ‘mesnie’ knights (including our narrator Ferdia) need to secure English crown lands in France against scheming brothers and a determined French King, before heading off to the Holy Land to reconquer Jerusalem from the wily, ruthless Saladin.

Toward the end our hero confesses, “Politics and negotiations, alliances made and unmade, all were things that left me cold” (358), admitting he prefers “the black-and-white of war, the blood-hot simplicity of it” (359). It’s a boy’s own viewpoint that the book endorses. Politicians always come off as inherently sneaky and true and faithful knights and honest and worthy (well, up to a point!).


There are moments of epic grandeur …
“Death reigned supreme, and we were kings of it”

And frantic fighting …
“I stabbed a Saracen in the back, and gloried in it”

It's often on a knife-edge ...
“We should have died, all of us, wiped out by the Mamluks” (a sentence used several times!)

No spoilers here, though, as the sheer fun of it comes from keeping the tension going. It's one of his better ones ... Enjoy!

A gripping and very violent account of the 3rd Crusade (when Richard the Lionheart got his name). The story is told through the observant eyes of Ferdia O Cathain (also known as Rufus O'Kane) a knight in very close attendance to the King, even during his crazily heroic attacks on the massed ranks of Saracens. Many scenes reminded me of the battles in such Hollywood epics as El Cid. Rufus also has a guilty conscience after an early misdemeanor, and a lust for a woman quite of his league (but of course she takes pity on him..) The story rattles along, the historical research is convincing ( a long author's note at the end recounts in some detail the sources Kane has drawn on), and Richard is depicted as a superb leader, somewhat in the Shackleton mode, spurring his men on against overwhelming odds. The minor characters are not particularly differentiated and some of the dialogue is rather too explicatory (the novel has to cover several years in rather limited space: I could have wished it a little longer), but still this is a really gripping rapid read I would heartily recommend to anyone.

Crusader, a sequel to the novel, Lionheart, was a fun and interesting read. Kane researched this very well and you could tell this with the historical details, about the time of Richard the Lionheart’s crusade in the Holy Land. Set from the point of view of a fictional young knight, Ferdia, you would be able to read this as a stand alone, but I would also recommend reading the first novel as there are a few storylines that carry on from the first book.
The book felt a bit tedious at times with the various retellings of pitched battle and sieges, but this is just my personal preference as I prefer this era told a bit more broadly.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for this ARC in return for a review.

I do so wish this book had been available when I studied this topic in the 1960’s!!
History lessons taught us about the Plantagenets, Richard the Lionheart, Coeur de Lion, and his brother, Bad King John, or John Lackland. Our Geography lessons dealt with desert warfare, and travelling to the Holy Land, but for children brought up in rural Lincolnshire, where the land is flat, flat , and what the heck was a desert, it didn’t make sense. When you had one weeks holiday a year, if lucky enough, at Skegness on the East Coast, where the only animals there were donkeys, well, all sand was the same to us!! The Religious Studies teacher, who was an ex missionary, tried to teach us about why nations quarrelled about God, but it wasn’t until my own children were being taught this same subject, and I had experienced foreign travel, that I realised how limited my knowledge and education had been.
Both Lionheart and Crusader have helped to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of this exciting period of history. It may be raw, and visceral, but it brings to life exploits on the battlefield, the sheer logistics of travelling with horsemen in heavy armour in such heat, the marching, those magnificent weapons of war, the trebuchets, and the faith and determination to see such a Holy quest to its conclusion.
The descriptions of battle preparations, the routes taken, there is a lot of research within these pages, and it really shows. Throughout this novel, I felt I was there, I could almost feel the intense heat, the sickness and the iron tang of blood that you know through accidents, injuries and death. The unwashed bodies that contrasted with the sweet fruit of Pomegranates, the brutal reality of battles and the friendship and courage of the fighters.
I throughly recommend this book, for those with a thirst for knowledge of this era in history. Heroes are almost forgotten these days, the cause for these crusades may now be unfashionable, but that is not to say that these people should be forgotten. Richard the Lionheart deserves much better, and Ben Kane is the writer who is helping to redress the balance.
I have had the greatest pleasure in reviewing both these books, I have been so lucky!! I am eagerly looking forward to the next one in this series, the political intrigues that will show King John in his true colours, that we did learn about, especially losing his treasure in the Wash!!
I was intrigued by the spelling of Alienor, when we are so used to Eleanor, but I’m sure that is as a result of much historical knowledge.
I rate this as a five star read. Thank you to Netgalley and Orion fiction, for my ARC. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and others.

With a childhood watching Richard The Lionheart on tv and studying Giraldus Cambrensis as a student I wasn't quite ready for the brutal reality of the Crusades brilliantly portrayed by Ben.

Ferdia is a strong character involved in a dangerous liaison trying to steer Richard through petty political squabbles and an almost suicidal recklessness in battle.

Ben sews the seeds of future issues with John , Leopold of Austria and Richard's ultimate death really well.

I recommend this well researched novel , five stars no question !!!

A very colorful and very entertaining novel about Braveheart's travels and military adventures to the Holy Land and the ever shifting Anglo-French political shenanigans. An action-packed fictional account of the late 12th century Crusade with a cast of unforgettable characters, historically accurate and filled with menacing twists and unexpected surprises. This second installment in Ben Kane's Plantagenets Saga is a wonderful addition to the literary genre and one can only hope that a third episode will come our way very soon. To be enjoyed without moderation👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Publishing for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel prior to its release date.

Ben Kane can do no wrong when it comes to historical fiction. “Crusader” is the hugely anticipated sequel to the amazing “Lionheart” - the first book in the series based on King Richard The Lionheart.

The story started with “Lionheart”, the beginning of the rise of Richard Plantagenet, one of the most legendary warriors to have ever lived, intertwined with the narrator’s fictional life story. Ferdia is an Irish prisoner who strives to become one of Richard’s most trusted knights. The second book in the series, “Crusader” continues on with Richard and his army heading on Crusade, with all the thrilling adventure and battles along the way.

Richard Lionheart is one of my favourite historical figures, and Ben Kane brought him to life through these books wonderfully. Ferdia is an ideal sidekick to Richard - he’s loyal and shows his fearlessness when called upon to save Richard’s life. Fitzaldelm is Ferdia’s nemesis - but he is also one of Richard’s knights and the tension between the two of them simmers constantly and can be traced back to the first book, when Fitzaldelm’s brute of a brother met his end at the hands of Ferdia. Fitzaldelm is unaware of how exactly his brother died and Ferdia will do anything to make sure his secret stays buried and his position as Richard’s knight safe.

A hugely engaging and gripping read, this book must not be missed. I must also mention the absolutely gorgeous covers that both books in this series have. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and equally, those who like their books well written and fast paced. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.